Upgraded my DTV antenna and now get more channels

[gar hi]

Every now and then, I do a scan and additional channels show up but they are not too strong and when they go blank and I get the 'No Signal' message, they are also erased from my saved scanned channel memory for some strange reason.

I then discovered through RabbitEars.Info there's another more distant transmitter site with 6 channels which are the ones I get intermittently and noticed real frequency is channel 20.

So I realized the elements on the back of my TV antenna (a big part that's not actually connected to the cable) are for upper UHF so I got up there and removed that part.

Now, I can get all 6 channels consistently which makes for a total of 22 channels.

Here's my antenna now. It's mounted to the beam on the back part where the elements I removed used to be.

I wish I discovered this RabbitEars.Info site before because it gives such in depth information on every broadcast frequency as well as coverage maps that are just like Radio Locator with a red line for strong and a blue line for fringe coverage.

RabbitEars.Info

RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.

www.rabbitears.info

 

[kfbkfb]

I put an (intended for indoor use) UHF loop antenna outside about 10 years ago, has twin lead to transformer.

Before repack then ATSC 3.0, I got 66 "channels", now 62 "channels" (some LP-DTV, variable reception).

Too bad about the added subchannels due to the new ATSC 3.0 signals taking over existing RF channels, it results in some picture breakup due to the lowered video data rate.


Kirk Bayne

 

[gar hi]

In my area, Hilo, there are some channels listed on RabbitEars.Info that I can't get and wish I did.

For example, channel '11.3' Get TV and 11.4 'Laff'.

I easily get 11.1 'Fox' and 11.2 'CW'.

Anyone know why this could be?

 

[kfbkfb]

The ATSC 1.0 standard allows labeling each (sub)channel differently, it's possible the 11.3 and 11.4 are transmitted on a different RF channel than 11.1 and 11.2.

Here, due to the new ATSC 3.0 signals, 38.1 and 38.2 are from RF 36 and 38.3 and 38.4 are from RF 34.


Kirk Bayne

 

[itsTheRolyPoly]

In my area, Hilo, there are some channels listed on RabbitEars.Info that I can't get and wish I did.

For example, channel '11.3' Get TV and 11.4 'Laff'.

I easily get 11.1 'Fox' and 11.2 'CW'.

Anyone know why this could be?

So your ABC is 4, TMD is 6, MNT is 9, PBS is 10, FOX/CW is 11, NBC/Ind/CBS is 13? I ask because the channels are different depending on which part of state your in.

 

[gar hi]

The ATSC 1.0 standard allows labeling each (sub)channel differently, it's possible the 11.3 and 11.4 are transmitted on a different RF channel than 11.1 and 11.2.

Here, due to the new ATSC 3.0 signals, 38.1 and 38.2 are from RF 36 and 38.3 and 38.4 are from RF 34.


Kirk Bayne

The RF is listed as the same real channel 11 and that's why I don't know why I can't get them.

11.1 and 11.2 (the ones I receive) register as some of the strongest signals too.

They are RF 11.3 and 11.4.

The two I can't get are RF 11.5 and 11.6.

 

[gar hi]

So your ABC is 4, TMD is 6, MNT is 9, PBS is 10, FOX/CW is 11, NBC/Ind/CBS is 13? I ask because the channels are different depending on which part of state your in.

Yes, except the PBS channels just recently moved to 28.

 

[crainbebo]

Yakima just added Buzzr, TheGrio TV (African-American network), and ThisTV on an LPTV. The real channel number is 31 (KGFZ-LD), but the PSIP is all 32.X. And it's confusing, because 32, which is KYPK-LD (Azteca America), does not have these subchannels on their bandwidth. RabbitEars has it all wrong, as the TV displays the channels as 32 point whatever, not 31. But hey, it's great to have Buzzr TV available OTA in Yakima now! I visited a relative last week and in between football games, caught an old Classic Concentration episode on the new Buzzr station...

