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Chicago, IL - OTA ***OLD THREAD*** - Page 150  

post #4471 of 4809
1/30/07 at 10:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheer View Post

Most of us cannot get that -- now that D* offers HD locals, channel 80 is no longer available.

Sigh. Can't wait to see the Super Bowl in 480 x 480 overcompressed crap.

With a good UHF antenna pointed north, you should easily get WDJT-DT in Milwaukee on channel 46 (resolves to 58.1).

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post #4472 of 4809
1/30/07 at 11:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sebenste View Post

With a good UHF antenna pointed north, you should easily get WDJT-DT in Milwaukee on channel 46 (resolves to 58.1).


Talking about WDJT-TV they lost a remote live van in a channel last Sunday. She was doing a story on thin ice safety . The Van worth $200,000 to $250,000 is total loss. There is a website www.MyMuskegoNOW.com you can see a slideshow and photos of workers removing the news van from Big Muskego Lake. The Driver is ok got out it only sank 5 feet. They had to leave it overnight and nextday it was soild frozen.
post #4473 of 4809
1/30/07 at 12:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sebenste View Post

With a good UHF antenna pointed north, you should easily get WDJT-DT in Milwaukee on channel 46 (resolves to 58.1).

It's been coming in real good for me the past week, but mainly at night. I'd actually prefer to watch it on there rather than WIFR-DT, but either one is fine.

God, I hope it comes in steady on at least ONE of them. I'd sure hate to have to watch it on Dish's crappy, over-compressed SD channel.

(Or I might have to revert back to the old, rabbit ears on the pole on the front porch method for WBBM-DT .)
post #4474 of 4809
1/30/07 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WillieAntenna View Post

Talking about WDJT-TV they lost a remote live van in a channel last Sunday. She was doing a story on thin ice safety . The Van worth $200,000 to $250,000 is total loss. There is a website www.MyMuskegoNOW.com you can see a slideshow and photos of workers removing the news van from Big Muskego Lake. The Driver is ok got out it only sank 5 feet. They had to leave it overnight and nextday it was soild frozen.

That was a subject in our Monday morning engineering meeting.
post #4475 of 4809
1/30/07 at 3:08pm
I was glad to see that the driver was ok I am sure she will not make that mistake again. With the unusal weather this year warm in the 40's and low 50's and sudden cold and alot of snow it can make ice look soild to drive or walk on from what I understand that ice was not safe for walking but held it for good distance with van alone weight about 4000 lb I don't know what the equipment weight I am sure it heavy 1500 lb or more. I hope the insurance will cover all of it ouch quarter of mil.
post #4476 of 4809
1/30/07 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hvs10trk View Post

That was a subject in our Monday morning engineering meeting.

Yeah, and probably a sore subject at that!

One TV station I knew drove a live truck through an underpass with the microwave transmitter partially elevated about 3' above the van. It wasn't a Chicago station, but I did hear of one several years ago that essentially did the same thing. Oh, you want to know what happened? Imagine hearing a loud CRUNCH...
post #4477 of 4809
1/30/07 at 4:59pm
Hello all,

A little off topic but I though I'd share. I've been trying to get my hands on one of those Samsung HTB-260F's (5th generation chip) for some time. Happened to notice that Circuit City in Bolingbrook had them in stock today. Headed right over after work and got the last one.

I'd have to say it's a considerably better tuner than the one in my Sony DHG-HDD250 DVR, but about on par with my old Pro Brand that I sold. IMHO it doesn't do any better with distance that a good 4th generation chipset. In addition it does not allow for manually adding channels and you can't just scan for additional channels. This makes it impossible to use in a configuration where your channels come from more than one direction. You'd have to do a full scan every time you turn the antenna. Back to Circuit City it goes!
post #4478 of 4809
1/30/07 at 5:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WillieAntenna View Post

I hope the insurance will cover all of it ouch

"State Farm Insurance, this is Thad, how can I help you?

<...>

I'll be happy to help you with your claim, Mr. Van Patten. Can I have your policy number please?

<...>

Thank you. Yes, I see, a commercial news truck. OK. Can you tell me what happened?

<...>

Er...

<...>

No I understand the story your news team was reporting but--

<...>

Er...

<...>

So, let me see if I have this correct. Your team, um, was doing a story on -- do I have this right? -- ice safety. To, um, illustrate this, you, um, drove the news truck out onto a frozen lake. While filming the segment, the ice broke, and the truck sank into the lake. Well, sir, I can only assume the segment had quite an impact.

