[seldenpat]

OK, I'll be as precise as possible.


I currently have two antennas up in my attic. I have a CM4228 hanging from a rafter pointing 274 degrees that picks up CBS (WCBS 56) and FOX (WNYW 44) Digital from the ESB. I also have a RS VU-190XR that is laying across an A/C duct and a cardboard box pointing 20 degrees to pick up ABC (WTNH 10) from New Haven, CT. I am about 52 miles east of the ESB and 20 miles south of NH, CT across the LI Sound. The CM runs 6 feet with RG-6 cable to the UHF only input of a CM7777 Preamp and the RS runs 25 feet with RG-6 cable to the VHF/UHF input of the Preamp. These antennas are on opposite ends of a 30 foot attic.


From the Preamp, 100ft of RG-6 cable takes you to the Preamp power supply and 1ft of RG-6 cable goes from the power supply to a Sony HD200.


I get CBS and FOX from the ESB about 70-75% consistently (Top end of Normal/Bottom end of Good). I get a bad signal (20%) from WTNH, which seems odd to me since it's so much closer.


Is it possible that laying the antenna across the foil-lined A/C duct is interferring with the signal? I could experiment, but I would appreciate any feedback that would limit my time in the cramped attic!


TIA!

Patrick

 

[Bogney Baux]

Quote:

Originally posted by seldenpat The CM runs 6 feet with RG-6 cable to the UHF only input of a CM7777 Preamp and the RS runs 25 feet with RG-6 cable to the VHF/UHF input of the Preamp.

Your labeling of the 7777's inputs is different than the one I have. Mine is labeled as:


VHF separate input

UHF or combined input


Your Channel Master antenna for NYC should go to the input labeled 'UHF or combined input'.


Your Radio Shack antenna for New Haven should go to the input labeled 'VHF separate input'.


There is also a switch inside to select separate or combined antenna inputs.

Is yours wired and switched correctly?

 

[DVW]

Why don't you put one or both your antennas on the roof? There would be a noticeable improvement.


DVW

 

[DrDon]

Quote:

Originally posted by seldenpat Is it possible that laying the antenna across the foil-lined A/C duct is interferring with the signal? I could experiment, but I would appreciate any feedback that would limit my time in the cramped attic!

Patrick..

Anything and everything affects an antenna. The rafters, the exterior of the structure, the ductwork.. you name it. Since you're having fits with the closer station, multipath is a likely culprit. There's not much short of trial-and-error to "tune" a multi-antenna array in an attic. Everything affects everything.


To limit your time, do what I do. Haul a small television up there with you. Better still if you can bring the STB along, too. They'll all output SD to a regular TV. Failing that, just the TV will help. Note the picture you get on WTNH's analog channel, since it's probably coming from the same tower. Fortunately, WTNH-DT is also VHF, so minimizing any ghosts you see on channel 8 should also help with multipath on 10. "Should" is the key word. No guarantees.


Note that moving one antenna can affect reception from the other one since everything affects everything in a muti-antenna attic installation. So, it's a good idea to have a look at all of the other channels before you declare success and bring everything back down.


Good luck.


Doc

 

[seldenpat]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bogney Baux Your labeling of the 7777's inputs is different than the one I have. Mine is labeled as: VHF separate input UHF or combined input Your Channel Master antenna for NYC should go to the input labeled 'UHF or combined input'. Your Radio Shack antenna for New Haven should go to the input labeled 'VHF separate input'. There is also a switch inside to select separate or combined antenna inputs. Is yours wired and switched correctly?

My bad...mine is labeled as you said. I have it set up as you said, but I don't know of any switch...Do you have to unscrew the back to get to it?


Regardless...I had to play around a bit last night and here's what I've come up with...


The CT Antenna works fine when connected alone directly to the STB. The NYC Antenna works fine when connected alone through the pre-amp. I took the unamplifed signal from CT and hooked it to a CM combiner to run that down to the STB. The other input on the combiner has a DC Pass, which I connect the pre-amp and NYC antenna. The power supply is right before the STB. With the power on, I get NYC reception, but no CT. With it off, I get CT reception, but no NYC, so I have it hooked to an RF power switch and just switch the power on and off depending on what station I want to watch. Not the best solution, I know, but roof is not an option (fiancee ruled that one out).


Thanks for all of your help, but, come September, when WABC-DT goes live, I'm canning the CT antenna. I would assume (I know, bad assumption) that WPIX-DT would be full power on 33 by that time as well.


Just out of curiosity, what type of HD setups do you LIer's have, where are you, and what do you get?


Obviously, I'm in Selden and I have D* HD, plus OTA CBS and FOX from NYC, Ch 55 from Riverhead, and some spanish channel 23.1. I only get ABC from CT.

 

[Bogney Baux]

Quote:

Originally posted by seldenpat I don't know of any switch...Do you have to unscrew the back to get to it?

Yes, you have to get inside to throw the slide switch. From what you describe you may have it in the wrong position for separate VHF and UHF inputs. It is worth a look to make sure.

 

[DVW]

There may well be much more HD content from CT in the near future. We, here on LI, may be receiving our HD from CT & NYC for a long time. So don't be too quick to assume your CT antenna will be not needed soon. In fact you may need a better one, on the roof if possible.


