TV Fool  

Go Back   TV Fool > Over The Air Services > Help With Reception

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 18-Jan-2010, 11:25 PM   #1
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
Help with antenna choice

Hi, I am at the following location

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...c572b6ecadc3bd

I just need something inside to get the major networks. I am a little confused about the directional, etc. I see the azimuth is very different for some of the stations and wonder which one could pick up all 4 major networks? I bought a cheap philips sdv2210/17 from cvs pharmacy. I can pick up most of the channels, but not abc. Others are on off, but some have a very strong signal. Is this an azimuth problem with this antenna? Any recommendations?
Thanks
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-Jan-2010, 12:33 AM   #2
mtownsend
Moderator
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 632
Hello and welcome!

All of your major network channels are coming from two rough groupings. About half are west of you and the other half are south-east of you.

All of the channels are UHF (14-69) except for WTVI (ch 11). All of the UHF stations are handled by the "loop" portion of your antenna. WTVI needs be handled by the "rabbit ears" portion of your antenna. If you are having any difficulty with WTVI, I suggest that you extend the rabbit ears elements out about half way and then spread them apart (you can even lay them out horizontally if you have the space).

For optimum aim of loop+rabbit ears, you want the "face" of the antenna to be facing the direction of the transmitters (either west or south-east in your case). In other words, the signal coming from the transmitters should be coming in perpendicular to the plane of the loop + rabbit ears antenna elements.



Indoor reception can sometimes be tricky due to signals being blocked or reflected by walls and other (sometimes hidden) objects. You can try moving your antenna higher (second floor or attic?) or you might be better off with a more directional antenna like the Philips SDV2790/27 (also sold as the PHDTV3) or the Terk HDTVi.

These antennas are more directional, so they can sometimes clean up a signal that is prone to indoor "echoes" or "ghosts" that cause trouble for some digital receivers.
mtownsend is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-Jan-2010, 3:20 AM   #3
OTAMAN2010
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9
4228 Multi-Directional

Mtown I think the 4228 is a great multi-directional antenna for Sledge. His stations are from many directions. Rabbit ears need to much adjustment to pick up channel in different directions. It.s rated at 60 miles. Also it's not very expensive.
OTAMAN2010 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-Jan-2010, 3:31 AM   #4
mtownsend
Moderator
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 632
Quote:
Originally Posted by OTAMAN2010 View Post
I think the 4228 is a great multi-directional antenna for Sledge.
Unfortunately, the 4228 is not a "multi-directional" antenna. It is an 8 bay bowtie (much too big for indoor use) that has a lot of gain and is highly directional. I don't think that fits with the OP's intent.
mtownsend is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-Jan-2010, 12:24 AM   #5
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
Thanks for the quick responses!! I am going to try the Terk HDTVi and see how that works. I ordered one and will let you know how it works. I am getting cbs, fox nbc and a couple of locals. If this will let me add abc, I will be very happy.

Thanks again, this is a really great site!!
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-Jan-2010, 11:25 PM   #6
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
It is raining, so that could be the problem, but I am not able to get more than 5 seconds of reception tonight. I am trying to watch the game on fox. Can weather be the problem? It was working great on the channels I had been watching. It pulled in all 4 major networks I wanted, but now it is really not functional. Any ideas? Thanks
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25-Jan-2010, 3:34 AM   #7
mtownsend
Moderator
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 632
Quote:
Originally Posted by sledge View Post
Can weather be the problem? It was working great on the channels I had been watching. It pulled in all 4 major networks I wanted, but now it is really not functional. Any ideas?
Water in the air (e.g., falling rain, fog, etc.) can reduce the signal strength a little, but for big signal fluctuations, the more common culprit is rain wetting the bushes and trees that are in the signal path. If your signal needs to pass through a bunch of trees, you will get more signal through them when they are dry than when they are soaked. Water on buildings and walls can also contribute to the signal loss.

This can be another advantage for attic or rooftop mounted antennas because they tend to be higher than the majority of signal-blocking objects. When the rain starts, the higher antennas may be affected to a lesser degree.
mtownsend is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-Feb-2010, 2:51 PM   #8
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
Thanks for the response. It was pointed right at a large bush. I have moved it and not had signal loss yet. I am using a HD Tivo now and it works great. The OTA even populates the guide for recording HD and guide information.
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9-Mar-2010, 4:48 PM   #9
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
I have another tv I would like to hook up and saw some good reviews on a db2. Does anyone have experience with the indoor db2?
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9-Mar-2010, 4:57 PM   #10
mtownsend
Moderator
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 632
The DB2 is a fine UHF-only antenna.

WTVI is on channel 11, so you may or may not get it depending on how much luck you have picking up a very strong VHF channel through this UHF antenna. All your other channels are on UHF, so they should be fine.

The DB2 does not come with a stand, so you'll need to rig something if you plan to mount this inside somewhere.
mtownsend is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-Mar-2010, 2:20 AM   #11
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
Thanks for the information. I could put an outdoor antenna up, it would not be on the roof, but just outside the window from the tv. Could I gain anything, ie picking up another market? The inside terk is working great for local, no problems, just curious.
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-Mar-2010, 8:42 AM   #12
mtownsend
Moderator
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 632
Sure. There are some decent signals coming from other markets that could be reached with a rooftop antenna. The antenna would need to be on the roof (not just the side of the house) and you would probably need an antenna rotator to get the antenna pointed in the different directions for each group of stations.
mtownsend is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4-Apr-2011, 8:36 PM   #13
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
Is there an outdoor antenna I could use to supply signal to two tv's for locals? I would like to find a good quality antenna and will not be able to put it on the roof. Probably the side of the house, on a fence, or on a satellite dish that is not being used. I already have the cables in place. The cable is about 40 feet. It may need to be amplified?
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4-Apr-2011, 9:00 PM   #14
GroundUrMast
Moderator
 
GroundUrMast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Posts: 4,773
The date code on your original TV Fool report is over a year old. To be safe, can you run a new TVF Report and post the link to it?
__________________
If the well is dry and you don't see rain on the horizon, you'll need to dig the hole deeper. (If the antenna can't get the job done, an amp won't fix it.)

(Please direct account activation inquiries to 'admin')
GroundUrMast is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4-Apr-2011, 9:09 PM   #15
sledge
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 10
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...8d176ac9f6fe24

I didn't realize it had been that long. If you need other information, please let me know.

Thanks
sledge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4-Apr-2011, 9:28 PM   #16
GroundUrMast
Moderator
 
GroundUrMast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Posts: 4,773
mtownsend's original advise is still true. If your rabbit-ears or other indoor antenna is unreliable, you will need to consider at least two options.

1. A two antenna system - An Antennas Direct DB-2 facing 263° per your compass and an RCA ANT-751 pointing toward 135°. Neither antenna should need any amplification, you have plenty of signal available. Each antenna would be cabled to an A/B selector switch at the TV set so that you can connect the appropriate antenna. Each antenna needs to be outdoors with a clear view in the direction indicated.

2. The RCA ANT-751 mounted on a rotator in a location with a view in the directions cited in option one.
__________________
If the well is dry and you don't see rain on the horizon, you'll need to dig the hole deeper. (If the antenna can't get the job done, an amp won't fix it.)

(Please direct account activation inquiries to 'admin')
GroundUrMast is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Go Back   TV Fool > Over The Air Services > Help With Reception


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off




All times are GMT. The time now is 5:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © TV Fool, LLC