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DTV problems in 60099

post #1 of 218
12/9/11 at 3:09pm
Thread Starter 
So I recently posted my situation in this thread here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1377214

But due to trolls it was shut down I still need help so this thread is to serve as a continuation.

As suggested by a member in that thread I purchased this antenna but so far at best I was only able to pick up 5 channels and none are the ones I watch. The antenna is placed on top of this tv stand. Any suggestions?
LL
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post #2 of 218
12/9/11 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

So I recently posted my situation in this thread here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1377214

But due to trolls it was shut down I still need help so this thread is to serve as a continuation.

As suggested by a member in that thread I purchased this antenna but so far at best I was only able to pick up 5 channels and none are the ones I watch. The antenna is placed on top of this tv stand. Any suggestions?

What TV stand? You're saying THIS stand. I believe you stated you wanted the antenna in the basement. Is that still the case? Have you tried the antenna on other TVs to see if the problem is the same? Are you splitting the signal?

Which 5 channels are you getting in? There are several analog channel in the area maybe those are the ones you're getting in. What is the model of the TV you're using? We need more info.
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post #3 of 218
12/9/11 at 3:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCF68 View Post

What TV stand? You're saying THIS stand. I believe you stated you wanted the antenna in the basement. Is that still the case? Have you tried the antenna on other TVs to see if the problem is the same? Are you splitting the signal?

Which 5 channels are you getting in? There are several analog channel in the area maybe those are the ones you're getting in. What is the model of the TV you're using? We need more info.

TV model is a 42inch Sony bravia, this TV stand is like a stand where the TV is on top of it and on the bottom are cabinets for things such as a surround sound system which I have in one of them and 3 of the speakers on top of this stand as well I should probably post a pic of the setup to better explain it. The TV antenna is on the stand as well and not being split.

The 5 channels I were able to get were all digital and they were WGN 9.1 and 9.2, the country network on 24.2, Fox and MyNetworkTV. It boggles the mind that I can get these channels when back in the analog days I was able to get all the Chicago stations except for CBS.
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post #4 of 218
12/9/11 at 4:29pm
Hi, eric:

I brought your tvfool link here from the previous thread, so that anyone that wants to help you doesn't have to hunt for it:

www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dec12e25b992711

I hope you have better luck this time.

Your signals look quite strong; you should be getting more channels.

I suggest you try that one antenna in many different locations (like near a window that faces the transmitters or outside?) with one TV until you get more channels. CBS and ABC are VHF-hi channels. The rabbit ears are for VHF and the loop is for UHF. You can extend the coax from the antenna with another length of RG6 and an F81 coupler to try other locations for the antenna.
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post #5 of 218
12/9/11 at 4:41pm
Before this thread gets closed too, I have to ask...
why not get a "real" outdoor antenna?
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post #6 of 218
12/9/11 at 4:45pm
I think he should try the RS Budget TV Antenna Model: T#749 Catalog #: 15-1874 that he mentions in his first post, even temporarily outside, before buying an outdoor antenna. If the RS antenna doesn't cut it, then it doesn't have enough gain, or it is in poor location, and he can return it.....no harm done. He would then be able to compare its results, as a baseline, with a better antenna.
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post #7 of 218
12/9/11 at 5:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratman View Post

Before this thread gets closed too, I have to ask...
why not get a "real" outdoor antenna?

because this is a rented duplex and they are too complex to install.

I have the antenna placed atop of this china cabinet in my dining room which is the highest point in this house besides the attic that I'm not sure we can access. So far i got 11 channels digital and one analog (which was some Asian channel.) again none of these contain the programming i watch every evening (telenovelas).
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post #8 of 218
12/9/11 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

...I have the antenna placed atop of this china cabinet in my dining room which is the highest point in this house besides the attic that I'm not sure we can access.

Try the floor.
Also try a southerly-facing window.
I'm assuming you added a longer coax with a coax barrel splice (?).
Extend the VHF dipole rods no more than half length, in as wide a "V" as possible.

