JOIN NOW LOG IN
iVillage GardenWeb iVillage GardenWeb THE INTERNET'S GARDEN & HOME COMMUNITY ADVERTISEMENT
Blogs Forums Photo Galleries Ask The Experts Tools & Directories        
Return to the Home Entertainment Forum | Post a Follow-Up

 o
TV antennas- mixed results

Posted by albartsch (My Page) on
Mon, Jun 15, 09 at 6:20

I have 3 tvs in a vacation home on an island in Maine (04017). I'm testing various antennas on them, with digital converter boxes. With an indoor directional antenna I can get 10 stations on one tv, but with an identical antenna on the tv in the next room I get only one station. Is it the TV? Maybe a connection is bad. I also have a flat RCA antenna, but only get 4 stations with that.

Weather is pretty serious, and I'm not there most of the year, so I'm reluctant to climb on the roof, and cut holes in the walls for an outdoor antenna.

What would you do?
Is there anywhere to go for help?

I've looked at the chart of the stations I should get and don't get many of them.

thanks!


Follow-Up Postings:

 o
RE: TV antennas- mixed results

I would recommend going to link below for antennaweb.org you can put in your address and it will give you estimate of the antenna type you will need for each station that would be available at the location. Most times if you are not very close to a big city you will need an external antenna to get reliable reception. The plus sides is that with a proper amplifier you could share the signal from one antenna to all 3 tvs.

Here is a link that might be useful: AntennaWeb


 o
RE: TV antennas- mixed results

Try to connect the "good antenna" to the "bad TV" in the other room, then at least you'll know if it's the reception or the TV. Move things around until you've clearly pinpointed the problem, after that you can decide what to do.


 o
RE: TV antennas- mixed results

I have posted your generic TVFool.com report for your location below: it indicated that most of the transmitters are about 30 miles away, in an arc of about 50 degrees to the west.

WPFO, your FOX station, however, lies in a different direction, north-northeast of you. You best bet is a small, directional outdoor antenna mounted on the roof aimed in the middle of the spread of your local stations: about 280 degrees, as measured by your compass. I would use an AntennaCraft HBU-22 or a Winegard HD-7694P mounted on your roof, with the lead-in coax cable run to a 4 way distribution amplifier, like a Channel Master CM3414. Run Coax cable from the distribution amp to each TV set.

This system will insure uniformly excellent reception on all the TV sets in the house, regardless of their location, and will serve you well for many years to come. You will find that this antenna installation will actually cost you LESS than fooling around with 4 amplifier indoor TV atennas, and will provide much greater satisfaction.

Here is a link that might be useful: TVFool.com report


 
 

 

 


Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.



iVillage GardenWeb: The Internet's Garden & Home Community  
  iVillage Home & Garden Network