Best Indoor Antenna for Santa Barbara (93103)

[pranba]

I live in Santa Barbara in the 93103 zip code. I've decided to dump Cox cable (+$125/mo) and go with an amplified indoor HDTV antenna. I have a brand new Visio HDTV and I just purchased the Mohu amplified HDTV indoor antenna. I just installed it and did the scan of channels and the most it picked up was '1' analog and '22' digital. Of the digital I get the local ABC, NBC, and PBS, but cannot get CBS (the one I wanted the most). So of the majority of the '22' digital channels, most are spanish or useless.

My question for the forum is: should I return the Mohu and get another antenna? If so, does anyone have any suggestions? It needs to be an indoor as I live in a rental and cannot install an outdoor. I've been nervous to dump cable and this isn't making me any more comfortable with my decision. Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[boba]

Go to TV Fool and put in your address, using zipcode only and a heighth of 10 ft. I show the nearest CBS is 93 miles away which would be hard to get even with a large outdoor antenna.

 

[navychop]

Both satcos offer local OTA stations. You could get a basic pkg for not much if this is workable for you. Check first to see WHICH local stations they will provide.

Workable depends upon your rental rules and if you have a southern exposure and can put a dish in a bucket on your "porch.". If so, a Tailgater might be the solution for you.

 

[navychop]

The Silver Sensor has a good rep, also. But I wouldn't go out replacing things until you are sure about your alternatives.

 

[Mr Tony]

the CBS in your market is KCOY in Santa Maria
Its on channel 19 but remaps to 12
12-1 is CBS
12-2 is Fox

Unfortunately Santa Barbara is on the edge of the reception so you would need a outdoor antenna to get that station

Have you thought of getting like Lifeline cable with Cox? Its usually just the locals and stuff and is way cheaper than regular cable

 

[Mr Tony]

just looked on the Cox site and they have TV STARTER

TV Starter

2 QVC
3 KEYT (ABC)
4 USA
5 CW
6 KSBY (NBC)
7 HSN
8 Cox Community 8 / KNBC News
9 KCAL-9
10 KOCE (PBS)
11 KKFX (FOX)
12 KCOY (CBS)
13 My Network TV
14 TBS
15 KTAS (Telemundo)
16 KPMR (Univision)
17 South Coast Regional Public Access*
18 City of Santa Barbara Gov’t Access*
19 City of Goleta Gov’t Access*
20 SB County Gov’t Access*
21 City of Capinteria Gov’t Access*
22 CNN
41 Lifetime
42 MSNBC
43 Telefutura
44 Azteca America*
45 SPIKE TV
46 The Weather Channel
47 C-SPAN
48 KBEH*
49 truTV
71 South Coast Regional Art Community and Culture and K-12 Educational Access* new
72 UCSB Educational Access* new
96 TV Guide Channel

Also the HD channels (at least the networks) are usually in what they call QAM. You would just have the TV scan cable channels. Here in Minneapolis Comcast does that. All the networks are in QAM and in HD (if they truly are). Sometimes the numbering may be goofy but usually they map to what the "normal" channel is. No box needed

Worth a call to them to see what the price is (not listed on the Cox site)
edit: found it...29.14 in that area
http://ww2.cox.com/residential/santabarbara/tv/pricing.cox

edit: the * after some channels has this notew
*Requires rental of Cox Advanced TV receiver or CableCard, except TV sets with a Clear-QAM digital tuner will receive local broadcast channels without equipment rental.

 

[navychop]

Yeah, in my experience cablecos don't want to even mention or admit that they have such a thing as lifeline cable. Usually it's so cheap they can't make any money off it. But INSIST! I think it's still required by law.

 

[Mr Tony]

I found the pricing after posting

 

[wkomorow]

I live in Santa Barbara in the 93103 zip code. I've decided to dump Cox cable (+$125/mo) and go with an amplified indoor HDTV antenna. I have a brand new Visio HDTV and I just purchased the Mohu amplified HDTV indoor antenna. I just installed it and did the scan of channels and the most it picked up was '1' analog and '22' digital. Of the digital I get the local ABC, NBC, and PBS, but cannot get CBS (the one I wanted the most). So of the majority of the '22' digital channels, most are spanish or useless.

My question for the forum is: should I return the Mohu and get another antenna? If so, does anyone have any suggestions? It needs to be an indoor as I live in a rental and cannot install an outdoor. I've been nervous to dump cable and this isn't making me any more comfortable with my decision. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Have you tried pointing your antenna toward Tepusquet Peak? Your cbs station is Kcoy on ufh 19. Its transmitter is on Tepusquet Peak - so it has a bit of height.

 

[Mr Tony]

whats weird is a tvfool report doesnt even show it on there (KCOY)

 

[wkomorow]

whats weird is a tvfool report doesnt even show it on there (KCOY)

There are mountain issues, it may be the signal has no presence south in Santa Barbara, but it is worth a try.

 

[Bob2011]

I would be embarrassed if I owned KCOY and said I served Santa Barbara. You couldn't even get the station with a Channel Master 4251 on a 500 foot tower.

 

[wkomorow]

I would be embarrassed if I owned KCOY and said I served Santa Barbara. You couldn't even get the station with a Channel Master 4251 on a 500 foot tower.

Agreed. I am surprised there is no repeater. Mountains do strange things. You are near the capital district, WYPX had no predicted signal at my home in the Berkshires, but if I point my antenna a few degrees north of Albany, it is actually my strongest non-Berkshires UHF station. It is always worth a try.