What are your exterior walls made of?
Do the walls have foil backed insulation in them?
Does the building have a metal roof?
All of these variablescan severely impact indoor reception.
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post #9 of 218
12/9/11 at 8:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit73 View Post

I think he should try the RS Budget TV Antenna Model: T#749 Catalog #: 15-1874 that he mentions in his first post, even temporarily outside, before buying an outdoor antenna. If the RS antenna doesn't cut it, then it doesn't have enough gain, or it is in poor location, and he can return it.....no harm done. He would then be able to compare its results, as a baseline, with a better antenna.

My daughter lives 40 miles away from the transmitter farm (Mt. Wilson) and has LOS. We tried a budget antenna similar to Radio Shack's and could receive all the high power TV stations as long as nobody breathed or moved around. Switched to a Terk HDTVi antenna (no amplifier); now we can breathe. Strong and reliable reception of all the high power stations, and this with the antenna looking through the condo wall.
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post #10 of 218
12/10/11 at 5:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit73 View Post

Hi, eric:

I brought your tvfool link here from the previous thread, so that anyone that wants to help you doesn't have to hunt for it:

www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dec12e25b992711

I hope you have better luck this time.

Your signals look quite strong; you should be getting more channels.

I suggest you try that one antenna in many different locations (like near a window that faces the transmitters or outside?) with one TV until you get more channels. CBS and ABC are VHF-hi channels. The rabbit ears are for VHF and the loop is for UHF. You can extend the coax from the antenna with another length of RG6 and an F81 coupler to try other locations for the antenna.

yeah indoors sometimes TV signals can act funny. You need to try different locations. For the VHF ones take the rabbit ears and have them extended about 14-16 inches each side in a slight V shape. Mostly horizontal but just a bit of a V. From what I hear even people close to Chicago have issues with WBBM( CBS ) for whatever reason.
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post #11 of 218
12/11/11 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 
Mind boggling that so far I'm able to pick up the only low power analog station here but only a hand count of full power stations. They all should be coming in in that case.
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post #12 of 218
12/11/11 at 9:53am
Try this:
Disconnect the antenna.
In the channel setup menu, scan or autoprogram for all channels.
Reconnect the antenna.
Repeat the channel scan
Make sure the TV is set for "Air" or "Antenna" channels, not cable.

Post back with results.
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post #13 of 218
12/11/11 at 1:09pm
Thread Starter 
I'll try that too when I get home. I just went out to get this amp:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3780245

So hopefully it will work.
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post #14 of 218
12/11/11 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

I'll try that too when I get home. I just went out to get this amp:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3780245

So hopefully it will work.

You don't need an amp. An amp will just overload your signals. You're not trying to connect the antenna to the TV in the basement are you? In your area getting a signal really shouldn't be that much of an issue.
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post #15 of 218
12/11/11 at 3:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCF68 View Post

You don't need an amp. An amp will just overload your signals. You're not trying to connect the antenna to the TV in the basement are you? In your area getting a signal really shouldn't be that much of an issue.

nope not trying to do the basement idea, just trying all these suggestions one by one. I don't know y its an issue maybe its just bad luck because the amp I bought won't even power on so I have to either return or exchange it.
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post #16 of 218
12/11/11 at 3:52pm
You do not need an amp. Your signals are already extremely strong.
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post #17 of 218
12/11/11 at 5:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by arxaw View Post

You do not need an amp. Your signals are already extremely strong.

obviously not since I'm not picking up anything really. Pic of my setup added to first post, I used the camera from an older HTC phone to take it.
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post #18 of 218
12/11/11 at 5:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

obviously not since I'm not picking up anything really. Pic of my setup added to first post, I used the camera from an older HTC phone to take it.

OK first I can't see anything in that pic. It's dark and fuzzy. So it's not really helping.

Secondly using an amp in a strong signal area can make reception worse by overloading the tuner on your TV.

What is the exact model of the TV then maybe we can see how you are supposed to tune the stations in.
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post #19 of 218
12/11/11 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCF68 View Post

OK first I can't see anything in that pic. It's dark and fuzzy. So it's not really helping.

Secondly using an amp in a strong signal area can make reception worse by overloading the tuner on your TV.

What is the exact model of the TV then maybe we can see how you are supposed to tune the stations in.

it's a Sony bravia 42 inch. I don't know the exact model number but it has bravia sync and no advanced features like DLNA.
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post #20 of 218
12/11/11 at 6:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

it's a Sony bravia 42 inch. I don't know the exact model number but it has bravia sync and no advanced features like DLNA.

