More Off Air Antenna ?

[killerdc]

I know there is a thread for this, and I know I already posted in there, but I felt like I was hijacking it with my personal issues and thought I would ask for help here, so dont shoot me for double posting.


After reading the thread about the internal splitter cables being loose, I was anxious to stop by RS and pick up some parts I needed to try some alternatives so I could receive all my HD locals.

First thing I did was check my signal strength on various channels. Amazingly they are all 0. Confused I went to 11-1 CBS (HD) and 8-1 ABD (HD), the only two channels that I do get on HD. Both worked like always. I am not sure why, but they do.

Not really sure where to start from there, I had picked up a smaller antenna (indoor) from RS and plugged that in, and no more CBS or ABC, so I figure that obviously wasnt going to work. Then I popped the top off the HR10-250 and all cables were tight and well connected, so I hooked up a 3.5db splitter to 2 RG6 cables I had lying around and plugged them up directly to the HR10, bypassing the internal splitter. I got my CBS and ABC back, but still 0 on signal strength on my off air test signal. I went through Frequency 2-60 nothing.

My current set up is as follows. I have a very large antenna as posted in a previous post, in the attic. That is then run to my powered splitter they put in the attic. I think its an 8 way switch but I am not sure. There are two cables running from the attic to my HD tv, (~60-70 ft total if I had to guess) and one of them coming out of the wall has what I believe to be a diplexer on it. Originally, my switch was outside when I only had 1 tivo, and the antenna was run to a diplexer outside, then again on the inside. I have no idea if there is a diplexer upstairs or not. Hell, I dont even know what a diplexer does, but I was told to buy one for in and one for out.

I guess I need help on figuring out what I can do to get my locals. Is my hookup wrong? I have gone in the attic and moved the antenna around, but its so damn big its really hard to get any movement between the rafters. There is a third line, (at least a third outlet) unused in my living room that was originally hooked up when I had a plain HD receiver, and a SD Tivo hooke up at the same time, but that line runs outside to nothing, since the guy moved my dish to the roof. If one of you technical guys can help me out here it would be greatly appreciated.

[bpratt]

The TV38 Terk antenna you are using is a long range directional combination UHF/VHF antenna. The front part of the antenna with the section going up and down is the UHF part, and the back part of the antenna picks up VHF. When you looked at antennaweb.com you need to look at the Frequency Assignment column to determine if the digital stations in your area are broadcast in UHF or VHF. If the numbers in that column are above 13 then the station is broadcast in UHF. What antenna did antennaweb.com recommend for the stations you want to receive? Did they suggest long or short range, directional or multi-directional?

If the direction to your stations are within a few degrees of one another and a long ways away, a long range directional antenna is the right choice. However, if the stations are fairly close (within 35 or 40 miles) and are broadcast from many directions, you probably need a multi-directional antenna.

Look at www.antennaweb.com and select digital stations only.

[ckgoodwin]

When setting up my attenna, I also had some puzzling issues with zero strength readings even though I was getting HD OTA reception until I confirmed two things (with advice from folks here):

1. The receiver must be tuned to an OTA Channel or the strength will read zero regardless of your reception.

2. On the strength meter screen, make sure you are selecting the right FREQUENCY number when checking the signal strength readings - I was initially tuning to the channel number (11.1 etc) which is different from the frequency number and not surpisingly gave me zero readings. You can see and confirm the frequency assignments for your HD channels on at http://www.antennaweb.org.

Hope that helps...

- Chris

[DubC]

I know there is a thread for this, and I know I already posted in there, but I felt like I was hijacking it with my personal issues and thought I would ask for help here, so dont shoot me for double posting.


After reading the thread about the internal splitter cables being loose, I was anxious to stop by RS and pick up some parts I needed to try some alternatives so I could receive all my HD locals.

First thing I did was check my signal strength on various channels. Amazingly they are all 0. Confused I went to 11-1 CBS (HD) and 8-1 ABD (HD), the only two channels that I do get on HD. Both worked like always. I am not sure why, but they do.

