I think I am having multipath problems since I am pretty close to the broadcasting towers. I have a Silver Sensor and used to be able to pick up 5-6 channels, depending on how I pointed it. After looking on antennaweb, I realized that the directions I was pointing it did not correspond to the direction where the towers were. Anyhow, recently I can only pick up 2-3 channels. I'm looking to see if the SS-3000 will help out with multipath (assuming that's my problem). Here's my antennaweb log:

WJLA 77° 8.3 39
WETA 110° 4.9 27
WRC 82° 8.0 48
WUSA 77° 8.3 34
WTTG 74° 8.3 36
WDCW 79° 11.2 51

Anyhow, before forking over >$70 for the SS-3000, I wanted to get your thoughts on what my problem might be and whether you think the SS-3000 would help.

Anyhow, before forking over >$70 for the SS-3000, I wanted to get your thoughts on what my problem might be and whether you think the SS-3000 would help.
Are you looking to use the Winegard "Sharp Shooter" indoors near the TV? The problem may be the indoor location, not totally the antenna. Have you moved the Silver Sensor towards a window in the direction of NW DC or moved it around the room to see if that helps?

If an attic mount or outside on the side of the house is an option, I would get the Channel Master 4220 2 bay or 4221 4 bay for $25 + shipping online before I would get the SS-3000. I'm in Sterling, VA and I get the DC and Baltimore stations with a CM 4221 4 bay in my attic. OTOH, the SS-3000 is supposed to get VHF as well and that will be useful when WJLA-DT and WUSA-DT switch their digital channel to VHF 7 & 9 in February, 2009.

Yeah, I'm looking for an indoor antenna to place near my tv. What's interesting is that right now Radio Shack rabbit ears are pulling channels better than my Silver Sensor.

I do have an outdoor antenna that looks like that - it's mounted on my chimney - back from the Voom days, but the installer couldn't get it to pull in more than 2 channels (it's on the back of the house and it's pointed towards the front, so I think the peak of the roof is in the way).

Earlier reports here indicated some members near stations achieved better reception by attenuating signal strength, preventing tuner overloading. Various hardware, ranging in price, would do the job.

Suspect you've tried lots of Silver Sensor movement/locations to minimize multipath. Here, only ~9 blocks from the antenna site, there's currently no reception of HD with my Silver Sensor with a year-2000 RPTV built-in tuner. But years back I could tune stations with my S.S. by shifting it only inches and sometimes pointing it away from the stations. The set's built-in histogram-type tuning pattern, showing signal strength and multipath, simplified tuning (entering each station's frequency). SSs have narrow reception lobe patterns and, as implied, wide-pattern antennas might solve the problem. But perhaps another tuner, with 5th or 6th-generation chips (see threads here) that handle multipath better, might work best of all. -- John

Because the Silver Sensor design is so directional, it's usually very good (by indoor antenna standards) at handling multipath. Are you using the unamplified version, at that range you should be. Amplification will do more harm than good.
As was suggested, you may have too strong a signal. Get an adjustable attenuator (mine came from Radio Shack) and see if reducing the signal strength helps.
Other than that, I suspect it's a bit of a lottery. Indoors, in a difficult reception area like yours where you seem to be getting signals via reflection, every antenna design will have its own characteristics and a "terrible" antenna might be just right for your situation. But as was suggested, try a CM4220, some people use this (or a DB-2 which is more expensive and no better) as an indoor antenna. I doubt that an SS-3000 would necessarily be better or worse than any other choice and it's very expensive compared with the other options.

Winegard SS 3000 3000 Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna (SS-3000)

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SS3000

Has anyone tried this Winegard indoor antenna? I am currently using a Silver Sensor, but wonder when the channels switch to lower frequencies next year if I will be able to get my local channel 9 in digital format.

IB

Winegard SS 3000 3000 Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna (SS-3000)
Has anyone tried this Winegard indoor antenna? I am currently using a Silver Sensor, but wonder when the channels switch to lower frequencies next year if I will be able to get my local channel 9 in digital format.
The Winegard SS 3000 is not a highly regarded antenna. The unamplified gain numbers on the spec sheet are not very good. If you want to know if any of your local stations will switch to VHF, if you post your zip, we can look up the stations. The FCC has posted the list of final digital channel assignments on August 6, 2007 at http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/.

Thanks for the link. I will check it out. Is there a better indoor antenna than the Silver Sensor that gets UHF and VHF?

IB

Thanks for the link. I will check it out. Is there a better indoor antenna than the Silver Sensor that gets UHF and VHF?

IBWhat's your distance from the towers?

The SS 3000 is mainly best used in heavily multipathed, downtown, urban situations. There are better solutions for further away, more out in the open situations, and definitely for VHF.

If you're more than 20 miles out, I'd say maybe try the Radio Shack 15-1892.

Or the Terk HDTVi if you're close in, and the amped HDTVa if you're further out. Those are basically the same design as a Silver Sensor, but with VHF rabbit ears. If the SS worked well for you with UHF, one of those might perform well in your situation.

All my stations are withing 9 miles, most within 4 miles. The problem is that I on on the 1st floor of a 4 story building with a metal roof, and surrounded by buildings and trees.

