No reception with new antenna set up help

[John22]

We installed a new antenna = a big Winegard HD7698P HDTV High Band VHF Antenna to see if we could get better reception than the antenna we presently have. We can get no reception with the new one though. Just added the Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT Digital HDTV Preamplifier to it, as sounded like this was also needed for this antenna. Still zero reception. Hook the original antenna up and it will work again. Any ideas on what is wrong? Seems like we should be able to get some kind of reception with the new antenna and not zero.

[John22]

Both are set up in a big attic, where we have had the original one for years now, in case that would somehow affect the new antenna but not the original one and previous ones that have worked there.

[Jake V]

Here's a link to your original thread: http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=15871

If you get your usual reception with the old antenna and nothing with the new antenna and this is the only thing in your set up that you are changing, that suggests an issue with:

1) The connections. Check to make sure it is tight.
2) The balun. Are you using a new one with the new antenna? If so, it may be bad.
3) The antenna. Inspect it to see if the rods connecting the elements together are not broken anywhere.

[rabbit73]

Seems like we should be able to get some kind of reception with the new antenna and not zero.

Yes, you should. The Esky with an internal preamp works, so the 7698 with the LNA200 should also work.

The 7698 has an internal balun; it doesn't need an external balun. Winegard has a troubleshooting video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlQk...ule1MX8jCAfvPQ

[Stereocraig]

Originally Posted by Jake V

Here's a link to your original thread: http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=15871

If you get your usual reception with the old antenna and nothing with the new antenna and this is the only thing in your set up that you are changing, that suggests an issue with:

1) The connections. Check to make sure it is tight.
2) The balun. Are you using a new one with the new antenna? If so, it may be bad.
3) The antenna. Inspect it to see if the rods connecting the elements together are not broken anywhere.

4) At the rear of the VHF HI area, there is a rivet that goes through the boom and holds the two phasing lines together.
If the hole wasn't de burred properly, a chad could be shorting out your signal. That's what happened w/ me but I guess it could happen to any of the rivets.

Measuring from any of the phase lines to the boom, should give an infinite reading on an ohmmeter.