hi there..

so after reading about the amazing results with the ota bowtie hd antenna..i designed one myself..i live in toronto

i got absolutely no improvement at all..my reception right now is only a bit better than if i were to use a paper clip in the coax hole

but this happened..i was playing around with the auto program mode the other day..it took kind of long i ended up stopping it around 25%..i pressed channel up and to my suprise i landed on a HD channel..it happened to be wheel of fortune on cbc..i can't remember what it read on the tv box in the corner but i believe it was DTV 5-1..anyway the signal was cutting out and i ended up scanning again..i never landed on another hd channel since...i normally can't land on anything that says DTV its either cable 9 or air 9...i've spent some time playing around and am getting absolute squat..how do i land on whats supposed to be a HD channel? my current reception is absolute trash..when you receive HD channels are you on air mode? i'm by no means an expert in this stuff..i am totally lost..should i buy a signal booster or buy a hd antenna? it bugs me especially because i witnessed a HD channel from a antenna i created myself

any help guys?

First off, you should be in "air" mode, not "cable" mode.

I believe CBC 5-1 is actually the strongest of the digital transmissions from the CN Tower. If that one is breaking up, it's possible you won't be able to pick up any of the other digital stations.

Do you have a lot of obstructions between your house and the CN Tower? I take it you actually pointed the antenna in the direction of the CN Tower, and isn't just laying on the floor. :) Did you try it outside, or just indoors trying to get signals through walls? Moving it outside, as high up as possible, would help.

Are you using a splitter to split the antenna cable to multiple TVs? If so, try without the splitter, since a splitter will reduce the signal strength a lot.

Finally, it's possible there's something wrong with the way you constructed the antenna. Maybe post a picture or two of it in the "make your own UHF antenna" thread, and ask if it looks right.

-- Kevin

appreciate the response..i live in scarborough so that is possible

i had the antenna upright leaning against the wall.today i tested it outside on the roof and no change...i connected it directly to my hdtv..

its possible i did a crappy job creating it..a few of the wires are not 100% straight but i doubt it would make a difference..i guess it must be my location because i have tried so many different things..

my next experiment is the shoebox hd antenna and if that failsi guess i'll have to dish out the cash and buy a commercial one

Also, it's much easier to see how well the antenna is working by looking at an analog channel, since you instantly see how moving the antenna changes the picture on the TV. Try tuning to an analog UHF channel (not VHF), and see where you can get the best picture. Then, if you find a position that gives you a good solid signal, try scanning again.

-- Kevin

thanks k ross..i tried that to no avail..

i don't get it..nothing works

i just wished i took the time to study what exactly i did that time when i got a hd reception

i was just shocked at the time..i mean here i am sitting there, watching the same old 5 or so local channels half in snow..i do a scan..stop the scan and presto i land on a crystal clear channel..i was amazed..but after trying everything possible i'm going to buy a hd antenna commercially which i didn't intend to do from the start..but its the only choice..

i refuse to pay for cable especially with the amount of trash that is clogging the airwaves..and most of these reality shows are rediculous..a good example of a crap show..the hills? lol who watches that?

anyway...i'll see what else i do next