Curiosity leads to stupid ?

[ricks]

Now that I have your attention....

Picked up a Silver Sensor today in anticipation of a Monday install. Embroiled in a fight with the condo commandos over erecting a very modest outdoor mast and antenna. (I will win that fight - FCC is on my side). In the meantime, thought I'd see what the SS can do. I don't have a digital receiver right now. I can pick up all of my local analog stations with the SS. They broadcast their HD signal from the same tower area. Does this mean I should also get the HD signal - or isn't there any relationship between the ability to receive analog vs the ability to receive the HD signal?

 

[Sean Mota]

It is a good sign but not a determinant. You need to find if they are transmitting digitally and in which band (UHF or VHF or both). Go to www.antennaweb.org and click on digital stations only.

 

[ricks]

Yeah. I have all of that. All UHF except one VHF. All at the same tower group except one that is 170 degrees opposite. I just wondered if there was any relationship between the ability to receive the analog signal since the HD transmissions come from the same locations. The analogs present more of a VHF/UHF mixture than the HD transmissions. I can wait 'till Monday to find out - just was curious if there was a pat answer.

 

[slick1ru2]

No correlation. Been there done that. Had a Silver Sensor and in SD best local (Atlanta) I could get was TBS 17. Got the new TV set with the HD tuner and the best station with the Silver Sensor I could get was Fox 5 (UHF 27). Now, even with the Stealth, TBS 17HD is on the fringe.

 

[Lobstah]

Slick is right...VHF and UHF are two completely different beasts. UHF is a "line-of-sight" spectrum, so is highly directional, much more so than VHF.

Lob

 

[vurbano]

There is no corrolation. Infact your odds of good digital reception are probably better with a UHF only antenna, if you dont have any on the VHF band.

 

[t77054]

And you know the SS is UHF only.

 

[ricks]

And you know the SS is UHF only.

I understand that is the basic design. Extensive reading also indicates that many people are able to receive at least some VHF. Which brings up another question, or maybe just a comment. Playing with the analog stations, it did pick up one VHF station quite well, and wasn't so hot on another. It's just a short-term option anyway, until I get done educating the condo commandos around here. By the time I get done, they'll probably string me up on whatever antenna I finally erect.

 

[Lobstah]

I don't think the odds are any better. It's just that if you buy a "regular" antenna, you're paying for stuff you don't need. If you look at most TV antennas, they have a VHF section and a UHF section. In the case of the RatShack antenna, if you buy the whole sheebang, it's about $99. If you buy the UHF 26-1520, which is the same exact UHF portion of the $99 model, it runs you about $22. So for UHF purposes, why pay the other $77? And if networks aren't broadcasting DIGITAL on VHF in your area, why would you ever worry about getting VHF channels? The UHF/Digital broadcast is the same programming, and MUCH higher quality.

Lob

 

[squicken]

This may be covered somewhere else, but is there a way to combine two antenna's. My NBC & PBS local digitals are VHF, everything else is UHF. My RCA ANT200 UHF/VHF does great for most of my UHFs, and both of my VHFs. But 2 of my UHFs are a bit spotty. Can I somehow combine the RCA and the silver senser into one line going to the STB?