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Old 1-Oct-2018, 10:20 PM   #9
Statmanmi
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 8
Hello fellow West Michigander Bob,

I've found that I can now post into the TVFool forums. I don't think I ever received an e-mail that my userID on the TVFool site had been approved after I signed up about a year ago, but I'm glad I tried a post last month.

I live 44 miles almost straight east from you, but have also helped a friend with his antenna in Ravenna. It was a year ago that I started really geeking out on getting OTA (over-the-air) TV antennas going, first for myself at my relatively-new location east of Cedar Springs and west of Greenville--then by helping a few others. If your curious later to read more about my particular antenna set-up, this avsforum post describes it: https://www.avsforum.com/forum/45-lo...l#post55665130

I've read through your thread here (from Sept. 2018), and also your year 2016 thread where Rabbit73 and others offered you some assistance.

Maybe some of my following thoughts and questions will help you, and no big deal if they don't.


I'm understanding that you're wanting to reliably receive channels 29.1,2,&3. Do you ever also receive 15.1,2,&3? The 29 channels are just duplicating the 15 ones, but from the closer tower to Muskegon and at a lower power. Thus, if you can get the 15.1,2,&3 to come in always, you wouldn't need the 29s. 15 and 29 are both station WXSP, with MyNetworkTV as the .1 subchannel.


In the 2016 thread, you included your address--and haven't removed it yet. Rabbit73 likely zoomed in on the Google view like I have, and he asked then if you have any of your antennas pointed into the large trees that seem to be shown at each end of your home.


Trees and their leaves don't play kind at all with TV signals. Especially when the leaves get wet and move around in wind. You mentioned that you lose the signal during rain, so that has me thinking that the trees are some of the situation you face.


Have you ever tried a single antenna from your garage roof or southern end of the house roof, pointed southeast? I suggest that location, as that might be your best shot at having the trees the furthest away from your antenna. Looks like you'd still have trees in other neighbors' yards, but it would avoid those on your own lot.


Trying a single antenna would eliminate the likely loss of signal occurring with your combiner use. Lots of us find how to point a single antenna and still get TV signals from all around. It's usually a matter of pointing at the weakest station and seeing if the others still come in enough for the TVs and devices to decode.


You had mentioned channel 49 in your 2016 thread. Realize that they've been having problems, and only recently noted with the FCC that they're back on the air at only one third of their usual low power:

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/da...65b09ceb9e07df

If that link doesn't work, then use this one, and go to the bottom where there's a link shown as "WMKG REASON FOR STA":

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/da...ct-attachments


Do you ever get NBC at all (WOOD TV) on any TV? It could reach you from two places: That same tower 6 miles northeast from you like 29.1, but not making it through the trees all the time. Or, it might be more reliable to get it to come in from their main, full-power tower by Gun Lake (south of Grand Rapids), so southeast from you--through the best available gap in the close-by trees. Just like with trying for 15.1,2,&3 instead of the 29s.


You asked in 2016 how there could be 3 different sources of Fox 17 shown on the charts. That station has many different towers, more than either WOOD TV or WXSP. Yet their management chooses to have almost all their extra low-power towers map into TVs as 17.x--confusing, isn't it?


You also mentioned about having a preamp and distribution amplifier. If you do try just a single antenna again, I'd suggest first not having the preamp nor distribution amplifier in place. Just have the antenna's downlead coax go to a single TV. If you can get a picture coming through from most of your problem channels, then add the preamp in (what brand is it)? Note that it's not too common that people need both a preamp up on the mast, and a distribution amp further down the line--usually it's only one or the other.


I hope some of my thoughts help you Bob. I and others are interested in hearing back on any progress you make.

Cheers!
Statmanmi
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