85% of OTA channels gone today - Fort Collins, CO

kanjigirl · 16-Apr-2016, 9:40 PM

As of this morning about 85% of our channels are gone, including all the networks. We have PBS and a few others.

We went out to check the antenna, it looks fine. All the stations we have left also look fine.

We just tried reprogramming the antenna, no change (it just dropped all the missing channels).

Could it be the weather? It's rainy/snow here today. Occasionally during serious wind we can't access NBC, but never has anything affected so many channels at once. Any help appreciated!

kanjigirl · 16-Apr-2016, 9:43 PM

Here is the signal analysis. We have a rooftop HD antenna and were getting all the red stations fine until this morning.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5134a241bcdcde

Billiam · 16-Apr-2016, 10:15 PM

Might be an atmospheric condition. Looks like you have a lot of snow and rain in the region right now. Stormy weather also. If the trend continues for several days then it may be possible you have a problem with the cabling or maybe with the tv tuner.

Are you still getting every other station on your report other than those in red?

kanjigirl · 17-Apr-2016, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billiam

Are you still getting every other station on your report other than those in red?

No, just a handful of them, all green ones now.

Billiam · 17-Apr-2016, 3:58 PM

Specifically which stations are still coming in? Need to see if they are all the closest channels to your location or by signal strength?

Since you seem to have lost some of your green signals as well, weather may not be the issue.

Did you use electrical tape to wrap the Coax connection at the antenna and entry point into the house? I've learned over the years that coax cable, even if tightened well, can become loose at the connecting point with the Balun due to wind and other cable movement. Using a waterproof electrical tape will help keep the cable connector from becoming loose or unscrewing.

rickbb · 17-Apr-2016, 4:58 PM

Sudden massive failures like that indicate a hardware issue. Usually a connection failure.

kanjigirl · 17-Apr-2016, 6:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billiam

Specifically which stations are still coming in? Need to see if they are all the closest channels to your location or by signal strength?

Since you seem to have lost some of your green signals as well, weather may not be the issue.

Did you use electrical tape to wrap the Coax connection at the antenna and entry point into the house? I've learned over the years that coax cable, even if tightened well, can become loose at the connecting point with the Balun due to wind and other cable movement. Using a waterproof electrical tape will help keep the cable connector from becoming loose or unscrewing.

These are all the stations we're getting right now: 6.1-3, 24.1-5, 59.1-6.

This morning we were getting about 35 stations including 9.4, now it's back down to these few.

I'm not sure about the electrical tape but we'll do that and check the connections.

Billiam · 17-Apr-2016, 8:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanjigirl

These are all the stations we're getting right now: 6.1-3, 24.1-5, 59.1-6.

This morning we were getting about 35 stations including 9.4, now it's back down to these few.

I'm not sure about the electrical tape but we'll do that and check the connections.

Do you have a way of checking the actual signal strength of a station on your TV? That would help. Yes, check all the coax connections in the system to start.

kanjigirl · 18-Apr-2016, 3:58 PM

We don't have a way of checking signal strength on the TV. Last night we were down to 16 stations, today it's up to 26.

I did disconnect and reconnect all the inside connections, we'll get on the roof as soon as it's not icy to check at the antenna.

kanjigirl · 19-Apr-2016, 2:37 PM

So last night we got on the roof, disconnected and reconnected the cable and wrapped it with electrical tape. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the antenna and the cable looked fine all the way down to where it enters the basement.

After reprogramming the TV again we still had 25 channels (we did that twice).

This morning I ran auto program again and now have 45 channels, this is about 90% of what we had before. Still missing 4.1, 5.1-3 (which includes CBS) but have the other networks back now.

Billiam · 19-Apr-2016, 3:02 PM

Still missing KCNC and KWGN? 30 and 35 real channels.

Do you know the manufacturer and model number of your antenna?

How long have you been using this antenna?

I'm wondering if there was a slight loose connection and it has now been corrected. Also, if you are getting certain signals at a specific time of day either every day or most days, that is usually due to atmospheric conditions. I ran into this at a former house I had outside of Kansas City. Every morning I would receive Ch. 17 out of Columbia during the warmer months. But it would be gone by late morning. But then it would reappear overnight and into the morning hours again the following day. It was a weak 2 edge signal with a Noise Margin of about 1.0

If you can move your antenna around you may want to try it in different spots. That can make all the difference with some digital signals. Trees may be impacting the signals or another house or taller structure nearby.

kanjigirl · 19-Apr-2016, 3:06 PM

Yes, still missing real channels 30 and 35.

