I'm in South Bound Brook (right in the center of Somerset County).

I just tried and I can get pretty much all the Philly networks. NBC comes in with just under 70% signal strength. The weakest one seems to be 6.1 ABC. I can get it, which is surprising as the signal strength is about 45%. I'm getting Fox 29.1 pretty well.

I have a 120" radio shack antenna on a two story cape with a CM 7777 amp.

By the way...for the life of me I could not figure out how to get my address into that earthtools site. If I try to add my address using add places, it gives me someplace in Algeria :D...that 7777 must be working better than I thought...

Tom

Try google earth or a GPS to get your lat/long. That's usually more accurate.

Hello all. I have a quick question regarding OTA recetion. I live in 07726 and have purchased a 91XG along with an 8200U and a Winegard ANWI8780 Preamplifier.

My current roof antenna (not sure what model as it was installed around 12 years ago though it is a VHF/UHF combo) is no longer providing a good enough signal for HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, Fox, etc.

Will the new antennas once installed on the chimney mast along with the preexisting rotors be able to pull in a good enough signal for these channels?

Thanks

(I made my antenna purchasing decisions based on antennaweb telling me I needed a blue zone antenna for those channels thus buying an 8200U and then reading forums of people saying the 91XG is awesome for UHF HDTV and finally me thinking a preamp might help send the signal to 3 TVs and past the 50' of coaxial cable. The installation is on the weekend so hopefully this will work out. [My preamp comes today and I am going to try it with the current antenna to see if it will help...]

The only way to find out is to try.

How did your antennas all of a sudden decrease in performance? Antennas do not wear out unless they are physically damaged, water gets in the feedline, the preamp goes bad or the connections become corroded.

I would also suggest you try www.tvfool.com or http://2150.com/broadcast instead of antennaweb. Antennaweb always seems to give inaccurate results.

I have no idea how the antenna went bad. It is located too far up for me to go myself as I have no ladder.

My guess is that is has to do with the channels moving locations for Feb 2009. Initially I thought it was the "mega-splitter" that Verizon installed for FiOS but the signal went bad long after that was installed. Regardless I tried a direct connection from the antenna and it still barely got me one bar of signal (on a Samsung HDTV) on NBC (the only channel to come in).

I guess corrosion is a possibility as well...I guess these answers will arrive on Saturday when the installer comes!

I'm here also wondering what happened to CBS and NBC out of NY. A few weeks ago, NBC came in fine, now it's gone. CBS used to be ok, minor breakup once in a while, now unwatchable. I never could get fox directly. Always got it on a subchannel of channel 9 or 11, don't remember.
Does anyone know?

[QUOTE=jaypb;14586996]
...Now, a full 5 years later, I recently tried to rotate my antennas towards Philly to pick up WCAU-DT (NBC) so I could tune in the Redskins-Jags game last week because the Giants-Pats was on on WNBC-DT. I couldn't even get a SNIFF of WCAU-DT....which was much similar to my experiences in the "good old days".

No sniffage on WPVI-DT either...nor WPHL-DT. I didn't get around to looking for WPSG-DT....but I was just curious if anyone else has seen a drop in signal strengths from Philly (like most have seen in NJ with the NYC OTA stations).

Jay,

I'm in west windsor tnsp and receive Philly stations o.k. with the CM4228 & a UHF LN amp. on the roof. Ever since all the transmitters moved to the Roxbury farm towers things have been pretty stable (with the exception of WHYY). Are you pointing to the Roxbury site?

My son just moved to an apartment on Lawrence Drive in Princeton. The rules apparently prohibit dishes and external antennas. Am I correct in assuming that an indoor antenna will not do much good and that Comcast cable is the only option? Does Comcast have a "basic cable" package? The cheapest thing I can find on their website is a digital package for $33/month ($60/month after 6 months).

I'm north of him in Belle Mead and get a number of digital channels from Philly using indoor amplified loop antennas. Presuming he has some open space to the southwest, he should be able to get them as well.

One antenna is a 10 dB radio shack with another 10 dB from a separate RCA amp. The other is a 20 dB gain RCA indoor antenna.

It looks like some work at the ESB transmitters has been completed. WCBS-DT, and WABC-DT signals here in West Windsor are back -although not quite as strong as before the "improvements". WNYW-DT is still MIA.:(

My son just moved to an apartment on Lawrence Drive in Princeton. The rules apparently prohibit dishes and external antennas. Am I correct in assuming that an indoor antenna will not do much good and that Comcast cable is the only option? Does Comcast have a "basic cable" package? The cheapest thing I can find on their website is a digital package for $33/month ($60/month after 6 months).

Even a 10$ antenna worked for me.

It looks like some work at the ESB transmitters has been completed. WCBS-DT, and WABC-DT signals here in West Windsor are back -although not quite as strong as before the "improvements". WNYW-DT is still MIA.:(

WCBS-DT is very strong here! I think it's weather related though.

Don't hold your breath on Fox 5. They're nulling out parts of central/south Jersey and even up here in Sussex because of interference to ch 44 in AC.

I am in Marlboro NJ (about half a mile west of the 520 & 79 intersection) and have not been able to get WNBC-DT OTA on our new HDTV (but I do get CBS-DT, ABC-DT, Fox plus a handful of public DTV channels). I am using a Radio Shack VU-110XR antenna mounted in the attic above our 2nd floor and without amplifier.

Any suggestion (especially from folks in Marlboro or vicinity areas) on how I can improve the DTV signal reception would be greatly appreciated.
FWIW, today I installed a Channel Master 7777 amp and can now receive WNBC-DT, WNET-DT plus nearly another two dozen DTV channels off the VU-110XR.

I had also bought a Antenna Direct DB4 expecting that it would improve my UHF reception in which case I would use the VU-110XR solely for VHF/FM reception. Surprisingly the DB4 performs significantly worse than the VU-110XR UHF. So for now I am feeding the TV off the amplified signals from the VU-110XR for both UHF & VHF.

Using only a simple $4 bowtie antenna clipped to the tv in our second story bedroom in Belle Mead NJ (about 40 miles SW of NYC and 50 miles NE of Philly) and a Magnavox digital converter, I am receiving about 26 digital channels as follows:

NYC and NJ- 2 4 5 7 9 11 25 31 41 47 50 52 58 63 68
Phily- 3 6 10 17 35 57 65
Allentown- 69

The signals from NYC are solid and consistent. The signal from the Phily channels are weak and sometimes 'no signal' especially during the day, and especially 6 and 10 (35 is the strongest). Given this performance with the bowtie, if I was into Phily stations I am sure that an attic mounted antenna pointed SW would give me solid signals.

I plan to install a Hi-VHF/UHF attic antenna for the NYC stations before the February 2009 switch so I can receive channels 7 11 and 13 when they revert to the VHF channels from the current UHF assignments.

...
I plan to install a Hi-VHF/UHF attic antenna for the NYC stations before the February 2009 switch so I can receive channels 7 11 and 13 when they revert to the VHF channels from the current UHF assignments.
Which antenna(s) are you considering for Hi-VHF/UHF signals?

Channel Master CM3016

Turns out, since my last post, I ordered and received a Channel Master 3016 suburban antenna. Earlier today, I installed it in the garage attic (about 14 feet above ground) opposite our master bedroom on the second floor. All digital channels except virtual 11 and 13 came in solid from NYC. Since 13 WNET from NYC is my favorite, I installed a Channel Master 3041 amplifier I had laying around. This brought in virtual 11 and 13, but not solid, so next step is to install antenna in upper attic (about 23 feet above ground), something I wanted to avoid since snaking coax to bedroom won't be easy from the upper attic. But am confident that this will work, since I already have an old suburban Radio Shack, similar to CM3016, in the upper attic with 10db amp feeding two tv's on other side of house (and with much longer coax feed) with good results for virtual channel 11 and 13.

Then again, since CM3016 with amp delivers a solid analog channel 11 and 13, I may just may keep the antenna in the garage attic until February to see if digital 11 and 13 come in solid when they move back to those channels, based on the good analog results with the antenna located there. Why do more work when you may not have to?

I was going to order a Channel Master 2016, specifically designed for VHF Hi and UHF, but according to the specs the gain on channels 7, 11 and 13 was not as good as the CM3016. It appears from the photos that the 2016 is a 3016 without the last three vhf elements, but costs $10 more than the 3016. Go figure. To prove the point, I compared the analog reception with the back three vhf elements folded and unfolded. The reception was almost the same on analog channels 11 and 13 (but not 7).