 

[mikekohl]

SANTA BARBARA AREA TV RECEPTION May 2012 Update

DIG Range
CH Call Network Community (Transmitter) Lat-N Long-W Miles Digital Subchannels

2 K02QT-D Spanish-Relig Santa Barbara (NW) 34 30 10 119 50 56 CP
4 KBAB-LP Santa Barbara (N) (Rattlesnake Canyon) 34 27 20 119 45 34 CP
5 K05MS-D Religious Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 57 119 40 37 CP
8 KZDF-LP Azteca Amer Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 55 119 40 38 analog 8 KZDF-Azteca America
10 K10PV-D NBC Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 55 119 40 38 38 6.1 KSBY-NBC 6.2 CW +
15 K15JE-D Entravision Santa Barbara (NW) (Broadcast Peak) 34 31 28 119 57 35 CP
17 KSBB-LP ABC Santa Barbara (SE) (Miramonte Drive) 34 24 37 119 42 26 analog 17 KSBB-ABC
18 KZDF-LD Azteca Amer Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 55 119 40 38 CP
19 KCOY CBS Santa Maria (E) (Tepusquet Peak) 34 54 37 120 11 09 55-d 12.1 KCOY-CBS 12.2 KKFX-FOX
21 KPMR Univision Santa Barbara (NW) (Broadcast Peak) 34 31 28 119 57 35 70-d 38.1 KPMR-UNI 38.2 KTSB-Telefutura 38.3 LATV
26 K26FT-D EDU Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 56 119 40 40 23-d 26.1 KCET-EDU 26.2 Kids & Family 26.3 V-Me
26.4 MHz Worldview
27 KEYT ABC Santa Barbara (NW) (Broadcast Peak) 34 31 32 119 57 28 67-d 3.1 KEYT-ABC 3.2 My RTN
28 K28GY-D EDU Santa Barbara (NW) (Broadcast Peak) 34 31 31 119 57 29 23-d 26.1 KCET-EDU 26.2 Kids & Family 26.3 V-Me
26.4 MHz Worldview
32 KSBT-LP Estrella TV Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 57 119 40 38 23 62.1 KRCA-Estrella TV
38 K38ME-D Santa Barbara (NW) (Broadcast Peak) 34 31 28 119 57 35 CP
41 KVMM-CD Tr3s Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 57 119 40 38 41.1 KVMM-Tr3s
43 KTSB-LP Telefutura Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 57 119 40 38 analog 43 KTSB-Telefutura
47 KTSB-LD Telefutura Santa Barbara (N) (Gibraltar Peak) 34 27 55 119 40 38 CP
50 KBAB-LD PBS Santa Barbara (NW) (Broadcast Peak) 34 31 32 119 57 28 44-d 50.1 KOCE-PBS 50.2 OC Channel 50.3 Daystar
50.4 PBS World
HD Channels underlined, with bold faced italic print
SPANISH Language Channels in RED
LPTV and Translator Stations in BLUE with Reduced Size
COVERAGE RANGE IN MILES IS MAXIMUM DISTANCE USING AVERAGE OUTDOOR ANTENNA.
d AFTER MILES INDICATES COVERAGE PATTERN IS DIRECTIONAL, NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATE.
ACTUAL COVERAGE WILL DEPEND UPON TERRAIN AND LOCAL OBSTRUCTIONS.

Compiled by MIKE KOHL at GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS in Plain, Wisconsin
Please E-Mail any corrections to: globalcm@mhtc.net
We appreciate any information obtained by local verification of signals.

 

[mikekohl]

Sorry about the formatting on my last entry.

Santa Barbara is a strange place for off-air reception...I lived there in the late 80s, and
unless you have Cox Cable, your choices were to be in an elevated location to get Los Angeles VHF channels 2-4-5-7-9-11-13 with a large TV antenna 30-50 feet off the ground, or deal with one of the local translators for PBS, ABC and NBC.

CBS from former analog VHF channel 12 worked with an outdoor off-air antenna if you were in Goleta and westward, but no-go from most of Santa Barbara itself. It's now on UHF-19 with even more limited coverage. The transmitter is blocked by mountaintops in the 3000 foot plus range from seeing Santa Barbara itself.

Cox Cable has an extremely high penetration rate in Santa Barbara because of the geography and demographics of significant wealthy population in certain parts of the area. CBS has always claimed Santa Barbara is served because of their Cox Cable numbers. If they were progressive like the NBC station from San Luis Obispo, they would have a translator somewhere above Santa Barbara.
But they have never chosen to spend the money for those "hidden" extra numbers. Doubt that it will change anytime soon.

 

[videonex]

FYI if you are wondering why KEYT has disappeared OTA since Friday:



Public Press Release: Following loss of air conditioning at its mountaintop transmission site, the KEYT-TV [Santa Barbara] transmitter suffered a catastrophic breakdown Friday at about noon. The transmitter crash caused the over-the-air signal to vanish. Viewers using an antenna are not able to receive the KEYT-TV signal on their digital televisions. Ventura County cable viewers have also lost KEYT until repairs are completed. Cable and Satellite viewers in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are not affected. Viewers in most of the City of Santa Barbara may tune to Channel 17 to watch KEYT over-the-air. KEYT engineers are working closely with equipment vendors to get the station back on-the-air as soon as possible.