<...>

No, I apologize, I was not trying to be funny. So, um, you're wondering if this is covered? Well...in reviewing the policy, I don't see anything about driving the truck onto frozen lakes, sir..."
post #4479 of 4809
1/30/07 at 7:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sebenste View Post

Yeah, and probably a sore subject at that!

One TV station I knew drove a live truck through an underpass with the microwave transmitter partially elevated about 3' above the van. It wasn't a Chicago station, but I did hear of one several years ago that essentially did the same thing. Oh, you want to know what happened? Imagine hearing a loud CRUNCH...

Sounds like Madison. Very similar incident almost 8 years ago. Two seperate trucks, same underpass. Do I smell a pattern?
post #4480 of 4809
1/30/07 at 8:10pm
Quick note for those desperate for Superbowl OTA reception. I don't watch WBBM mostly because I don't have any particular interest in their current programming, so I use a UHF-only yagi happily for all of my HDTV viewing. I'm in Schaumburg, and it does well with a rooftop mount.

BUT, it's the Super Bowl ;-)

So I manufactured a half-wave folded dipole for channel 3 from some 300 ohm antenna wire ($2.88 for 50 ft. @ Menard's) according to the directions available at a URL I sadly cannot post do to the board rules. Search Google for "Cheap efficient TV antenna".

I hooked this up to my 2005 LG set via a 75 ohm balun ($2.50 @ Menard's). Taped to an 8' length of pine molding, I then wandered around my family room for an hour like a moron failing to get more than an occasional macroblocked burst of signal. Finally I tried taping it to the walls at various points. Still no luck. Finally, frustrated, I started to pull it off it's last location about 7' up on the north wall. To my astonishment, with half of the antenna hanging down at right angles right at the center feed, I locked WBBM with 60-70% signal! This is the first time I've seen the WBBM-DT signal with any kind of indoor antenna.

I have no idea why this works. I also can't claim that this would work anywhere but the corner of my family room, but if you are absolutely desperate for OTA reception, might get you that HD SB experience.....
post #4481 of 4809
1/30/07 at 8:40pm
If you went through the trouble of a rooftop mount, you really should consider some sort of outdoor unit that can get VHF. You'll need it not only for WBBM, but also WLS when they move back to that band.

IMHO if you are going to do OTA, you should make it a goal to try and get all the major network stations, for if nothing else, you know that sooner or later the Super Bowl will cycle back to CBS again. If you do your setup right, you won't ever risk missing the big game again no matter which network it ends up on.

*I know that you said that CBS does not fit your kind of viewing, I said the same thing for a long time until the day I was able to pull in that signal. Up until then I hadn't realized what I'd been missing. If you ask me, CBS seems to have the best overall set of shows, but the achilles heel continues to be that weak, interference-prone WBBM signal... Of course, they also seem to have the best looking native 1080i picture when you can get it, so I might just be biased ;-)

___________________________

With regard to those new Samsung tuners, I had no idea that you couldn't manually add channels. Given the ins and outs of HD reception, that is a BIG stumbling block; no review of those machines had ever mentioned that. I guess I'll hold onto my old SIRT451 and work on any reception issues solely from the antenna end.
post #4482 of 4809
1/30/07 at 9:26pm
I can get WBBM-DT in the 50% range, but the signal will go in and out. Do you guys think a pre-amp would help lock it in or would it only help me get a strong signal when locked in?
post #4483 of 4809
1/31/07 at 9:38am
I think more often than not it would help get a more solid lock, IF it doesn't create too much noise. Check with sebenste's post a few posts back, where he recommends some preamps.
post #4484 of 4809
1/31/07 at 9:56am
Please forgive my ignorance, but I'm new to all this and was hoping for some advice.

I would really like to be able to watch the Superbowl (as I'm sure many others are) on my new HDTV. I purchased a Radio Shack VU-190 and put it in my attic. Most non digital stations are not very clear. I can pick up several HD station, but of course WBBM doesn't come through. Sometimes (depending on weather or time of day) I get blocky artifacts, other times, nothing. Never a clear signal.

No one wants to install an antenna on the roof with the wonderful weather we're having, and from what I've read lately I shouldn't even install this VU-190 on the roof at all due to the high winds we get around here sometimes.

I called a local Dish installer that also installs antennas and he suggested I buy a preamp to help with the signal. I don't know what the difference is between a preamp and the Radio Shack 1-to-4 Bidirectional Cable-TV Amplifier/splitter (Catalog #: 15-2506), but I did try the Radio Shack amp/splitter and didn't have any better signal.