Bottom line, if all stations were on UHF, a simple bowtie located by the tv works just as good in our location as a suburban antenna connected by 35 or more feet of coax. The only reason I need a more complicated antenna is to receive the VHF Hi channels after the February conversion.

Also, it should be noted that even though we are 40 or so miles from NYC, we are ideally located down the Raritan-Millstone valley. This is a direct path to NYC with no serious hills or other obstructions in the signal path. According to the specs, an antenna rated for 35 miles should not work if located in an attic at our location, since the roofing and siding materials reduce signal strength by half. But it works in our case.

Also, these observations have occurred in October. Not sure if the results will be the same in January during a snow storm. But will find out in a few months.

Channel Master CM3016

Also, these observations have occurred in October. Not sure if the results will be the same in January during a snow storm. But will find out in a few months.

In my experience, reception (here in central Jersey) usually improves in the winter when all the leaves are down. I also haven't noticed snow being a problem either although rain seems to attenuate signals a bit. The worst interference appears to be from high gusty winds disorienting the antenna just enough to de-stablize the signal. With both my antennas being highly directional, even a few degree pitch or yaw will cause dropouts 40 miles away from the transmitters.

NJN HD seems to still be off the air. I used to pick it up on 50-5. Haven't seen it in a while.

NJN HD seems to still be off the air. I used to pick it up on 50-5. Haven't seen it in a while.

Do a rescan. They've reworked the channels. There's no longer a .5 channel. It's now just NJN-1 and NJN-2, with NJN-1 being the "HD" channel full-time (Although. there hasn't been much in the way of HD airing lately)

Has anyone seen W49CW-D in Trenton? It's on channel 49 but might map to 25-1 (it's called WZBN). I'm curious as to what the signal is like, if it's mapping to 25-1, subchannels, etc.

Thanks!

- Trip

Has anyone seen W49CW-D in Trenton? It's on channel 49 but might map to 25-1 (it's called WZBN). I'm curious as to what the signal is like, if it's mapping to 25-1, subchannels, etc.

Thanks!

- Trip

I'm in Central NJ...halfway b/t Trenton and NYC I guess...and Channel 25 is the WNYE (???) feed...I'm not home in front of my TV but I think those were the call letters. They have several digital feeds...none with any HD on them.

I live in Highland Park and just hooked up a Tivax STB-9 CECB. I rely on a roof antenna for OTA. I got decent reception for half of the NYC channels. With the CECB I now get all stations except for WNET (no signal) and WCBS (weak signal). Any idea if I should rotate the antenna at all? Doen't make too much sense why the other broadcasters from NYC using the empire State Building come in so well, except for CBS.

By the way, I do not receive any Philadelphia stations, though I can get them weakly on analog.

I am located about 12 miles of so west of you in Hillsborough. Check out my posts dated 10/19 and 10/21. After a lot of experimentation and fooling around, I ended up using a simple $4 bow tie antenna providing good reception until the conversion on February 17. (The bow tie probably works best for the uhf channels because it is clipped right on the tv and there is no coax loss of signal from the attic antenna).

WNET is tough to receive on channel 61. This is a temporary channel assignment, and my guess is that it is running lower power and they have not invested a lot in the interim transmitter. I expect reception should be good when they return to channel 13 in February.

WCBS is normally good reception in Hillsborough, though not as strong as the other stations. They are moving from channnel 56 to 33 in February, so maybe they also did not make a big investment in the temporary channel??

Another channel that is weaker than the others is WPIX on channel 33. They are moving back to channel 11 in February, so again maybe a temporary situation??

If you have a bow tie antenna laying around ($4 at Radio Shack), you might also play with it to see how it performs in your location.

I live in Highland Park and just hooked up a Tivax STB-9 CECB. I rely on a roof antenna for OTA. I got decent reception for half of the NYC channels. With the CECB I now get all stations except for WNET (no signal) and WCBS (weak signal). Any idea if I should rotate the antenna at all? Doen't make too much sense why the other broadcasters from NYC using the empire State Building come in so well, except for CBS.

By the way, I do not receive any Philadelphia stations, though I can get them weakly on analog.

Try rotating the antenna little bit, you may find a sweet spot. I am in the border of Somerset and New Brunswick. I get all the NY stations (except for WNET though) reliably and without any fuss. Sometime I have to reposition my antenna (by about 10-15 degree) little bit to get WMBC(63.x) and WNJN (50.x) because they are on different directions. But lately I am getting everything without changing the direction. Also it helps to have an indoor antenna. The DB2 or DB2 clone is a cheap indoor high quality antenna (acn be had for about $25 and above) and can easily be mounted in any floor standing lamp and looks easy to the eye. Although I am little bit sceptical of the antenna because some antennas are moving to upper VHF. CM-4221HD or a 4 bay bow tie style antenna may be a better bet. But I want to wait and see what happens. I have never tried to catch the Philly stations. Somtime though my Hisense seems to get a hint of Phillys CBS feed at channel 3.

We finally got a HD TV. Most channels look great. But on NJN (52.1) there are programs that show the black bars on all sides. For example yesterday night 11pm Gourmet Diary. TV says 16:9 1080i. I can understand why I get pillarbox (4:3 content on 16:9) or letterbox (OAR movie on 16:9) but not both together.
This TV does not have a zoom that would handle this situation without distortion (Sony KDL 32L4000).

Also on WYBE-DT (35.1, mind-tv) the picture is doing a kind of a "stop and go"; it hangs every half second. Can anyone confirm this, or is it my reception?

Even a 10$ antenna worked for me.
I don't want to get off topic but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued rules prohibiting HOAs from banning Satellite and/or antenna installations in all but "common areas" of condos and townhomes. If your son really want to install a Dish or OTA antenna please visit the FCC website.

I don't want to get off topic but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued rules prohibiting HOAs from banning Satellite and/or antenna installations in all but "common areas" of condos and townhomes. If your son really want to install a Dish or OTA antenna please visit the FCC website.

Actually he lives in a University-supplied apartment. What he wanted was cheap or free TV. It turns out that an indoor antenna did not work. He ended up with basic cable (something like $13 a month, they don't advertise it, you have to ask for it) which somehow, with a QAM tuner, yields tons of channels.

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to these forums and have been reading and learning. I live in Piscataway (about 75 miles from Philly) and was looking to pickup some Philadelphia stations. Is there an indoor antenna option I can go with?(preferred)..Or would it only be outdoor that i should look for? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to these forums and have been reading and learning. I live in Piscataway (about 75 miles from Philly) and was looking to pickup some Philadelphia stations. Is there an indoor antenna option I can go with?(preferred)..Or would it only be outdoor that i should look for? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

The most obvious choice for trying out a set top/indoor antenna would be the Zenith Silver Sensor:

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=ZHDTV1&main_cat=03&source=googleps

I was able to pick up a *few* of the Philly stations the last time I used the Silver Sensor indoors (CBS and UPN come to mind) but depending on your elevation and if you have a window facing Philly (that you could point the antenna towards) your success could be better...but 75 miles? Is it that far as the crow flies from Piscataway? I'm about 50-55 miles from Philly and as I said last time I checked I was able to pick up a few stations and my AHSL (Average Height above Sea Level) is horrendous (maybe 10-15 feet?)

Check this site out and plug in your info:

http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29

This is probably the wrong time to be getting an antenna. If Philadelphia resembles other markets, some of the stations are currently using UHF frequencies for digital will move back to their VHF frequency when the analog is shut off next month. The Silver Sensor is a UHF antenna. In other words, it may work fine for you today but not work next month...

So I guess I should hold off on getting an antenna and wait for VHF? I put in my address on tvfool and it says the Philadelphia stations are about 55 miles but I need an outdoor antenna. Anyone have any different luck with an indoor?

I'm in Belle Mead using an indoor RCA Model ANT525 amplified loop/rabbit ears (about 20 dB of gain) and get all the major Philly channels in a 2nd floor room with an outside wall to the southwest. Antenna is on a chest of drawers about shoulder height. By major channels, I mean: 3, 6, 10, 17, 29, and 57. I also have a Radio Shack amplified loop/rabbit ears on the first floor (about 10 dB of gain and situated above head height on an interior wall to the Northeast). I had to add a 2nd inline amplifier (another 10 dB of gain) and it gets most of those same stations on most days.

See my posts 2264 and 2266 regarding digital reception in Belle Mead

Frank

So I guess I should hold off on getting an antenna and wait for VHF? I put in my address on tvfool and it says the Philadelphia stations are about 55 miles but I need an outdoor antenna. Anyone have any different luck with an indoor?

