[StarCityOTA]


Hey all, new to the forums with a newb question.  I just picked up an OTA for my tv.  Needed the local stations.  For whatever reason I cannot get a signal for WBRA at all on 15.x - can't remember which it's on here in Roanoke.  Channel 15 has no signal whatsoever.  I have all (I believe) the other stations within the Roanoke area, just not PBS.  I'm in the Grandin area of Roanoke City.  I hope the answer isn't they shut down the transmitter here in Roanoke like they did in SWVA.  Forgive me if the answer is completely obvious...I perused the forums and internet this evening for some insight but came up empty.  Thanks for any help and/or advice.

 

[Theducksfan2010]


Did you look on rf Channel 3??

 

Station	City of license	Channels TV  /  DT	First air date	ERP	HAAT	Facility ID	Transmitter Coordinates
WBRA-TV	Roanoke	15 ( PSIP ) 3 ( VHF )	August 1, 1967	9.8  kW	618 m	5981	37°11′46″N 80°9′17″W

 

[Trip in VA]

You need a low-VHF antenna, preferably outdoors. When I lived in Roanoke, my enormous homemade VHF indoor antenna would get me WBRA but with many drop outs and other signal problems, and when electrical devices (blender, vacuum, etc) ran, it went away entirely.


- Trip

 

[StarCityOTA]


Thanks guys.  I just let my tv scan for the channel and it wasn't picking up at first.  What was odd to me was finding out from the FCC's DTV reception maps where the transmitters for the area are located.  WPBR is located in the same general locale so I assumed, hey, it'll come in - newb mistake.  I haven't had an antenna since well before the digital conversion, nor have I considered it.  I dug around a bit more and found some info on the lo-v/hi-v/UHF.  Now, I have channels 15.x with my antenna in a different location (in the window of what is essentially a finished attic facing in an easterly direction), but I gotta stand, no kidding, in a certain spot near the antenna and it's a perfect picture.  If I move, adios to PBS.  I'm thinking I just need to fine tune the location and probably get a different antenna that offers a bit more mobility in the upstairs. 

 

I have another window that faces in a westerly direction, but it'll take a longer cable run from the antenna.  Maybe only lose wset (which doesn't have great reception as it is) and wwcw (maybe).  Trying to keep the antenna indoors.  I don't watch a lot of tv anyhow, but I would like to have PBS.  And I think I read lo-vhi-v signals have a more difficult time penetrating indoors, especially through brick; which my house is made.  So, I'm guessing that's why I have reception difficulty with WPBR (at times no signal without a human amplifier and WSET indoor.

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

[ejb1980]

Roanoke can be tricky to get everything, especially with the two VHF signals being not THAT close together, and WBRA is low VHF, RF3. WIth effort, I can get WSET in NC with a pretty basic antenna, but nothing that locks on RF3. If you're close enough to the WBRA tower, perhaps an old pair of rabbit ears with the poles fully extended would get it.


Edit: After reviewing your posts, it seems you might be using an indoor antenna already. For some reason, I didn't pick up on that already. Does it have poles? Those will do more for WBRA than the other parts of the antenna.

 

[Trip in VA]

I lived near the WDBJ-7 studio and it took a pretty decent sized indoor antenna to make anything work for WBRA. I got everything else without issue, even WSET which was finicky (and on channel 34 at the time), but WBRA was mostly a lost cause that entire summer.


You will want to go attic mount at the bare minimum, though you could try a large rabbit ear style antenna too.


- Trip