Good antenna when less than six miles from transmitters

vader88 · 29-Feb-2012, 12:38 PM

I moved into my house a few months ago. Until now I have been using one of those cheap indoor powered antennas right next to my TV. It picks up NBC/CBS/ABC alright on a normal day. If there is any bad weather or other issues it might not work for a while. I am hoping that I can get something a little more reliable though.

I have a RCA ANT751R that I had from my previous house that I tried out in the attic here and its signal is basically unusable.

Why would a cheap indoor antenna work better than the RCA antenna? Is there a better antenna to use for this situation?

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b868c8b467718

No static at all · 29-Feb-2012, 1:57 PM

Did you try the ANT751 in different areas of the attic? Are there only certain channels that are problematic when using the attic antenna?

vader88 · 29-Feb-2012, 2:15 PM

I haven't played with it too much. I do have an upper attic and a lower attic. It is currently sitting in the upper attic(which is quite small) pointed in the general direction of the stations. I will try running it to the lower attic and see if it is any better there since there is more room for movement.

No static at all · 29-Feb-2012, 2:18 PM

Try to keep away from metal as much as possible. Also, try setting the antenna on top of a box to raise it off the attic floor a few inches if possible.

ADTech · 29-Feb-2012, 2:47 PM

If an ANT751 can't provide usable signals that close, you have either a defective cable or balun or you've put the antenna into the equivalent of a Faraday cage, or there is some other issue with the site selection.

Electron · 1-Mar-2012, 7:02 AM

The best for reception is a wood frame with wood or vinyl siding and standard composition shingles. Do the attic/s have a metal roof?? Are there solar panels at or on the roof or walls?? Is there metal foil backed insulation?? Metal ducting in the attic?? Metal HVAC in the attic?? Sheets of metal in the attic. Bad coax?? A bad balun/matching transformer?? What direction is the antenna aimed?? Here is how aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

Electron · 1-Mar-2012, 7:15 AM

The default antenna height of tvfool radar report is 10 feet. Make two more radar reports , 25 feet and 35 feet.

vader88 · 1-Mar-2012, 1:51 PM

After moving it around in my upper attic I was only able to get slightly better signal.

I then moved it to my lower attic. It is much better there(for NBC/CBS/ABC) but still not great.

NBC is the worst of them now. I have an HDHomeRun that I am measuring the signal with. The signal strength sticks around 94% but the signal quality is very jumpy. It jumps anywhere between 75% to 100%. When it jumps down the picture freezes.

ADTech · 1-Mar-2012, 2:38 PM

Multi-path, most likely caused by either trees or the construction materials of your home.

Try getting the antenna out of the attic for testing.

Electron · 1-Mar-2012, 3:26 PM

Connect the antenna Directly to a Tv that has a Digital Broadcast Tv Tuner. What is the reception like now. Put the antenna outside above the roof.

vader88 · 3-Mar-2012, 12:27 PM

I was not able to try it out side on top of the roof yet but I did try it out on my patio. The signal quality is still jumping around a lot.

There are several trees in its path so I guess that could be the problem. I just don't understand how my cheap indoor antenna can do better though. Is there a better type of antenna to try to help with multipath problems?

MisterMe · 3-Mar-2012, 2:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vader88

... I just don't understand how my cheap indoor antenna can do better though. Is there a better type of antenna to try to help with multipath problems?

There are several strategies for dealing with mult-path signals:

Directional antenna. By definition, multi-path signals arrive from various directions. A directional preferentially receives signals from straight ahead which may be signals from other directions too weak to affect your tuner. Among indoor antennas, the Terk HDTVi appears to be most directional.
Signal attenuator. Multi-path signals are almost always limited to strong signal conditions. Reflected signals are almost always weaker than the primary transmitted signal. An attenuator will reduce all signals, but may reduce the reflected signal below your tuner's reception threshold while leaving the primary signal with enough strength for your tuner.
Location. The primary source of multipath signals is the steel structure of your residence or of neighboring buildings. If possible, give your antenna a clear view away from metal structures.

No static at all · 3-Mar-2012, 4:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterMe

Location. The primary source of multipath signals is the steel structure of your residence or of neighboring buildings. If possible, give your antenna a clear view away from metal structures.

Location will likely make the most difference. Once you experiment with the antenna on the roof, you should notice quite an improvement. The antenna you have offers more than enough multipath rejection. I have even tried the Winegard Ghost Killer here & the ANT751 works just as well.

Electron · 4-Mar-2012, 11:01 PM

A way to prove out a reception situation is to mount the antenna above the roof in a way the the antenna has the best view of the television transmitters. Use a known to be good matching transformer that connects the antenna to the coax and a know to be good RG-6 coax from the matching transformer to the Tv in a single unbroken run , No splitters , No couplers , No nothing , just one long length of coax. Are there buildings that can be reducing or blocking the signal?? Any thing else that can be reducing or blocking the signal like bill boards??