Never tried the philly stations, but have seen traces of the CBS from philly at 3.1. I use the DB2 clone indoor to get the NYC stations. Wait till Feb 17, I will be able to tell you whether I am getting the VHF stations (ABC7, PIX11 and WNET13) from NYC.

Never tried the philly stations, but have seen traces of the CBS from philly at 3.1. I use the DB2 clone indoor to get the NYC stations. Wait till Feb 17, I will be able to tell you whether I am getting the VHF stations (ABC7, PIX11 and WNET13) from NYC.


Ok sounds good. Thanks for the help.

Has anyone tried one of the Winegard VHF-Hi/UHF HD-769x series?

WNET is tough to receive on channel 61. This is a temporary channel assignment, and my guess is that it is running lower power and they have not invested a lot in the interim transmitter. I expect reception should be good when they return to channel 13 in February.



1--WNET Ch 13 is on 61? Is that why I can't bring it in with my converter box? I thought it was the first to go digital. Can someone explain this? If it's not back by 2/17, I have very little to watch.

2--I'm not technical in the A-V field. I don't understand people reverting to bowtie antennas. How can these be better than a rooftop apartment building antenna?

3--Has anyone used the HD antenna on YouTube? Does it work?

61 is a hard channel to pick up. It will go back to 13 in Feb.

1--WNET Ch 13 is on 61? Is that why I can't bring it in with my converter box? I thought it was the first to go digital. Can someone explain this? If it's not back by 2/17, I have very little to watch.

They're operating at less than 1/10 the power of the other signals from the Empire State Building, and on one of the worst UHF channels. Once they return to channel 13 after the transition, the signal strength should improve. Just keep in mind that it's a VHF channel and not UHF.

2--I'm not technical in the A-V field. I don't understand people reverting to bowtie antennas. How can these be better than a rooftop apartment building antenna?

A lot of those antennas are VHF (2-13) only, whereas most digital signals are on the UHF band. An indoor bowtie built for UHF will prove more reliable than an outdoor antenna built for VHF.

- Trip

61 is a hard channel to pick up. It will go back to 13 in Feb.

Thanks so much. I needed to verify that. I've been tearing my hair out with my first converter box, and finally decided it was defective. Bought a new one today, and I can't believe the clarity on
(digital to)analog.

I'm near NYC, as I said, actually 15 miles from the Empire State Bldg. Is there a list somewhere of which stations are on VHF and which on UHF? I would like to get 21 (WLIW) and 25 (WNYC.) But wouldn't I have to keep switching the antennas, or is there a combo indoor antenna?

Is there a list somewhere of which stations are on VHF and which on UHF? I would like to get 21 (WLIW) and 25 (WNYC.) But wouldn't I have to keep switching the antennas, or is there a combo indoor antenna?

If you're on the NJ side, WLIW is almost impossible. They're out on Long Island on a short tower.

Try plugging your location into TVFool.com and post your plot, that might help figure out what's going on with your reception.

As for a list, I have one on my site. If the physical channel is 2-13, it's VHF. Else, UHF. An arrow pointing from one channel to another shows that it's currently on the first channel and will transition to the second channel once analog goes away. http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?mktid=1

- Trip

I'm just north of the city, in Westchester County, not in NJ. Did the TV Fool survey. Are you referring to the decimal point after the channel number at TV Fool? WLIW will be 21.1, WNYE 25.1, therefore both VHF?

I'm just north of the city, in Westchester County, not in NJ. Did the TV Fool survey. Are you referring to the decimal point after the channel number at TV Fool? WLIW will be 21.1, WNYE 25.1, therefore both VHF?

WLIW will be channel 21, UHF. WNYE will be channel 24, UHF.

If you're not in NJ, you should post this in the New York OTA thread instead of the Central New Jersey OTA thread.

- Trip

Didn't know there were separate threads for each state. Thanks for the tip.

...
3--Has anyone used the HD antenna on YouTube? Does it work?
If you are referring to the DYI antenna made with coat hangers, it's better than having no antenna but not great. Some folks however have gotten better results with a closer imitation of the Antenna Direct DB4: incorporating a reflector made out of cookie racks.

Anybody having any luck with Fox5 in central/southern NJ. I get a very reliable signal on all the other NYC channels but I've never been able to receive Fox 5 on Channel 44. I get WMCN-44 when I swing my antenna to the soutch but nothing to the northeast. If there are any good ideas out there I like to hear them. I'm in 08022, Burlington County.

Anybody having any luck with Fox5 in central/southern NJ. I get a very reliable signal on all the other NYC channels but I've never been able to receive Fox 5 on Channel 44. I get WMCN-44 when I swing my antenna to the soutch but nothing to the northeast. If there are any good ideas out there I like to hear them. I'm in 08022, Burlington County.

No problem getting fox5 here in ocean county 08723.

Looks like the digital transition is being delayed. Guess I won't get channel 13 until June.

Anybody having any luck with Fox5 in central/southern NJ. I get a very reliable signal on all the other NYC channels but I've never been able to receive Fox 5 on Channel 44. I get WMCN-44 when I swing my antenna to the soutch but nothing to the northeast. If there are any good ideas out there I like to hear them. I'm in 08022, Burlington County.

From where you are, unless there's tropo in the atmosphere, you're not gonna receive it. You're technically part of the Philly market anyway.

The White House wants your opinion on The DTV Delay ACT Bill
President Obama wants to hear what the public has to say, you can comment here

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/dtv_delay_act/

From where you are, unless there's tropo in the atmosphere, you're not gonna receive it. You're technically part of the Philly market anyway.


Is that expected to change after they go full power?

Is that expected to change after they go full power?

1. WNYW is already at full power. Nothing will change on the transition date, though there are plans to do work on the Empire State Building at some point in the future and replace old analog antennas and gear with new digital stuff. (A power increase is included in that, but 3 dB will likely not make much of a difference) That may help slightly.

2. The bulk of the problems in the area are from WMCN-DT being on the same channel, and no amount of power can really overcome that problem.

- Trip

From where you are, unless there's tropo in the atmosphere, you're not gonna receive it. You're technically part of the Philly market anyway.

1. WNYW is already at full power. Nothing will change on the transition date, though there are plans to do work on the Empire State Building at some point in the future and replace old analog antennas and gear with new digital stuff. (A power increase is included in that, but 3 dB will likely not make much of a difference) That may help slightly.

2. The bulk of the problems in the area are from WMCN-DT being on the same channel, and no amount of power can really overcome that problem.

- Trip


Ahh, so its an interference problem? Would a highly directional antenna help with the issue?

I'm trying to learn all I can as I would like to go OTA only and ditch cable, unfortunetly FOX is high on my list of must have stations.

Well, depending on where you are, WTXF-DT in Philadelphia should be usable. It's on a cleaner channel.

But yes, the biggest problem is interference. Plug your location into TVFool.com and post the plot here and people like myself can tell you what to expect as far as reception goes.

- Trip

Well, depending on where you are, WTXF-DT in Philadelphia should be usable. It's on a cleaner channel.

But yes, the biggest problem is interference. Plug your location into TVFool.com and post the plot here and people like myself can tell you what to expect as far as reception goes.

- Trip

Thanks Trip. This is the "pre transition" digital.

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n436/HotrodOllie/Radar-Digital.png


As it stands right now, I have an un-amped homebuilt "youtube" antenna laying on the floor and can receive 2 stations, 50.1 and 47.1. I plan on using an old (late 60's) attic mounted UHF/VHF antenna and convert to 75ohm from 300ohm twin lead and a good pre amp.

It actually looks like you're in a good position for WNYW-DT with WMCN-DT down in the noise.

- Trip

Thanks Trip!

Ahh, so its an interference problem? Would a highly directional antenna help with the issue?

I'm trying to learn all I can as I would like to go OTA only and ditch cable, unfortunetly FOX is high on my list of must have stations.

I'm located about 10 mi. NE of Trenton and haven't been receiving Fox5 from NYC since mid-summer. Prior to that 5.1 & 5.2 ( MY9 sub-channel) came in fairly reliably. I had some email communications with one of their broadcast engineers who wrote that they had to contour (ie reduce) their signal in the southerly direction to avoid adjacent channel interference with UHF 43 which is the frequency NJN-DT-52-Trenton broadcasts on. I'm using a directional Yagi with a high gain-low noise amp mounted on the roof and have had no luck receiving Fox5. With Burlington being 30 miles further south of here, receiving any NYC channels will be a very iffy proposition for you. The good news (unless you're a Giants fan that is) the Fox29 signal should be available from Philly. I'm hoping Fox5 or NJN-52 can petition the FCC for a different frequency to avoid their current problems with adjacent channel interference.

