Question: OTA digital TV in fringe areas

Dr. Whiplash · Post by **Dr. Whiplash** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:30 am

Some friends, neighbors and I need some technical advice. We live in TV no-mans-land, equidistant from four TV markets. If you're on a hill with a good VHF antenna and optional rotor, most stations from these markets are watchable. WSAZ, WTRF and WBNS "win" their markets. (where we live Clarksburg is out - go 10 miles in any direction and a different market or two are out - it's nuts). Even the strong stations have less than perfect signals under normal conditions.

Being an old radio guy and DXer, friends come to me with questions and I don't know squat about digital vs analog TV reception. Any general guidance, rules of thumb, and reference sources appreciated.

Specifically, I'm thinkin' folks will need to replace their big VHF booms, but with what? Just a big UHF yagi? (A salesman is coming to display 'amazing' new antennas/boosters to some friends this week; the sales pitch as relayed to me sounds shady.)

By the way, being in the Parkersburg TV market, satellite providers cannot provide 'local' channels in Wood, Washington and Pleasants counties. Good place to sell antennas.

Thanks.

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:15 am

A big UHF antenna, a tower to fit, low-loss feedline and a rotor.
WBNS and WOWK may be the only locals returning to VHF, so
an antenna for Hi-VHF may be in order. The digital signals travel well
and will surprise you sometimes. Make the antenna huckster demonstrate
his wares. Ask him the difference in analog and digital antennas.
Be careful of pre-amps, they may be more trouble than they are worth.

NTW: "Miracle" antennas don't work.
You get what you pay for.
Size matters.

rfhertz · Post by **rfhertz** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:51 am

I have not located a single "consumer" pre-amp that provided any real assistance. They tend to amplify the noise floor instead of the desired signal.
Genlock offers the best antenna advice.
Use high quality coax(NEVER Radio Shack), and don't forget to weatherproof your outdoor connection. I use Belden RG-6 with gasketed connecters. The outdoor connections are wrapped in Coax-Seal.

Tom Taggart · Post by **Tom Taggart** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 5:34 pm

Most recent check of FCC records indicate that Channels 7, 12, 13 and 5 all plan to stay on their present channel for digital.

Stay tuned

[insert Indian head test pattern here]

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:06 pm

But 7 and 5 are worthless.
7 is Bray tv and 5 will have a lot of skip and ignition noise.
A good high quality uhf antenna will pay off in the long run.
There are some that have coax matching built into the antenna.
That means no 300 to 75 ohm balun.
One less connection to fail and on less item to fail.
Those little baluns are a problem.Good luck on your off-air project.