OK guys...lets talk about this some more.
the 2476 (large vhf fringe) simply could not get a signal when I aimed it due west to the LA stations
the 2485 did OK aiming south to the San diego stations (nothing when aimed west ...this yielded 39.1 39.2 and 69.1-3
The rain today wiped out all these stations too
I can always pick up 24,1-4 and 33.1-9.
Numbers do not lie. They were never very good for Los Angeles stations, and you have issues with levels from both Mt Wilson to the west as well as the mostly UHF transmitters east of you. These numbers also assume a clear line of sight path, and what many people do not appreciate is simply how tall the mountains are in the Los Angeles area. Your line of sight is
much worse than the numbers because of your local obstructions such as the neighbor's house. The only reason that San Diego area stations are working is that you have a partial water path and nothing major in the way.
But 100 plus miles is too far to expect consistent uninterrupted reception.
As a comparison, when I lived in Santa Barbara in the early 90s, we had San Diego coming in stronger than Los Angeles at least 1 day out of every 3. And Los Angeles was 95 miles away. Local natives explained it to me in stories about the changing marine layer and shooting straight across the water to San Diego. I would have to also suggest that you may have greatly varying signal levels between you and San Diego that also change because of variations in that water path. Digital signals are normally unreliable past 70 miles in situations with the line of sight path you have in the 100 to 110 mile path from your location to San Diego and Tijuana transmitters.
It is entirely possible that you have made a mistake in installing an antenna properly, but even the best antenna in the world would not guarantee reliable reception 24/7. Park a Ku-band dish on 103 West to get the four NBC time zone feeds full time. Get a Roku 3 or their latest stick that supports new signals, and connect to high speed Internet. All of your local stations are available (some for free, some may cost you money), but you are more or less beating a dead horse and the frustration levels must be huge. A Roku device will cost less than the antennas you have purchased, and I assure you that you will have better luck in getting both San Diego and Los Angeles signals. Good luck.
It is possible I did not do the 2476 right, I stuck it back in the box, any chance someone can post a pic of the way it is supposed to be assembled?
Lastly if I wanted a better antenna for the 39.1 and 69.1 from the SD market, would there be a suggestion for that rather than the tint 2485 which is being affected by weather today ?