Here' the reply I got from WNET:

"Thank you for taking the time to write us regarding our signal.

Some viewers may still have trouble receiving Thirteen DTV before June 12, 2009 - even with a dual-antenna and a converter box. This is due to the reduced-power transmitter Thirteen has been using since the destruction of the World Trade Center. If you cannot receive Thirteen DTV, you can watch the non-digital Channel Thirteen on an old-style analog television set, or by using a converter box with an analog pass-through feature, until June 12, 2009, when Thirteen will switch to a high-power DTV transmitter that will reach everyone in the viewing area.

As a public television station, Thirteen depends on viewers like you to enable us to continue fulfilling our mission to present quality programming. We hope that you will continue to enjoy our fine programming and thank you for your continued support of Thirteen/WNET.


Aaron M. Kinchen
Member and Viewer Relations
Thirteen/WNET
212-560-2888"

Thanks Trip. This is the "pre transition" digital.

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n436/HotrodOllie/Radar-Digital.png


As it stands right now, I have an un-amped homebuilt "youtube" antenna laying on the floor and can receive 2 stations, 50.1 and 47.1. I plan on using an old (late 60's) attic mounted UHF/VHF antenna and convert to 75ohm from 300ohm twin lead and a good pre amp.


Trip, could you recommend a pre-amp for my situation? I've been looking at the CM7777 and Winegard equivilant. Would either of these pre-amps be too much and cause an overload condition? My tuner is a Hauppauge 2250 which recommends use of an amp "for best results".

I'd recommend you start without one and then only add one if you need it. I'm concerned that WNJT or WNJN would overload it.

- Trip

I'm a lot closer to WNJT (16 miles south) and all the Philly stations are about 28 miles to the west. I use a CM7777 pre-amp and I've never had a problem with overload. The pre-amp, however, helps me get excellent reception from NYC which is about 60 miles to the northeast.

Thanks Trip, guess its best to take it a step at a time, no sence buying something I won't need.

Thanks for the heads up Joe, if I need an amp the CM7777 looks like the way to go.

Thanks Trip, guess its best to take it a step at a time, no sence buying something I won't need.

Thanks for the heads up Joe, if I need an amp the CM7777 looks like the way to go.

I fully agree. I have a CM7777 that I use while traveling, and it's a great amp.

- Trip

Not sure which direction I need to go next. I set up my attic antenna (1960's era), aimed it towards NYC and I am receving all the major stations but in analog only. They do come in quite good, not perfect but good. The only two reliable digital stations with the antenna aimed in the same direction are 47.1 and 58.1.

It looks like the antenna is tuned mostly for VHF and FM with a smallish, split log periodic UHF section(similar to two silver sensors in a horizontal V shape). Question is should I use an amp, or get a bigger/different UHF antenna?

Any help welcome:)

Use analog 41 as your guide. How does it look?

- Trip

Use analog 41 as your guide. How does it look?

- Trip

No picture and the sound has alot of static.

Analog 68 has a very fuzzy picture with drop outs.

According to Tvfool 58.1 looks to be a VHF signal(real channel 8). So I guess I am only getting one digital UHF channel 47.1(real channel 36)

update. Aimed towards Philly, could get 3.1(real channel 26) I'm thinking the antenna just isn't tuned for higher UHF channels.

I'm in Carteret, North-Eastern Middlesex County, zip 07008.

Using the 70's era Radio Shack roof antenna currently on my single-family house I get a good HD signal on all the NY stations. If I upgrade to a modern roof antenna, such as a Winegard, will it improve anything for me or will it just be a waste of cash?

If I get an upgraded one will I be able to pull in any of the Philly stations in HD or am I just too far north for them.

No picture and the sound has alot of static.

Analog 68 has a very fuzzy picture with drop outs.

According to Tvfool 58.1 looks to be a VHF signal(real channel 8). So I guess I am only getting one digital UHF channel 47.1(real channel 36)

update. Aimed towards Philly, could get 3.1(real channel 26) I'm thinking the antenna just isn't tuned for higher UHF channels.

Yeah, if you get analog 41 reasonably clear, that should get you the NYC digital stations (except 13 for the time being). You'll want to look into something with more gain on UHF.

- Trip

Thanks for all the help Trip:)




I'm in Carteret, North-Eastern Middlesex County, zip 07008.

Using the 70's era Radio Shack roof antenna currently on my single-family house I get a good HD signal on all the NY stations. If I upgrade to a modern roof antenna, such as a Winegard, will it improve anything for me or will it just be a waste of cash?

If I get an upgraded one will I be able to pull in any of the Philly stations in HD or am I just too far north for them.

I'm not the best person to give advice, but if your NYC stations are good a new antenna is not going to make it better, unless you get frequent dropouts then it may help.
Your a bit north of me and I am 57 miles from philly, since most of the stations have the same programming as the NY stations and are near fringe at your distance, the "worth the effort" is up to you...personaly I would'nt bother:)

Not sure which direction I need to go next. I set up my attic antenna (1960's era), aimed it towards NYC and I am receving all the major stations but in analog only. They do come in quite good, not perfect but good. The only two reliable digital stations with the antenna aimed in the same direction are 47.1 and 58.1.

It looks like the antenna is tuned mostly for VHF and FM with a smallish, split log periodic UHF section(similar to two silver sensors in a horizontal V shape). Question is should I use an amp, or get a bigger/different UHF antenna?

Any help welcome:)
If you have a long run of cable from your attic antenna to the TV I would suggest that you try a pre-amp like CM7777 first. You might find out like I did which is my 15+ year old Radio-Shack VU-110XR antenna boosted by the CM7777 works just fine (bringing in dozens of HD channels instead of just a few) and I could have saved the money I shelled out for the Antenna Direct DB4 which I had bought before I got the CM7777. Even in the event you do end up needing a better antenna the pre-amp would still add value assuming the long cable run.

Also, it might be worth getting a compass (or borrowing one from a Boy Scout) to help aim your antenna more precisely given the coordinate-specific transmitter directional info from TV-Fool.

If you have a long run of cable from your attic antenna to the TV I would suggest that you try a pre-amp like CM7777 first. You might find out like I did which is my 15+ year old Radio-Shack VU-110XR antenna boosted by the CM7777 works just fine (bringing in dozens of HD channels instead of just a few) and I could have saved the money I shelled out for the Antenna Direct DB4 which I had bought before I got the CM7777. Even in the event you do end up needing a better antenna the pre-amp would still add value assuming the long cable run.

Also, it might be worth getting a compass (or borrowing one from a Boy Scout) to help aim your antenna more precisely given the coordinate-specific transmitter directional info from TV-Fool.

The cable run.. at a rough guess is 50-60 feet of RG6 quad. Also a Radio Shack 300->75 ohm balun @ the antenna lugs.

I do have a compass with degree marks that I used to help aim using TVfool as a reference, but last night I was looking at an elevation map and found that there is a 168ft elevation rise about .8 mile from me along the signal path to NYC, it is about 1.3 miles long then decendes for miles to sea level. I think what I'm seeing is the area of Collier school and Beacon Hill. I wonder how much of an issue this will be with UHF signals.

The cable run.. at a rough guess is 50-60 feet of RG6 quad. Also a Radio Shack 300->75 ohm balun @ the antenna lugs.

FWIW the CM7777's make a huge difference on my 50ft cable run (attic to 1st floor family-room via basement) and a significant difference on my 25ft 2nd cable run (attic to 2nd floor bedroom).

I do have a compass with degree marks that I used to help aim using TVfool as a reference, but last night I was looking at an elevation map and found that there is a 168ft elevation rise about .8 mile from me along the signal path to NYC, it is about 1.3 miles long then decendes for miles to sea level. I think what I'm seeing is the area of Collier school and Beacon Hill. I wonder how much of an issue this will be with UHF signals.
This area appears to be near or on my line-of-sight as well (I'm near the 520 & 79 junction) but I can't tell what effect they have on my UHF reception. I am able to get HD reliably from WCBS, WABC, WNBC, WPIX, WWOR and WNJN. WNET is one I have difficulty with, but since I am getting decent (watchable) analog reception for WNET I am hoping that the problem will go away post-transition in June.

FWIW the CM7777's make a huge difference on my 50ft cable run (attic to 1st floor family-room via basement) and a significant difference on my 25ft 2nd cable run (attic to 2nd floor bedroom).

