I'm out

[jgantert]

This antenna install has been a nightmare, and now they say that there is nothing they can do.

I am only 13 miles from the broadcaster, and apparently I can't recieve any local channels, and that is perfectly acceptable to Voom.

VOOM SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bad, the HD picture was nice...

-John

 

[jmschusta]

I feel your pain

I totally feel you. I have not had a good OTA experience and am missing NBC, CBS, WB, and WHYY here. We watch NBC a lot. I have really been wrestling and can totally understand. I think for right now I am going to keep Voom cause the rest of it is awsome and keep basic reception from my comcast though i hate so my wife can see the friends finally and all that. I wish voom would add locals over the satellite and make it a lot easier for all of us\\\

 

[vasim]

before you throw it out, why not try an indoor loop antenna. I get all my local HD channels with my silver sensor antenna. With the Steath antenna i only got 1 channel.

worth a shot.

 

[cameron119]

I totally feel you. I have not had a good OTA experience and am missing NBC, CBS, WB, and WHYY here. We watch NBC a lot. I have really been wrestling and can totally understand. I think for right now I am going to keep Voom cause the rest of it is awsome and keep basic reception from my comcast though i hate so my wife can see the friends finally and all that. I wish voom would add locals over the satellite and make it a lot easier for all of us\\\

Oh hell no. You aren't using up the bandwidth they have so someone can watch reruns of "Mama's Family."

 

[squicken]

I'm sorry your antenna didn't work out. Sometimes local digitals are ridiculously low power, so much so that 12 miles is too far. As for locals on the satellite, that's not Voom's model. I do wonder how Voom will maintain long term success though, b/c so many people have OTA issues. 6 out of 7 channels doesn't cut it for most people.

 

[Lobstah]

I agree. Why not take just a basic cable package to satisfy the "local/friends" requirement? Go buy the $22 Radio Shack UHF antenna, go to antennaweb.org to see what direction to point it in, and see what you get?

Lob

 

[Mr. Biggles]

VOOM SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-John

It's not V*'s fault. You would be in the same boat with any of the other Sat providers, and I actually find the V* STB does better than my D* Sony HD200 STB with OTA.

Are you in a city environment? If thats the case, you may have some serious multi-path issues. Have you tried the Stealth without the amp installed? Have you re-located the antenna?

What have you tried is the better question?

 

[DarrellP]

You could actually be TOO CLOSE to the towers. Do as has been suggested and get an indoor antenna. Sometimes being too close can lead to more multipath and the Stealth may be too directional to pull all of your channels in.

 

[ricks]

This antenna install has been a nightmare, and now they say that there is nothing they can do.

I am only 13 miles from the broadcaster, and apparently I can't recieve any local channels, and that is perfectly acceptable to Voom.

VOOM SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bad, the HD picture was nice...

-John

Calm down. You're directing your anger at the wrong place. OTA's are a whole different story. You've got to analyze your problem and figure it out. Voom can't do that for every subscriber (or shouldn't have to) across the country. I still think they're nuts for even trying.

Right now I have a Stealth antenna, a Square Shooter, and a Silver Sensor and two preamps (three if you count the one for the Stealth). I bought everything myself except for the Stealth. I'm still playing around with getting it right. My problem is a building right next door and a different problem at the same time - one local with a tower 180 degrees opposite the others. I've finally decided the solution is to optimally aim for the majority of stations and to set up the Silver Sensor indoors with a preamp and an A/B switch to pickup the miscreant station.

This is my problem. Not Voom's. And I will solve through a little effort and experimentation on my part.

Edit: I should add - go to Best Buy and pick up a Silver Sensor. Cost is about $30 or so. Looks like a cheap POS. But, it works amazingly well.

 

[wbuffetta]

I Have The Sony HD200 & The Voom STB, And I Think THe Sony Is Far Far Better Then
The Digital Cable Box Voom Uses. With The D*stb I Get All My Locals (SD & Dig.) & The PG Is Easier To Use & Gives More Info On Each Channel.
jgantert Keep Voom & Go To Radio Shack & Get The Biggest Ant. They Have & Put It In
your Attic. Thats What I Did & It Works. Just Make Sure It's Pointing To Where The TV
Ant. Farm Is In Your City.

 

[Mr. Biggles]

I Have The Sony HD200 & The Voom STB, And I Think THe Sony Is Far Far Better Then
The Digital Cable Box Voom Uses. With The D*stb I Get All My Locals (SD & Dig.) & The PG Is Easier To Use & Gives More Info On Each Channel..

I wasn't talking about anything but the sensitivity of the V* OTA module and it's ability to lock onto a station better.
The scanning feature is coming to the V* STB shortly and as for OTA analog stations, I could care less. I do prefer the Sony PG.

jgantert Keep Voom & Go To Radio Shack & Get The Biggest Ant. They Have & Put It In
your Attic. Thats What I Did & It Works. Just Make Sure It's Pointing To Where The TV
Ant. Farm Is In Your City.

