[Jimmmmbo!]

Hi everyone:


I live about 2-3 miles from what we call the "Telefarm" here in Shoreview, MN. I have a DTC-100 and have both a RS bowtie and the smaller UHF-only RS yagi. I live just north of east of these towers (there are two of them). The closer of these towers transmits Fox's analog signal on Ch29 at 5KWatts, and the further one (it's actually a pair of towers, but I'll just call them one for now) transmits CBS digital on Ch32 and NBC digital on Ch35, both at 1KWatts. These two towers are only about 10 degrees off from each other in direction from my house.


My problem is that I get signficant dropouts quite often on 32, and occasionals on 35, but the signal strengths are in the 80s-90s. (It's better with the yagi, but it still drops out.) Also, my Ch29 has significant ghosting. I'm assuming that I'm getting a significant multipath component, and probably an overpowering signal from Ch29 that's causing 32 and 35 to drop out. Does this sound right?


If this is the case, I'm thinking along two lines:

1) Replace the DTC-100 with a different receiver with better electronics for handling multipath issues. Any suggestions on a receiver, or is there not one available yet?

2) Find an antennuator that works on a narrow frequency band that can reduce the input from Ch29, but not affect 32 and up. Does anyone know if such a monster if made?


This is an awesome forum. Thanks everyone!

 

[Jimmmmbo!]

Oops. Excuse my stupidity. The stations put out 5MWatts and 1MWatt. I don't think 5Kwatts would make it very far.

 

[Glenn_L]

The closer you are to a transmitter the more accurately you need to aim the antenna. With one station 10 degrees from the others, you should use the more directional yagi with a rotator. The yagi will also reject multipath better. If that is not good enough, then look for a yagi with even better front/back ratio and a narrow beamwidth, then aiming will become even more important.

 

[Larry Hutchinson]

The signal levels could very well be overpowering the DTC100.


I suggest you go to radio shack and get an attenuator. I believe they have a variable 20db attenuator for just a few bucks and it is certainly worth a try.

 

[David McRoy]

Trap filters that are designed to attenuate signal from a specific channel are available but since you are so close to all the transmitters an all-pass attenuator like the one Larry recommends is probably the best place to start.


It's the 15-678: http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...%5Fid=15%2D678

 

[rmears]

I can sympathize. I live exactly 1.1 miles from the biggest (and ugliest) behemoth TV broadcast tower I've ever seen anywhere. This monster holds more antennas than I can count. Some of the neighbors worry that it's so loaded down that it will fall over on them during an earthquake here in scenic San Francisco, where picture postcards belie its existence. Actually I don't think an atomic bomb could knock it down.


The amount of radiation pouring out of that thing must be enough to power my TV without plugging it in! I'm just thankful I don't glow in the dark yet. Heck, I even got pretty good reception off a paper clip, no kidding!!!


With our hilly terrain, and no direct line of sight, I finally concluded after much trial and error that the enemy is multipath. The only solution is a directional antenna and the patience to find the direction of the strongest signal or best reflection. And luck. When the fog blows in around here it can change reception.


I've been using a Samsung Sir-T150, which got good reviews in this forum, and I've been very happy with it, but it hasn't satisfied absolutely everyone. Supposedly it handles multipath better than the DC100, but that's open to debate too. Your mileage may vary. I am somewhat skeptical about using an attenuator to reduce your signal, but honestly, off the air reception is almost voodoo. Try pointing a very directional antenna in even odd directions you wouldn't expect if you don't have line of sight. That's what I did. I have a RS bowtie facing 90 degrees away from the towers at a blank wall with the ocean on the other side. Picks up everything fine now. Go figure.