This area appears to be near or on my line-of-sight as well (I'm near the 520 & 79 junction) but I can't tell what effect they have on my UHF reception. I am able to get HD reliably from WCBS, WABC, WNBC, WPIX, WWOR and WNJN. WNET is one I have difficulty with, but since I am getting decent (watchable) analog reception for WNET I am hoping that the problem will go away post-transition in June.

Well howdy neighbor!:) Based on this info^^ I feel confident an amp should really help as I am at a slightly higher elevation than your location. I'm near pleasent vally & 79, though closer to the elevation rise, I may be more in the shadow. I hope to get the amp this week and do some more testing. By any chance do you get WNYW (FOX)?

Well howdy neighbor!:) Based on this info^^ I feel confident an amp should really help as I am at a slightly higher elevation than your location. I'm near pleasent vally & 79, though closer to the elevation rise, I may be more in the shadow. I hope to get the amp this week and do some more testing. By any chance do you get WNYW (FOX)?
Yes, I do get WNYW with 92% signal strength. (It probably was a Freudian slip that I left FOX off my list in my previous post: I can't stand Bill O'Reilly :)).

I got the amp set up, unfortunetly IEI was out of stock on the 7777 so I got the 7778. With the antenna aimed at NYC I got a good signal on channel 4.1, an intermittent sniff at 2.1 and nothing for the rest of the major NY stations. I did notice I was getting a low signal on everything from Philly on the back side of the antenna. Aimed at Philly I got a strong signal on all but FOX 29.1. Today as a test I ran my homebuilt 4-bay outside with the amp, it made a huge difference and with the antenna on the ground I could get most everything, so I guess I need to mount an outdoor antenna for NY stations.

What I don't understand is why I can get 4.1 but nothing else from NY, according to TVfool the majors are all at the same distance and location(Empire state building?). 4.1 has the most power but only slightly.

I'm not the best person to give advice, but if your NYC stations are good a new antenna is not going to make it better, unless you get frequent dropouts then it may help.
Your a bit north of me and I am 57 miles from philly, since most of the stations have the same programming as the NY stations and are near fringe at your distance, the "worth the effort" is up to you...personaly I would'nt bother:)

well if I wanted too, would it be reasonable to get the Philadelphia stations from where I am with a better antennea pointed south? My main reason would be to get Ch. 17 for Phillies games, since I'm a fan. So 17 would be a priority for me. I'm not gonna spend the coin to get Comcast and the MLB package, but 17 shows most Sat and Sun games when I would be most likely to watch, so that would work fine for me.

Hi All,

I'm in the southern reach of CNJ over in Burlington Twp, Burlington Co. I was wondering if anyone down this way has had any success receiving WPIX 11 OTA? Any recommendations on what equipment to use?

Thanks!

I'm about 8 miles east of you in Jobstown/Columbus area. I get excellent reception of all NY digitals. I use and old Channel Master Corner Reflector antenna and a CM7777 pre-amp mounted on my chimney. You might have luck from your location, but height is very important. The higher you can go the better. If I was buying a new antenna today, I would go for the CM4228 or something similar.

Joe, thanks a lot for the input. I have a 2 story house, so I dont think height will be so much of an issue. Is there any chance you might be willing to help me out with this being you are so close?

Thanks,
Al.

Not a problem. Just give me some contact info.

Actually, it would make sense to wait until after June 12th. Right now, WPIX is using channel 33, but will switch back to channel 11 in June. A VHF antenna would be needed at that time. I hope to add one to my setup by then.

Thanks, you've been PM'd!

Newbie Here, Excellent thread and a ton of helpful info..

I live in Keasbey (Middlesex County) in probably the worst apt location in my Garden Apt Complex. My Apt building is Just about completely boxed in with a building on the left, building on the right and one directly in from of me “on a hill” that sits 15 feet higher than my building. My apt is also on the first floor with a ground level patio.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c267/Polarican90L/MyLocation.jpg

I picked up a Tivax STB-T8 and could not pick up anything using a rabbit ears and loop (not amplified) from Radio Shack.

I moved the rabbit ears outside into some hedges (for testing purposes only) and was able to pick up 52 WNJT at 100%, but that was it. I moved the rabbit ears into a nearby tree about 35 feet over to the right and about 10 feet up, and was able to pick up WPVI at 40%, but still viewable, and another channel WNJB at 100%.

I spent the next few hours trying to reposition it to see if I could get any additional stations until being abruptly demanded to get out of the tree by Woodbridge Police officers with guns drawn. While face down on the sidewalk, I came to the conclusion that having a black “Tapout” Hoodie with the hood up (It was COLD!!), with it getting pretty dark out and me being of Hispanic descent, this was definitely a bad idea!!

I spent the rest of the weekend making that Coat Hanger Antenna from Youtube. I took apart the Rabbit Ears I had from Radio Shack and rigged it to the this antenna to pick up VHF as well, and to my surprise it worked.

I have it positioned indoors on my window sill behind my curtain, and I can now receive CBS KYW 3.1, ABC WPVI 6.1, NBC WCAU 10.1 (most of the time) WNJT 52 and WNJB 58 both PBS…

I cannot get any FOX station at all? And I cannot get any NY stations at all. I just find it so weird that I get these Philly stations that are 60 miles away with this ghetto antenna but I cant get a NY station 24 miles away? Any ideas?

Newbie Here, Excellent thread and a ton of helpful info..

I live in Keasbey (Middlesex County) in probably the worst apt location in my Garden Apt Complex. My Apt building is Just about completely boxed in with a building on the left, building on the right and one directly in from of me “on a hill” that sits 15 feet higher than my building. My apt is also on the first floor with a ground level patio.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c267/Polarican90L/MyLocation.jpg

I picked up a Tivax STB-T8 and could not pick up anything using a rabbit ears and loop (not amplified) from Radio Shack.

I moved the rabbit ears outside into some hedges (for testing purposes only) and was able to pick up 52 WNJT at 100%, but that was it. I moved the rabbit ears into a nearby tree about 35 feet over to the right and about 10 feet up, and was able to pick up WPVI at 40%, but still viewable, and another channel WNJB at 100%.

I spent the next few hours trying to reposition it to see if I could get any additional stations until being abruptly demanded to get out of the tree by Woodbridge Police officers with guns drawn. While face down on the sidewalk, I came to the conclusion that having a black “Tapout” Hoodie with the hood up (It was COLD!!), with it getting pretty dark out and me being of Hispanic descent, this was definitely a bad idea!!

I spent the rest of the weekend making that Coat Hanger Antenna from Youtube. I took apart the Rabbit Ears I had from Radio Shack and rigged it to the this antenna to pick up VHF as well, and to my surprise it worked.

I have it positioned indoors on my window sill behind my curtain, and I can now receive CBS KYW 3.1, ABC WPVI 6.1, NBC WCAU 10.1 (most of the time) WNJT 52 and WNJB 58 both PBS…

I cannot get any FOX station at all? And I cannot get any NY stations at all. I just find it so weird that I get these Philly stations that are 60 miles away with this ghetto antenna but I cant get a NY station 24 miles away? Any ideas?

Sorry to hear about the damn police...pulling their guns? Jeeze. Anyway, NYC signals have been nothing but trouble for me (see above) I thought I had it figured out with an outside antenna and amp but as it turned out that particular day was heavy overcast, the next day when the skies cleared up I got nothing at all from NYC. Same boat too, 30.x miles from NY and 57.x miles from philly. With the attic antenna I could pull in all stations from Philly except FOX 29.1, with a home built 4-bay outside on the ground I could then get FOX 29.1 along with all the Philly majors. For now I gave up on OTA from NYC and am persuing clear QAM from my cable provider for NY stations. I was thinking it had something to do with elevation along the signal path and me being in a shadow area, untill I read that a fellow nearby in Matawan was having nearly identical issues and he should be almost line of sight to the Empire State Building and his TVfool read out shows a strong signal for his area. I'm starting to think there is something very strange going on that only effects UHF frequencies.

Just thought I'd bump this thread since the transition is now in progress. Still adjusting my indoor antenna hooked up to my OnAir GT around 22 miles SW of the ESB in Middlesex County

Rescanned, where did fox 5 go. It was always hit or miss. Now its missing.

Just wondering if anyone in central jersey land gained any stations since the switch? I looked at the FCC estimated signal maps and they show a few of the Philly stations, like RF6, gaining viewers in central NJ fringe areas.

Any truth to this?

