OTA Broadcast Paths (Bounce) Wanted

[Slyclops]

I am looking for a website (or the name of a program) that will allow input of (a) broadcast antenna location , and (b) location of receive antenna, and thereby show me how the TV signal is reaching my location and what it is bouncing off of during it's path ie: broadcasters are in San Francisco, I am in Sonoma County, there is a big mountain between my antenna and the broadcast antenna, so I think I am getting a signal bounce off of a mountain that both my antenna and the broadcast antenna can see, but I would like to confirm this. Anyone know of such a thing? I have tried TV FOOL and they come close, but they don't show actual path info, it just says (One Bounce), it doesn't say bounce off WHAT? Any help will be appreciated.
Slyclops

 

[Jim5506]

TVFool shows line of sight and diffraction edges - never seen a "bounce".

What you are asking for does not exist to my knowledge.

You'll have to experiment with your antenna and see which direction your signal comes from.

 

[Slyclops]

It's for real

There is such a program that does what I'm looking for I think, I just can't remember what it was called. I remember using something close to it 20 years ago at the county communications center. you would type in your starting point, your ending point. and the program would run a line through the typographicial terrian and tell you were you had to put the repeaters if you wanted communication between (a) and (b). If I had THAT program (or something like it), I could enter the broadcasters antanna location, my antenna location, and see where it would recommend a repeater (that would be my "BOUNCE" point). Or should I just give up OTA and go buy cable?

 

[nsaspook]

There is such a program that does what I'm looking for I think, I just can't remember what it was called. I remember using something close to it 20 years ago at the county communications center. you would type in your starting point, your ending point. and the program would run a line through the typographicial terrian and tell you were you had to put the repeaters if you wanted communication between (a) and (b). If I had THAT program (or something like it), I could enter the broadcasters antanna location, my antenna location, and see where it would recommend a repeater (that would be my "BOUNCE" point). Or should I just give up OTA and go buy cable?

A repeater point is not the same as this "BOUNCE" point your talking about. http://www.compendium.pl/files/rfandradiotechnologyfundamentals.pdf

 

[Slyclops]

Hey HT, Thanks for the good data source. I'm gonna give up and just except the fact that my OTA TV signal is bouncing off something and making it's way to me. I'm going to install a rotor at 40 feet, the largest VHF/UHF (in my area, DTV is being broadcast on both) TV antenna I can find and a pre-amp and hope I can receive the DTV signals. Right now with a medium size antenna at 20 feet, small pre-amp, I'm getting the signals, just they are pixalitating and the audio is dropping out (symtoms of multi-path I think), so cause I'm 60+ miles away from broadcast antenna with no line-of-sight, I'm gonna go with the HIGHER+BIGGER=BETTER theory. Wish me luck.
Slyclops

 

[Tower Guy]

I'm gonna go with the HIGHER+BIGGER=BETTER theory. Wish me luck. Slyclops

You may have to search for the cleanest bounce with least multipath and not necessarily the strongest signal.

 

[Slyclops]

Good Tip

Hey Tower Guy, Thank you for the good tip. I would have assumed (there's that word again) that the strongest signal would have produced the best signal, but if I get your drift, along with the stronger signal, I may be getting more "Bounce's" thereby producing more multipath problems, so finding a path with less signal strength, but with a clear picture, may work out better for me. Your tip is why so many look to this website for factual tech. info. Thanks again.
Slyclops

 

[k4106]

So, to reduce the multipath, you might want the most directivebiggest antenna.