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HDTV Antenna (1 Viewer)

Dick Boneske

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
134
There have been numerous postings about antennas, but none recently that answer my question.

I use a Direct TV HR10-250 HD TIVO for satellite and OTA signals. I could write many pages praising the performance and user friendliness of the HD TIVO. Recorded HD picture quality on my Toshiba 57" RPTV is not visually different from the original live picture.

My location is 50 miles south of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I use a Radio Shack VHF/UHF antenna in my attic. It receives seven of the eight digital stations OTA very well. The NBC channel 26-1 (41 digital) is marginal most of the time. Signal strength is usually about 50%. The others all run from 65% to 90%+, using the TIVO program for checking.

I have tweaked the antenna aiming, amplifier, and wiring (RG6) and cannot get a reliable digital signal for this one channel.

Are there UHF only antennas that may work better for digital channels? After all, they are all in the UHF frequency range.

Comments and brand suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you.
 

Dick Boneske

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
134
Thank you, this is just what I was looking for. It will be easy to get into the attic and does not cost an arm and a leg.
 

Robert_J

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2000
Messages
8,350
Location
Mississippi
Real Name
Robert
If you are comparing "live" TV on the HR10-250 to a recorded program on the HR10-250, then it is not a real comparison. Nothing on the HR10-250 is viewed live. Everything is buffered to the hard drive first. If you were comparing the picture to a "live" picture, it still should be the same since the HR10-250 is just a bit-bucket. It stores the digital stream exactly as received.

As for the antenna issue, you may want to go to AVS Forum and look in the Local HDTV section. Find the thread that covers the Green Bay DMA. You will find information that you will not find any other place. I participate in the Memphis thread and we have two local station engineers there as well. We know when they have equipment problems that cause them to lower the broadcast signal or turn it off completely. They will tell us when the make setting or equipment changes and ask for feedback. You also may find that you have a neighbor that has already gone through the trial and error of finding the perfect antenna.

-Robert
 

LanceJ

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2002
Messages
3,168
Placing any antenna inside an attic can really reduce it's effectiveness (and when mounted outside, the higher the better). I realize many homeowner associations now have rules against outside antennas, but if yours doesn't, I would advise mounting it outside.

Also, sometimes certain signal amps hurt more than they help by adding distortion to the signal.
 

Dick Knisely

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Messages
372
"...homeowner associations now have rules against outside antennas,..." All of which are now completely illegal. Because the OTA Digital TV & HD transition (and thanks(?) to the lobbying of the broadcasters) all such bans are gone.

Link Removed
 

Dick Boneske

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 31, 2004
Messages
134
Dick,
Thanks for the info. I believe reception can be accomplished with the antenna in the attic. There is an attic in my house one story higher than the garage attic where I now have the antenna. If I use one of the UHF only units, it will be smaller and possibly more effective on digital OTA? It really seems strange to me that I can receive seven of the eight Green Bay channels OK, but not 26-1, which is digital channel 41. The ones I receive OK are digital channels 23, 39, 21, 51, 59, and 42. These are above AND below the frequency of the channel I'm having difficulty with.
 

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