Help with Reception problem - existing setup

bjlIV · 19-Mar-2010, 6:17 PM

Ok,
Here is my situation. My TVFool Link is here. I have a Winegard MS2000 chimney mounted, about 20ft off the ground. It is about 4-5 ft higher than the peek of my roof. I am using the stock power amp that came with it. I have not split the signal anywhere along the chain, just one tv(i would like to split later however). I have a friend with the same setup, except she is about 3/4 mile from me, and lower in the valley(i am near/at top). From TVFool, I should be receiving (Green, Yellow, and POSSIBLY some in red)

I just shut off DishNetwork at my house. I used the Coax from that Sat dish(since it was already run into the house) for my MS2000. I think this should be fine, but wanted to mention it in case it could be part of my problem? The total length is somewhere between 40-50ft, I would guess closer to 40. It is a dual coax cable with a ground wire also. I ground the wire on the mast, and found the live coax that was running into my house. The other piece looks to be terminated outside before it comes inside. I am not sure the reasoning of why they ran two wires?

well, I am not receiving some of the digital channels in both the green and yellow. The CBS station (5.1) in yellow is the main channel I desire to pickup that I am currently NOT picking up. I would also like to get the Fox station(24.1) in red, but am not too worried about that if it doesn't happen.

The troubling part of this is, my friend picks up CBS(5.1) perfectly, with hers mounted in her attic, and at a (should be) worse location. However, she only gets 1-2 analog channels, were as I get about 5-6. The first 5 channels listed in green, I do not get for some reason? Am i too close to the source? To much power? Not a big concern really, just more of a question. The NBC(51.1) channel i get, but it flickers/jumps sometimes, its not the great signal the other two digitals' are(13.1 and 29.1) I am also NOT picking up 20.1 or 57.1 either?

again, 5.1 is my main concern, but i would like to pick up, if possible, 24.1(long range Fox), 20.1, and 57.1.

I will answer any questions you may have that I didn't provide, but I hope to have given enough info for some good suggestions on what I may could do differently.

Thank you!

Tigerbangs · 20-Mar-2010, 8:50 PM

Once we got a look at your TVFool.com page, the problems oyu are having became obvious: you are in a mountainous area, where you are getting signals that are being refracted from mountaintops, and you are subject to severe multipath interference that your MS2000 is powerless to solve.

If you click on the individual stations that are the stations that you are looking for on your TVFool.com report, you will get a graphic representation of the terrain between the transmitters and your house. The graphics indicate real issues with getting a direct signal from any of the local TV stations. Based on the information available, we need to do a couple of things. First of all, we need to replace the MS2000 with a highly directional VHF-UHF antenna that would be mounted as high as you can manage at your location. You have stations that lie in several different directions, an that will require an antenna rotator in order to see them clearly.

If this was my installation, I would use a high-gain, highly directional yagi UHF antenna such as the AntennasDirect XG-91 mounted 4' above a Winegard YA-1713 VHF high-band yagi, which will get the couple of VHF digital stations that are available to you. I would combine the signals from the 2 antennas using a Pico-Macom UVSJ UHF-VHF antenna joiner, and mount the two antennas on top of a Channel Master 9521a antenna rotator. I don't believe that you will need a preamplifier if you are using only one TV set and less than 75" of coaxial cable, but be SURE that the coax cable that you have has NO other equipment connected to if from the new antenna system to the TV tuner. If you use this system, you will have to turn the antenna system using the rotator to see several of your local stations,but you will see all of your local network stations using this installation. I recommend that, when installing the XG-91, that you tilt the front-end of the antenna UP about 20 degrees from the horizon to take advantage of the refraction effects of the surrounding mountains.

http://www.antennasdirect.com
http://www.winegard.com
http://www.channelmaster.com
http://www.solidsignal.com
http://manuals.solidsignal.com/AntInstallGuide.pdf

bjlIV · 22-Mar-2010, 1:33 AM

thanx for the reply. At this time, I am not interested in replacing my setup to get the one channel I am missing. The questions posed where for my existing setup, not recommendations for a new setup. I am aware that I am in mountains, and the problem they cause. As i stated, a friend of mine has the ms2000 mounted in her attic, and is down hill from the tower I am trying to reach. My house is directly in line between her and the source, and she is about 50-70' lower in elevation. I am trying to understand why she can receive 5.1, but I can't, and why 51.1 i lose signal or have weak signal, and she doesn't. Thats why i asked about the cable i resused, the power, the height, and any other things that might make a difference in my setup.

