Help with reception
 

Good morning,

My tv fool report is as follows:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...b97d65bfd48688

We have the following antenna (RCA Yagi):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0024...yHL&ref=plSrch

And we also have this port amplifier because the wire runs are long;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001B...rch&th=1&psc=1


The problem we have is that we cannot get Channel WGEN-LD (real 45, virtual 8.1). I have moved the antenna around and I still don't get reception this channel... Is there something I'm doing wrong? According to the tv fool report I should be able to watch that channel, correct?
- I have even tried directly with the antenna (without using the amplifier) and still no signal for that channel. Could it be that the antenna is just a old (it's about 2 or 3 years old), or am I doing something wrong?


Thanks for your help!

Have you tried aiming the antenna directly at WGEN instead at the other Miami stations?

Yeah, i aimed it at 67 True degrees using m iPhone's compass. Is that the correct aim?

I'm not an iPhone user, but I understand that you need to set your phone to choose whether you want to use true north or magnetic north.

That said, smartphone compasses are not known to be exact. If you have a real compass I'd try that (aiming at 73 degrees). Or just move it a tiny bit at a time from about 60 to 90 degrees true and experiment.

Where is your antenna located? How high?

Any trees or other buildings in the signal path?
How long are the runs from the antenna?

Is the antenna coax grounded with a grounding block?

What channels DO you get?

Do you have a clear or obstructed signal path in the direction of downtown Miami? That station's transmitter is on the top of One Biscayne Tower which overlooks Bayfront Park.

The antenna is currently mounted on the side of the roof. There is a pretty big tree a couple of houses down in the direction the antenna is pointing... Could that have such a huge effect to knock out that one channel?

The antenna is currently not grounded, would that affect the signal and make it worse?

I can currently get the usual CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, Univision, UniMas, Telemundo, etc.... But no luck on Channel 8.1

Is my antenna appropriate for my distance to the towers?

Yes, WGEN is on real channel 45, which is a UHF channel. UHF signals are affected by trees more than VHF signals. See attachment.

WGEN is also your weakest signal in Green, and in a different direction.
Sometimes when the coax shield is grounded, it is better able to reject interference that might harm a weaker signal.
Distance ratings for antennas are a creation of marketing departments. We don't pay much attention to them. What good is a 60 mile antenna if you are behind a mountain that is only 5 miles away?

We look at the signal path and the Noise Margin. Your report says that WGEN is LOS (good) and has a NM of 35.7 dB (also good), which means it is that much stronger than the minimum necessary for reception.

Your antenna is appropriate for the signals listed on your report and the channels you want.

Keep in mind that your tvfool report doesn't take into consideration trees or buildings in the signal path, and assumes that your antenna is outside and in the clear.
It is possible that connections can deteriorate with an outdoor antenna system. Have you ever been able to receive WGEN?

How many TVs are you feeding, and how long are the wire runs? Where is the amp located?

You have two strong local FM signals that might affect TV reception. If they do, you can insert an FM filter in the coax line. See attachment 2.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...-FM-88-/33-341

If the antenna is outside, the coax shield should be grounded with a grounding block that is connected to the house electrical system ground with 10 gauge copper wire for electrical safety and to reject interference. For further compliance with the electrical code (NEC), the mast should also be grounded in a similar manner to drain any buildup of static charge, but the system will not survive a direct strike.

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.p...9&d=1441917363

I see, so I will make sure it is grounded.

- Regarding the tree, would it help to point the antenna up a bit (to point more "towards the sky" and "look above" the tree)? Or should antennas stay horizontal to the ground?

Also, would another antenna be better than what i have for VHF, or is this one ok?

It might help, and is worth a try, but don't get your hopes up. Tilting your antenna up would be a custom modification. There is no magic antenna that will "see" through trees.

The next upgrade antenna would be the Winegard HD7694P, but what VHF channel is giving you a problem?

You didn't answer my question: Have you ever been able to receive WGEN?

Sorry about that, the channel that is giving me the problem is WGEN, I mislabeled and meant to say UHF.

Regarding ever watching this channel, I do not remember. I have had this antenna installed for a while but did not really use it until about 1 month ago since I cut the cord on the cable company. And now is when I am trying to find out how to get that specific channel to come in.