old archer vu-190 non-directional?

[freezy]

I put this up on the roof and fired up the rotor, hoping to pull in channel 40.

No matter where I point it I get similar performance on all channels. 40 is somehow eluding me. My cable runs 30from the antenna to a 36db uhf/vhf/fm amplifier, then to a 8 way splitter, 4 ports are capped, length of cables to TV sets is 70ft or less

 

[boba]

OVERKILL is the only thing I can think of for your setup. Radio Shack rated your antenna as VU VHF & UHF 190 miles for distance. No we know that milage wasn't true but that was the way the came up with the model#. The station you are trying for is only 36 miles away so your antenna alone is much more than needed. A 36 dB amplifier is totally unecessary. You should have a 4 way splitter instead of the 8 way the signal loss on an 8 way is twice the loss of a 4way even if you aren't using the other 4 ports.

Try just using the antenna directly to the 4 way splitter. The narrow end of the antenna should be pointed towards 200-225 degrees and the green section of TVfool should be available.

 

[freezy]

without any other cables connected and going straight through I still can't get 40. I can get 13 from Eau Claire (51% S 87%Q) off the side of the antenna (perpendicular to the yagi). Now I get 25 also. Whuttsup with 40?

Without the amp I was losing ch23 and ch5 running through the splitter. I have 4 more cables to connect to the 8way. I took them off and terminal capped the extras for testing

 

[Bill_KY]

In my opinion, you need a 20 to 30 db mast mounted amp and use RG6 coax. I get most Dayton Ohio locals some 50 miles from me. If I didn't have a mast mounted preamp...they would not come in at all.

Good Luck....

 

[freezy]

If the injector is up by the antenna, where does the power supply thing go when you have a splitter?

I do have Rg6 cable with compression fittings. Its all I use. There is no rg59 anywhere in my system.

I am intermittently DXing WEAU from 113 miles away I should have enough power to grab a station 36 miles away right in front of the yagi. I wonder if there isn't a "hole" in this antenna

Later that day...

I got 40 now but only at 51%S and 100%Q

 

[boba]

Power supply should go between the splitter and the amp unless you have a power passing splitter.

 

[DRCars]

If the injector is up by the antenna, where does the power supply thing go when you have a splitter?

...... snip ......

I got 40 now but only at 51%S and 100%Q

If you are talking about an antenna pre-amp, the power injector is the power supply (PS). The thing up by the antenna is the pre-amp.

As Boba said "between the splitter and the amp."

TV ---
TV ---Splitter---PS(injector)---cable---pre-amp---antenna
Tv ---

Edit: When you say " I got 40 now but only at 51%S and 100%Q" is that a joke? You can't do any better than 100% Q (Quality).

DRCars

 

[harshness]

As 40 is the only station off in another direction, I would question whether your rotator is working. Another possibility is that the amp is being over-driven by the antenna and the AGC is essentially punting.

boba is right. You've got waaaaaaay too much antenna and amp. A smaller antenna without the amp would probably work fine.

I use a beat-up VU-90 at about 50alm and I get 96+ signals across the board split six ways. Adding a booster (in an attempt to grab some two-edge channels) compromised the signal substantially.

 

[No Static At All]

without any other cables connected and going straight through I still can't get 40.

Your antrenna may be sitting in a null zone for UHF 40. Have you ever tried raising or lowering the antenna a few inches? I've seen this make a difference many times.

 

[freezy]

GahD I HATE nexTV

so i should trim down the amp?

 

[harshness]

so i should trim down the amp?

I'd remove it altogether.

 

[freezy]

I have nothing but time. I'll try everything at least twice

That home made antenna in my avatar, got 85%signal on channel 40, inside the house, while I was holding it

 

[freezy]

OK I went to the home center and bought a 4way. Without the amp I lost the same channels as I did with the 8way. I put the amp inline with the 4way and trimmed it all the way down. That must be "off" or non amplified. 75% seems to be as good as full blast

 

[harshness]

Have you tried removing the amp yet? It really does sound like it isn't helping.

 

[Mr Tony]

Have you tried removing the amp yet? It really does sound like it isn't helping.

I guess you didnt read his post huh?

Without the amp I lost the same channels as I did with the 8way.

 

[harshness]

I read the post, but looking a subsequent posts it wasn't clear to me whether the amp power had been removed, the gain had been turned all the way down or the amp and power inserter had been physically removed from the system.

The post you refer to confirms that amp isn't helping. If it isn't helping, it represents insertion loss at best and a physical disconnect from the antenna at worst.

I'm thinking the poster could be getting all their signal from the coaxial downlead which would explain why rotating the antenna has little to no effect on signal strength of the off-axis station.

 

[freezy]

yes I took the amp out.

the 4 way performed the same as the 8 way

I went back on the roof and checked the ballun and one side was snapped off. I fixed that

I found one tiny little position that allows me to get ch40. I absolutely need the amp if I am going to use more than one TV. I still only get a 55%signal on ch40


I just remembered something...before we had DirecTV we had nasty hum bars on channels 4,5 and 9. I couldn't get channel 2 at all. The antenna was in the roof

 

[Mr Tony]

Freezy
Here is something interesting...I was at the cabin this weekend (north end of Mille Lacs Lake)

We got a U120 and a really old VHF only antenna on the roof about 40 feet up...2 lines into the house to a combiner then to the one TV outlet. I hooked up the converter box and reaimed the antenna towards south and I was able to lock 40 (41) at a 69 quality on the converter box. That is pretty weak and during the day it dropped out alot. TVfool says 68 miles "2edge" so I was kinda shocked it came in. We've got the old Radio Shack 20db amp on the UHF side

On a side note all we get normally is KCCW 12 (CBS...satellite of WCCO 4) and KAWB 22 (PBS) on digital and NBC, ABC & Fox on analog (translator stations...all about 25 miles as the crow flies) with that setup.

I wish I still had the rotor on that system

 

[freezy]

wow...I'm up to 62% on 40 today.

on another note, I'm getting an
old regular channel 13.
it is really snowy and in spanish
i didnt see it on tvfool

 

[Mr Tony]

Damn that 13 is WUMN Univision. They are in downtown Mpls and broadcast at a whopping 1250 watts due to short spacing with a 13 in St Cloud (I think they're still on the air) and 13 Eau Claire

Amazing you got that as far north as you are. They broadcast on the IDS building and not the telefarm in Shoreview
(it does show on your tv fool...WUMN-LP,,,3rd in grey area)