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Picking up signal on back of antenna

512 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  arxaw, 
C
Hello all,


Just recieved by first HD Over the air broadcast a few days ago, awesome. This was a PBS station about 60 miles away. I have a large UHF/VHF directional antenna. I have a pre-amp (non-powered) and a powered amp by the antenna. And about 70 foot of rf cable. Now that I am hooked on HD I am trying to get another HD channel that is about 30 miles away. When I point my antenna directly at this transponder I get nothing, but when I point the back of the antenna at it I get a decent anolog feed, but no HD sub channels. Am I over amplified? Once when I had the antenna pointing drectly at the signal, I thought I heard an fm station but no picture.


Thanks if anyone can help, great site.


-Camp
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Ratman
It would be helpful if you provide:

Make/model of antenna

Make/model of (non-powered??) pre-amp

Make/model "amp at the antenna(??)"

Type of RF cable (RG6, RG59...)

Where's the antenna mounted (roof, attic...)?

Do you have a rotor or manually aiming the antenna?

Could you provide you zip code so we know were your location?
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T
How does the non-powered amplifier work?
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A
Assuming that the amplifiers are actually functioning, when you point the antenna towards the station that is just 30 miles away, you may be overloading an amplifier or the tuner. Suggested remedies will be provided once you respond to Ratman's request for additional information.
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C
Here is some additional information, the pre-amp/amplifier is a cheap $19 magnavox, sorry do no have the model number, it is made in china. If I remember the specs are something like +22db vhf +26db UHF.


My zipcode is 55744, and I am trying to get channel 13 in hibbing minnesota. I have no clue what the antenna make is but it looks like this: tvantenna(dot)com/images/800-2.jpg


Also, My coaxial cable is cheap probably RG59. I am just learning so when I bought most of this stuff years ago I had no clue. Again it picks up the PBS station 60 miles away beautifully, and one other strange note it also picks up channel 59, 15 miles away very nicely as well, this is not an HD station. But 13 only comes in if I point the back of the attenna at it.


Oh yeh, no rotor, am going up on the roof and turning it by hand, split level house, with the antenna about 5 feet above the roof line.


Thanks much.
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Ratman
You need to check that the pre-amp is properly installed/connected.

Determine if you really need a pre-amp.

Install a rotor.


According to antennaweb.org only one digital station shows up.


* violet - uhf WRPT-DT 31 PBS HIBBING MN Now Available 68° 28.5 31
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C
antenna web must not be up to date because the HD channel I am getting is channel 9 PBS in Bemidji, also Channel 13 in hibbing also has HD according to there website, the transponder in hibbing is called wirt-DT. and they claim to offer HD on 13.1 (although I believe it is broadcast in UHF)
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A
WIRT-DT is on channel 36, which is UHF. Their analog ch is on VHF 13. The digital station is also broadcasting at only 1/3 of full power, so that may be your biggest problem. Also, make sure the end of the antenna on the right hand side of this picture
http://tvantenna.com/images/800-2.jpg

is pointing toward the station's transmitter tower.
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