The first thing I want to accomplish is to watch the Superbowl in HD. The second is to make sure I have the best antenna solution for the future. If that means to get a preamp now to watch the game, then return the RS antenna and buy another after the game then so be it.

Just looking for options, and as always I would like to consider cost.

Thanks.
post #4485 of 4809
1/31/07 at 12:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurker501 View Post

Please forgive my ignorance, but I'm new to all this and was hoping for some advice.

I would really like to be able to watch the Superbowl (as I'm sure many others are) on my new HDTV. I purchased a Radio Shack VU-190 and put it in my attic. Most non digital stations are not very clear. I can pick up several HD station, but of course WBBM doesn't come through. Sometimes (depending on weather or time of day) I get blocky artifacts, other times, nothing. Never a clear signal.

No one wants to install an antenna on the roof with the wonderful weather we're having, and from what I've read lately I shouldn't even install this VU-190 on the roof at all due to the high winds we get around here sometimes.

I called a local Dish installer that also installs antennas and he suggested I buy a preamp to help with the signal. I don't know what the difference is between a preamp and the Radio Shack 1-to-4 Bidirectional Cable-TV Amplifier/splitter (Catalog #: 15-2506), but I did try the Radio Shack amp/splitter and didn't have any better signal.

The first thing I want to accomplish is to watch the Superbowl in HD. The second is to make sure I have the best antenna solution for the future. If that means to get a preamp now to watch the game, then return the RS antenna and buy another after the game then so be it.

Just looking for options, and as always I would like to consider cost.

Thanks.

Click on this link. http://www.kyes.com/antenna/interference/tvibook.html

If your channel 2 or 5 analog looks like picture 6 or 7 then more than likely you have impulse noise and you will not be able to get a stable signal no matter what antenna or amp you use. Impulse noise is the biggest killer of channel 3 and is most likely cause by poor insulators on power lines in your neighborhood..
post #4486 of 4809
1/31/07 at 2:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurker501 View Post

Please forgive my ignorance, but I'm new to all this and was hoping for some advice.

I would really like to be able to watch the Superbowl (as I'm sure many others are) on my new HDTV. I purchased a Radio Shack VU-190 and put it in my attic. Most non digital stations are not very clear. I can pick up several HD station, but of course WBBM doesn't come through. Sometimes (depending on weather or time of day) I get blocky artifacts, other times, nothing. Never a clear signal.

No one wants to install an antenna on the roof with the wonderful weather we're having, and from what I've read lately I shouldn't even install this VU-190 on the roof at all due to the high winds we get around here sometimes.

I called a local Dish installer that also installs antennas and he suggested I buy a preamp to help with the signal. I don't know what the difference is between a preamp and the Radio Shack 1-to-4 Bidirectional Cable-TV Amplifier/splitter (Catalog #: 15-2506), but I did try the Radio Shack amp/splitter and didn't have any better signal.

The first thing I want to accomplish is to watch the Superbowl in HD. The second is to make sure I have the best antenna solution for the future. If that means to get a preamp now to watch the game, then return the RS antenna and buy another after the game then so be it.

Just looking for options, and as always I would like to consider cost.

Thanks.

Hey lurker,

Several questions.

What city are you in?

Are you absolutely sure you are pointed the right way?

Do you see "ghosts" of signals on the analog (non-digital) channels?

If you are within 40 miles of Sears Tower and the ghosts aren't bad, try this amp on for size:

https://www.tselectronic.com/winegard/ap_preamp.html

The AP-8700 is if you are having snow on some channels; the AP-8275
is for a monster boost if you are getting weak signals across the board. Check all your connections and wiring first! You should be using RG-6 cable, quad shielded if possible (absolutely NO RG-59), and make sure your connectors are all on tight.
I'd try the AP-8700 first if you are within 40 miles of Chicago. What are your signal readings on WBBM? If near zero, then I'd try the AP-8275 first.

Tri-State Electronic in Mt. Prospect has them (see link above), or warrenelectronics.com in the Quad Cities has them via mail order as well.
post #4487 of 4809
1/31/07 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaBo0sE View Post

I can get WBBM-DT in the 50% range, but the signal will go in and out. Do you guys think a pre-amp would help lock it in or would it only help me get a strong signal when locked in?

Caboose,

Where are you at? If you don't see interference on analog, the answer is yes, and check out my post just above.
post #4488 of 4809
1/31/07 at 4:48pm
meany: The analog looks like picture 2 but much worse.

sebenste: I live in Bartlett. Right next to Pratts Wayne Woods Forest Preserve on the border of Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties. It's about 32-33 mi to downtown.