I was hoping post-transition I could get WNET-HD reliably but the result has been mixed: gorgeous reception on my one TV that gets fed by a 15+ year old Radio-Shack VU110XR and nothing on the other TV fed by a Antenna Direct DB4. I am interpreting this to mean that I need an antenna with better High-VHF reception than the DB4, and would be interested in recommendations of such an antenna.

Can't get ABC 7. 11 & 13 are iffy.

The Channel Master 4228HD 8-bay UHF Antenna also receives channels 7-13. A Samsung SIRT351 connected to it through a Channel Master 7777 VHF and UHF preamplifier receives channels 7, 8 , 11, and 13, at 19 miles west of the ESB.

The Channel Master 4228HD 8-bay UHF Antenna also receives channels 7-13. A Samsung SIRT351 connected to it through a Channel Master 7777 VHF and UHF preamplifier receives channels 7, 8 , 11, and 13, at 19 miles west of the ESB.

I have 2 rooftop setups....both cm4228 antennas, 1 with a VHF/UHF pre-amp, the other with a UHF only pre-amp...which nullifies the VHF signals therefore rendering the 7/11/13 migration for me. So, I either have to go out and get a VHF/UHF pre-amp or just bypass the pre-amp and see if I can reliably tune in all NYC/some Philly stations without it.

But, as you said, the 4228 DOES bring in 7/11/13....at least with my VHF/UHF pre-amp on that particular setup. I haven't rotated towards Philly yet to see if I can reliably tune in ABC-6HD now....but in past years it was hit/miss. Same thing with WCAU-DT (NBC 10). Did that station move to another digital channel now (I think it was high UHF before...maybe 67??)

See my post #2313 in the Philadelphia OTA thread concerning reception of Philly stations in Central NJ, and impact of antenna location.

Frank

Frank,

I too live in Hillsborough. My single UHF antenna is attached to patio umbrella base (makes it easy to rotate)in the attic pointed NE towards ESB. The RF coax is amplified via Channel Master 3044 4-Port Antenna Signal Amplifier. After the transition: NY OTA - I lost My9 9.1, and Ion 31.1 31.2 Qubo, but gained back13.1. From Phili OTA - Gained 12.1, and 29.1, still get all major broadcast networks from Phili lost nothing.

The station I really miss is 31.1 from NY they now have HD movies on this station. I was wondering do you still get 31.1 ION and 31.2 Qubo? This station use to come in very strong now it's down to about 28% signal strength, turning the antenna in different directions hasn't helped at all. Curious to hear your observations about this channel.

-Dave

WPXN and WPPX, both ION stations, are both on channel 31 now. They might be interfering with each other in your location.

Your best bet would be to try to null out one city as much as possible and try for the other one, if you want to see ION in that area.

- Trip

Wow!. I didn't realize that ION is now transmitting from Phili also on the same RF frequency. I never would have thought about that. I think your 100% correct. I live almost exactly half way between NY and Philadelphia, fortunately duplicate broadcast networks from both cities are transmitting on different frequencies and have not been a problem. Until now. Very glad that you pointed this out. I did a quick lookup on TVfool and noticed this information.

WPXN-DT (Digital) New York

Channel: 31 (31.1)
Network: ION
Max EIRP: 349 KW
Coordinates: 40.748435, -73.985695 (WGS84)


WPPX-DT (Digital) Philadelphia

Channel: 31 (61.1)
Network: ION
Max EIRP: 200 KW
Coordinates: 40.041779, -75.236013 (WGS84)

Now the question is how do I block out the Philadelphia stations?

That's a very good question. I'm not sure what their logic is in trying to put both stations on channel 31 like that, because your antenna needs to have really good rejection off the back.

My suggestion would be to take one of the reliable Philadelphia signals, try to make it as weak as possible, and then see if you can get WPXN.

- Trip

Frank,

I too live in Hillsborough. My single UHF antenna is attached to patio umbrella base (makes it easy to rotate)in the attic pointed NE towards ESB. The RF coax is amplified via Channel Master 3044 4-Port Antenna Signal Amplifier. After the transition: NY OTA - I lost My9 9.1, and Ion 31.1 31.2 Qubo, but gained back13.1. From Phili OTA - Gained 12.1, and 29.1, still get all major broadcast networks from Phili lost nothing.

The station I really miss is 31.1 from NY they now have HD movies on this station. I was wondering do you still get 31.1 ION and 31.2 Qubo? This station use to come in very strong now it's down to about 28% signal strength, turning the antenna in different directions hasn't helped at all. Curious to hear your observations about this channel.

-Dave

Dave,

Curiously, I am receiving channel 31 gangbusters on the antenna feeding my two tv's and one pc on my first floor and basement. However, almost no signal strength on channel 31 off of the antenna feeding the tv on the second floor. Trip's observation about the Philly ch31 could very well explain it.

See my posts 2313 and 2333 on the Philadelphia forum about my reception of other Philly channels. Also my musings about a possible solution (combining two antennas into one feed) in post 2333. I have not heard back from anyone if this might work, so will probably have to wait until Fall to try it.

Frank
WA2ISK

PS- it appears that rain is affecting channel 12 reception. I am having trouble receiving it for the first time today, was ok up to now.

That's a very good question. I'm not sure what their logic is in trying to put both stations on channel 31 like that, because your antenna needs to have really good rejection off the back.

My suggestion would be to take one of the reliable Philadelphia signals, try to make it as weak as possible, and then see if you can get WPXN.

- Trip
Trip,

Great advise! thank you. I blocked all Philadelphia stations like you suggested and tried to only received NY stations and it worked!. I was able to get 31 ION (80% signal) for the first time since the Transition. I was also able to get My9 (79%)as well.

Here is what I did: I took a second antenna highly directional (Silver star) up to the attic and pointed it North. After rescanning my channels I noticed that I no longer picked up any Philadelphia stations only New York stations. I'm happy now! thanks again. I love this forum.

-Dave

I was hoping post-transition I could get WNET-HD reliably but the result has been mixed: gorgeous reception on my one TV that gets fed by a 15+ year old Radio-Shack VU110XR and nothing on the other TV fed by a Antenna Direct DB4. I am interpreting this to mean that I need an antenna with better High-VHF reception than the DB4, and would be interested in recommendations of such an antenna.
I picked up a Winegard HD7082P today to replace the DB4. Installing this 110' long monster in the attic took over an hour, most of which was on un-entangling the long elements of the rear boom and unfolding them into place (their locking groves are so rigid it would be virtually impossible to undo any mis-orientation of these elements). I now receive all the 3 High-VHF stations that I couldn't get post-transition using the DB4: WABC, WPIX, and WNET.

I posted in the HDTV Technical forum already but wanted to see if I have any neighbors with some real life experience here. I'm in Matawan (Poet Drive, last street on 79 before Morganville) and I'm looking for a good antenna recommendation. In a perfect world I would prefer not to install one of these big monster antennas and would prefer to do an attic installation. Can anybody in Matawan help me out? For completeness sake, here's the TV Fool:
148393

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys, I haven't been on here in a while and I used to recall a central jersey-Comcast thread. Did this get folded into the new york-comcast thread or here?

I live in Allentown, NJ 08501. I built a coat hanger DTV antenna that only got me a few channels - WPHL and NJN, but I can't get WTXF Fox 29, and that's the only one I really want. I bought a Phillips indoor antenna-that didn't help, in fact I got worse reception. I also tried an 18dB inline amplifier-that didn't help either. I have Verizon FIOS and they give me no Philly coverage. So I'd like to pull in Fox 29 via antenna.
What kind of antenna should I buy that would get me WTXF?

I live in Allentown, NJ 08501. I built a coat hanger DTV antenna that only got me a few channels - WPHL and NJN, but I can't get WTXF Fox 29, and that's the only one I really want. I bought a Phillips indoor antenna-that didn't help, in fact I got worse reception. I also tried an 18dB inline amplifier-that didn't help either. I have Verizon FIOS and they give me no Philly coverage. So I'd like to pull in Fox 29 via antenna.
What kind of antenna should I buy that would get me WTXF?

I'm in Belle Mead NJ (08502) and reliably get Fox 29 OTA from Philly from an amplified indoor antenna on a piece of furniture about 4 ft off the floor against a 2nd floor west facing wall. A standard loop with a 15 dB amplifier (RCA Model ANT525..could be 20 dB). Reception on the first floor is spotty even though I position the antenna on top of some furniture near the ceiling. Some good days and some not so good. Also, houses are pretty far apart here, with the nearest house towards Philly being about 150 ft away.