My zip code is 97401. I could not find the info as to future frequencies after the big bang, so I do not know for sure if I even need VHF reception. The lowest on the dial is channel 9, but I am not sure what they are going to be broadcasting on after the switchover.

http://www.radioshack.com/sm-buy-the-indoor-vhf-uhf-hdtv-antenna-with-rf-remote--pi-2131034.html

The Radios Shack looks interesting. I will keep it in mind.

PS I know Terk has a bad reputation but this one looks interesting.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2417014&cp=2032057.2032187.2032189.2032204&pg=1&summary=summary&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=summary&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&accessories=accessories&support=support&parentPage=family ????


IB

PS I know Terk has a bad reputation but this one looks interesting.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2417014&cp=2032057.2032187.2032189.2032204&pg=1&summary=summary&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=summary&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&accessories=accessories&support=support&parentPage=family ????


IBNo, that model works well for some people. It's one of the few Terk models that actually does occasionally perform halfway decently.

You almost assuredly won't need to use the amp, though. I think that you can bypass it or leave it unattached with that model. If not, look for the HDTVi.

I'd only consider the RS model if it works with the amp completely off (some models don't). It is nice in that if you're stations are in different directions, you don't have to get out of your seat to turn the antenna. But RS's other, non-amped models are also very good. Most are better than those Walmart Philips and RCA jobbers.

Being only 4 to 9 miles away, the signals should get through those trees pretty well, but with the walls, it depends - mainly on what they consist of.

All my stations are withing 9 miles, most within 4 miles. The problem is that I on on the 1st floor of a 4 story building with a metal roof, and surrounded by buildings and trees.

My zip code is 97401. I could not find the info as to future frequencies after the big bang, so I do not know for sure if I even need VHF reception. The lowest on the dial is channel 9, but I am not sure what they are going to be broadcasting on after the switchover.
You will need to receive upper VHF after the analog shutdown. For your zip code, antennaweb shows the following nearby locals:

* yellow - uhf KLSR-DT 34.1 FOX EUGENE OR 182° 4.8 31
* yellow - uhf KEPB-DT 28.1 PBS EUGENE OR 184° 4.7 29
* yellow - uhf KOAC-DT 7.1 PBS CORVALLIS OR 330° 40.8 39
* yellow - uhf KMTR-DT 16.1 NBC SPRINGFIELD OR 33° 5.3 17
* yellow - uhf KEZI-DT 9.1 ABC EUGENE OR 33° 5.3 44
* yellow - uhf KVAL-DT 13.1 CBS EUGENE OR 184° 4.7 25
I added the closest analogs for CW and MNT networks.
green - uhf KEVU-LP 23 MNT EUGENE OR 182° 4.8 23
green - uhf KRCW 32 CW SALEM OR 12° 74.8 32

KEVU-LP is a low power station so they likely will not be going digital until a flash cut conversion in 2009. KEZI-DT ABC 9 and KVAL-DT CBS 13 will switch from UHF to their upper VHF analog channels 9 and 13 by February 17, 2009.

An amplified antenna can be a hindrance at 4 to 9 miles. If you have a Silver Sensor and are getting all the digital locals, spending $50 on the Terk HDTVa may not much sense. The cheaper solution would be to get a decent but inexpensive set of rabbit ears only and a UHF-VHF antenna combiner. The Radio Shack indoor antenna that looks like a mushroom has gotten good reports here, but I have never tried it.

You will need to receive upper VHF after the analog shutdown. For your zip code, antennaweb shows the following nearby locals:

*

I also have a MegaWave indoor antenna which has never worked in my apartment. Maybe I will try that after the switchover. They will be putting their broadcast antennas higher up on the towers. Maybe that will help. The MegaWave is probably at least as good as rabbit ears. Also, I think the Silver Sensor is good for upper VHF, but only time will tell. I get ABCs analog station on the Silver Sensor just fine.

http://www.megawave.com/mtv1.htm - MegaWave antenna

PS I am only 6.6 miles from the most distant station and most stations are 3.3 miles away. As stated, I get the lowest channel analog stations fine on my Silver Sensor, far better than on rabbit ears when I had them. So does not that mean I should also get the digital channels OK on the SS when they switch to digital on those frequencies?

IB

I also have a MegaWave indoor antenna which has never worked in my apartment. Maybe I will try that after the switchover. They will be putting their broadcast antennas higher up on the towers. Maybe that will help. The MegaWave is probably at least as good as rabbit ears. Also, I think the Silver Sensor is good for upper VHF, but only time will tell. I get ABCs analog station on the Silver Sensor just fine.
PS I am only 6.6 miles from the most distant station and most stations are 3.3 miles away. As stated, I get the lowest channel analog stations fine on my Silver Sensor, far better than on rabbit ears when I had them. So does not that mean I should also get the digital channels OK on the SS when they switch to digital on those frequencies?
The MegaWave is not a highly regarded antenna (this is being kind based on the reports here). The rabbit ears may be better if you optimize the length of rabbit ears for upper VHF (total length of 33"). As for the Silver Sensor picking up the digital upper VHF stations, it might work if the signals are strong enough. You won't know until early 2009.

The unamplified Silver Sensor works better than the one that has a built in amp. OP (Yekat), which one is yours?