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Old 27-Nov-2010, 3:32 PM   #1
bmelanco
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 3
Not pulling in the stations I should -need advice

Hello

I seem to not pull in some of the stations I should be Including some key ones that either are unreliable or don't come in at all. Here is what we have for equipment:

 Winegard HD-9032 UHF HD TV Antenna ProStar HD9032 35.
 Channel Master 9521A Antenna Rotator Remote Control Automatic System Rotor Complete 9521-A Remote with IR Head Controller.
 Winegard AP-4800 ChromStar 2000 UHF Pre-Amplifier AP4800 HDTV Antenna Booster Outdoor Off-Air Television Aerial 75 Ohm Signal Preamplifier VHF By-Passed / UHF 28 dB, 117 VAC.
 RG-6 Quad Shield Coaxial Cable RG6 3 GHz Copper Clad Black Satellite Double Foil 18 Gauge Audio Video HDTV Digital Signal Distribution Network Component.
 Channel Master 3064 75' FT Rotor Wire Cable 3 Conductor CM3064 Antenna Automatic 22 Gauge TV Rotator Cable for CM9521

and here is where we are:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...81a39874e2faf0

and here is what we get (it has been a year or so):

The channels we always get are: 43.1, 3.1, 24.1, and 68.1 (almost always).
We sometimes get: 9.1, 15, 5.1.
We never get" 2.1, 38.1, 33.1, 20.1, etc.

I thought I'd be able to get all my "green" and "yellow" stations and bring in at least some of the "red" stations. I have thought about just raising the antenna? I think I have a UHF only antenna and wondered if this might be the problem?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Brian
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Old 28-Nov-2010, 8:24 AM   #2
John Candle
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Tv Reception

Read and understand ----> http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=695 . It's time to make it SIMPLE. Do you need ALL of the channels or the ones to the south west . How many tv's are connected ?

Last edited by John Candle; 28-Nov-2010 at 8:33 AM.
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Old 28-Nov-2010, 4:11 PM   #3
bmelanco
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Thanks

Thanks John. Right now we only pull in SOME of channels from the SW and none of the others in any direction. I was especially hoping to add the ones to the SE as they have different programing. I know about, but even after reading that thred, only kind of understand the virtual channel thing - it just seems silly. So, even though I have a hard time pulling in 9.1 (VHF low band channel), it's not that its low freq. because I'm using the true number (17.1 I think)? So is it my antenna height? Should I get a different antenna? It just seems that all the channel locator web sites say I should get many more channels...

Is it correct that analog channels broadcasat on VHF not UHF?

Thanks again
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Old 28-Nov-2010, 5:37 PM   #4
No static at all
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You should be able to get most if not all of those stations without too much trouble. I don't think you are overloading with the preamp, but have you ever tried the system without it?

I've never used the 9032 antenna, but I would think it should be doing better given it's specs. Is it within a foot of any metal objects? How far above the roof line is the antenna mounted?
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Old 28-Nov-2010, 8:05 PM   #5
mtownsend
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmelanco View Post
I have thought about just raising the antenna? I think I have a UHF only antenna and wondered if this might be the problem?
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmelanco View Post
even though I have a hard time pulling in 9.1 (VHF low band channel), it's not that its low freq. because I'm using the true number (17.1 I think)?
Hello and welcome!

Your antenna and amp are only designed to handle UHF channels (14-69). All of your stations are on UHF channels except for WWNY (CBS, channel 7). For the rest of your channels, including the specific ones you listed, it's fine that you are using a UHF-only antenna.



Quote:
So is it my antenna height? Should I get a different antenna?
A few comments:

1) You may need to run the TV Fool analysis for a more precise location. Your area appears to be rather hilly, and small differences in location can make the difference between having terrain blockage and not. Address lookups are not always accurate, so your signal analysis might be for the wrong location. Just to be sure, you should try using the Interactive Maps feature (here). If the address lookup is wrong, you can drag/drop the orange marker to move it to the correct location. You can use the "Make Radar Plot" button to generate a report that you can post back here. If the address lookup was way off, then your new analysis results might look different than what you've seen so far.

2) The Interactive Maps tool lets you change the antenna height. When you enter different values into the antenna height field, it will re-compute all of your signal strengths automatically. Look at the "NM" numbers for each channel as you change the height. This will give you some idea of how much you can benefit from having more antenna height.

3) For most situations, there is usually negligible improvement once you get more than about 20 feet off the ground. That means that for most people, there's not much to be gained by going much higher than their neighborhood's average roof line.

4) Make sure there are no local obstructions/objects that might be altering the performance of the antenna. If there are any objects within 4-5 feet of the antenna or in the signal path, then the antenna might not be performing up to its ideal specifications. Antennas work best when there is nothing else around them and they can be aimed clear of any local obstructions.

5) Make sure all exposed cables and connectors are protected from moisture ingress. Any rain/snow/condensation that gets into the connectors or cables can really block or reduce the amount of signal getting through.

6) The channels that seem to be giving you trouble are partially blocked by terrain (2Edge diffraction). You might be able to pull in a bit more signal if you can tilt your antenna up a little so that it points just above the local hill tops. I don't know if the mount on the HD-9032 makes this possible or not. FYI, the Antennas Direct 91XG (another UHF-only antenna) comes with a tilt-bracket that makes it easy to make these kinds of adjustments.



Overall, I would say that your antenna should be able to pull in the channels down into the red zone on your list. We should see if re-running the analysis for a more accurate location changes anything.



Quote:
Is it correct that analog channels broadcasat on VHF not UHF?
Nope. There are specific restrictions on analog or digital broadcast channels. There are no more "full power" analog broadcasts since they were all required to be shut down last year. There are still low power analog broadcasts in use (booster, translator, educational, local community broadcasts, etc.), and they can be on any channel.
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Old 28-Nov-2010, 9:24 PM   #6
John Candle
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Tv Reception

I am looking at your equipment list , it is very detailed and to the point. Yet you say you do not understand much. I say it is time to make it 'All Simple'.
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Old 29-Nov-2010, 5:02 PM   #7
bmelanco
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excellect info - thanks

thanks everbody. After reading everything here and noticing that after our area received a layer snow that our reception improved greatly I think my issues are related to obstructions and/or interferences. Also, the antenna is about four and a half feet above our metal roof. We need a new roof, so replacement with an asphalt one may help. If it dosent, I may push the height up to 20 ft. I will play around with the mapper too. Thanks again.

I'm sure I can find this be searching the forum, but anybody know a good thread discussing radio reception using my type of antenna?
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