Have you done any EMI troubleshooting? Turn off the breakers in your Apt. one at a time until only your TV equipment is left on. Problem is, your neighbors can cause trouble just as easily. Major culprits are touch lamps, photosensors that turn lights on at night, dimmer switches, LED lighting is one of the worst.
WTOO-CD & WJAC-TV in Johnstown, PA
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So far I did try turning off each and every thing in the room itself except the TV equipment.
It seems in all my tests, the wall lamp that is normal a normal spin switch, night light that is a flick switch, & weather radio plug always cause the symbol quality to die out.
I figured at first, could one of the power strips in the room be acting like an EMI antenna but even with everything off but those 3, they keep causing the same issue.
I did notice that it only seems for the weather radio when you first plug in or unplug it, not the entire time.
Well I found out more info about this EMI and it seems like it's a fun one to solve.
It seems even if you don't count the room that the TV equipment is in which is an upstairs room above the living room, there is noise everywhere.
Even turning a small table fan on/off in the living room causes EMI upstairs.
It seems virtually anything in the entire apartment turning off/on is picked up by the antenna or at least is traveling through the place's electric somehow.
Strangely this only seems to occur with the newer more powerful antenna. I never noticed all this with the cheap $5-$8 antennas.
It seems even if you don't count the room that the TV equipment is in which is an upstairs room above the living room, there is noise everywhere.
Even turning a small table fan on/off in the living room causes EMI upstairs.
It seems virtually anything in the entire apartment turning off/on is picked up by the antenna or at least is traveling through the place's electric somehow.
Strangely this only seems to occur with the newer more powerful antenna. I never noticed all this with the cheap $5-$8 antennas.
Well through some accidental luck, I seem to have made great progress.
I don't exactly know why, but it seems a dual USB charger plugged in the living room is what wrecked virtually all of the havoc.
I decided to flip off the power strip behind my TV after noticing it's light was flickering.
I noticed that fixed the interference big time but then it all returned after swapping out the strip.
So after removing plug after plug, once I got to the dual USB charger, lights turning off/on in the same room as the antenna seemed to stop causing video errors.
I am not really sure how a little tiny like 3 inch big USB charger could wreck havoc through two entire rooms of an apartment like that.
I don't exactly know why, but it seems a dual USB charger plugged in the living room is what wrecked virtually all of the havoc.
I decided to flip off the power strip behind my TV after noticing it's light was flickering.
I noticed that fixed the interference big time but then it all returned after swapping out the strip.
So after removing plug after plug, once I got to the dual USB charger, lights turning off/on in the same room as the antenna seemed to stop causing video errors.
I am not really sure how a little tiny like 3 inch big USB charger could wreck havoc through two entire rooms of an apartment like that.
Well I was basically able to with the help of some others in my area, pin point the almost positive answer.
It appears that WJAC's translator in the next county over which is also on Ch 22 is most likely the issue.
They have applied back in Dec for permission to move to Ch 33 because of WTOO but oddly have not moved it yet.
Anyway, it was suggested at first this may be the issue but we thought that maybe I was too far away to have this translator cause issues.
Then I noticed WTAJ Ch 24 which is in the exact same transmitter location as WJAC's Ch 22 actually shows up as "quick blips" where it shows up for like 1-2 seconds disappears then minutes later shows up again, in a continous loop.
Looking at HDHomeRun Config, if WJAC's Ch 22 is doing the exact same thing, that would explain why I am getting video errors in what appears random bursts.
Nobody can seem to find the exact info on when WJAC will finally move their translator though as it is causing issue in many areas of people wanting WTOO.
It appears that WJAC's translator in the next county over which is also on Ch 22 is most likely the issue.
They have applied back in Dec for permission to move to Ch 33 because of WTOO but oddly have not moved it yet.
Anyway, it was suggested at first this may be the issue but we thought that maybe I was too far away to have this translator cause issues.
Then I noticed WTAJ Ch 24 which is in the exact same transmitter location as WJAC's Ch 22 actually shows up as "quick blips" where it shows up for like 1-2 seconds disappears then minutes later shows up again, in a continous loop.