 

[anotherguyTN]

I did better by getting an outdoor antenna, but I'd like to get some more height on it to see if that will improve anything. I can get the full power stations in Jackson, TN (WBBJ 7 and WJKT 16) with no problem, but not the low power stations. (WYJJ 27 and WNBJ 39). From Memphis I can get WATN 24, WBUY 40, and WPXX 50 regularly. WREG 3, WKNO 10, and WLMT 30 are spotty, All those stations have RF channels on UHF and towers on the East side of Memphis so they come in better. WMC 5 and WHBQ 13 don't come in at all and they're both still on their actual RF channels. I probably need to get a different antenna that does better on VHF to get them. Once ATSC 3.0 comes into Memphis I can't help but wonder if any channels will be shuffled around to where 5 or 13 will move somewhere that I can get them.

 

[Kelly A]

Every now and then, I do a scan and additional channels show up but they are not too strong and when they go blank and I get the 'No Signal' message, they are also erased from my saved scanned channel memory for some strange reason.

I then discovered through RabbitEars.Info there's another more distant transmitter site with 6 channels which are the ones I get intermittently and noticed real frequency is channel 20.

So I realized the elements on the back of my TV antenna (a big part that's not actually connected to the cable) are for upper UHF so I got up there and removed that part.

Now, I can get all 6 channels consistently which makes for a total of 22 channels.

Here's my antenna now. It's mounted to the beam on the back part where the elements I removed used to be.

I wish I discovered this RabbitEars.Info site before because it gives such in depth information on every broadcast frequency as well as coverage maps that are just like Radio Locator with a red line for strong and a blue line for fringe coverage.

RabbitEars.Info

RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.

www.rabbitears.info

Take it out of your attic, tell your local HOA to shove it: ( Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule) and you'll be amazed how many more and better performing those channels will be.

 

[MarioMania]

I got like 49 Channels just with the UHF/VHF Transformer in Carmichael

But, doesn't mean I get all 49 Channels

 

[cyberdad]

Gar, I'm just glad to hear you solved your TV reception issues. I know those had been going on for quite a while, so I'm happy for you.

During the year I lived in Honolulu as a high school junior. reception was just four channels. The three networks on VHF 2,4. and 9. Plus independent 13. The signals were all very strong, so all we needed were the rabbit ears built into the set. The problem, however was ghost. Which made for constant fiddling. Especially with NBC channel 2.

 

[ZantennaG1]

Gar, I'm just glad to hear you solved your TV reception issues. I know those had been going on for quite a while, so I'm happy for you.

During the year I lived in Honolulu as a high school junior. reception was just four channels. The three networks on VHF 2,4. and 9. Plus independent 13. The signals were all very strong, so all we needed were the rabbit ears built into the set. The problem, however was ghost. Which made for constant fiddling. Especially with NBC channel 2.

That could also be what garhi is experiencing, just in digital form. Multi-path interference kills an ATSC 1.0 signal, but I hear this is to be corrected on 3.0. So what was once ghosts, is now reception issues?

 

[gar hi]

When I was growing up in south Jersey, my father gave me my own TV antenna so I could see the New York channels which always fascinated me.

First, it was in the attic and then we put it up on the roof which actually made a noticeable difference in reception.

The New York VHF channels were still 'snowy' but watchable and often at night and early morning, they were as clear as the local Philly channels.

So my aunt and uncle lived up in Jersey City and one reason I also liked to go visit them was because I could see the New York VHF stations on their big black and white TV with just the rabbit ears on top.

But all the channels were plagued with 'ghosts' like you wouldn't believe. This was before the transmitters were moved from the Empire State Building to the World Trade Center.

It was many years later when I found out why those stations had so many ghosts.

I'm not sure if this is absolutely true but it does make sense.

Apparently when the twin towers were constructed, they were not at the exact perfect angle to each other as they should have been and that slight flaw was what caused most of the ghosting effect on the TV channels in vicinity right across the Hudson river.

It may have been the reason the transmitters were eventually moved to the top of one of the Twin Towers.

 

[crainbebo]

Most of the NYC stations had low-power UHF translators serving Manhattan to alleviate that ghosting problem. This would have been in the 1970s and 1980s.