OK we have a Bravia and it only has 1 RF input so that's cleared up. Some TVs have 2 and only 1 is for antenna the other is for cable.

Ok so you have the antenna hooked to the TV.

So with the TV on you have the input set to TV correct?

Then you should go to channel settings and make sure it's set to ANTENNA not CABLE.

Then do a scan for ADD DIGITAL CHANNELS
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post #21 of 218
12/11/11 at 7:06pm
What are the analog and digital channel numbers of the channels it finds?
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post #22 of 218
12/11/11 at 8:52pm
Thread Starter 
Just did something unbelievable, I hooked up some old Rabbit ears to the amp I bought and then set them atop of the china cabinet in my dining room and I just got 20 channels including all the local ones I watch except for CBS.

Telemundo, Univision,FOX,PBS,ABC,my24,ION55,my50 and WGN with their subchannels
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post #23 of 218
12/11/11 at 10:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

Just did something unbelievable, I hooked up some old Rabbit ears to the amp I bought and then set them atop of the china cabinet in my dining room and I just got 20 channels including all the local ones I watch except for CBS.

Telemundo, Univision,FOX,PBS,ABC,my24,ION55,my50 and WGN with their subchannels

CBS is WBBM is it not? People have issues with that station. If the rabbit ears work the antenna you bought should work. But whatever works.
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post #24 of 218
12/12/11 at 6:44am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCF68 View Post

CBS is WBBM is it not? People have issues with that station. If the rabbit ears work the antenna you bought should work. But whatever works.

yea I disconnected it because the reception wasn't adequate enough, I'm just going to return that amp and buy another antenna, something like what retiredengineer said in his post. Now if I were to put it in the basement where the cable line is and split it throughout the house, what would I need?
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post #25 of 218
12/12/11 at 9:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

yea I disconnected it because the reception wasn't adequate enough, I'm just going to return that amp and buy another antenna, something like what retiredengineer said in his post. Now if I were to put it in the basement where the cable line is and split it throughout the house, what would I need?

It won't work in the basement. That's why you had issues. An antenna only deals with the signals it recives it can't create more signal. If the antenna in the basement didn't work just being hooked to the TV it won't work being split.
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post #26 of 218
12/12/11 at 11:13am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCF68 View Post

It won't work in the basement. That's why you had issues. An antenna only deals with the signals it recives it can't create more signal. If the antenna in the basement didn't work just being hooked to the TV it won't work being split.

it wasn't in the basement hooked up. It was upstairs, I didn't try the basement idea yet. I'm saying that if I were to do that what would I need for it to work? Because an antenna on just one TV will not workout in this house.
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post #27 of 218
12/12/11 at 11:31am
For reception of any RF signal (am/fm/TV/etc.) the higher the antenna and best line of sight (without obstruction) is best.

If an antenna in a basement worked well... everyone would have had one installed years ago.
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post #28 of 218
12/12/11 at 1:59pm
Thread Starter 
Yea this house is almost totally covered by trees, the north side of it with my room is covered in trees, there's like a little woods on that side where another house used to he that was destroyed by a tornado 15 years ago, then on the other side has this big tree in the driveway sorta. Don't know if that's blocking out the signals tho.
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post #29 of 218
12/12/11 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

Yea this house is almost totally covered by trees, the north side of it with my room is covered in trees, there's like a little woods on that side where another house used to he that was destroyed by a tornado 15 years ago, then on the other side has this big tree in the driveway sorta. Don't know if that's blocking out the signals tho.

Trees can distort signals, not block them entirely. Either way, it's bad. Put your antenna where it has the clearest sight south. (Your TVFool says you should be able to see the top of the Willis Tower on a clear and/or with a binoculars/telescope or similar optical device.)

Also note that you are in good shape to get the Milwaukee stations as well. If you're a stickler for picture quality, WISN will beat WLS every time. Just like WBBM will beat WDJT every time.
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post #30 of 218
12/12/11 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eric12341 View Post

it wasn't in the basement hooked up. It was upstairs, I didn't try the basement idea yet. I'm saying that if I were to do that what would I need for it to work? Because an antenna on just one TV will not workout in this house.

Well you could just buy an antenna for each TV.
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