Signal strength varies greatly from time to time

[hoophead]

I posted this at another, similar, site and will ask your posters to see what they think also.

Is anyone else in the Madison, WI area having trouble with vary fluctuations with Madison's UHF channels? I have a UHF-only antenna since early summer and for about the last month from day to day the signal strengths will go from the low 70's and then to upper 80's and two of the channels will go from 80 up to 100 other days.

Very frustrating because when they get to the low 70's the signal drops off/on and that I do not understand what it could be.

 

[Jim5506]

Depending on your distance to the transmitters and the strength of their signal, if you are in near fringe or fringe situation, weather can have a very large effect on your signal reception.

If you are closer, say less than 35 miles, I would go through the antenna/cable system and exercise all the connections to make sure and dislodge any corrosion that may be hampering the signal.

Do you have a pre-amp? It may be having problems.

Does signal fluctuation coincide with any particular time of day? Better at night than daytime, better morning vs afternoon, etc.?

Multiple TV's - do all have the same experience?

 

[CowboyDren]

Just some random things to keep in mind (Jim's suggestion is best; check the cabling first). digital UHF signals are fairly sensitive to wind and moisture. Summer rain might not affect your signal, but a heavy fog may. By sensitive to wind, I don't mean that the wind blowing affects the radio signal itself [much], but if your antenna isn't mounted rigidly, and is allowed to blow around, your signal will fluctuate wildly.

My father-in-law lives at the 35-mile point, and has a 4-bay bowtie antenna on top of a 20' rod, which isn't guy-wired to anything more than 6' off the ground. It's also 50' away from a thick stand of deciduous trees that are taller than his pole. Dew and rain collects on tree leaves, right? He gripes at me frequently about how his Summer signal is weak and his Winter signal, though strong, drops out a lot.