HDTV Forum

Mike-
1. Reception from 90 degrees could be explained by a building in that direction with a flat face angled exactly right to reflect signals from St. Louis. You would probably be able to see this building from your antenna. This is so unlikely I am going to assume this is not happening.

2. Reception from 90 degrees could be explained by the antenna being assembled wrong. Since an installer put it up for you I am going to assume this is not the case.

3. Reception from 90 degrees (except for cases 1 and 2 above) is bizarre and suggests that your antenna is in a completely dead spot. You have to move it.

4. Reception from 90 degrees could be the result of a reflection from a close metallic object, possibly something under the roof of your house.

Antennaweb.org says the prospects for DTV reception in your ZIP code are bleak. But if you can get something with the antenna at 90 degrees then my guess is there is still hope. -Ken

Ken,
Tonight my best signal for the FOX channel(43.3) is in the normal range and I have had to point my antenna toward the northwest which is completely opposite of where the best signal was last night(almost due EAST). This is unbelievable. My only assumption is that the weather and the tree causes the signal to defract differently every day. I can tune in my STL stations on most days at night but the problem is during the day but the strong signals are very rarely in the same spot with the exception that the strongest signals are from 90 degrees to a negative 90 degrees on the spectrum.

BTW: I did want you to know that if I point my antenna toward the south a can pick up Paducah, Kentucky channel 6.1(32) which I am not sure how far away Paducah is from me.( my guess 200 plus miles). Actually I just checked expedia.com to see how far Paducah, Kentucky is away from me and it is 158 miles. So it is frustrating that I can't get some STL channels that are only 70 miles away.

So this is something else that does not make sense to me.

Antennaweb.org says the prospects for DTV reception in your ZIP code are bleak.

That is the first time I have ever seen no listings for DTV. They are telling you to go pound sand and it seems that is what you are experiencing....

Is there some hilly thing or mountain range between you and the towers? Are you in a big valley?

These are your NTSC locals.

violet - uhf KBSI 23 FOX CAPE GIRARDEAU MO 118̊ 52.6 23
violet - uhf WTCT 27 TBN MARION IL 100̊ 77.1 27

violet - uhf WRBU 46 SAH EAST ST. LOUIS IL 354̊ 43.0 46
violet - uhf KDNL 30 ABC ST. LOUIS MO 4̊ 56.2 30
violet - uhf KNLC 24 FMN ST. LOUIS MO 349̊ 41.6 24

If it was me...

I would grab that old antenna and stick it somewhere with the rotor that allows easy access. Run cable directly from my NTSC tuner input to the combo antenna. Check all stations and spin the antenna each time. Then I would put a new balun on the antenna and do a quick confirm on the TV. Then I would replace the antenna with the 9032. Check all stations and spin the antenna each time. I should see at least the same response or better from channels 23 and 27. If not I would suspect a defective antenna. As for 24, 30 and 46 I would expect the same except for what you and Ken have been discussing about that tree. Anyway I would then install the preamp. Check all stations and spin the antenna each time. Should have the same or better. You can use 24, 30 and 46 to sniff out your situation as those are coming from the direction you are having problems with and you will learn far more than you ever could using the DTV receiver

I do not know why antennaweb.org now says that I can not get DTV. Originally when I put the old combo up back in 2001 it had all my digital stations listed for STL. They were all listed as good with the exception of a couple which were listed as marginal. I can not remember which channels those where but they turned out not to be the channels that I experienced trouble with. Believe me I have been watching most of STL digital channels for the last 3 years on my old antenna. The only problem channels that were consistently fading in and out were/are Fox 43.3 and PBS(Channel 39). I think the PBS channel is at very low power but I could never understand why I had so much problem reception with FOX. So anyway antennaweb.org is very much incorrect about my situation. In fact I just had the installer over today and he put back up my old CM combo antenna and left the rotor up and so far all my STL stations are coming in great this evening without having to use the rotor to tune them in. The only exception is PBS which very rarely I could get anyway. BTW: my Fox station is coming in at normal to good this evening.

Before everybody including myself jump to any conclusions I just want to state that this has happen before with the FOX channel. On some nights the signal is great and others particulary during the day it is either gone completely or fades in and out. So this is a wait and see thing. I am hoping that with the rotor on my combo that I may be able to tune in FOX once it starts to fade away.

I of course kept the 9032 after the installer took it down. I am not going to give up on it due to this forum feeling this should outperform my big CM combo antenna. The installer gave me a 5 foot pole and I am either going to get a tripod or something to hold this pole and I am going to hook up the 9032 along with the wingard preamp and place it on the ground at the end of my house where it would clear my neighbors big tree and start to experiment with it in different locations and at different angles and see if I can get a better signal for the FOX station or the PBS station. I will keep everyone posted on my progress with the 9032.

I really want to thank everyone for their help. Everyone here is always so helpful and very knowlegeable. It is a great forum!!!!!!!

OK here is an update on my struggles with my antenna and trying to get the FOX STL station.




It has been a week since the installer took down the 9032 UHF antenna and re-installed ny old CM UHF/VHF antenna that does not have UHF corner reflectors on it(2001 model--unsure if it came with them),

Anyway as soon as he put the old antenna back up and re-aimed it toward the north and alittle bit more east this time than it was before, all the major STL stations have had a very strong signal(at least for 70 miles from STL). Since the re-install I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FOX CHANNEL EVERYDAY WITH A NORMAL TO GOOD SIGNAL(my meter reads bad, normal and good on my Sony HD300 receiver). There has not been any fade in and out on any of the major STL channels for the last 7 days.

The only changes that were made is the mast has an extra 3 feet to it due to the rotor and 3 ft. mast added and now the antenna is pointed alittle more northeast instead of north. Before it was pointed more directly into the middle of my neighbor's large tree. It is still behind the tree but for some reason(position, height, weather) the fox channel has stayed with a good signal.

I know this does not make sense.............. especially since most people recommended that the 9032 UHF antenna should work in a deep fringe area like mine.

I have not used the rotor since the old combo has been put up..........................LOL.......... : I am scared to move the antenna in any direction for fear that I will not be able to get the strong fox signal back again.

So far so good with the old antenna back in place and a few minor changes to my setup.

Just another update concerning my antenna. It has been 2 weeks now since I had my old uhf/vhf combo put back up to replace the 9032 uhf only antenna and after 2 weeks the FOX STL channel has maintained a consistent signal with no signal fade out. See above for the adjustments made to my antenna setup.

I will keep updating this thread periodically.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that my signal stays strong. I have yet to move the antenna with the rotor.

Thanks............................