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Jim Yanik

Peter wrote in :

On 1/13/2010 6:26 PM, wrote:
wrote:
On 1/13/2010 12:37 PM, wrote:

If you are only 10 miles away over flat territory and using
an amplifier, that is likely your problem. You are getting
too much signal. If you remove the amp you should do better.

Chip

I bought the amplified indoor antenna after I was unable to get
satisfactory reception using several different configuration
traditional unamplified indoor antennas. The reception with the
amplified antenna was much better than using the unamplified
antenna, but still unsat.

I'm in the DC metro area. One of my biggest reception problems is
with a major network outlet that is broadcasting in a lower VHF
channel and dropped it's effective radiated power from about 220KW
analog to 12.5 KW digital!! That's right, not a typo. When I
called the station engineer to ask why they were using such low
power, they told me that they had petitioned the FCC to transmit
with greater power, but the FCC was concerned that greater power
would cause interference in the Baltimore metro area (which is more
than 40 miles north of DC). So, I can't receive a decent signal 10
miles away with an indoor antenna and the FCC is worried about
interference 40+ miles away. No wonder OTA reception of this
station is so difficult.

Have you tried an outside antenna? Your results would no doubt be
excellent.

Chip

Chip,
Sorry that you must have missed my earlier postings in this thread.
That's exactly what I ended up doing, but even so, still do not get
reception free of occasional pixelation and short drop-outs when there
are strong storms, high winds, or airplanes in the line of sight
between the transmitter and my rooftop directional antenna. Peter

can't do much about aircraft,but if strong storms or high winds are
affecting your reception,perhaps your antenna is not aimed optimally,or
it's mounting is not strong enough. One thing,though;10 miles may actually
be -too close-,as you may be UNDER the station's antenna pattern.
Thus the need for an outside rooftop antenna.

WRT the xmit power issue,many stations REDUCED xmitted power after a trial
period. They wanted to save on their electric bill.

I also lost a low-VHF station(Ch.2) in the conversion.
It's NBC,so no great loss.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com