Is your antenna above the first floor level? If not, I would get either into the 2nd floor of a 2 story house, or the attic of a 1 or 2 story house. Also, reception can be amazingly sensitive to position of the antenna in the room (as well as orientation of the antenna towards the station). Have you tried different spots in the room? And carefully oriented the antenna at each spot? I have an unamplified telescoping antenna which will not get the Philly stations when positioned on the west facing wall, but will get them just fine when positioned near a window on the opposite corner of the house!

For you DX-ers out there with indoor antennas, I was able to receive KYW-DT for a few hours early this morning from northern Middlesex County, 60 miles away from the station.

I live near Pluckemin in a valley that makes DTV reception difficult. I was getting poor signal from my old VHF/UHV antenna and decided to stack a Winegard HD-9022 over a YA-1713 and a pre-amp. With the old antenna I used to get ch 6 Philadelphia, 54 mi away and pointed towards NYC. I figured I'd loose that when I switched to the YA-1713, but as it turns out, it picks it up! So now I get all the NYC stations and Philly 3, 6, 10, 17 (its pointed towards NYC). I went from 28 channels to 51 with the re-scan after I put up the new antennas. The new wiring with quad shield helped too. Now I have to see how this performs in thunderstorms.

OZ

Guys,

I have looked thru this and other threads as well as trying google but I cannot find a definitive answer. I am hoping someone here can help. I literally want to cut out cable(Comcast) and go solely OTA. I had done it a few years ago when VOOM went bust but when I had the roof done the existing antenna was torn down and discarded. Each tv has a dedicated HTPC to use as both tuner and dvr as well as connecting to a 5tb raid box for movies, pics, and music. I am trying to find out the best outdoor antenna for my situation. I live in Port Reading in Middlesex county and have no large buildings near me. I definitely need the major stations and the secondary stations would be a plus if possible. Antenneweb results are shown below.

yellow vhf WNET-DT 13.1 PBS NEWARK, NJ 60° 17.9 13
yellow uhf WMBC-DT 63.1 IND NEWTON, NJ 18° 20.4 18
yellow uhf WPXN-DT 31.1 ION NEW YORK, NY 60° 17.9 31
yellow vhf WNJB-DT 8.1 PBS NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 58° 18.3 8
yellow vhf WABC-DT 7.1 ABC NEW YORK, NY 63° 15.1 7
yellow uhf WCBS-DT 2.1 CBS NEW YORK, NY 63° 15.2 33
yellow uhf WNJU-DT 47.1 TEL LINDEN, NJ 60° 17.9 36
yellow uhf WNBC-DT 4.1 NBC NEW YORK, NY 63° 15.2 28
yellow uhf WXTV-DT 41.1 UNI PATERSON, NJ 60° 17.9 40
yellow uhf WWOR-DT 9.1 MNT SECAUCUS, NJ 60° 17.9 38
yellow uhf WFUT-DT 68.1 TFA NEWARK, NJ 60° 17.9 30
yellow vhf WPIX-DT 11.1 CW NEW YORK, NY 63° 15.2 11
yellow uhf WNYW-DT 5.1 FOX NEW YORK, NY 60° 17.9 44
green uhf WNJN-DT 51.1 PBS MONTCLAIR, NJ 18° 20.4 51
red uhf WFME-DT 66.1 REL WEST MILFORD, NJ 9° 15.1 29
red uhf WPXO-LP 34 ION EAST ORANGE, NJ 11° 16.0 34
red uhf WNYE-DT 25.1 IND NEW YORK, NY 72° 15.9 24
red uhf WSAH-DT 43.1 SAH BRIDGEPORT, CT 60° 17.9 42
blue uhf WMBQ-CA 46 MNT MANHATTAN, NY 61° 18.0 46
violet uhf WEBR-CA 17 IND MANHATTAN, NY 60° 17.9 17
violet uhf WNJT-DT 43.1 PBS TRENTON, NJ 243° 30.9 43

I appreciate any insight on this.

Rudmeister,

Antennaweb is a good start, but give http://www.tvfool.com/ a try. He has the best data and tools to help you figure out what stations you can get.

oz

So I guess everyone in central Jersey has successfully made the "digital transition" and are fully enjoying their OTA DTV without any problems?

So I guess everyone in central Jersey has successfully made the "digital transition" and are fully enjoying their OTA DTV without any problems?
I still have occasional reception problem with WABC-DT -- its weak signal is very susceptible to interferences -- but have given up trying to chase it down.

So I guess everyone in central Jersey has successfully made the "digital transition" and are fully enjoying their OTA DTV without any problems?

I have 2 different CM4228 rigs setup on my roof. One has a UHF only pre-amp, the other one a VHF/UHF pre-amp. Obviously the UHF antenna/pre-amp combo isn't treating me nicely right now since a few OTA stations went to the VHF band.

The CM4228 with the Winegard VHF/UHF pre-amp has been pretty steady/solid even for the VHF stations (the CM4228 is a UHF antenna).

One oddity/quirk which I haven't been able to put a finger on is this: My CM4228 with the UHF only pre-amp has stopped receiving WCBS-DT (digital 33 I believe?). This is on EVERY one of the TV's it's connected to. That particular antenna feeds 3 different internal OTA tuners and one DirecTV AM21 tuner that's hooked up to an HD DVR. No signal whatsoever. Zero strength for Digital CBS-DT.

If this was 2003 and there weren't so many HD choices available I'd have been up on the roof the first day I noticed it. But, since this is 2009 and I have more HD channels than I have fast food choices on any given night I'm ok with it. I'm going to eventually buy another VHF/UHF pre-amp and switch out the UHF only pre-amp I have on that set up so hopefully when I do that all is well again.

Hopefully....:rolleyes:

Enjoying it out of Philly since 7, 11, 13 out of NY went VHF. Only missing cahnnels out of Philly not UHF is 6 (ABC) & 12 (PBS). Why couldn't they just leave it the way it was. Not worth the effort to change antenna's again. HAd no reception problems from either NY or Philly when they were all on UHF.

I hope this forum is the right place to post this request. I live in Central New Jersey in a Townhouse. I have had an OTA digital antenna installed for the past 7 years. Until recently I have been able to pick up all digitial TV stations from Philly and New York City. Recently my RG-6 coax wire from the rooftop antenna to my pre amp became loosened and I lost the ability to receive the channels. The antenna is on the roof approximatley 30 feet up. I cannot get to it (I don't have a ladder nor am I handy).

I have been trying to find a tv installer or repair company in central NJ (around the New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Bridgewater areas) that will essentially come out to my place and JUST re-run the coax (I can buy another preamp). Once again the antenna is secured with great guide wires, the rotor works and all I really need is the wire from the antenna leads to the tv rerun.

Can anybody recommend anybody to help???

I have been trying to find a tv installer or repair company in central NJ (around the New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Bridgewater areas) that will essentially come out to my place and JUST re-run the coax (I can buy another preamp). Once again the antenna is secured with great guide wires, the rotor works and all I really need is the wire from the antenna leads to the tv rerun.

Can anybody recommend anybody to help???

Sorry I don't have an easy answer, but the economy is, I think, still bad enough that at least some service people will be flexible about doing a small job like this. I did a Google search for "antenna installation NJ" and got several hits in central NJ. I'd call a few of them and ask if they're interested and what they expect to charge.

Your problem is likely to be a substantial fixed cost for the trip out. So the job cost may be relatively high despite the job being simple.

Good luck

I hope this forum is the right place to post this request. I live in Central New Jersey in a Townhouse. I have had an OTA digital antenna installed for the past 7 years. Until recently I have been able to pick up all digitial TV stations from Philly and New York City. Recently my RG-6 coax wire from the rooftop antenna to my pre amp became loosened and I lost the ability to receive the channels. The antenna is on the roof approximatley 30 feet up. I cannot get to it (I don't have a ladder nor am I handy).

I have been trying to find a tv installer or repair company in central NJ (around the New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Bridgewater areas) that will essentially come out to my place and JUST re-run the coax (I can buy another preamp). Once again the antenna is secured with great guide wires, the rotor works and all I really need is the wire from the antenna leads to the tv rerun.

Can anybody recommend anybody to help???

Thanks for the helpful advice everyone. I got a wiring guy I know to reconnect the RG-6 to the antenna and -- now I am receiving all the Philly & NYC digitial OTA stations as before.