It's a ClearStream2™ Complete C2-J30-V, we installed in 2011 and it's been in the same place and position. It was very secure when we checked it last night, it hadn't moved direction.

It doesn't seem to be tied to the time of day at all. The only typical problem we'd have was 9.1 cutting out for a few weeks or months at a time then suddenly working again.

Billiam · 19-Apr-2016, 3:12 PM

Fixed antenna? A rotor may be needed then.

I know from personal experience in more than one location that a rotor is often times needed even if all the signals are coming from the same compass reading or close to it. In my current location just south of Cincinnati, I have 3 UHF signals from Dayton that come in. But if I move the antenna either a few inches upward, sideways or downward, it impacts these signals. Depending upon the way I move the antenna, a couple of signals get stronger while others get weaker.

BTW. Are you using a good quality RG6 cable or RG59? A good quality cable will take longer to deteriorate than a poor quality cable.

Years ago when 300 ohm flat cable was common, I can recall seeing signal loss develop after a few years of use. Cable had to be replaced about every five to seven years simply because it deteriorates in the sun, cold and severe weather conditions.

kanjigirl · 19-Apr-2016, 3:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billiam

Fixed antenna? A rotor may be needed then.

BTW. Are you using a good quality RG6 cable or RG59? A good quality cable will take longer to deteriorate than a poor quality cable.

Years ago when 300 ohm flat cable was common, I can recall seeing signal loss develop after a few years of use. Cable had to be replaced about every five to seven years simply because it deteriorates in the sun, cold and severe weather conditions.

Yes, it's an RG6 cable. We'll check into the rotor.

Billiam · 19-Apr-2016, 3:30 PM

Before buying a rotor do a test. Move the antenna a few inches in either direction for a couple of days and see how it impacts your signals. Also, try moving the antenna up and down a few inches too. That should give you a better idea whether a rotor will help. Example: If repositioning the antenna to the left a few inches from its current position results in more reliable reception on spotty signals then it may help.

Billiam · 19-Apr-2016, 8:02 PM

Just thought of one more thing. Do you have another TV that you can try? The reason I mention this is that over time some TV Tuners seem to lose channels or see a weakening of some signals. I have a six year old Samsung that has done just that. Bought a new Insignia and that gets every signal that is obtainable while the Samsung does not pick up one and breaks up on a couple others. Bought the Samsung with a Sony at the same time and initially they both picked up every signal possible and with equal strength. But in time while the Sony (now with my brother) seems to have retained its ability to capture signals, the Samsung has seen a decline in signal capturing ability.

shoman94 · 20-Apr-2016, 11:51 AM

I have a hard time to believe that since 2011 everything has been fine then all of a sudden she needs a rotor or different cables? I agree that something definitely failed or weakened. If you have no way to test the connections and bypassing the cable run to test that.... you may need someone to investigate the problem. Is there a preamp or splitters installed? There is many variables.

Billiam · 20-Apr-2016, 2:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoman94

I have a hard time to believe that since 2011 everything has been fine then all of a sudden she needs a rotor or different cables? I agree that something definitely failed or weakened. If you have no way to test the connections and bypassing the cable run to test that.... you may need someone to investigate the problem. Is there a preamp or splitters installed? There is many variables.

I don't find it hard to believe based upon personal experiences I've had at several different locations where I lived. Already there seems to be an improvement since they checked and tightened up the cables. Losting two fairly strong signals now that they should have. Since those signals are traveling from the Denver area and they live in Fort Collins it is very possible something in the environment has changed. Or possibly the tuner is starting to fail in the TV.

Currently I have two channels at my current location that are strong yet have started to pixelate frequently with the antenna being in the same location. Leaves on the trees may be responsible for all I know. But when I move the antenna a few inches to one side the signals get much more stable.

Digital signals are not like analog. Much more difficult to trouble shoot a problem. The more we know about the installation and equipment the better chance we have at solving the problem.

ADTech · 20-Apr-2016, 4:00 PM

There are enough variables that I asked the OP to call in an speak directly with one of our technicians to help troubleshoot the issue. A five or ten minute phone call would be immensely more productive than days of emails or forum conversations.

Billiam · 21-Apr-2016, 2:34 PM

Probably not the antenna where the problem is though. Sounds like one of the other things I mentioned.

One other thing that needs to be considered. Every few years atmospheric conditions change due to an increase in Sunspot and Solar Flare activity on the Sun. This not only creates strange DXing conditions but also impacts local signals. I've actually lost local signals or had out of town signals come in and blast out local signals during these periods. Not often but it happens.

Let us know what you find out and where the problem is.