Repack Dates For Washington DC Market

[TheKrell]

View attachment 139908

And yes, a distro amp.

Huh. I think the longer elements aren't doing anything. How old is that? Do you have to use the rotator? All my stations are almost exactly NE from here, except for Manassas which comes in fine backwards on my antenna. I just use the AirTV dual tuner on the H3 for OTA reception (and recording). So, I removed all my distribution amps and just went direct (no splitters) to this thing: Xtreme Signal 70 Mile VHF/UHF Yagi Outdoor TV Antenna (HDB91X) from Solid Signal

 

[navychop]

I no longer use the mast mounted amp- its bypassed. I rarely use the rotor. Those two were for trying to pull in Hagerstown in the winter, to no success.

We actually watch very little OTA here. At our camper near Hagerstown, we watch a lot of MPT. Much better than WETA.

I may try out your splitter idea I have some here, but maybe a new one is better.

Antenna is maybe ten years old. SWAG.

Your link is to an antenna. I am happy with my home antenna. I am considering if an antenna like you linked might be better for my trailer than the current 8 bay CM (old 4040? Looks a lot like the 4228 but 8 separate grids). And I’d put a rotor on it. One station in an off direction might be receivable. But not important. It’s almost exclusively MPT we watch there. And I’ll probably put off any antenna replacement until next year.

Next weekend we go there and I’ll rescan and go from there.

 

[navychop]

My cheapo Roku TV, attached to rabbit ears, brings in 24 stations. 26 comes in fine.

I forgot, my old JVC TV is no longer connected to an antenna. No reason for it to be. We rarely watch anything down there b


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[Trip]

WMPT has just filed a new STA. Apparently, WMPT is operating on its STA facility on the lower antenna right now, and has filed a new STA to move to its new top-mount antenna at reduced power while a transmitter issue is sorted out. So all hope is not yet lost for those like me with WMPT signal issues like myself.

- Trip

 

[Beach-Rat]

Wowzers!! Just discovered this form.. I thought that I was the only person who watched OTA tv..

Just rescanned and everything is back WETA was showing up as 31 for a day and WMPT and WHUT disappeared but all is back now.

Have a camper with two tv a workshop analog tv on a converter box and a second family room tv with rabbit ears ..

I’m one street off of I-66 , one mile east of NRA museum.. Tyson’s (high ground) is between me and Tennelytown so I get some crazy reception

 

[harshness]

More subs in an RF channel, less space for each. With 11, I suspect they are spread across two or three RF channels

That depends. There are multiple instances of 12 or more virtual channels on a single RF channel. I have a wispy memory of someone noting even more (14-15?).

Combining a number of RF channels to accommodate the same number of stations doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[navychop]

Welcome, Beach-Rat. We’re practically neighbors. I live across from GMU.


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[TheKrell]

I may try out your splitter idea I have some here, but maybe a new one is better.

What splitter idea? My suggestion was to take all the splitters out and go direct and see how many channels you get.

Your link is to an antenna.

Yes...

I am happy with my home antenna.

But why? You are getting far fewer channels than I do with the linked antenna.

 

[navychop]

I took your comment about the removal of the distribution amp to the next step, just try a splitter. I want at least three locations to have OTA. But we watch very little OTA, so I’m not concerned about missing some stations.

I might buy the antenna you linked, but for our RV, where I have an old style CM 4228. I’m not sure why the yagi style would beat the flat 8 bay, but might try it. I’d love any discussion comparing the two styles of antenna.

I might also put up a rotor at the trailer. After the repack, there’s an off axis station we might be able to pull in. But to be honest, we only really want the Hagerstown MPT station. We’re not that far from the tower, but lots of trees between here and there. So we do have dropouts and sometimes lose reception. I can move my disused amp from home to there, but I doubt that would help.


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[TheKrell]

I took your comment about the removal of the distribution amp to the next step, just try a splitter.

Oh. Well, I was advocating for a quick check (direct without any amp or splitter) to a good tuner to see if your antenna was good, and then putting in a different/better distribution amp if the antenna tested out well.. IMHO you should get over 60 stations counting all the subchannels. From what I've read, that 8-bay should perform well. I still don't understand how you could get so few stations.

 

[harshness]

I’m not sure why the yagi style would beat the flat 8 bay, but might try it.

A Yagi-Uda style antenna would beat a bay antenna where VHF is involved. If you don't care about what's on VHF, then you can stick with the bay antenna.

 

[navychop]

No VHF. Maybe in the future, but not really of interest. I suspect an amp will not help the tree or heavy rain problem.

The only channel of great interest is MPT, WWPB, 4 miles away at 337 degrees, RF 44. Moving to RF 29 next May.

Of lesser interest is WDVM, 4-5 miles at 346. RF 23.

Of minor interest is WWPX, RF 12, partly viewable today, 12 miles at 226. Moving to RF 13 next May, which should help reception. Rotor would help. But it’s ION, and not of great interest.


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[navychop]

Antennaweb ad is pushing those crappy Lava antennas. “150 miles!”


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[harshness]

No VHF. Maybe in the future, but not really of interest. I suspect an amp will not help the tree or heavy rain problem.

Given the distances and not knowing what the terrain is like, I'd be suspicious that you're over-driven. On flat terrain, a UHF loop or cheap bowtie (such as those that came with portable TVs) may be overkill.

 

[harshness]

Antennaweb ad is pushing those crappy Lava antennas. “150 miles!”

As Scott has frequently pointed out, the site doesn't have a lot of control over who is buying the ads.

 

[Beach-Rat]

Have a WA-2802 that is in the same family as their 150 mile antenna

Not al that great. It works, worth the $20.00 I paid. But can’t pick up Baltimore 40 miles away

 

[navychop]

So I did a rescan at the trailer last night, since 25 moved. Good thing MPT is all I really want, because that's all I get now.

 

[TheKrell]

So I did a rescan at the trailer last night, since 25 moved. Good thing MPT is all I really want, because that's all I get now.

Is that the Hagerstown station that's only 4 miles away?

 

[navychop]

Sigh. Yes.

I just rescanned. Same results.

 

[navychop]

I am fond of the Channel Master rotors, but we're talking over $200 for something I really won't use much. The RCA rotor is almost $100 less, but I have no idea of the quality.

I am still getting some pixelation on MPT. I could climb up there again and reaim it manually, but that's how it was aimed to where it is today. And next year there may be a station in another direction worth watching.

I guess I'm heading for the ladder.