AntennaWeb may not be accurate

[bryan27]

In my constant quest to have my channel map changed to Pittsburgh with no results I once again called VOOM. The CSR and I discoved that AntennaWeb has my house in the wrong place by 1/2 mile and even when placed in the right spot the Pittsburgh channels I actually receive don't show up and the channels that do show up I don't receive. Thus VOOM seemed reluctant to change my channel map

However when I explained that last year AntennaWeb was correct and had the right stations, and that Titan TV showed the correct stations the CSR expedited the request again.

Attached are the AntennaWeb and Titan TV results when placed at my correct location. There is a big difference between the two with AntennaWeb being the incorrect results.

 

[Sean Mota]

Antennaweb.org has become very conservative in their digital maps. I am working on your mapping bryan. I hope to have it resolve even if antennaweb.org is incorrect.

 

[bryan27]

Thank's Sean. Since VOOM relies heavily on AntennaWeb, major mistakes like this could explain why so many people have problems with their locals. I did notice if I did analog only on AntennaWeb it was way too liberal and showed stations so far away they only come in during tropo enhancement.

Titan TV seems to be more accurate, but noticed it can be too liberal. It's run by Decision Mark, the same database used by D* & E* to determine distant egibility.

I found a really cool site today http://www.2150.com/broadcast/ it will show your location in relation to a station's coverage pattern. It's great to see if you are in the pattern.

 

[Scotty]

titantv

How do you get the map on titantv? I can't seem to find it.

 

[bryan27]

On the "Command Center" drop down menu (on the left side of the screen), go to "DTV/HDTV Tools" and choose "Antenna Selector." A new page will load with a list of stations. Check off the stations (choose as many as you want or if your looking for an antenna choose the ones you want to receive). Click "Continue." You will then be shown the antenna that is best for you location. Right below the picture of the antenna there is a link that says "map station distribution" click it and a pop up window with a map will load

 

[kawdog]

I agree, it has me listed down the street, when I move the map to my house it changes alot of channels. I would not trust their maps that much.

kaw

 

[Snoozer]

I had the same problem with antennaweb.org - Installer set up my VOOM satellite on Monday and the picture looks great, but he didn't attempt to put up an OTA antenna. He said there weren't any HD OTA broadcasts from the Mt. Wilson (Los Angeles) antenna farm. I've been trying to find out if that was true and found antennaweb.org. I put in my address and it came up with lots of SD broadcasting from those towers but no HD. It also says I'm 50 miles EAST of the antenna farm which is probably correct.

Not satisfied, I kept looking around other HD sites and found out that lots of folks in my general area are receiving OTA HD from that site. I called Installs Inc. to complain and they said the installer probably figured my "line of site" wouldn't allow me to receive any HD signals. I told them my home is located in the foothills at about 2000 feet with a city view, and as far as I know, there were no mountains in the way. They agreed to send out another installer with an "upgraded" antenna that should pull in the stations if they're available.

There are two questions I have and would appreciate any input.

1. Is there a web site where I can identify my "line of site" to the antenna
farm or one that shows the topography?

2. Are the installers using antennaweb.org to determine if a HD broadcast
signal is available to VOOM customers?

Snoozer

 

[Sean Mota]

Snoozer,

check this site as well.

http://www.2150.com/broadcast/ it

 

[zoomboom]

Voom (installs), does double check the information from antennaweb.org usually. Of course, they're getting better at it as they go along, just as installers are. In most areas there is a tower within limit of the winegard, however obviously, airports, railroad tracks, and other things affect this. A half a mile really isn't THAT inaccurate when you're talking towers that are 20 miles away or 20.5 you should still be able to get reception from a stealth or a winegard as long as there are digital channels locally. If you aren't getting local channels, you can call installs and try and get stealth upgraded to a winegard, they'll foot the bill if they can authorize that there is enough interference and distance between you and the towers. Esp if your towers are not in the same direction, the multidirectional antenna will make a big difference.

 

[smodak]

Voom (installs), does double check the information from antennaweb.org usually. Of course, they're getting better at it as they go along, just as installers are. In most areas there is a tower within limit of the winegard, however obviously, airports, railroad tracks, and other things affect this. A half a mile really isn't THAT inaccurate when you're talking towers that are 20 miles away or 20.5 you should still be able to get reception from a stealth or a winegard as long as there are digital channels locally. If you aren't getting local channels, you can call installs and try and get stealth upgraded to a winegard, they'll foot the bill if they can authorize that there is enough interference and distance between you and the towers. Esp if your towers are not in the same direction, the multidirectional antenna will make a big difference.

May be this is not the right post, but do "multidirectional" antennas cause "multipath" issues? I have heard before that even in strong signal areas, "multipath" issues can make a difference between locking or not locking into the OTA signal.

 

[bryan27]

A half a mile really isn't THAT inaccurate...

It is if you are in rugged terrain. A half mile can be the difference between being in a valley with access to a couple stations and being a 1000' higher on a ridge with access to a dozen stations.

Big difference if AntennaWeb has you down the road where the elevation is 960' when you are actually up the road at 1,320'. AntennaWeb uses the Longly-Rice signal propogation method which takes terrain into account.

 

[Snoozer]

Sean:

I tried the site but couldn't get it to work. Put in my Longtitued & Latitude but nothing happened. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Sean Mota]

Sean:

I tried the site but couldn't get it to work. Put in my Longtitued & Latitude but nothing happened. Am I doing something wrong?

Did yo put whole numbers and both positive numbers?

 

[Snoozer]

Sean

I put in Lat 34.126605 and long 117.179598 and changed the magnetic declination to 14.0. Clicked Find Stations and nothing happens.

 

[Sean Mota]

Sean

I put in Lat 34.126605 and long 117.179598 and changed the magnetic declination to 14.0. Clicked Find Stations and nothing happens.

I guess that DB is not updated for your location either.

 

[bryan27]

Snoozer, how many miles did you put in? Also the Latitude MUST in a NEGATIVE number.

Try putting in:

34.126605
-117.179598

and 50 miles.

I got 24 stations within 50 miles of your location.

 

[chickentender]

Thanks you guys - www.2150.com/broadcast is the coolest site I've found in forever.