Chicago, IL - OTA - Page 270

Unless judget's friend plans to do DX'ing, a small VHF/UHF combo antenna is all that's needed for Chicago. I rarely saw large antennas on peoples' homes in the city limits. One place I know has an antenna that's around 30 years old and it still works at getting all of the stations from the Sears Tower & John Hancock (including VHF).

Hi everyone. Sorry to ask such a 'newbie' type question, but I dont live in Chicago, and am hoping someone there might be able to suggest a course of action for me. My fiancee has a place up in Lakeview area, near Belmont. 8th floor south facing apartment with a clear line of sight to "Sears" tower, blocked view of John Hancock I think. She also has comcast. As we are hardly there anymore, we want to downgrade her cable TV (eliminate it) to save money. The choices that popped into my head are either OTA or Clear QAM. She does not have an HD set, so a tuner of some sort is in order.

If I were to go the OTA route, according to tvfool.com, it appears I can get by with a pretty small indoor antenna. Would you all agree? Or would it be better to try the clear QAM route? We are going to maintain cable modem service in the apartment, so digital programming should still come through if Comcast acts anything like Charter in my area.

Sorry to incorporate QAM talk in an OTA thread, but I figured I would only post in 1 Chicago thread and since I am guessing OTA is the better option, I picked this one!

I'd suggest this:

http://www.avsforum.com/showthread.php?t=1136626

It's the most inexpensive, recent, standalone model ATSC/QAM tuner - so you can try both methods and see which works better.

And yes, you should use a simple, un-amped UHF/VHF model antenna from where you're at.

(edit: forget that link - it doesn't work, for some odd reason, even though I know it's correct. Maybe because it hasn't been active in a couple of weeks. They ask you to "search", so I guess you can do it right from that link if you'd like. Just search under "Centronics" (ZAT 502HD), either there, or directly in the "HDTV Technical" forum, where it's at.)

Not mine, at least not that I have seen. The majority of the stations that I get dont breakup, so if there is any, then its not noticeable.

Sounds like this weekends project

any thoughts as to which antenna designs are not only good signal catchers but best at withstanding the harsh suburban rooftop environment?

my current chimney mounted CM3016 Suburban Advantage has some missing and bent rods (director reflectors) (weather squirrel birds?).

No tuning problems yet but given this sale , i'm want to replace it.

The last few days, at times when we can receive WOCK-LD, subchannel 13.3 is no longer there.  It's not black and silent with PSIP data like 13.4 but rather without signal like 56.2.

Is anyone still receiving 13.3?  Is it still Adtec D?

I rarely got them on analog, due to the exteme nulls to the east & west to protect WZZM in Grand Rapids & WREX in Rockford, IL. Both stations are broadcasting on 13 for digital. Still don't get them on digital on 4 & not sure if I'll get them on 30 (if approved). BTW, it's WOCK-CD, not-LD. Trip in VA got it wrong as well. Stations with -CD in their call letters are a Class A digital station, and have protection, unlike stations with -LD in the call letters, that have no protection from interference or their channel. Don't believe me that WOCK-CD is their offical call letters; just check the link to go to the FCC site.



Wish I had the spare money to get that antenna. I would like to replace the antenna I have now and get separate VHF & UHF antennas. That is a good price for that antenna. But I'll probably end up paying more when I can afford to get a new one, as I'm currently out of work.

OK; that makes more sense, because the analog stations were class A's, designated WOCH-CA and WOCK-CA rather than -LP.
Why are you expecting a dispute?

Meanwhile, can anyone answer my original question and confirm whether 13.3 is gone?

Sorry I can't help here. I've never been able to get it,anyway.

wockcd (4) > subs 1 & 2 contain video; 3, & 4 are dark, but you knew that.

Well still no luck with WCIU. Swapped out the antenna with a channel master 4228 and saw a slight improvement but still no lock. I did straighten out the elements on the antenna though. Next step would be to go with a 15 foot beast, What's the best antenna out on the market today? I know beaming through those trees dont help, but I just dont get what would happen that would WCIU to go out like that. I did replace all of the connectors and they are weather proofed with the rubber boots. None of my connections looked bad, but I re crimped them anyhow. Still no luck though.

We call it conditional access.

OK a couple of questions, Is there any difference between the old style 4228 and the new one?

Yep I checked all connections, basically I went through the install from the antenna all the way to the tv with everything in between. Im going to try a few more things.

With all due respect to Gilbert, I suggest this makes more sense
(and is what I'm using):

http://starkelectronic.com/winegard.htm#HD7695P

There's no reason anymore for a huge all-channel (2 - 51) in Chicagoland,
these Winegards work great and are physically small since they only go down to Ch 7.
Easier to put up, lower wind loading , and no long elements for a fat bird to sit on and break off

The 7698 is comparable to the 8200 on UHF and high-VHF without the added mass and expense of low-V elements.

Since there are only a couple dozen markets with any full-service stations on low-V, the 8200 has very limited application. Philadelphia, Memphis, Las Vegas, Davenport, Bangor, and Roanoke are a few of the cities that have either a major network or PBS station on low-V.

Noticed during most of today that WBBM's signal dropped to under 60% when it's usually in the 85% range. I was seeing drops and that never happens. Now in the last half hour it's back to normal. Anyone know what's going on or is it just something here? Reception on WLS 7 was normal (and with a stronger signal than 12 - opposite of usual) so it's not noise related.

Real strong tropo tonight. Might have something to do with it.

Been watching WYIN steadily for the last couple of hours, and that's like 75 miles away from me. Also getting a couple of South Bend stations.

Actually getting a better signal with my indoor antenna, because of the shorter coax.

(edit: Getting Polnet for the first time ever with the rooftop antenna on the Sony DVR in the other room now, too!)

The southern portion of the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo market of Michigan has WGVK (simulcast of WGVU on RF 11) on RF 5. I don't know if anyone along the lakeshore get that station. I know I don't simply because I'm not close enough to the lakefront. Also, I don't have a rotator. So my antenna is permanently mounted to point toward Chicago with only a 3° difference the signals coming from the Sears Tower & the John Hancock.

I noticed a week or so back that the 8200 you installed here at Willow Creek is still there.

Hasn't blown away yet.

I haven't had any luck with WGVK, but I have received WGVU, WTLJ, and WZZM numerous times in Northbrook.

Last night when I was watching WCIU, I noticed that the schedule for 26-1 was still on the old schedule, since when I turned in at 10:30, it still said "George Lopez". But with the new schedule in effect, "The King of Queens" was on at 10:30, so I just wanted to let someone know that WCIU's schedule for 26-1 may have to be looked into. Thanks.

You can have too much signal ... but once they have 1 megawatt from Sears/Willis won't they have the same problem? Or is Wacker less residential than Hancock? If the problem doesn't go away will they want channel 7 forever?

Seems like an excellent reason to have a null off the bottom of the antenna so just enough power goes down without flooding the receivers. The null there should take care of the problem.