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#AntennaMan I came across this i jave a Clearstream V2 and a basic $15 Rabbit ear antenna with some 6" x6" square box connected to the ears. If i use a basic Verizon 1 in 2 out splitter I simply reversed it. Now 2 in and 1 out to tv, is this fine or a no no also nothing is powered. Below is what i came across what do you this ? RG6 everything..... Below is what i just read, what do you think? **Can a 2 way splitter be used in reverse? Splitter Construction. Reverse a splitter to combine signals from different 2 antennas. Splitters contain no electronic devices and don't require any power, making them "passive" instead of "active." Because of this, they can be connected in reverse without any damage.
Question.... I have 5 different locations for transmitter sites for my local channels... what if I were to add multiple outdoor annteneas in different directions and combine the signals into a combiner before the preamp before I interjected the signal to my tvs
@@glennschlorf1285 No, you cannot do this. It will mess up your reception. Depending on your reception situation you may only need one or two antennas. For more information sign up for an antenna recommendation from me below. www.antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html
Antenna Man - I have been a Broadcast Engineer for over 30 years and Amateur Radio Operator for over 40 years and I must say that your videos are spot on. Congrats and Nice job.
Thelma Peckerwood Why would you even bother to post that? You went out of your way to take the time to be rude and disrespectful to a total stranger. I’ll bet that if someone asked you to your face, you’d say that you think you’re a good person. Well, you’re not.
I grew up over-the-air, and had to repair the TVs (most often the TV-tuner tube; a little less often the vertical) because we couldn't afford repair. Learned much about antenna issues as well. Never fell for the hype of cable. But -- never learn -- many are "cutting the cable" and going to streaming where the quality is less and the coast is probably more than for cable. Us old geeks tend to know stuff that young'uns ain't learned yet, and the better-heeled are above learning.
OMG...while watching your video, I took notes. I found an RG6 coax in my basement and I made sure my connection was NOT crossing any other electrical wire. I scanned my channels BEFORE moving my indoor antenna around. SURPRISE!!! Your tips improved my reception immediately!!!! I wasn't concerned with the quantity of channels but the quality of what I was seeing. Thanks!
This guy is great! I had a setup that was working about 80% for me. Paid for his recommendation service and now I am getting every station in my area at full strength in all weather conditions. I would not have thought this possible, was all ready to live with 80%.
We've been OTA only for eight years. I'm a retired telco tech and find OTA TV to be a great hobby. I want to mention a feature on TVfool that I found to be very helpful for antenna placement and siting. On the right hand side of the TVfool main page click on "start maps". Enter your address info and click "map this". You'll see map of the address you entered. On the map select satellite view and zoom in with the + /- until you see your house clearly. Below the map select antenna height. Now click on "Show lines pointing to each transmitter". Now you'll see the signal path from all available broadcast towers. Click and hold the red pointer to move your antenna position around various points on your house or property. See how the signal path changes. Look for obstructions like trees and buildings. Where is the sweet spot for all your stations? Unfortunately, TVfool isn't being updated with FCC repack info so the real channel info isn't accurate all the time. Rabbitears.info is updated and will have accurate info for that. I enjoy your videos Tyler. Thank you
Dude, I love your videos because I am a nerd like that. I remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old I was just fascinated by antennas and signals. I remember saving up my allowances to purchase an RF frequency chart that gave a breakdown of RF signals running from ELF (subs operate in this range) to (EHF Miltary Satellites, hitting up around the Gamma Band) had me a shortwave radio and a modified scanner radio that picked up all frequencies between 30khz to 2.4GHZ. And even went through the days of listening to TDMA cell signals before they started encryption and moving them to GSM. Moved on to satellites C\ku\ka band before digital came out. keep up the good work. By the way any new news on the ATSC 3.0
Just wanted to let you know I don't use it anymore but from 1972 to today on CB radio I am the antenna man. I have been an engineer since 1970 in broadcast electronics and I design and build antennas. It is good to meet you.
Another tip, can be to try to eliminate electronic interference. Even though most devices are not suppose to cause excessive electronic noise every device creates some. Transformers, dimmer switches, and some light bulbs can be very problematic. There are several simple ways to see if this is the problem.1) Run around the house and unplug everything one at a time. (example, the printer cable power transformer might be the problem). 2) turn off household circuit breakers. This will cut everything on that circuit quickly. 3)take an old AM transistor radio on AM band and hold it up to every switch, outlet, lightbulb, or electronic device listening for excessive static. This can help find the source of the problem. Replacing the individual transformer, light switch or light bulb can then clean up the noise echoing through the houses electric system.
That’s dang near genius using an am radio to sniff out noise!!👍👍 I have been an antenna freak since I was a kid and this is the first time I ever heard that one. As with audio I always keep signal separate from power in every case. Also simple routing of antenna wire makes all the difference. Thanks!!
Thanks for the info. I was over amplifying and needed to put my 4g filter before my preamp. Fixed those things and my signal is stable now! Thanks for your videos.
Just wanted to let you know I'm a new subscriber to you channel because of this video 😊👍. I cut the cable here in S. Jersey about 3 years ago and have been having a hell of a time trying to pick up as many channels from Philly (40 miles away) as I can. And just watching this video I now know 4 more things that I didn't know that can screw up my reception or weaken my signal that I am going to address today. Thank you for the info 👍
are you using 150 mile antenna? (i have mine in attic and im 30 miles away) also pointing in direction...i recieve 53 channels, got my antenna on ebay $15 bucks, had to build it, cheap metal so i hot glued and ziptied every inch.... told Verizon to suck it...
