Quote:
Originally Posted by rickbb
2 things I would try;
1st try just one 4 bay panel connected and aimed due east, 90 degrees, no preamp. Splitting the difference between your towers.
2nd try both panels aimed east, at most only 5 or 10 degrees apart from each other, no preamp. Again splitting the difference between the towers.
I think you have 2 issues here, one is overload from the close towers, you have 3 with a NM greater than 60db. The second is multipath from the 2 panels aimed in different directions.
An 8 bay is more directional than a 4 bay, I'm thinking that with the 60 degree beam width of a 4 bay and splitting the difference in directions you should be able to pull in a better spread of channels.
Of course there's no accounting for the trees and since they are pine they will be in the way year round.
Edit, I also noticed you also have a distribution amp so you are doubling up the signal of really strong close towers.
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Very good food for thought. Of interest, this evening I disconnected one bay from the splitter at the antenna, so it was one panel pointed not necessarily due east, (more on that), but in the direction of what I thought would give me Toronto as the other antenna did and a portion of Lake Ontario exposure to try and grab Rochester if possible, as it has been in the past.
Toronto and Hamilton finally came in on first scan. All of Hamilton, most of Toronto, still missing 41 which is normally there. Buffalo 17 & 19, 23, 29 Yes.
So a few things come to mind.
I've got the panel situated southerly enough to get Buffalo and pickup Hamilton on the side by sheer proximity (or verge of overload) alone. The other side sees enough of the Toronto lobes to lock in based on the panels beamwidth.
But the panel is not pointing "east" as it is in my mind.
It's more like South - East.
I can look at the tower location in Google and visually get an idea where to point the panel to nail the CN Tower, no doubt I would get Hamilton at that point to, being proximity again, but at the expense of Buffalo?
Which is why I went with the 8 Bay. But you brought up something about the 5 to 10 degrees apart between each panel. I really would like to continue to try to improve to get Rochester, so to have the panels setup as such, one more "easterly" south, by 10 degrees, one more "westerly" south, I might have a chance, but that would infer the overload from Hamilton, so given your ideas, both panels having more of a easterly direction, still able to pickup hamilton from the side, hopefully Buffalo doesn't get wiped out (one panel will be the "finicky" one), I should hopefully be able to do this.
But back to the the original problem. I still haven't nailed if it's a bad splitter now, sheer overload, bad balun in a panel. I've got reception on the east panel. Tonight we have that for our nightly news, all we need for now, but you have me thinking.
As for the distribution amp, easy enough to take out and in fact it's on bypass right now so you are correct, it could worsen the overload. Will leave it like that for now. The TV's are not as numerous now in quantity or usage now that iptv and netflix have prevailed but I still love my OTA. So does the wife.
Thanks again for your input!