Advice on reception/preamp

[Tommymc]

Here is my signal analysis:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda203937f560
Shortly after the digital conversion, I replaced my ancient antenna with a Winegard HD7697 mounted to the chimney. There is about 50' of RG6 cable between the antenna and the TV. I'm using a Digital Stream DTV converter box which has a signal meter. I have no idea what units the meter actually measures, but 40 seems to be the minimum for reliable reception.

By using TV Fool, I was able to aim the antenna at the transmitters which ar only 15 miles away, but I'm in the shadow of a mountain. Our single VHF Channel 13 comes in at a level 75 on the meter. The rest of the channels are UHF and are weak but stable reception except for Channel 14 (5.1) This channel is sometimes watchable, but often has dropouts. Sometimes there isn't enough signal to see anything.

With out old antenna, I had luck using a Radio Shack preamp...in fact we could only get one channel without it. Since the old antenna/preamp was 300 ohm, and the new antenna is 75 ohm, I bought a Winegard AP-8780 preamp. There is absolutely no difference with the preamp hooked up or not. In all fairness, I opted to put the preamp just inside the roof...both to protect it from smoke/creosote (chimney mount) and because there was snow on the roof when I bought it. That means there is about 8-10 feet of cable between the antenna and the preamp. Still...shouldn't I have seen *some* change in signal? I've tried it with the FM trap in and out and tested to see voltage is getting to it. After reading a lot of reviews where people claimed their Winegard preamps were DOA and had to return for replacement, I'm suspicious of this one.

My question is whether there is any potential benefit from buying a different preamp or if there is anything other than a bigger antenna that will bring in Channel 14. We live in a high wind area, so I'm reluctant to get a larger antenna.

I guess my other option is a rotator because ch 25 has the same programming. It's farther away but it's a straight shot, and when we were analog, it was our strongest channel.

Thanks for any advice.

Do Not delete the first tvool radar report.

And.

To see what happens to signal strengths , please make 3 more tvfool radar reports with antenna heights at , 1 foot above ground , 10 feet above ground , 60 feet above ground.

[Tommymc]

1 ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1ddafc9b03164e

10 ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda87c3dd6a61

60 ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda4b114d4f51

FWIW, Every spring, I spend hours in the garage boiling down maple sap. I have a homemade DB-4 type antenna upstairs in the garage hooked to an old TV to help pass the time. http://www.tvantennaplans.com/ With the antenna pointed south, I'm able to pull in WVTA ch24 (41.1) but can't get a single channel when aimed the same as my roof antenna. It might be interesting to hook the Winegard preamp up and see if it helps....since the antenna is inside, I can easily access it.

As often happens at hilly and mountain areas , the hills and mountains 'bend' the Tv transmissions closer to the ground. As the Tv signals cross the tops of the hills and mountains the signals are bent scatterd down ward and the earths magnetic field bends the signals down also.

The 1 foot antenna height has stronger signals then higher antenna heights.

That is good.

However trees like to , reflect , absorb , block , Tv transmissions.

So a lower antenna height usually means the trees are in the way of the stronger reception.

It is a balance act to find a location that has stronger signal strength.

In the old days it was called , Walking The Roof or Ground , holding a antenna with and without a pole to find a hot reception spot.

Usually moving the antenna up or down or to the left or right or forward or back from the current location will get a stronger signal.

Aim the HD7697P antenna at about 342 degree magnetic compass direction.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

As always , the starting aim direction is the --> starting aim direction.

The antenna can be turned to the left and right to find a stronger signal.

Most Digital Tv's have a signal strength meter and some Digital Tv's have a signal Quality meter.

The Tv transmission reception is Very Weak signal strength at your location.

I recommend use a Ultra Low Noise Amplifier.

I recommend use a , http://www.kitztech.com , KT-200-Coax Tv Antenna Booster Remote Power- Coax Fed.

The remote power amplifier provides more felxibilty to install the preamp unit out of the weather.

Ultra Low Noise , antenna booster.

All electric and electronic circuits generate noise , noise has a masking effect over the signal to be received.

Less noise means more usable signal.

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WNNE and WPTZ are the same NBC , WNNE has more local news and local programing.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WNNE.

WETK and WVTA are the same PBS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WETK.

As a test of reception , the HD7697P antenna can be turned to the south at about 186 degree magnetic compass direction to test reception.

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Digital Broadcast Tv tuners can develop - Digital Glitches - that are not cleared out with simple channels.

Do a Double Channel scan.

http://www.dtv.gov/rescan.html.

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When using a preamplifier that has the preamplifier unit separate from the , power supply / power injector.

And the power will be going through a splitter.

A power passing splitter must be used.

Here are some top of line power passing splitters that cost very little money.

2 way splitter. HFS-2D.

3 way splitter. HFS-3D.

4 way splitter. HFS-4D.

Buy the HFS splitters at , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.holladelectronics.com.

[Tommymc]

Thanks for taking the time for such a comprehensive answer.

Although I didn't "walk the roof", I did originally aim the antenna in the manner that you described: started at 342 degrees, then tweaked for the strongest signal at the chimney. My wife monitored the signal strength meter on the DTV converted box while I rotated the antenna. High winds may have subsequently nudged it a bit...but I can't safely get up there to check until the snow is gone.

I was aware of the duplicate programming on WNNE and WPTZ..in fact before the rotator broke, the better reception came from WNNE. I wasn't aware of the need to periodically rescan the channels, so I'll get on that.

I have a question regarding the KT-200-Coax Tv Antenna Booster. I've read that a strong signal can cause a preamp to overdrive the receiver or shut the preamp down. We have one VHF channel which gives a strong signal already. (Usually in the green around 75%) Will this be a problem? I noticed that the KT100VG has an adjustable gain 0-20dB. Would this be a better choice, even though the noise is higher?

I have a power source in the eaves where it would be located, so would the standard versions work as well as the coax models? This would mitigate the need for power passing splitters, right? I currently don't have any splitters anyway, but down the line....

Thanks.

The tvfool radar plot and channel list shows that , WVNY REAL VHF channel 13 ABC , the strongest station is only 13.1 NM(dB) , a weak signal strength.

I do not think the KT-200 will be overloaded from such a weak signal strength.

I do not recommend the KT-100 with the adjustable gain control if the KT-100 is outside , moister in the air and dirt (even if KT-100 is up under the eave) will get into the control and the operation of the unit will be erratic.

The KT-200 that does not have the separate power supply and power injector will work OK.

It is Ok to buy the KT-100 and KT-200 and Test Em.

It is interesting to test the ability of the preamps both inside and outside the house.

And then return the one that is not required.

And the HFS splitters are Very High Quality at a Very Low Price.