OTA info for TV guide

[bjbinsjo]

I would like to see a lot more about OTA, how to set up (compass?) antennaes and make sure everything has a chance of working.

Thanks,

Bruce
San Jose, CA

[Shane]

I would like to see a lot more about OTA, how to set up (compass?) antennaes and make sure everything has a chance of working.

You're in luck Bruce ... we have that service already:
http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/programming/broadcast.php

Select your market from the list and it will display all your local antenna locations. If you have your address configured in your profile, then it will show distance and azimuth (direction) to all towers, along with some other interesting data.

- Shane

[bjbinsjo]

Are the numbers true north or magnetic? "Bearing" implies true north. Also, AntennaWeb calls their headings out as "compass orientation," and the numbers are different from HDTV's by 15 degrees.

See my confusion?


Bruce

[eliwhitney]

Hi bjbinjo -

In any case, one should actually have a helper at the HDTV, watching while the new antenna mast is very slowly being turned. Keep doing so while observing that signal strength % until it is as high as possible for the specific antenna being use. A pair of cell phones would also be a necessity.

Those 'headings' are just a starting point...not an absolute.
eli whitney

[bjbinsjo]

So the two different sources list headings that differ by 15 degrees, and you're saying that's just a starting point? And how do I measure the "signal strength" you refer to?

[DanKolton]

I entered my address in my profile and got back that a station that I know to be about a mile north and 2 miles east is 14.5 miles away. I also found the directions of most towers listed generally northeast, but I know several to be northwest.