If it can't be resolved, I am fine with what I have.

I might would add a second antenna if it would give me better signal on 51,1 and a good signal on 5.1. I do not however, want to add a rotor at this point. The High VHF recommended (YA-171) would do nothing extra for me, as I already pickup the available VHF digital station(13.1), the others are either duplicates or nonfactors(i.e. KJBW as I already get KPBI).

I do appreciate the reply, its just not what i was looking for, even if that is a "nothing, you are just screwed" that is fine. I am just hoping that others who are much more educated might have some ideas that I may have over looked, or not know about.

kb2fzq · 22-Mar-2010, 10:22 AM

Being that you want to remain with the current antenna, the only thing you can try is to go up, get the antenna as high as possible without a potentential for a wind storm to knock it down. It may help, it may not. Other then that, a directional antenna is the only other answer.

Dave Loudin · 22-Mar-2010, 12:30 PM

A couple of suggestions:

1) The MS2000 is not perfectly omnidirectional. Have you tried rotating it to see if anything changes?

2) Due to scattering/reflections/blockage of nearby objects, hot spots turn up where you don't expect. I'd bet that's the case with your friend. Moving your antenna might help in a similar way.

If I were starting fresh, I'd find a bow-tie array without a reflecting screen, since your stations are in two groups roughly 180 degrees from each other. There's a home-brew solution that works well with high-VHF/UHF (NOT the design you find in youtube videos.)

bjlIV · 22-Mar-2010, 3:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb2fzq

Being that you want to remain with the current antenna, the only thing you can try is to go up, get the antenna as high as possible without a potentential for a wind storm to knock it down. It may help, it may not. Other then that, a directional antenna is the only other answer.

I will try to raise the antenna, i can probably go up a few feet(2-3) with the current mounting solution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Loudin

A couple of suggestions:

1) The MS2000 is not perfectly omnidirectional. Have you tried rotating it to see if anything changes?

2) Due to scattering/reflections/blockage of nearby objects, hot spots turn up where you don't expect. I'd bet that's the case with your friend. Moving your antenna might help in a similar way.

If I were starting fresh, I'd find a bow-tie array without a reflecting screen, since your stations are in two groups roughly 180 degrees from each other. There's a home-brew solution that works well with high-VHF/UHF (NOT the design you find in youtube videos.)

1) wow, i wasn't aware that omnidirectional wasn't perfect...I have not tried this at all...that will be my first attempt.

2)It's a chimney mount, so i only have 4 places I can try to mount it(each corner), but I will give this a shot also.

second...noone is concerned about the cable reuse? I hope not, just wanting to make sure!

thanx guys! I knew i could get some helpful advice here.

Dave Loudin · 22-Mar-2010, 5:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjlIV

noone is concerned about the cable reuse? I hope not, just wanting to make sure!

I've got a RadioShack VU-120 in the attic and am reusing the coax that was put in long ago for cable to feed my TVs. I'm sure I can fix some problem children with fresh coax, but I'm not that motivated, yet. So long as you see no sign of water getting into the fittings, you should be OK. The amplifier inside the antenna takes care of most of the cable losses.

kb2fzq · 23-Mar-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjlIV

second...noone is concerned about the cable reuse? I hope not, just wanting to make sure!

You should be fine with the satellite coax...I used the old cable TV quad sheild for my OTA setup....it works great.