If the fiancee is setting the rules now what happens after you get married? Unless of course it's her house.

 

[seldenpat]

Quote:

Originally posted by DVW If the fiancee is setting the rules now what happens after you get married? Unless of course it's her house.

Good one! Nope my house, just have to pick my battles. She doesn't say anything about Thursday night softball and Sundays at the bar during football season, so I'll give her this one!

 

[lomax]

Nice to hear from more Long Islanders!


Your fiancee would fall over and cry if she seen what is on my place, my neighbors think I work for the CIA.


I have a CM 4228 on a 40ft Mast preamp and Rotor, a DAT-75 on another temp. mast tied to the first mast. Two dishes for Sat. one for the main channels and one for the HD, and just to top it off two more for ExpressVU.


know anyone giving away C-Band equipment?

there is still space on the roof

 

[thehud2112]

Excellent! More LIers! I'm located in Miller Place which is two towns west of Port Jefferson up by the Sound. I have a CM 3678 on the chimney of my colonial. I have a CM preamp and rotor. I get ABC (100%), WB (80%), UPN (80%), PBS (70%) , PAX (60%) and CBS (60%) from CT. I get CBS (60%) and FOX (60%) from NY, I also get that spanish channel and WLNY-DT (Ch. 55 at 100%). Too far away for WB from NY. I understand NBC from CT will go live on or about May 1 according to antennaweb. I'm sure I'll be able to lock into that one as well.

 

[jamielexus]

Reply to thehud2112 how are you getting channel 7 i live in islip not to far from you!! i have a radio shack roof mounted antenna the biggest one they make.....Does channel7 Broadcast at certain times i get 2-1 5-1 5-2 and also the spanish channel(who cares) but cant seem to get this i cant seem to get it i was up on the roof pointing every dam way !! Help me this is relly fustrating!!!

 

[chrome]

good to see hud here...how are you this is chezzer

so far i'm getting

wb at 75% from conn

upn at 70% from conn

pbs at 65% from conn

i didnt see pax

is that ch 55? if it is i go get it at 90%

with ch 2 and 5 from the city at 95%

not bad from brentwood, long island


btw hud do you have a listing on what channels you get from conn?

like wb would be 11-1 or 12-1

if you can post it i want to do a lot of testing today to see what i can or cannot get


thanks

 

[DVW]

Seldenpat,


If we can get enough NFL in HD you won't want to go to the bar on sundays in the fall. That's all I want and I don't care which direction it comes from.


DVW

 

[thehud2112]

jamielexus, I get ABC from Connecticut, not NY. It won't be available in NY until September. Remember that I also live on the north shore. If you would like to try to get ABC from Connecticut, go to antennaweb.org and type in your address, it will show you which direction to point your antenna to get WTNH-DT (ABC). The channel is 8.1 and requires a VHF antenna, it's digitial channel is 10.

 

[thehud2112]

hey chezzer, thanks for pointing out this forum!


Here are my channels from CT:

ABC (8.1)

WB (20.1) Strange because it's listed as 12.1 but I only get it on 20.1

CBS (3.1)

PAX (26.1) It's not 55, it's the Connecticut PAX station, it has no HDTV anyway.

UPN (59.1)


And I just found out that NBC from CT has been moved from May 1 to July 4. That sucks.

 

[gebstr83]

I'm in Setauket, about a 1/2 mile from the Sound. I get everything that thehud gets. I'm using a Silver Sensor mounted to a 6' mast and a CM VHF only antenna mounted 2' lower on the same mast with a CM7777 pre-amp and CM rotor. This is all installed on a 10' DSS mast attached to my chimney. Total height, 40' +/-.

I have the uhf and vhf anntennas in opposite directions which allows me to receive CT ABC and ESB CBS & Fox without rotating.

It's all good here now.

gebstr83

 

[lomax]

You people getting WTXX WB Ct are so lucky,


I can not even break 13%, did get lock once on a bounce.


If CT NBC is listed as July that is good news to me! I was worried that it was going to be Sept or later. All those stations are on Rattle Snake, so when NBC goes up so does WTXX and the other PBS and Fox CT stations.

 

[thehud2112]

WOW! I just pointed my antenna at Connecticut and did a scan for digital channels and I locked in to channel 11.1 and 11.2 and it was NBC! There it was, Crossing Jordan in beautiful HDTV! Am I dreaming or have any of you seen this channel? Are they just testing? NBC also appeared on 22.1 and 22.3 (11.1 and 22.1 are NBC in SD, 11.2 and 22.3 are NBC in HD). I'm getting about a 70% signal. I hope it's not temporary!

 

[thehud2112]

During a commercial I found out that I am getting NBC from Springfield, MA! It's WWLP-DT. Did they just boost their signal or something? This is freaking me out. Maybe it's just weather conditions, I'll keep trying it at different times over the next few days to see if I still get it. I bet I'm just getting lucky.

 

[gebstr83]

Sounds like an excellent troposphereic ducting to me. I doubt you will get this on a regular basis. Ask Lomax, he gets Jersey sometimes too.

gebstr83