Houston, TX - OTA - Page 203

All the major TV stations are located at the "Antenna Farm" in Missouri City. Try using TVfool.com to enter your specifics and get recommendations. Hope this helps.

Hello,

I hope I am posting in the right section. I live in Tomball, TX and I have been able to easily get all the local channels until about 3-6 months ago. There were no changes to my equipment; all of a sudden I was not able to get any of the VHF channels (PBS, CBS, ABC). I'm still able to get the UHF channels with no problem (NBC, FOX).

Here's my TVFool results:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d2df97ffc5fdcb2

I did some research about 2 years ago and believe I have the correct antennas:

1. Antenna Direct - ClearStream2
2. Winegard FreeVision FV-HDCO

They are both located on my roof and pointed in the right direction.

I don't understand how channels would just disappear all of a sudden.

Has anyone experienced this or has a solution?

Thanks.

Don't know why you would lose signal that you had unless something was erected or grew in the line of sight. When you had signal, was it strong or just marginal. Digital differs from analog, you either have it or you don't.

I have had the same thing occur before. The culprit for me was moisture had invaded in where the coax was connected to a barrel connecter and the balun (matching transformer) at the antenna. Moisture will kill a digital signal.

In my case, I replaced the whole line of coax, but I also invested in a good tube of di-electric grease (bought at an automotive parts retailer) with which i filled the male ends of the coax. I then wrapped all connections with good, quality electrical tape including the rubber boots around the baluns.

Presto... I was back in business. I hope this helps.

I had strong signals (70-90%) for all of the main channels.

Do you think it could be a hardware failure? Maybe the cables aren't shielded enough?

It's hard to imagine it would happen to both satellites around the same time.

Sorry, I didn't read the post before replying. I will give that a try.

Sorry, I didn't see this before my last post.

I will definitely give that a try.

Thanks.

Also, it occured to me to ask if you are using a pre-amp. If you lose power to the pre-amp, either the A/C power or the internal power supply in the pre-amp power supply, you will not get any signal back down your coax back to your receivers. Check the eall outlet for power or check your breaker box for a tripped breaker, and if need be, check the ouput voltage of the pre-amp power supply (it should run about 23v +/- iirc).

Don't know if you are using a pre-amp or not. I just thought I would throw that in for giod measure.

I'm not using a pre-amp, but if that went out, then my signal for the UHF channels should go down as well right?

Yes, pre-amp power loss would affect both VHF and UHF. But if you are not using one, that of course, is not your problem. Bad coax, or as stated earlier, moisture very well could be the source of your signal loss...

Or something as simple as a loose connection.

Wow, it was the cable, thanks OTAhead....now I can watch football again =)

You are so very welcome. Glad I could help.

Out of curiousity, which cable went bad?

I'm not exactly sure. I just replaced the entire cable from the TV to the antenna.

It has been a while since I posted here. I moved from Midtown out to Pearland a couple days ago. I connected rabbit ears and a loop antenna to the TV and easily picked up all the channels (even with a radiant barrier in the attic). Last night I turned on the TV and there was no problem. I happened to walk by the TV a couple hours later and the antenna was lying on the carpeted floor. Still picking up all the channels. I am surprised. Then again, I can see the antenna farm from my front door. It's nice to not have to worry about losing my signals.

Not entirely...I have had a Channel Master 7777 quit on VHF but continue working on UHF....(different RF paths through the amp) In your case, with no preamp, it is a rough call to determine why you lost the VHFs...they should be as strong as the UHFs in Tomball..Weird...

Most likely open shield or braid (i.e., bad connection)
With an open shield you will typically lose your lower channels
Check connecters to see that the cable is properly prepared & connectors properly installed. Check also for tightness. If any are exposed (outdoors) they may have become wet or the threads have corroded (once again opening the shield connection & causing the problem)

I second this opinion. Moisture is enemy #1 here in southeast Texas. Please check your connections as stated above and here is what I do... At every connection I fill the F connectors with a high grade di-electric grease. I find tubes of the grease at automotive parts stores. After applying the grease and making sure that I have secure connections, I then wrap the connections with a goid quality electrical tape. I hope this helps...

For last several days, I get very weak signal from KRIV-FOX, channel 26 making it impossible to watch. That is the case with all my TVs and DVRs. FOX was the weakest signal in the past. Signal strength on other channels are very good now. Does anybody have the same problem with Channel 26 or is it related to my antenna or cable/connector?

