My TV Fool Report:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e2cbfa8fc32d44
What's important to me: Clear reception for all the major TV networks: 8.1 (NBC), 10.1 (CBS), 13.1 (FOX), and 28.1 (ABC).
This is my first foray into using outdoors OTA antenna (previously, I've been using MOHU Leaf products).
Had professional installers do work around our house - adding ethernet jacks under TVs, burying cables (HDMI) behind wall, mounting our TVs on walls, etc. They also installed outdoors OTA antenna for me.
This was the first antenna I had installed:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Which is omnidirectional as you can see. I got the following:
8.1 (NBC) - seems solid, no pixelating at all
13.1 (Fox) - pixelating from time to time. But no loss of signal
Was not satisfied - wanted to get 10.1 (CBS) and 28.1 (ABC) as well, so I got a directional antenna instead:
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=hdb4x
I removed the first antenna (previously installed by professional) and replaced this with the new directional antenna by myself.
At first: I got all channels except for 8.1. So I worked to point my antenna toward the azimuth shown in the TV Fool report, and re-tested. I now had all major networks!
However - here are my current issues:
8.1 - this one seems to be the worst of all major networks. However, I am not quite sure what is happening. I can have solid signal for most of the day, only to suddenly have symptoms (pixellating a bit, or pixellating badly, or loss of signal completely). Sometimes those symptoms continue for hours, or only for a short time. I cannot figure out any pattern here. And it doesn't seem to be weather-related either, but I haven't confirmed this 100%.
The other channels - Fox 13.1 seems to fare better than 8.1, and the 10.1 (CBS), 28.1 (ABC) seems to be more solid. Which is odd because 8.1 seems to be the most solid when using the first antenna that I replaced (the omnidirectional antenna).
The antenna is currently roughly 8 feet off round, mounted on eastern edge of the house, pointed SE. There is house next to us to the east. Both our houses are 1-floor houses.
I am wondering if I will get significant results by rising my antenna maybe another 5 feet using "sweged mast" (basically extend my mast I have now by another 5 feet). Or if I should buy a different antenna that has more "wire" - like
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=HDB8X maybe?
Does my setup have powered amplifier? Yes - still have that (it came with the first antenna, the omnidirectional one, and based on my tests, I need it - if I don't have powered amplifier, I cannot get 8.1 (NBC) at all).
Not sure about pre-amp - if this is important I can check (not sure how to check to see if I have one, but I have an idea of how I can check.. in the outdoor panel on the side of our house).
So should I consider extending my mast by 5 feet to hopefully make my 8.1 signal more solid? Looking to take my first outdoor OTA experience to the next level.
Thanks in advance!