Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Antenna recommendations are not all that useful, unless its from someone who also lives in your house. (It's like getting recommendations about a cell phone provider, what works for some people in their home might not work for you in yours due to the differing factors).
Distance is only one of several factors that effect your reception. Adjacent or surrounding metallic objects, (wiring inside your attic?), metallic objects between you and the tower, (metal buildings, fences, other towers, etc.) hills & valleys, metallic stuff off to the side of the straight-line path between you and the towers, etc.
That's why the site is so good. it takes most of that into account.
Read the extra stuff on the AntennaWeb - Home website about the different TYPES of antennas.
I know all this as I had a friend who designed cell-phone towers, so I know a bit about signal transmission, but not so much about buying residential antennas. I'm curious - can you buy them (like a cell phone plan), with a 30 day trial and return policy if it doesn't work in your specific geo-location and conditions?
I have always had trouble with ABC. I get all of the other channels just fine (although sometimes have to move the antenna around when changing from one to another), but the only way I can get ABC (and only sometimes at that) is if I hang the antenna upside down from a chair right by the window (literally). I have no idea how far I am from their signal, but my neighbors seem to get it just fine. I should probably upgrade my antenna.
If you have trouble picking up WTVD 11.1 try the ABC affiliate, I think out of Greensboro WXLV, on channel 45.1. I have to rotate our indoor antenna but I pick it up better than the "local" ABC 11.
Thus, my flat leaf antenna pulls in everything else very well, but not Channel 11 (WTVD). The leaf antenna is optimized for UHF stations, so a station like WTVD will not come in well.
I've taped the antenna flat to the ceiling right over a window and that has helped quite a bit, but WTVD still freezes, pixelates and the sound drops out. I hate to have to buy another antenna which can also handle VHF, but it looks like that is the only way to fix it.
FYI, I live 30 miles from most of the broadcast towers.
If my experience living elsewhere means anything, VHF-8 is a really nice piece of real estate. With enough watts, that should be a real blowtorch.
Could be good or could be problematic. It depends upon several factors other than just the power level. The antenna transmitting pattern and terrain issues also play a major role. And for reception you ideally will need rabbit ears or a good VHF antenna rather than a Mohu or UHF antenna.
And VHF is more subject to noise and interference than UHF for digital TV. In Greensboro, WGHP FOX-8 was allowed by the FCC to move to UHF-35 after VHF-8 resulted in major reception problems. But in other markets such as DC and Atlanta, VHF reception has been good. Also circular polarization rather than horizontal may be of benefit. WTVD is now circular polarization.
TylerSC is correct. The majority of broadcast engineers prior to the digital OTA cutover believed that UHF would prove to be superior to high VHF. Sometimes that has proved to be true, sometimes not. Almost all low-VHF stations fled to UHF except in the Great Plains area.
TylerSC is correct. The majority of broadcast engineers prior to the digital OTA cutover believed that UHF would prove to be superior to high VHF. Sometimes that has proved to be true, sometimes not. Almost all low-VHF stations fled to UHF except in the Great Plains area.
At my location in Upstate SC, I get very good reception from WSPA which broadcasts on channel 7. So not all VHF reception may be an issue. But WLOS from Asheville on channel 13 is quite problematic and more subject to noise and interference. But this is because they have a null in their transmitting pattern, whereas WSPA is omnidirectional. Ironically I get WBTV from Charlotte much stronger at 100%, but they have a good omnidirectional UHF signal on channel 23.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
WTVD still not UHF