As far as if i'm pointed the right way, I couldn't tell you because my TV doesn't have a signal meter built into it. I have to ask my wife over a walkie talkie how the signal looks. Besides, there's not much room for adjustment with that monster in my attic.

I've got a feeling i'm not gonna be able to enjoy the Superbowl on my TV. I'm gonna have to dismantle this antenna and return it to Radio Shack so I can pick up another, better antenna and have it mounted on my roof. Maybe I should get a Winegard HD7084

Any suggestions on replacement antennas? I think the best price I could find locally is around $130 at Tri State Electronics in Mt. Prospect. (Even though I'm not wild about their no return policy) Then I have to find someone to mount it on my roof. Don't think I can do it myself.
post #4489 of 4809
1/31/07 at 5:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sebenste View Post

Caboose,

Where are you at? If you don't see interference on analog, the answer is yes, and check out my post just above.

I'm in Lockport. On analog I don't see a picture like the electrical interference one, its just really snowy. I was near Ace hardware today and figured what the heck, maybe they have something. They had a 24db and a 10db gain amp and I bought the 10db because I wanted to make sure I didn't oversaturate (or whatever you call it) the other channels.Its helped a bit with WBBM, but I still get stuttering sometimes. It's helped a lot with other channels like WLS and WTTW, now they are just as strong as WFLD and WMAQ. I guess I'll go and try to get the 24db amp tomorrow or Friday. I know there are better amps than Ace brand ones but I dont think I'd be able to get one before Sunday.
post #4490 of 4809
1/31/07 at 5:34pm
Lurker501, you could try for Rockford and Milwaukee CBS stations. Aaahhhh, crunchy, high-power UHF goodness!
post #4491 of 4809
1/31/07 at 6:46pm
Did anybody watch the Broadway: The American Musical on WTTW-DT (11.1) tonight? The video was fine (well as fine as WTTW can do with their overtaxed 2 sub-channels) but the audio sounded like a MP3 stream with lots of errors in it.

Edit: Seems to be everything on the channel, including promos and station IDs.
post #4492 of 4809
1/31/07 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by longwong View Post

If you went through the trouble of a rooftop mount, you really should consider some sort of outdoor unit that can get VHF. You'll need it not only for WBBM, but also WLS when they move back to that band.

As I understand it, WBBM is moving to Ch 11 in 2009. I'd much rather put up just a VHF-HI antenna then the pig that you have to put up to get the current Ch.2 signal! The high-gain yagi I have for UHF (Antennas Direct XG42) has a 39" boom, vs. a 6'+ boom and 100" width on a VHF-Lo antenna. I'll probably put up something like the Winegard YA6713, which has a 49" boom and 34" width. I get Ch 7 analog fine on rabbit ears (best signal out of the big 3 actually), so I don't need a lot of gain there.

In the meantime, the L-tenna does the trick. With a large Bears banner in front of it, none will be the wiser :-D

Who knows. In 10 years we may all be getting video from a broadband data feed and this will all just be a quaint relic of the past ...
post #4493 of 4809
1/31/07 at 8:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurker501 View Post

meany: The analog looks like picture 2 but much worse.

sebenste: I live in Bartlett. Right next to Pratts Wayne Woods Forest Preserve on the border of Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties. It's about 32-33 mi to downtown.

As far as if i'm pointed the right way, I couldn't tell you because my TV doesn't have a signal meter built into it. I have to ask my wife over a walkie talkie how the signal looks. Besides, there's not much room for adjustment with that monster in my attic.

I've got a feeling i'm not gonna be able to enjoy the Superbowl on my TV. I'm gonna have to dismantle this antenna and return it to Radio Shack so I can pick up another, better antenna and have it mounted on my roof. Maybe I should get a Winegard HD7084

Any suggestions on replacement antennas? I think the best price I could find locally is around $130 at Tri State Electronics in Mt. Prospect. (Even though I'm not wild about their no return policy) Then I have to find someone to mount it on my roof. Don't think I can do it myself.

At that location, you should be able to get WBBM-DT. Two things: you WILL need an amplifier. If you are pointing the antenna southeast, it's in the correct direction.
If it's east or slightly south of east, that's not good.

If you do want to go the roof way, the HD7084 should do the trick to get WBBM,
but may not get the new lower power stations online in the next year or so.

