Antenna Insanity

Editor B · 27-Sep-2011, 2:15 AM

Good People,

I'm about to lose my mind over this problem, and I could use some good advice.

We're in New Orleans. Since we lost our analog set in the floods of 2005, we've gone all digital and never looked back. For years we have used a powered RCA rabbit ears set-top antenna and a Samsung SIR-T451 tuner. But we couldn't always get all the channels we wanted. Case in point: No WYES, the PBS affiliate which runs educational programming for kids. Plus we'd have to fiddle with it all the time to keep things in tune.

So, we thought we'd upgrade. I got a Channel Master 4221HD Multi-Bay UHF Short Range HDTV Antenna which was endorsed by a friend of a friend who supposedly knows about such things as being "just right" for our area.

Speaking of which here's the TV Signal Analysis Results for our precise location:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...60b56008d44c7c

Today I hired some guys to install the antenna in the back of our two story house — gotta be a good 30' in the air, and the antenna is on a pole well above our roof line. The back of our house faces northeast. The antenna is turned a bit so it faces north.

I don't think position should matter for the problem I'm about to explain, though.

We get three channels through this new antenna. The "real" channel numbers are 11, 36 & 41. We're finally getting WYES. (That's channel 11.) Hooray. My three year old daughter is overjoyed.

But through the rabbit ears we can get channels 15, 24, 26, 29, 31, 36 & 43.

The only channel both antennas get is 36 (WWL) which is the strongest signal here at -18.0dBm.

Other than that the two lists are mutually exclusive, and I can't see any rhyme or reason to it, which has me pulling my hair out.

Obviously the new antenna is doing something because it's pulling in the heretofore unobtainable WYES. But why can't it pick up the raft of other channels that our rabbit ears can get?

I figure it's something blindingly obvious that I'm just too ignorant to see.

Can anyone offer advice? It would be much appreciated.

Editor B

MisterMe · 27-Sep-2011, 2:40 AM

Your antenna is pointed north, almost perpendicular to the direction of the transmission towers from your location. This minimizes your reception of your New Orleans signals. Most of your stations are east of you. With the strength of the New Orleans signals, I would turn the antenna west toward Baton Rouge. Try 289° magnetic/true north. You may pull in the major stations in Baton Rouge will picking-up all of your New Orleans stations through the back of your antenna.

GroundUrMast · 27-Sep-2011, 3:31 AM

Position (aim point) does matter.

The screen / reflector is the back of the antenna. The V shaped 'whiskers' are the front of the antenna. The front of the antenna needs to face the station you are trying to receive.

As MrMe has pointed out, reception can occur if the antenna is facing away from the strong local stations. The least sensitive direction is to the left or right of the antenna.

Try turning the antenna to face 290° as MrMe suggests... if you don't get stable signals from Baton Rouge, turn the antenna halfway around to face about 110° and be happy with the strong local signals.

If you discover that WYES reception is unreliable, a high VHF antenna would be an easy add on that would improve reception of real channel 11.

John Candle · 27-Sep-2011, 3:59 AM

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html

Editor B · 27-Sep-2011, 1:18 PM

Thanks for the great feedback, y'all. Apparently I should not have dismissed position so quickly. I will try to get those guys back with their ladder to turn the antenna as suggested. I will post back the results here when that happens.

GroundUrMast · 27-Sep-2011, 3:58 PM

While they are there, on the ladder, be sure to scan for channels and check signal strength if your TV or converter has a signal meter function.

We can suggest an aim point to get you close, but fine tuning the aim a bit left or right may give you just a bit better signal.

Tower Guy · 27-Sep-2011, 7:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Editor B

So, we thought we'd upgrade. I got a Channel Master 4221HD Multi-Bay UHF Short Range HDTV Antenna which was endorsed by a friend of a friend who supposedly knows about such things as being "just right" for our area.

The 4221HD was not the best antenna for you. It is a UHF only design.

WYES is on VHF channel 11
WBRZ is on VHF channel 13
WAFB is on VHF channel 9

With the antenna aimed north, were you trying to get distant stations with it?

Your choices now are to start over with a VHF/UHF antenna, add a VHF antenna to the UHF only antenna, re-aim the UHF antenna and hope for the best with WYES, or install two VHF/UHF antennas, one for the local stations and another for the distant stations.

rickcain · 29-Sep-2011, 6:42 PM

I've had good luck pulling in a flaky VHF channel (7) by adding a Y-10713 and a UVSJ.

Editor B · 24-Oct-2011, 4:35 PM

Thanks for all your kind advice. Yesterday I borrowed a ladder and tried to adjust the antenna. Yikes. I could not bring myself to climb all the way up there. Valor, meet discretion. As it happens I will be hiring a roofer to do some work up there anyhow so I will ask him to try turning the antenna for me. I'll post results when I have them. Thanks again.

Editor B · 8-Nov-2011, 1:18 PM

Finally got the antenna turned. We turned the "whiskers" to face 290° as a couple of you suggested. (Thanks, MisterMe and GroundUrMast.) We're not picking up the Baton Rouge stations but we are getting 19 (virtual) local stations. No more fiddling with rabbit ears. So we are very happy. Thanks again for all the advice. Y'all rock.