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Old 18-Jan-2015, 12:01 PM   #1
MultiPurpose
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Join Date: May 2014
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Apartment Downtown, TV Fool Report

Hey everyone!

I'm re-exploring my venture into an OTA antenna after a rather poor attempt on my part 3 years ago due to lack of research and time. I live several blocks from my previous location in Portland, OR, with a downtown apartment complex where the window faces North. At the time, I tried out a Mohu Leaf which gave me 2-3 channels reliably and was not worth it at the time.

However, I'm willing to go the long haul this time and hopefully be able to get a decent OTA signal. Channels aren't really important to me aside from local news like ABC/CBS/NBC. Really, just something to wake up to and watch, plus local events.

My TV Fool report is here, which I read was more accurate than AntennaWeb. They, however, gave me a 'Yellow' in almost all channels.

Hopefully I can find something on Amazon or the like that will allow me to do this.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Old 18-Jan-2015, 12:39 PM   #2
timgr
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Ideally, you want your antenna to be in free air, pointing at the stations you want to recieve. It should be unobstructed by trees, buildings, power lines, etc.

These conditions are what your TV Fool Report assumes. Add any of those to the signal path, and the result is much less predictable.

So, your window pointing north likely does not help you much, since the stations you want are to the west-southwest (240 magnetic).

If your building is brick or stone or has aluminum siding or stucco (wire mesh), reception will likely be very poor. A wood frame with vinyl or wood siding is better, but is still not transparent to TV signals.

Realize that there are two different bands for TV, VHF (real ch 2-13) and UHF (real ch 14-51). Receiving UHF is much easier than VHF with a small antenna, because the much long wavelengths of VHF require a larger antenna. So you are much more likely to be able to receive KRCW 33 than KOPB 10, with a small indoor antenna.

Do you still have the Leaf? Did you experiment much with moving the antenna around inside your apartment and pointing it in different directions?

Is there any chance you could put your antenna on an outside wall or balcony facing west?
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Old 18-Jan-2015, 12:44 PM   #3
ADTech
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You need a window that gives you a view to the west southwest if you want a prediction for reliable reception. Otherwise, you are left with trying to catch a reflected signal out that north-facing window or relying on signal penetration of your building, neither of which allows for any expectation of a relivable prediction.

Your best bet is to pick up a simple UNAMPLIFIED loop and rabbit ears from somewhere like Radio Shack (while they're still in business) and experiment with that.

Good luck, your results will depend on both persistence and luck.
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Old 18-Jan-2015, 5:52 PM   #4
MultiPurpose
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I'm likely going to have to rely on signal penetration of my building as both my windows and balcony face north, although I might be able to face something off the balcony if positioned correctly. My apartment complex is newer, so being aluminum(?) will be a pain.

Does anyone have any recommendations for antennas? I no longer have the Leaf, so I'm shopping around again. Ideally, I'd like something that I have time to experiment with and if need be, return without much of a hassle. Cost isn't really an issue, providing it works.
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Old 18-Jan-2015, 8:43 PM   #5
ADTech
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With an aluminum exterior building, you can pretty much forget about the signal penetrating it.
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Old 19-Jan-2015, 12:24 PM   #6
timgr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ADTech View Post
With an aluminum exterior building, you can pretty much forget about the signal penetrating it.
Yep. Look up Faraday cage.

Maybe you could buy some rabbit ears and try them on your balcony - http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT111F-Ba...sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 - you should be able to pick up these or similar at your local WalMart or home center. Then get a long cable and take them out on your porch. Experiment with placement and direction. Look here for some ideas http://www.kyes.com/antenna/rabbitear.html
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