I need help with chicago locals please

boomer_106

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Mar 17, 2005
886
6
I'm about 59 miles from the transmitters. I bought an OTA antenna (antennas direct DB8) strictly for digital SD or HD locals. I can care less about analog. According to antenna web my digital stations with the exception of CBS2 are UHF. Now I've read about the difficulties receiving WBBM at any distance so for now I said, forget that channel, I'll do without it. It's scheduled to become UHF at some point anyway. So I bought a UHF only antenna.

Now after connecting it and scanning I only see Fox (WFLD) DT on 32.1
For now I have the antenna inside. The weather is bad. Am I not getting WGN, NBC, and ABC because I need to get the antenna outside for more signal or are these stations broadcasting on VHF? ABC is 7.1 NBC 5.1 and WGN 9.1 Those are VHF numbers to me. Also can I get WCIU HD broadcasts? I want to watch sports in HD

Update. I said to hell with the weather and took the antenna outside. I now have the channels I was seeking.
 
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Where are you located, I am 60 miles west of Chicago and have a DB8 in my attic and can get Fox and NBC all the time. ABC and WGN are hit and miss. (I am sure I would have better luc k if the wife would let me put it on the roof. If you are close to Rockford you should be able to pull in there feeds of CBS,ABC,NBC and Fox
 
Where are you located, I am 60 miles west of Chicago and have a DB8 in my attic and can get Fox and NBC all the time. ABC and WGN are hit and miss. (I am sure I would have better luc k if the wife would let me put it on the roof. If you are close to Rockford you should be able to pull in there feeds of CBS,ABC,NBC and Fox


I'm a Sox fan also. 60 miles south of Chicago. I'm gettting NBC HD, ABC HD, WGN HD, WTTW HD, WCIU HD, and FOX HD. This is all with the antenna just sitting on my deck leaning against the rail. My signal went up dramatically when I took it outside. Now that I know it works, the next task is to optimize the location and mount it. I'd love to hide it in the attic but, I suspect my signal would be much worse. It's gonna be an experiment I guess.

You will be needing WGN and WCIU for Sox games in HD this season. I read on avsforum that even the road games were gonna be HD. We'll see.

You really need to see if you can come to some agreement with your wife. You should try just taking it outside with a temp cable to see what happens. I now know it's possible to get the channels without the antenna being mounted high at all.
 
ota chicago locals

I get all locals from chicago, I am in plano, 60 miles west of chicago and have a wingard hd8200p on the roof with rotor, I also get cbs 2 chicago as well.:)

Put that antenna up on the roof where it belongs!!! ( when the snow melts)
 

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