Before you do that, though, try somehow, someway to point that VU-190 southeast. If the reception is better but still not good enough, one of the amps I mentioned should do the trick.
post #4494 of 4809
1/31/07 at 8:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaBo0sE View Post

I'm in Lockport. On analog I don't see a picture like the electrical interference one, its just really snowy. I was near Ace hardware today and figured what the heck, maybe they have something. They had a 24db and a 10db gain amp and I bought the 10db because I wanted to make sure I didn't oversaturate (or whatever you call it) the other channels.Its helped a bit with WBBM, but I still get stuttering sometimes. It's helped a lot with other channels like WLS and WTTW, now they are just as strong as WFLD and WMAQ. I guess I'll go and try to get the 24db amp tomorrow or Friday. I know there are better amps than Ace brand ones but I dont think I'd be able to get one before Sunday.

Ah, OK. Then the 24 dB amp is the one you want from that location. That should do the trick for you. Just make sure all the connectors and connections are on good, and that you have the best possible reception (IE, pointed the right way)
for best results.
post #4495 of 4809
1/31/07 at 9:22pm
WLS DTV (7.1,7.2,7.3) is back to 100% Power. The problem was the Channel 52 filter that had detuned from the CH60 fire in the space below at Sears Tower. The reflected power is back to nominal values and looks like we are back to normal.
By the way, this week we did our first out of town liveshots in HD from the Superbowl XLI stadium site in Miami!
Sebenste: Thanks for all the info and advice you are giving the users regarding OTA reception issues in our area.
Kal
post #4496 of 4809
1/31/07 at 11:12pm
Is it just me, or are others experiencing a slight softness in the HD image from WLS studio telecasts as compared to some ABC network programming?
post #4497 of 4809
1/31/07 at 11:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaBo0sE View Post

I guess I'll go and try to get the 24db amp tomorrow or Friday. I know there are better amps than Ace brand ones but I dont think I'd be able to get one before Sunday.

I've got that amp (the 24 db one), and it's actually pretty good. I'ts got a variable gain switch. They don't tell you the noise figure, but it doesn't seem to be that high, based on my experiences with it. It get's me all the Chicago stations (Except WBBM) from 41 miles out, and most of the Rockford ones, at 45 miles out, with my Silver Sensor (indoors) - although on a real good night, I can get the Chicago ones even without the amp - that's a testament to how good the SS is.
post #4498 of 4809
2/1/07 at 6:21am
Any suggestions/recommendations for the Terk Tv-1, Tv-2 or Tv-3 indoor antenna for the north suburbs (Evanston)? My window faces south, which works - I'm guessing the TV-3 is best because it's amplified, but just getting an opinion on a topic about which I know little.
Thanks!
post #4499 of 4809
2/1/07 at 7:13am
One more noob to add to your growing list!

Here's my dilemma, as is for everyone else...channel 2. I'm in Cicero and I get just about every other digital channel except for this one. I'm using a standard RCA amplified antenna. These are the specs from antennaweb.

yellow - vhf WBBM-DT 2.1 CBS CHICAGO IL 58° 9.3 3

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
post #4500 of 4809
2/1/07 at 7:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by harry2quinn View Post

Any suggestions/recommendations for the Terk Tv-1, Tv-2 or Tv-3 indoor antenna for the north suburbs (Evanston)? My window faces south, which works - I'm guessing the TV-3 is best because it's amplified, but just getting an opinion on a topic about which I know little.
Thanks!

Hello Harry,

It probably will be tough to get on any of those antennas. I'd try the TV-3, but higher is better...say the attic if you can do it. Otherwise, I give you a little less than 50-50 of getting it with any of those.

Quote:
Originally Posted by marmas View Post

Here's my dilemma, as is for everyone else...channel 2. I'm in Cicero and I get just about every other digital channel except for this one. I'm using a standard RCA amplified antenna. These are the specs from antennaweb.

yellow - vhf WBBM-DT 2.1 CBS CHICAGO IL 58° 9.3 3

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

What? YOU can't get channel 2? Everybody else is!
OK, getting serious...are you in an apartment or house? If a house, try to put that in the attic. If apartment, try a west-facing windowsill with an RG-6 cable extension. You do need to "see" the Hancock for the best shot at getting it. Get that thing as high as possible, and closest to the west wall or window as possible.
Higher takes precedence where you are.

Both of you: if you can do it, the 45 mile ChannelMaster VHF-UHF antenna they sell at Lowe's should do the trick, putting it in the attic. Not my favorite antenna by a long shot, but you're close enough that it would do the job. A similar model at Lowe's should do you both well, just make sure it doesn't point in or near a metal duct pipe in the attic.

Somebody at Tri-State and Lowe's owes me some serious commission...
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