OTA HD Signal Question

[cpapjack]

I recently acquired a Hisense DB-2010 HD Receiver from a friend at work and a DB4 antenna from Antennas Direct | Your TV and HDTV Antenna Source. I installed them both last night and the picture looks magnificent. I am able to pick up about 14 channels with this setup. In fact, I am able to pick up one station that is 50 miles away and another is 60 miles away. However, when I try watching certain channels, pixelation seems to happen, even though the channel info. shows an almost full signal. Does anyone have any ideas why this may be?

 

[No Static At All]

........... However, when I try watching certain channels, pixelation seems to happen, even though the channel info. shows an almost full signal. Does anyone have any ideas why this may be?

It sounds like multipath. Can you hook the DB-4 to an analog tuner and see if you are getting any noticable ghosting. This is the best way to detrmine if you are in fact in a high multipath environment.

Bowtie & multiple element style antennas like the DB-4 are usually not desirable in these types of areas. They are very sensitive; but don't tolerate multipath as well as a yagi style antenna.(91-XG, Radio Shack U75-R, etc...)Their larger "capture area" design allows more reflected/delayed signals to reach the tuner and confuse it. This can cause pixelization/dropouts with an otherwise strong signal.

Hope this helps

 

[cpapjack]

I should probably mention a few other specifics.

Verizon has a CO building behind my yard, but it's separated by trees. There is a cell tower down the road about 1/2 mile. There is a power station down the road about 1 mile. (don't think this should affect this, but I don't know. I'm still learning) I haven't waterproofed the coax connection on the antenna yet. It's possible the coax connection on the antenna isn't as tight as it should be. There is a university down the road about 2 miles that broadcasts on 88.7.

Oh, and my zipcode is 14068 and I have the antenna pointing SW.

Thanks for your help.

 

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Multi-Path

when I try watching certain channels, pixelation seems to happen, even though the channel info. shows an almost full signal. Does anyone have any ideas why this may be?

No Static is probably right. In areas with multiple buildings and many other hard objects, not to mention tress, especially pine tress, you have to deal with Multi-path (bounced signals). Multi-path signals reaching the antenna out of phase can confuse the ATSC (Digital) chip set in the digital TV tuner.

If the signal reaching the front of the antenna is not 2 to 3 times stronger than a bounced signal from the same station reaching the back of the antenna, the ATSC
chip doesn’t know which signal to use, so it just keeps searching or you get pixelation.

The DB4 is a very good antenna, so is the 91XG, Before you switch, try teaking the DB4, to see if you can take beter advantage of the bounced signals from a slightly different direction. Antenna Direct, the manufacturer of both, offers a 90 day, no fault gaurantee. If you want to try the 91XG, get it and try it. If it doesn't solve your problem, return it for a full refund, no questions asked.

 

[boba]

I should probably mention a few other specifics.

Verizon has a CO building behind my yard, but it's separated by trees. There is a cell tower down the road about 1/2 mile. There is a power station down the road about 1 mile. (don't think this should affect this, but I don't know. I'm still learning) I haven't waterproofed the coax connection on the antenna yet. It's possible the coax connection on the antenna isn't as tight as it should be. There is a university down the road about 2 miles that broadcasts on 88.7.

Oh, and my zipcode is 14068 and I have the antenna pointing SW.

Thanks for your help.

Looking at AntennaWeb you stations come from 2 directions basically 170 degrees and 280 degrees. Your antenna probably should be aimed just East of South and try to pickup the FOX station off the back side of the antenna. The FM radio station shouldn't bother your digital stations they are all UHF but it could bother your channel 7 analog signal.