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Old 14-Sep-2015, 12:21 PM   #21
agmccall
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Thanks again. I think I am ready to go. just a couple more questions.

Regarding the pre-amp How long is the electrical cord as I will probably need to add to it because where the antenna will be mounted I would either have to drill into the house or run it along the coax to the basement. Will there be a problem with interference if the power cable for the preamp and the coax from the antenna are run together down the side of the house.

And lastly, what are your thoughts and opinions regarding adding a antenna rotar to this system.

Thanks

al
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Old 14-Sep-2015, 1:32 PM   #22
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Quote:
Regarding the pre-amp How long is the electrical cord as I will probably need to add to it because where the antenna will be mounted I would either have to drill into the house or run it along the coax to the basement. Will there be a problem with interference if the power cable for the preamp and the coax from the antenna are run together down the side of the house.
That's all unnecessary. Preview the installation instructions for the pre-amp to see how they're connected.
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Old 16-Sep-2015, 12:42 AM   #23
rabbit73
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Which preamp did you get and where will it be located?

You don't need a rotator because all the signals for you are in the same direction. And you don't want a rotator because:
1. You don't want to rescan after every change of direction
2. Who gets to decide the direction when more than one TV is being used?
3. Do you really want to wait for the rotator to swing around?
4. Do you want to go up on the roof in January to fix a defective rotator?
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Old 18-Sep-2015, 4:50 PM   #24
agmccall
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit73 View Post
Which preamp did you get and where will it be located?

You don't need a rotator because all the signals for you are in the same direction. And you don't want a rotator because:
1. You don't want to rescan after every change of direction
2. Who gets to decide the direction when more than one TV is being used?
3. Do you really want to wait for the rotator to swing around?
4. Do you want to go up on the roof in January to fix a defective rotator?
I have not gotten the pre amp yet, but I am buying the channel master cm7777 and will be mounting on the mast with the antenna. From reading it seems I will run a short rj6 from antenna to preamp then more cable to basement where I will have the power inserter then into splitter.

What are some opinions on the channel master antenna's I am currently leaning toward the wineguard as suggested in this thread

thanks

al
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Old 18-Sep-2015, 10:03 PM   #25
rabbit73
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Quote:
I have not gotten the pre amp yet, but I am buying the channel master cm7777 and will be mounting on the mast with the antenna. From reading it seems I will run a short rj6 from antenna to preamp then more cable to basement where I will have the power inserter then into splitter.
That's correct, except the coax is RG6.
Quote:
What are some opinions on the channel master antenna's I am currently leaning toward the wineguard as suggested in this thread
We have been talking about Channel Master amps, but I didn't know you were thinking about Channel Master antennas.
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Last edited by rabbit73; 18-Sep-2015 at 10:23 PM.
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Old 3-Nov-2015, 4:28 PM   #26
agmccall
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Well, I am no better off than before, in fact, worse off.

I got the Wineguard antenna mentioned in this thread as well as the channelmaster preamp. I bought a compass to get the direction right. I hooked everything up and double checked all my connections.

I scanned for channels at one of my rg6 outlets in the house and got no channels at all. So I took the tv to the basement where all the connections come in and removed the line going into my splitter and connected directly to the tv and scanned again.

I ended up getting channels 2-3, 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 45-1, 45-2

13-1 and 13-2 are basically what I had before, 2-1 and 2-2 except now I am getting the Albany stations instead of the Utica stations. 13-3 is just doppler radar.

I have a couple more channels but, they are unwatchable as they pixelate continuously and I can only get them in the basement directly connected.

Any suggestions..

I went back to my $29.00 RCA antenna (Looks like a Shark Fin) mounted on the east side of my house and picks up the Utica stations, west of me. I would have thought over $200.00 worth of antenna equipment would have at least gotten me decent reception considering the antennas I am pointing at are closer than the ones in Utica

al
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Old 3-Nov-2015, 9:37 PM   #27
cnyjim
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If you can receive WKTV at least you will be getting a CBS station soon.

Utica, NY viewers are about to have their own CBS affiliate for the first time in more than 50 years. Heartland Media, owners of WKTV, CW11, and MeTV-Utica, will launch the local, Utica-based CBS Utica 2 from its Deerfield studios next month.
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Old 8-Nov-2015, 7:47 PM   #28
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Greetings,

Yes, for ease of help by the folks here, starting a new thread scatters everyone. It makes your situation easier to handle keeping all the relevant information in one thread gives you the best chance at continued assistance.

