I just recently cut the cord and set up an antenna. Based on the advice of the folks at Antenna’s Direct, I got a DB4e, a C2V reflector and an amplifier. My tuner is a TiVo Premiere. I first installed my antenna in the attic, but was getting occasional drop outs. I’m not sure which facts are going to be relevant and which won’t so I’ll tell you everything i can think of. Here is my TVFool info:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...46aef16aa5bafe
When looking at the antenna signal strength in the TiVo, it varies from 60 to 85, but usually hangs around 75-80. It was definitely not steady and fluctuated around regularly. The first thing i did was move my Tivo upstairs, to a much shorter run, to eliminate the length of the run or any wiring issues. I had the same problem. Next, I moved the antenna outside, on the side of my house, at the same level as the second floor windows, pointing to the majority of the local towers. I expected a major jump in reception, but it basically was exactly the same. Previously, i noted that channel 3.1 had issues, but after moving it outside, it seems that 3.1 is ok, but now Fox Philadelphia (29.1) is having issues. Its signal strength is varying from 40-60. I called Antenna’s Direct customer support and they recommended I remove the amp and see if that corrects the issue. I did that, and 29 improved, but still breaks up occasionally. Looking at fcc.gov, it shows that 29 seems to be lower powered than the other big networks, but seems like it should be ok, based on my TV Fool results. Based on my distance and my set up, I didn’t think I would have these kind of issues so i wonder if something simple and stupid is going on that I haven’t thought of. Any other suggestions?