Hello all,

I'd like to get some of the VHF-Hi channels here in Princeton NJ, especially ABC 6 and WHYY PBS 12. Here's a link to my TV Fool:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d81a3e3e689b37a"]http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d81a3e3e689b37a

Can anyone recommend a good antenna and preamp, if necessary? I'd like to stick it in my attic, as there's really no way you're gonna get me on top of my roof (plus the homeowners' association frowns upon it). I know I'll lose some signal strength and that the homeowner's association can't stop me.

I am also very handy, so if anyone has a link to something I can build that'd be fine as well!

Thank you!!
Matt

oops I meant to say ABC 7 instead of 6.

Hello all,

I'd like to get some of the VHF-Hi channels here in Princeton NJ, especially ABC 6 and WHYY PBS 12. Here's a link to my TV Fool:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d81a3e3e689b37a"]http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d81a3e3e689b37a

Can anyone recommend a good antenna and preamp, if necessary? I'd like to stick it in my attic, as there's really no way you're gonna get me on top of my roof (plus the homeowners' association frowns upon it). I know I'll lose some signal strength and that the homeowner's association can't stop me.

I am also very handy, so if anyone has a link to something I can build that'd be fine as well!

Thank you!!
Matt
I am in Central NJ and was in a somewhat similar situation with VHF reception of WABC-7 and WNET-13 in NYC. I am using a Winegard HD-7082 in my attic and a Channel Master 7777 preamp with very good result. The antenna was a bit of a challenge size-wise to unfold and orient into proper direction but I feel its performance was worth the effort.

is the Winegard getting you those channels? I might be misinterpreting your post.


Edit: oh sorry I reread it... reading comprehension ftw. What are you using for the UHF channels?

Thanks,
Matt

The HD7082P covers both VHF and UHF:

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD7082P.pdf

Hello all,

I'd like to get some of the VHF-Hi channels here in Princeton NJ, especially ABC 6 and WHYY PBS 12. Here's a link to my TV Fool:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d81a3e3e689b37a"]http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d81a3e3e689b37a

Can anyone recommend a good antenna and preamp, if necessary? I'd like to stick it in my attic, as there's really no way you're gonna get me on top of my roof (plus the homeowners' association frowns upon it). I know I'll lose some signal strength and that the homeowner's association can't stop me.

I am also very handy, so if anyone has a link to something I can build that'd be fine as well!

Thank you!!
Matt
Matt,

I installed two Channel Master CM3016 VHF/UHF suburban antennas in the attic of my two story frame colonial. One is aimed at New York City, about 40 miles to my northeast; the other at Philly 50 miles to my southwest). (My exact location- Southeastern Hillsborough NJ, N40° 28.3688', W074° 35.7299', about 10 miles north of Princeton). Antenna 1 hangs from an attic rafter and is pointed at NYC about four feet behind and about nine feet to the left of antenna 2, which is pointed at Philly.

The two antennas are combined (using a splitter in reverse), then immediately split using a second splitter.

A coax runs from the splitter output 1 to the basement, to a cheap Radio Shack 12db VHF-UHF distribution amplifier. It is then splitt four ways- to two digital converter boxes/TV's, one Hauppauge HVR950 ATSC stick/Dell PC, and one stereo FM receiver.

A coax runs from the spltter output 2 to a second spitter, then to two tv's in bedrooms beneath on the second floor (no amp in this branch)

Equipment:
Devices on Antenna: 1 (Zenith DTT901 digital converter, 1 Magnavox TB100MW9 digital converter, and 1 HVR950)
Device on Antenna 2: Zenith DTT901 digital converter

Reception is strong on all stations from both NYC and Philly (including VHF 7, 11, 13 and 6, 12). I did have to play around with the antenna locations to get good reception from both cities; many trips up to the attic until I found the 'sweet spot', but in the end was able to get excellent digital reception from both cities without the need of an antenna rotator.

Frank
WA2ISK

I'm surprised that you're using a CM-3016. The web-site says the range is 45 miles. Am I wrong in assuming that I would need a 60-mile range antenna to compensate for the loss I experience from the attic installation?

Thanks!
Matt

I'm surprised that you're using a CM-3016. The web-site says the range is 45 miles. Am I wrong in assuming that I would need a 60-mile range antenna to compensate for the loss I experience from the attic installation?

Thanks!
Matt

Matt,

You are correct. The salesman at Solid Signal also said the CM-3016 said mounting in attic would probably be a problem. But due to attic constraints, I took a gamble and they are working in my attic (but as noted I did a lot of experimenting and moving them around to find hot spots where they worked for all channels. Particularly difficult was 13 from NYC and 12 from Philly). Since they are hard to return, if you have a lot of room in your attic, go for the next size up (CM3018, or CM2020 if you don't care about Philly channel 6).

Frank

Frank

NJN, New Jersey Public television quietlywent off the air as of Thursday, June 30th. It has been taken over (at least Channel 52.x WNJT here in central NJ), by NJ Public Media and re-named NJTV-52. The details are still a bit murky, but there is apparently some form of 5-year management contract between the NJ Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA) and both WNET in the NYC area & WHYY in the south NJ/Philly area to continue operations as a non-profit entity with NJ focussed public interest programing and broader appeal standard PBS productions. Interestingly, NJPBA has retained the four FCC broadcast licenses, (RF-22-WNJS-23-Camden, RF-43-WNJT-52-Trenton, RF-51-WNJN-50-Montclair,RF-8-WNJB-58-New Brunswick), perhaps anticipating cashing in on the FCCs' proposed spectrum auction?

NJN, New Jersey Public television quietlywent off the air as of Thursday, June 30th. It has been taken over (at least Channel 52.x WNJT here in central NJ), by NJ Public Media and re-named NJTV-52. The details are still a bit murky, but there is apparently some form of 5-year management contract between the NJ Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA) and both WNET in the NYC area & WHYY in the south NJ/Philly area to continue operations as a non-profit entity with NJ focussed public interest programing and broader appeal standard PBS productions. Interestingly, NJPBA has retained the four FCC broadcast licenses, (RF-22-WNJS-23-Camden, RF-43-WNJT-52-Trenton, RF-51-WNJN-50-Montclair,RF-8-WNJB-58-New Brunswick), perhaps anticipating cashing in on the FCCs' proposed spectrum auction?

seriously doubt that, new jersey has the right to recall their licenses if they feel that wnet managing their stations now, has not kept their end of their deal, as far fcc auctioning off the tv spectrum is plain bs.

seriously doubt that, new jersey has the right to recall their licenses if they feel that wnet managing their stations now, has not kept their end of their deal, as far fcc auctioning off the tv spectrum is plain bs.

The state still owns the licenses. It's just that the stations are no longer being run by the state.

NJN, New Jersey Public television quietlywent off the air as of Thursday, June 30th. It has been taken over (at least Channel 52.x WNJT here in central NJ), by NJ Public Media and re-named NJTV-52. The details are still a bit murky, but there is apparently some form of 5-year management contract between the NJ Public Broadcasting Authority (NJPBA) and both WNET in the NYC area & WHYY in the south NJ/Philly area to continue operations as a non-profit entity with NJ focussed public interest programing and broader appeal standard PBS productions. Interestingly, NJPBA has retained the four FCC broadcast licenses, (RF-22-WNJS-23-Camden, RF-43-WNJT-52-Trenton, RF-51-WNJN-50-Montclair,RF-8-WNJB-58-New Brunswick), perhaps anticipating cashing in on the FCCs' proposed spectrum auction?

Actually, WHYY bought NJN radio stations in the South Jersey area, they are not at all involved in the NJTV television management. That is totally controled by a WNET- Thirteen subsidiary.

The State of New Jersey retained the NJN TV broadcast licenses (four transmitter sites), and the State continues to maintain and operate the transmitters at those sites. The contract with Public Media NJ concerns the provision of content to be transmitted.

And yes, the reason why the State retained the licenses - why the Legislature mandated that the TV licenses not be sold - is the anticipation that they may have value in some future spectrum aucthion.

This was not an issue for the radio operations, and as a result, all the former NJN radio licenses are in the process of being sold - those in northern New Jersey to New York Public Radio, and those in southern New Jersey to WHYY. In both cases, the stations are currently being operated by the assumed buyers, under operating agreements, pending FCC approval of the license transfers. In the south, WHYY is using these stations as extensions of it's primary broadcast area, feeding them the same programming as is on WHYY-FM. In the north, NYPR has chosen to maintain operations, as New Jersey Public Radio, with more or less the same programming that NJN used to carry...even to the extent of picking up and broadcasting the audio from the New Jersey Today, Summer Edition "newscasts" that are on NJTV. Presumably, the content on NJPR will change once the sale to NYPR is finalized.