This situation is odd to me. It has been mentioned in this thread that trees are a significant issue, especially on UHF. Your signals are trending weak so any tree obstruction would concern me. With the equipment you purchased, you should doing well. Also, with larger antenna you purchased, it is directional. Hence, with all its signal gathering ability pointed at Albany I would expect Utica to not show up. Antennas, especially directional large antennas have a beam like a flashlight which is their primary focus to "see " signals. Looking at your plot, Albany would be the only market I'd concentrate on. Utica is simply too weak based on this plot to invest any time in.

Suggestions:

1. Test Winegard antenna at location where cheapie RCA antenna is. Remember with trees and weak signals you may be playing around with various locations to find sweet spot. Coax to one TV only for purposes of test.
2. Give up on Utica completely. Albany is and remains your best bet as has been suggested to you.
3. If no success, get above tree line completely. This may mean a 40' mast anchored to the side of the house, or a tower that clears the tree line.

TV antenna installation can be a bit of a black art. Each installation is different and obstructions can cause reception problems, both seen and unseen. Lesson: you have to keep testing if you don't have the desired results.


Quote:
Originally Posted by agmccall View Post
Well, I am no better off than before, in fact, worse off.


Any suggestions..

I went back to my $29.00 RCA antenna (Looks like a Shark Fin) mounted on the east side of my house and picks up the Utica stations, west of me. I would have thought over $200.00 worth of antenna equipment would have at least gotten me decent reception considering the antennas I am pointing at are closer than the ones in Utica

al
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Old 8-Nov-2015, 7:56 PM   #29
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I see two potential problems, interference from your solar panels or a problem with the scanning function of your TV set. When you pick up CW on 2.2 you should also get NBC on 2.1. When you get CW on 45.1 and 45.2 you should also get 45.3 (CBS). Try the double rescan process suggested by the FCC by disconnecting your antenna from the TV set, unplug the TV set from the power source and reconnect it, and then rescan for channels. It should find zero channels, next reconnect the antenna, unplug the power source, reconnect the power, and scan again. Then report the results.

If your antenna is close to your solar panels you may want to move the antenna as far away from the panels as possible.
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Old 9-Nov-2015, 12:30 PM   #30
agmccall
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StephanieS View Post
1. Test Winegard antenna at location where cheapie RCA antenna is. Remember with trees and weak signals you may be playing around with various locations to find sweet spot. Coax to one TV only for purposes of test.
Can't do that, the cheapie rca is mounted to side of house next to window

2. Give up on Utica completely. Albany is and remains your best bet as has been suggested to you.
3. If no success, get above tree line completely. This may mean a 40' mast anchored to the side of the house, or a tower that clears the tree line.

At the cost of such a tower I might as well just get a satellite dish and service.

TV antenna installation can be a bit of a black art. Each installation is different and obstructions can cause reception problems, both seen and unseen. Lesson: you have to keep testing if you don't have the desired results.
Thanks for your reply

al
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Old 9-Nov-2015, 12:32 PM   #31
agmccall
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tower Guy View Post
I see two potential problems, interference from your solar panels or a problem with the scanning function of your TV set. When you pick up CW on 2.2 you should also get NBC on 2.1. When you get CW on 45.1 and 45.2 you should also get 45.3 (CBS). Try the double rescan process suggested by the FCC by disconnecting your antenna from the TV set, unplug the TV set from the power source and reconnect it, and then rescan for channels. It should find zero channels, next reconnect the antenna, unplug the power source, reconnect the power, and scan again. Then report the results.

If your antenna is close to your solar panels you may want to move the antenna as far away from the panels as possible.
Thanks for responding, there is not problem with the solar panels as they are not installed yet, and when they are they will be about 130' away on garage. I will try the double rescan you suggest and post my results

thanks

al
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Old 15-Nov-2015, 6:10 PM   #32
agmccall
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As suggested in another thread I was reading I did the double rescan. Disconnected the antenna and the power from tv, then plugged tv back in and scanned, as was stated I got no channels. Then I plugged the antenna in and scanned again with my new setup, still nothing. So I took the tv to the basement and did the double rescan again, this time from before the splitter, no channels at all. I did it a third time and unplugged the power to the preamp, still nothing, not even the channels I got before.

