using a 300ohm to 75 ohm balun on 300ohm outdoor antennas

I have a rather interesting scenario I had with a 300 to 75 ohm balun. I hooked them up to my new antennas (I now use separate VHF & UHF antennas), & on the UHF antenna, I some how hooked it up wrong. The line that typically goes on the left terminal was hooked to the right side, & the right line on the left side. Anyway, the full power stations weren't affected by this (except for WCPX on RF 43, & pixelated on & off at different times, but were short), but certain low power stations were affected by this. I already have enough trouble getting WWME-LD, due to a sharp null toward Indiana (the null was set to protect then WZZM on RF 39, who went back to 13). I lost them, but translator W25DW-D on RF 25 actually improved. Since fixing this (left line on the left termainal & right line on the right terminal), WWME-LD comes back in, while W25DW-D pixelates (they pixelated with the old combo antenna too).

Could anyone explain why would hooking up a balun in reverse affect certain channels? I did include my TV fool chart, but don't believe that's really necessary. I should say that the VHF side wasn't affected, as I only have 3 VHF channels in Chicago (WBBM-TV on RF 12, WLS-TV on RF 7 (for now), & WOCK-CD on RF 4 (reason I bought the Antennacraft CS600 instead of the Y5-7-13)), & I had that hooked up properly.

I personally could care less about W25DW-D, but my mom discovered them by accident when flipping channels, & discovered HSN. She wants the channel, while I don't. I want WWME-LD, because of Bounce on 23.2. To my knowledge, those were the only 2 stations that were affected by the balun being hooked up wrong to my Winegard HD9032 UHF antenna.

The antennas are hooked up to an RCA pre-amplifier (one I've owned for a little over a year, but only recently hooked separate antennas to the unit). The pre-amp is the combiner, with the switch set to separate (used to be set to common for my old antenna). For the baluns, I didn't know any of them were frequncy specific (I knew combiners/splitters were). The ones I bought were bought at Menards for outdoor use, & under the Philips name.

I was trying to combine my other Winegard antenna to get South Bend stations, but it severely affected my Chicago stations, & had to back off from that for now. But somehow, after I undid the combining, I was rehooking up the baluns, because it was too difficult to just change the cable with the antenna hanging too far from the pole. When I hooked up the balun again for the antenna pointed at Chicago (left wire on the right terminal & right right on the left terminal), I no longer got WWME-LD, but I received a much better picture of W25DW-D. Since correcting the connections, I get WWME-LD again, but not as clear of a picture of W25DW-D (could care less as I don't care for HSN).

While off-subject, but based on the TV fool report I provided, I don't get most of those low power stations listed, despite TV fool saying that there's coverage over my area, & strong enough to receive. The only low power stations I get with both my current UHF antenna, & the old Philips all channel combo antenna are: WWME-LD on RF39 & W25DW-D on RF 25 with a pre-amp, & WDCI-LD on RF 30 & WMEU-LD on RF 32 without pre-amp. WOCK-CD is the only low power VHF, & I can only get them with a pre-amp, or I don't get them at all. WEDE-CA & WOCH-CA have not converted to digital yet, & are simulcasted on other digital stations (WEDE-CA simulcasted on WJYS 62.2 & WOCH-CA simulcasted on WOCK-CD 13.2). WCHU on RF 33 has never come in for me with or without a pre-amp (don't care, but their request for RF 28 has me concerned, that I won't get WSJV anymore).

When I originally used the pre-amp, I only had the combo antenna hooked to it, and the switch set to common. When I bought the Winegard HD9032 UHF antenna (this antenna also has terminals to combine a VHF antenna, but not used), & the Antennacraft CS600, I had to change it to separate in order to combine both antennas. So both ports are now used, whereas with the old antenna, just the UHF/Combo port was used. No way I can cap any unused ports. Not sure if anything can be done about the VHF terminals on the Winegard antenna, since they're 300ohm, & yes I have the balun hooked to the correct set of terminals. The VHF terminals on this antenna are on top, & the UHF terminals are on the bottom.

For the baluns, they're all the same that I bought. If I want something other than Philips, then I either have to go to Radio Shack, or order them online, because Philips is the common brand at Menards & Lowes (Home Depot in my area doesn't sell baluns at all), & none of the discount department stores in my area sell them at all (Kmart, Walmart, Target, & Meijer). The next time I buy baluns, I'll remember to hook the left line to the left terminal, & the right line to the right terminal. Never thought reversing the connections could change what I can get.