Not really sure where to start from there, I had picked up a smaller antenna (indoor) from RS and plugged that in, and no more CBS or ABC, so I figure that obviously wasnt going to work. Then I popped the top off the HR10-250 and all cables were tight and well connected, so I hooked up a 3.5db splitter to 2 RG6 cables I had lying around and plugged them up directly to the HR10, bypassing the internal splitter. I got my CBS and ABC back, but still 0 on signal strength on my off air test signal. I went through Frequency 2-60 nothing.

My current set up is as follows. I have a very large antenna as posted in a previous post, in the attic. That is then run to my powered splitter they put in the attic. I think its an 8 way switch but I am not sure. There are two cables running from the attic to my HD tv, (~60-70 ft total if I had to guess) and one of them coming out of the wall has what I believe to be a diplexer on it. Originally, my switch was outside when I only had 1 tivo, and the antenna was run to a diplexer outside, then again on the inside. I have no idea if there is a diplexer upstairs or not. Hell, I dont even know what a diplexer does, but I was told to buy one for in and one for out.

I guess I need help on figuring out what I can do to get my locals. Is my hookup wrong? I have gone in the attic and moved the antenna around, but its so damn big its really hard to get any movement between the rafters. There is a third line, (at least a third outlet) unused in my living room that was originally hooked up when I had a plain HD receiver, and a SD Tivo hooke up at the same time, but that line runs outside to nothing, since the guy moved my dish to the roof. If one of you technical guys can help me out here it would be greatly appreciated.
For Local OTA Q&A in the DFW area try....

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=529070&page=149&pp=20

I'm in Grapevine

[killerdc]

Antenna Call Sign Channel Network City St Compass Miles From Frequency
Type

green - vhf WFAA-DT 8.1 ABC DALLAS TX 233° 36.9 9

yellow - uhf KTVT-DT 11.1 CBS FT WORTHTX 229° 37.6 19
yellow - uhf KXAS-DT 5.1 NBC FT WORTHTX 230° 38.0 41
yellow - uhf KDFW-DT 4.1 FOX DALLAS TX 233° 36.9 35

These are the big three. What is weird is that I still get 0 on my meters, but when I restarted the machine, changed to off-air channels, went back, and it automatically popped up on 19 frequency, which is the only one I get all the time no problem, my signal strength was 68-70 max. When I changed frequencies to 9, I got 0 again even though the other tuner was set on 8-1, and when I went back to 19, it was 0 again, and now I cant get any reading. Anyway you slice it, I should be getting all of the channels with a monster antenna up in my attic. I live in a 2 story house with no interference of buildings airports etc... I am wondering if its the way the wiring was redone by the tech..... Originally I had the antenna out in the yard on a small pole and it was hooked up to the house and I got all the channels perfect. Only problem was that my kids play out there and that thing can put a tall 8 year olds eye out with all those prongs. :) My kids would be the kind that would run smack into it and then my wife would kick me out of the house. HAHA.

[bpratt]

I sounds like you are receiving the VHF OK but not the UHF. Since your antenna has both UHF and VHF parts, are you sure they are both connected. Your antenna should have a signal combiner probably mounted on the antenna that has wires going to both sections of the antenna.

[Slag]

Gentlemen; Sorry to bother but I have a TIVO connected to a satellite dish and would like to hook up a UHF antenna so I could received local HD channels. Will the TIVO pass the UHF signal un altered from the input cable of the dish to the output cable to the TV? I looked around the formum and this seemed the only place UHF antenna was mentioned in connection with a TIVO. Do you also have a satellite dish with your attic antenna? Please let me know. Thank you. Sincerely, Slag.

[DubC]

slag,

the antenna plugs directly into the back of the tivo. the antenna channels show up on the guide just like all the other satellite channels do. you can combine the satellite and antenna signals if you can not use a seperate run of coax. the combined signal will have to be seperated by a diplexor before running into the tivo.

your distance from your local broadcast towers will determine what type of antenna you need. you also might need an antenna that is capable of picking up vhf if any of your local channels are broadcast in vhf.

go to www.antennaweb.org to see how far you are from the broadcast antennas and if they are uhf or vhf.