Looking at HDHomeRun Config, if WJAC's Ch 22 is doing the exact same thing, that would explain why I am getting video errors in what appears random bursts.
Nobody can seem to find the exact info on when WJAC will finally move their translator though as it is causing issue in many areas of people wanting WTOO.
Well...
I just discovered WTOO / H&I this evening. They have an all-evening STAR TREK showing, TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and now Enterprise. I've spent the last half-hour looking at one frozen frame of Enterprise. I'm not sure how I'm getting it, as it's where the local CBS affiliate (WTAJ-Altoona PA) should be.
I should point out that I'm recovering from Guillain–Barré syndrome in a "skilled nursing facility", Cambria Care in Ebensburg PA. We're about 20 miles west of Altoona, 30 north of Johnstown PA. I watch TV on our internal cable system, which is mostly 32 channels of Dish and 5 OTA channels. I had supposed that they came via Dish as well; I have no access to our 'head end', and I've never found anyone who does. I've never seen any TV antennae here. But suppose they had antenna(e) up on the roof?
Suppose that somehow the WTOO signal is replacing the WTAJ signal, or at least interfering enough to mess things up? Is this even possible?
I just discovered WTOO / H&I this evening. They have an all-evening STAR TREK showing, TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, and now Enterprise. I've spent the last half-hour looking at one frozen frame of Enterprise. I'm not sure how I'm getting it, as it's where the local CBS affiliate (WTAJ-Altoona PA) should be.
I should point out that I'm recovering from Guillain–Barré syndrome in a "skilled nursing facility", Cambria Care in Ebensburg PA. We're about 20 miles west of Altoona, 30 north of Johnstown PA. I watch TV on our internal cable system, which is mostly 32 channels of Dish and 5 OTA channels. I had supposed that they came via Dish as well; I have no access to our 'head end', and I've never found anyone who does. I've never seen any TV antennae here. But suppose they had antenna(e) up on the roof?
Suppose that somehow the WTOO signal is replacing the WTAJ signal, or at least interfering enough to mess things up? Is this even possible?
WTAJ comes over RF Ch 24.
I wonder if maybe WJAC'S Translator 22 right by WTAJ'S Transmitter somehow mixes WTOO'S 22 and WTAJ 24 in like a big mess.
Well, I found out some new information.
My neighbor down the street is having a similar issue.
His signal looks good for minutes, then breaks up 1-5 seconds then good for minutes.
He doesn't have access to advanced stuff like TSReader or even a TV Signal Meter but symptoms look rather similar to mine.
His WJAC is no issue at all just like mine.
We both recently had our electric company install Smart Meters, could this be the cause of why there is electrical interference?
My neighbor down the street is having a similar issue.
His signal looks good for minutes, then breaks up 1-5 seconds then good for minutes.
He doesn't have access to advanced stuff like TSReader or even a TV Signal Meter but symptoms look rather similar to mine.
His WJAC is no issue at all just like mine.
We both recently had our electric company install Smart Meters, could this be the cause of why there is electrical interference?
I am not sure what is going on.
I changed nothing on my end and gave up for a while.
The other day I noticed that all 6 subchannels were out but the station was on. Just no data.
Then the next day I figured why not try again.
Oddly at least 3 test recordings already and the errors seem to be gone.
Even a 4-hr recording seems fine.
Like I said, nothing changed on my end.
I changed nothing on my end and gave up for a while.
The other day I noticed that all 6 subchannels were out but the station was on. Just no data.
Then the next day I figured why not try again.
Oddly at least 3 test recordings already and the errors seem to be gone.
Even a 4-hr recording seems fine.
Like I said, nothing changed on my end.
I looked up "WTOO-CD" on Wikipedia (where else), and found out that it's now a Low Power TV station. Their office is in Bolivar, PA; the antenna is north of Johnstown on the Cambria/Westmorland county line. Their website is: WTOO-CD - Wikipedia