As close as he is to the towers, this is probably exactly what he doesn't want to do. A large powerful antenna close to a transmitter tower is actually a bad thing.

 

[vurbano]

at 11 miles from the transmitter you should have been able to use a coat hanger. Just kidding. The sure way to get OTA is to talk to a local station engineer like I did. Let them know where you are. They broadcast it, they know what it takes to recieve it. They have fielded the questions before and will probably even tell you the specific model of antenna you need.

 

[Ilya]

I am only 13 miles from the broadcaster, and apparently I can't recieve any local channels...

If you are indeed getting no OTA channels, something must be wrong with your antenna/diplexer wiring.

 

[jgantert]

Well, thanks for all the suggestions. First, here's my history with the antenna... I'm in suburbia, with several big trees in the direction of Baltimore.

First, they had the Stealth one installed without amp. Today, he moved it to the other side of the house, with the same results. I could not get them to use the amp or to run a seperate line for the antenna (I tried with several different installers).

So now I have an 8800. I think he pointed it the wrong direction as well. (he has the big side pointed towards Baltimore, and the bow-tie side pointeed away).

Also, we have aluminum siding, so no indoor/attic antenna will work. I've tried many. Closest I got was the Terk one that looks like a big white pole. But it had severe multi-path problems.

Heck, the installer said if I use DirecTV with an antenna, that I could get the local channels in HD.

Well, I've got the uninstall date next Friday, and I can't wait to be done with it. After 2 bad installs, and 2 no-shows, I'll be glad its behind me.

-John

PS> Neither installer bothered to ground the antenna! Unbelievable!

 

[ricks]

Well, a problem that can't just be dismissed off-hand. JGANTERT seems like a reasonable guy after he got it off his chest. Bad installers. Where have we heard that before? Someone that just doesn't feel like he should spend his time and money solving the problem, which is a solvable problem, and is just going to go away. I don't think this is Voom's fault - but this can't keep happening. Voom needs to be clearer on the issue of OTA's to better educate so expectations are realistic and premature dissatisfaction doesn't set in. Can't keep creating bad vibes on this issue and that's what is happening. This doesn't have much of anything to do with what Voom is promising but it's creating huge problems.

 

[kfried001]

Just call VOOM and insist they put up a channel master 8200 antenna. that should get you all the channels. I had them upgrade my antenna 4 times until they finally put the 8200 up and now i get every channel.

 

[compson]

Heck, the installer said if I use DirecTV with an antenna, that I could get the local channels in HD.

Huh? The only way to get locals in HD from DirecTV is with an OTA antenna. If he says you can get it with DirecTV, ask him with what antenna. I've never had DirecTV, but the VOOM tuner is better than the Echostar tuner for locals. If the installer pointed the antenna in the wrong direction, it's probably not going to work. Before you give up on VOOM, please try the silver sensor. I picked up a station 40 miles away with one.

 

[Ken F]

jgan,

Digital reception can be very sensitive to antenna orientation. A difference of 20 degrees could mean the difference between perfect digital reception and no reception. Part of the problem is that the current VOOM STB software does not provide an easily accessible signal meter for local broadcasts, so its not always clear which antenna position is best.

Do you have the means to repoint the antenna? If so, you might want to input your zip code into AntennaWeb to confirm the direction of your digital broadcast stations, and then re-point the antenna in that direction. The next VOOM software (ETA mid-May) will provide a signal meter for off-air channels, but until then, off-air antenna pointing is mostly trial and error.

You mentioned that you live in the Baltimore area. How far does AntennaWeb say you are from the DC digital broadcasters?

 

[jgantert]

Just call VOOM and insist they put up a channel master 8200 antenna. that should get you all the channels. I had them upgrade my antenna 4 times until they finally put the 8200 up and now i get every channel.

I don't think that would fix it. The 8800 is rated "red" and all I need is light green for my area. It should be plenty strong enough.

compson>> I don't know what he was talking about with DirecTV. I think he thought the OTA tuner in the DTV boxes was stronger. He didn't mention any antenna specifically.

ken f>> I can't get to the antenna to move it (way too high). DC digitals are about 20-22 miles away at 225 degrees. Balt is 13 miles at 61 deg. (zip 21045) WB in Balt is an odd-ball -- only 6 miles away, but I need a violet antenna to get it! However, I only expect/want to get 2,11,13,45,54. All are within the range of light green.

Anyways, after I cooled off a bit (man, I was HOT)... I called back, and they are going to have the installer call me tomorrow and setup another appointment to adjust the antenna. Needless to say, I'm not confident that they will call, or even show up if I get an appointment. I've emailed Joe Harkens, and while he does respond, he hasn't been any help so far...

Oh well...

-John

 

[klmnoah]

I purchased a $30.00 RCA Indoor amplified anttena and got all my locals in digital when I had Voom. (I disconected the diplexer on the back of the Voom receiver and connected the anttena directly.