Cutting The Cord And Looking For Help

[Ironmagz]

I've still got a lot to learn on the new OTA stuff!

 

[comfortably_numb]

I need to make a better "list" of the ones I am getting and or compare with the TVFOOL report, that and the real/virtual channels still are confusing to me. But I'm pretty sure I am not receiving the ABC stations to this point. I'm pretty sure that's the only major I haven't seen yet, that and it's side channels. I'm not sure why it wouldn't be coming in... growing up it always seemed one that came it well VS the KPTS or CBS.

My guess is it's because ABC is a VHF channel and those are often more difficult to pull in. KAKE also simulcasts on UHF 21, but it's only 15 kW, and at your distance from the towers it's probably not strong enough to come in.

When we were kids back in the analog days, VHF worked much better.

 

[Ironmagz]

My guess is it's because ABC is a VHF channel and those are often more difficult to pull in. KAKE also simulcasts on UHF 21, but it's only 15 kW, and at your distance from the towers it's probably not strong enough to come in.

When we were kids back in the analog days, VHF worked much better.

I see! Well the 2nd antenna I was anticipating is indeed a VHF only and maybe that's what will solve this problem. So do you suppose I'm not receiving any VHF at this point, as the only other VHF stations at this point I am receiving, but they both also have UHF. I guess I just need to pay more attention and figure out what's happening with it....

 

[comfortably_numb]

I see! Well the 2nd antenna I was anticipating is indeed a VHF only and maybe that's what will solve this problem. So do you suppose I'm not receiving any VHF at this point, as the only other VHF stations at this point I am receiving, but they both also have UHF. I guess I just need to pay more attention and figure out what's happening with it....

If you do connect a VHF-only antenna in addition to your current one, be sure to connect it to the empty port on your RCA Preamp and flip the toggle switch for "separate VHF antenna." Then you can use them both with that same preamp.

 

[Ironmagz]

BTW....

Ready Or Not!!!! ...............As of this morning 3/20/18 at 12:00am the DirecTV cord has been cut!!!!! After 15 plus years!!

 

[Ironmagz]

Well I got the new VHF antenna in and got it and the other (3 week old) UHF mounted on a new section of schedule 40 top rail and moved it all to the south end of the house where the DTV dish still calls home.

Got the mast (20' for now) standing up and bracketed to the south wall and pointed toward the towers. In anticipation of using all the existing coax runs into the house I also purchased and received a new 2-way splitter. Started unhooking the four-way and hooking up to the new two-way until I found the lead that was going to the main TV. I couldn't find it (more later) so ended up tracing it back to the box outside to be sure which it was. After I was sure I had the right one and still wasn't getting any signals I finally realized the new splitter didn't say it had dc-pass-thru on it... So I hoped this was the issue and replaced it with another 2-way that was conveniently left in the box for my use, and it clearly stated DC-passthru.

It worked, and the pre-amp started pushing signals through the lines. Excited I went ahead and let the main tuner start finding signals. It found 19... not as many as the 22 I was hoping to receive but two more than without the new VHF at the old mast location.

With the accessibility of the existing coax lines through the house I also hooked up the 63" Samsung plasma in the Master. So I set it to find all the stations it could. Low and behold it came up with 34 stations!! This TV picked up some shopping channels, at least one religion channel and a couple of repeats (uhf) channels of the ABC affiliate. These repeat channels 10.1 and 10.2 were low signal channels that I am now ignoring and instead using the VHF hi strong signals. I'll have to take some time and record what and where all of these channels are coming from.

So at this point I am wondering if the older Samsung has a better tuner than the 2016 OLED in the theater room.... Though I am fairly certain that the coax run to the master is a direct line from the splitter which runs through the crawl space and up through the floor. The coax coming into the theater room to the OLED I know definitely has a splice. It was ran outside the house around the siding and into the wall behind the TV, but it has a wall plate there where the last about 6' is attached and finishes the run. So I'm guessing what, an additional 3.5Db loss at least? Plus it runs outdoors in the weather for probably 60'.

I am either going to pick up an HD Homerun tonight on the way home or order one and will try it out in the theater room and see if it pulls the additional stations in too. I brought home an old PC from work, an i5 3.1ghz that I will reformat and setup as a media PC with PLEX and PLEX DVR subscription. I'll hopefully know how this is going to work out by this weekend.

For future reference at this point and to consolidate so it can maybe provide help to anyone that will find this in the future:

-My TVFOOL report at my current mast height: TV Fool

-The preamp I am using: amazon.com/RCA-TVPRAMP1Z-Preamplifier-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B003P92D9Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522683913&sr=8-3&keywords=rca+preamp&dpID=41hnJXfhlHL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

-The UHF/VHF first trial antenna now only providing the UHF: http://www.newark.com/webapp/wcs/st...estType=Base&partNumber=88W2140&storeId=10194

-The new VHF antenna addition: amazon.com/gp/product/B01BP4KV9Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[comfortably_numb]

Sounds like you’re having good success! The Stellar Labs 30-2476 is a very good VHF antenna. I have the same model. Keep us posted on your final channel tally

 

[harshness]

How many TVs total?

Insertion loss for a properly install coupler is around 0.1dB.

How is it that in such a topographically challenged state as Kansas that so many OTA hopefuls have multiple edge reception issues?

 

[comfortably_numb]

How is it that in such a topographically challenged state as Kansas that so many OTA hopefuls have multiple edge reception issues?

It’s a common misconception that Kansas is flat.

 

[harshness]

It’s a common misconception that Kansas is flat.

The area around Whichita appears to vary by less than 500' for at least 100 miles in every direction. It appears that things don't get particularly interesting until you get close to Colorado (much as Texas doesn't get interesting until you get close to New Mexico).