I have not had any issues with any local station. I am in Pearland.

Had to post this:
KTRK has had a few hits in the news today:

Wayne Delchafino (sp?) is no longer with the station, long time Sports Director Bob Allen is retiring as of tonight (his last broadcasts are tonight at 6 and 10) and retired morning weatherman Doug Brown passed away last night.....(I grew up watching all of these guys on KTRK)....

wow

Ed Brandon (who was with KHFI-42 during our time in Austin - 1966-69) ended up as a KTRK weatherman. Due to a local LPTV (KQVE, had been NTSC 46) now on Ch 13 I can no longer catch KTRK when the tropo to Houston is up. KTXH and KPRC still manage to sometimes override the local ATSC LPTVs on 20 and 35. The old local LPTV NTSC on 23 looks to emerge as a DTV there so another Houston slot might be lost.

I used to watch Brandon all the time on 13 when cable TV came to the BPT area in the 70s and they carried most of the Houston stations in the beginning. Later, when I lived in Conroe for 13 years, KTRK was the station I had on....Brandon was doing some weekend/fill in iirc after his retirement...and of course I recall the 1st time I saw Marvin....(I really got irked at him on one report about a ham causing someone's TV to have problems...the TV was more than a mile from the ham in question, it looked like the horizontal sync was out as the picture was just rolling, and even Zindler admitted on air they tried to go by the ham's house and talk but noone was home at the time!!! HMMM...the woman with the TV problem was blaming the ham's 50ft of Rohn 25G and triband beam as the cause I understand KTRK's engineers had a little talk with Zindler after the story ran and got things corrected with Marvin issuing a retraction on air later...)

KULM-CD on 43 causes issues over in the Beaumont area due to translator K36ID in Orange trying to receive KUIL-LD on 43 SW of Beaumont....the beam path from Orange to the KUIL site is 1deg off the path from K36ID to KULM......need I say more?

BTW KTXH is on RF 19 not 20 as their analog was......
Edited by BPTTV - 1/31/13 at 4:11am

Hey what gives? My TV doesn't get a program guide anymore. It quit doing the guide about 2 days ago. Does anyone else have this problem? I did a factory reset on the TV { Sony Google TV }, and had to channel scan, and all, and that took about 20 minutes, and now everything is back normal, but the guide is still missing.

Does anyone know why the granted construction permit for the KUHT translator in Victoria was dismissed by the FCC??? I am now worried about the granted constrution permit for Beaumont, although I saw nothing in the application list or correspondece folder concerning dismissing that permit...

I called KUHT last fall and their engineer said that they had no funds to construct it. The permit probably expired and was dismissed. I don't even remember the call sign for the translator...

While I don't remember the expiration date of the CP, the call was K29JI... I am hoping that Beaumont doesn't fall to the same fate. Maybe they can get more corporate sponsorships here than Victoria. I might try emailing KUHT next week. I have been waiting for this a LONG TIME.

Expiration date was right around this time for K29JI. The Beaumont one expires in 2015.

- Trip

Cleaning time has come again, and this time it is the garage. I have accumulated a few OTA bits and bobs over the last few years, and my wife has decided that since they are not being used, it is time for them to go. I currently have an older style CM 4221 antenna, and an Eagle Aspen DB2, both of which never really were used, since we have a few VHF stations in our area. There is a Terk HDTVI indoor antenna (the unamplified version), and lastly an antenna roof-mount tripod, which I never had occasion to use. If anyone in the Houston area has a use for these, you are free to take them. Just drop me a PM (private message), and we can work out a meeting time and place.

I sent you a PM...

I made a run over to Houston this morning and met Mloot and his son. I want to thank him publicly for the freebies he was giving away. I am certain we will find good loving homes for the orphaned DB2, CM 4221, and rooftop tri-pod mount. I know several people that just cannot afford the initial expense of OTA reception, so the antennas, although UHF only, will allow them to at least get the majority of the local stations, if not maybe RF channel 12 here in the Beaumont area as well...

The 50' of RG6 coax, 5' swedge mast, and wall mount brackets will help in that endeavor as well.

So thank you Mloot for all of that and the extra component and coax cables as well.
Edited by OTAhead - 3/9/13 at 10:36am