Question; In order to bypass the preamp, is it sufficient to just unplug the power or will I have to get up to the antenna and move the cable from the output of the preamp directly into the antenna

al

p.s. sorry for the duplicate post, other people are responding in the other thread that I made
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Old 15-Nov-2015, 6:20 PM   #33
Tim
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agmccall View Post

Question; In order to bypass the preamp, is it sufficient to just unplug the power or will I have to get up to the antenna and move the cable from the output of the preamp directly into the antenna
You have to physically take the preamp out of the circuit and connect directly to the antenna.
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Old 16-Nov-2015, 7:12 PM   #34
agmccall
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Originally Posted by Tim View Post
You have to physically take the preamp out of the circuit and connect directly to the antenna.
Thanks, looks like a project for this weekend

al
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Old 31-Oct-2016, 4:03 PM   #35
agmccall
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OK so I took the summer off from trying to get channels and finally decided to see if I could improve my situation. To recap, based on recommendations from here I installed the following winegard hd7698p antenna and Channel Master CM-7777 Titan 2 Antenna Preamplifier. Then I was unable to get any stations so it was suggested that I remove the pre-amp I did this and now I get the following

06-1 6.3 WRGB-HD CBS "CBS 6"
06-2 6.4 this TV This TV
06-3 6.5 Comet Comet TV

10-1 26.3 WTEN-HD ABC "WTEN"
10-2 26.4 WTEN-SD GetTV
10-3 26.5 LWN Justice Network

13-1 WNYT-HD
13-2 WNYT-ME
13-3 WNYT-WX

I also still get 2-1,2-2,2-3, and 2-4 out of utica NY.

But, I do not get 17-1, 17-2, and 17-3 out of Schenectady which is between my home and Albany, these are the PBS stations Also, 23-1, 23-2, 23-3 which is FOX, Horse Racing and Laff. I do not really care about horse racing or laff but I would like to get FOX.

It was suggested that I get another pre-amp that is not as powerful as the Channel Master CM7777. The only issue is I need a powered splitter to distribute the signal in the house because All the cable lines come together in the basement and the runs are anywhere from 25-50 ft.

Any further suggestions and/or ideas would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Al
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Old 31-Oct-2016, 8:03 PM   #36
rabbit73
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Hello, Al:



Your tvfool reports are no longer on the server; please redo your report using coordinates for best accuracy. You can find your coordinates by moving the cursor on the interactive map. The coordinates will change below the map as you move the cursor by drag and drop.
http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?opti...pper&Itemid=90

I found an image of your old report, but it is not as useful as an active link to a report. Is it accurate?



Here is a link to another report I did today from an estimate of your location:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfafe6524b49ec

Is it accurate?

or is this one better:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfaf5556ae6a08
Attached Images
File Type: jpg agmccallTVFoldreport.JPG (108.5 KB, 1118 views)
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Last edited by rabbit73; 1-Nov-2016 at 11:26 PM.
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Old 1-Nov-2016, 7:56 AM   #37
agmccall
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I really do not know if it is accurate or not.


Here is what I get when I put my address in

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfaf0e6db374d7

Thanks

Al
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Old 1-Nov-2016, 10:44 AM   #38
ADTech
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It isn't, use the interactive maps tool to accurately place the marker on your rooftop, set your height, then generate a new plot.

This happens all the time, Google's geo-coding of addresses has serious gaps in its accuracy.
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Old 1-Nov-2016, 6:57 PM   #39
rabbit73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agmccall View Post
I really do not know if it is accurate or not.
Thank you for the new report, Al.

What I'm trying to find out is, if your antenna location is in the clear in a open area or surrounded by trees. That might give us a clue about you reception problem. At this point, we really don't know the cause.

What I really would like to see is a satellite view of the house with green signal lines done with the tvfool interactive map browser.
http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?opti...pper&Itemid=90

Your previous threads:

No Better Off
8-Nov-2015
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=15827

Lost Channels out of Utica NY
19-Jan-2016
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=15900

Actually, THIS thread, Can only get one channel, is your oldest. It would be best to keep all future posts here for continuity and reference. It is difficult to understand your reception problem when it is spread out over multiple threads.
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Last edited by rabbit73; 2-Nov-2016 at 12:21 AM.
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Old 1-Nov-2016, 10:42 PM   #40
rabbit73
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I read through your thread again:
Quote:
Originally Posted by agmccall View Post
The image you posted was close. My house is actually the one hidden by the (+) sign in the top left of the image.
Is this it?





Here is a report based on the coordinates for the image above at 25 ft:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfaf02be2e50c8

40 ft
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfafc5ff98ab84
Attached Images
File Type: jpg agmccallTVFmap2.JPG (87.7 KB, 1063 views)
File Type: jpg agmccallTVFmap3.JPG (130.5 KB, 1056 views)
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Last edited by rabbit73; 2-Nov-2016 at 1:28 AM.
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