Oregon, for example, varies as much as 11,000' in 120 miles (Sea Level to the summit of Mt. Hood).

 

[comfortably_numb]

The area around Whichita appears to vary by less than 500' for at least 100 miles in every direction. It appears that things don't get particularly interesting until you get close to Colorado (much as Texas doesn't get interesting until you get close to New Mexico).

Oregon, for example, varies as much as 11,000' in 120 miles (Sea Level to the summit of Mt. Hood).

Hays Kansas is 2000 feet. You start climbing once you get west of Topeka.

 

[Ironmagz]

How many TVs total?

Insertion loss for a properly install coupler is around 0.1dB.

How is it that in such a topographically challenged state as Kansas that so many OTA hopefuls have multiple edge reception issues?

I am currently split to only 2 TVs. Some day if I find the need I could change to a 3-way and feed a 3rd TV. And might do it anyway just to experiment one of these days. BTW the TV that gets worse reception is also the line that I am inserting power into. Not sure that matters just pointing it out in case.

So I'm guessing if the coupler is properly installed you are saying it's probably not causing the lack of reception...?

My residence falls into the edge of an area in Kansas and Northern Oklahoma called the Flint Hills.
Flint Hills - Wikipedia

All I guess it takes is to be one of the unlucky ones that is at the bottom of one of the Flint Hills. Like me who then have all the 1 or 2Edge signals.... Consequently anyone not in the Flint Hills nor is living further west towards Colorado gets to see their dog for days as it runs away from home!! Not to mention if they are on top of one of the flint hills then they are probably also in LOS with nearly every broadcast tower in the state!

All of the hills look pretty random when you are too close to the earth... but get the correct view from a commercial airliner and you start to see the hills aren't so random. In fact you'll see that view reminds you of looking at the veins in a leaf. They all follow suit in the picture as a whole!

 

[comfortably_numb]

I am currently split to only 2 TVs. Some day if I find the need I could change to a 3-way and feed a 3rd TV. And might do it anyway just to experiment one of these days. BTW the TV that gets worse reception is also the line that I am inserting power into. Not sure that matters just pointing it out in case.

So I'm guessing if the coupler is properly installed you are saying it's probably not causing the lack of reception...?

My residence falls into the edge of an area in Kansas and Northern Oklahoma called the Flint Hills.
Flint Hills - Wikipedia

All I guess it takes is to be one of the unlucky ones that is at the bottom of one of the Flint Hills. Like me who then have all the 1 or 2Edge signals.... Consequently anyone not in the Flint Hills or is living further west towards Colorado gets to see their dog for days as it runs away from home!!

All of the hills look pretty random when you are too close to the earth... but get the correct view from a commercial airliner and you start to see the hills aren't so random. In fact you'll see that view reminds you of looking at the veins in a leaf. They all follow suit in the picture as a whole!

Looks beautiful. Kansas probably doesn’t receive as much credit as it should for being a really unspoiled place. It’s some of the last preserve of natural prairie in the nation.

 

[Ironmagz]

Sounds like you’re having good success! The Stellar Labs 30-2476 is a very good VHF antenna. I have the same model. Keep us posted on your final channel tally

I will admit I haven't dealt with too many antennas but this one looked to be well designed and constructed! And it doesn't seem to have any problem with my distance and edges....

 

[harshness]

Hays Kansas is 2000 feet. You start climbing once you get west of Topeka.

It is that relatively gentle ascent that makes it "uninteresting".

 

[comfortably_numb]

It is that relatively gentle ascent that makes it "uninteresting".

It's the constant negativity in your tone that makes your posts "uninteresting."

 

[comfortably_numb]

Here are some photos I took of the area I live in.

 

[harshness]

TW the TV that gets worse reception is also the line that I am inserting power into. Not sure that matters just pointing it out in case.

I would guess that the insertion loss isn't much more than that of a coupler. Getting a whole other level of stations suggests that there may be other compromises (additional splitters?) in the line or the tuner really is that poor.

So I'm guessing if the coupler is properly installed you are saying it's probably not causing the lack of reception...?

Doesn't seem likely unless it is defective (I've seen couplers that came without any center connector) or there has been moisture in in the cable or connection that have messed with the impedance.

I'd try getting a fresh 100' cable and running it through doors or windows direct from the splitter (or preamp output if convenient) to the theater tuner and see if your theater room channel count improves.

 

[Ironmagz]

I would guess that the insertion loss isn't much more than that of a coupler. Getting a whole other level of stations suggests that there may be other compromises (additional splitters?) in the line or the tuner really is that poor.Doesn't seem likely unless it is defective (I've seen couplers that came without any center connector) or there has been moisture in in the cable or connection that have messed with the impedance.

I'd try getting a fresh 100' cable and running it through doors or windows direct from the splitter (or preamp output if convenient) to the theater tuner and see if your theater room channel count improves.

I'll probably do this to see what I find. I have plans to replace the coax coming from the antenna's anyway.. I think it's cheap stuff that I had laying around and currently is longer than is required. Though it seems to provide enough signal that one TV can get almost twice the channels as the other. But at the least I will get it cut down to save some additional loss.

Yeah that one to the theater room with the longer run outdoors does seem to be pretty weathered. And then terminates at the wall plate in the wall. So wouldn't surprise me something there is compromised.

 

[Ironmagz]

Many thanks to all that have read this thread and or provided insight to my goal of OTA! And ultimately Cutting-The-Cord!!

I have come a long way in just a few weeks and this is the place that answered my questions and had plenty of advice to help me out! I will attempt to continue to update this thread as I make all of the final installation changes and fixes as I get to the point that this endeavor is at it's peak of completeness!!

Thanks again for providing a path for success.