Thanks for all of the information on your RUclips channel. Another tip. I have the new T-Mobile Wifi service. This service grabs the internet from the Cell tower instead of the cable line. As a result, it is a very good idea to keep your external TV tuner unit and TV coax away from the Wifi unit. The Wifi unit introduces noise and/or weakens the TV signal if the external TV tuner is near it. I haven't tried an LTE trap, however, keeping a reasonable distance between the two units seems to have solved my issue
i made my own antenna and mounted it in attic. i compared it to hd winegard and the homemade bow tie design was actually a lot better signal in every station ...
Thank you for mentioning Locast it’s a life saver for us!! I did purchase the tv tuner and hard drive you recommend and it works extremely well! Thank you for opening up our world a bit bigger..! Ohh btw I moved from Pennsylvania to California back in 2013 and it’s goofier here but the weather and girls are nicer ha ha
Few more: 11) Place amplifier closer to the antenna end. Once low-signal is lost to cable, it can't be recovered; an amplifier can boost what signal remains, but once the smallest portion of signal is lost, it's lost forever. 12) Several loops anywhere post-amplifier can help prevent lightning-strikes. Lightning takes the shortest (inductance) path and a few loops of coax go a long way to making some other pathway more attractive to lightning. 13) Antenna height is the most beneficial signal booster once an antenna/amp are in-hand. 14) If antenna is outdoor wall-mounted, there is often a sweet-spot wall-distance to bring-in weak channel(s)? 6"-18" normally.
Thanks for the preamp suggestion. I installed the ChannelMaster at the outside antenna and the result was fantastic. After initially checking the signal strengths in my area through the website you suggested, (all were at the lower end of strength), the preamp added 25% to each and I was able to bring in the ABC stations that didn’t come through before the preamp. Thanks again for your great expertise.
Thanks for checking in. I'm glad my videos helped you get better reception. Feel free to give a contribution at one of the links below as I spend a lot of time making the videos and responding to these comments: paypal.me/pools/c/8cwRt7M0g4 www.patreon.com/AntennaMan
@@AntennaMan does the preamp have to be mounted AT the antenna? My antenna is on a 20 foot mast and that mast is approximately 55 feet from my home. Can the amplifier be mounted inside the home?
I am NW of Tyler and use the LAVA 2605 long range antenna for reaching Dallas 80 miles away. But I did 2 things that helped a lot. 1. I cut the rotation power so it would not turn. 2. I did an add on to the Gain using 2 tall cans. Got 64 channels. I also pick up SW of my location some 50-60 miles away without turning that direction.
Another thing about splitters is the output runs need to be equal for minimal loss. The cables should be of the same length and quality and never leave one or more outputs disconnected. If you don't need to use an output, use a terminating resistor or replace with a splitter with the correct number of outputs. You also didn't mention that a lot of issues are due to the connectors. Quick connect (ones that don't screw in) don't usually work as well and poorly installed connects will cause problems, both in db loss and outright loss of signal (i.e., no connection). Cut off bad connectors and crimp new ones.
No, output runs do not need to be equal for minimal loss. There are other factors that have a much greater impact on signal level and quality than the difference in the length of cable runs on the split side of the splitter such as the type/quality of the load that is connected to the end of the cable. This is the first time I have ever heard this and I work in the cable TV industry for 19 years designing headend splitting and combining gear. And yes always terminate unused ports on a splitter. If you are going to split the signal, use a powered splitter or an amplifier before the splitter to try and maintain the signal to noise ratio. Using amps after the split and not before reduces the S/N ratio more. Do not use cheap coax cable! As mentioned in the video RG6 has less loss per length than RG59 coax. At a minimum use double shielded coax with at least a 60% coverage. Quad shield is even better, but terminating the cable is more difficult and takes some practice to get the technique.
Found the little baby antenna they advertise on tv all the time , the guy on the boat one, marked down in the seen on tv section at either Walmart or target. Shocked me how good it worked, I only bought it as a quickie fix but it is great, you can move it around so easy.
For external antennas a good lightening and ground system is important! Vital, even. RG-11 coax for runs of more than 30 ft. Bond and ground with arresters before the coax enters the home. The NEC also comes into play with wire sizing, ground-rod sizing rules as well. (5 yrs CATV install and troubleshooter tech from the mid-80's) Coax-Seal to keep moisture out of the connections. And dielectric paste inside the connectors for the same reason.
New subscriber. I believe that a sheriff helicopter is distorting my signal. I usually watch the 10pm news and always during the broadcast my signal is disrupted a few times. So I went outside during a few of the disruptions and there was a helicopter out there. Is this something that can happen? If so what can I use to combat this other than a law rocket?
Quality and Truth. I do not recommend a Preamplifier and Powered Amplified Splitters at the same time as the signal can be over amplified and this will produce bad reception. One or the other. A Preamplifier. Or Powered Amplified Splitter.
2 aerials decide to get married. Wedding was terrible but the reception was really good... Where I grew up we didn't have electricity so we had to watch TV by candlelight..
Hi Tyler, How's things? Really like this video. I like them all but this one especially. Very informative BUT now I have to add a few filters. No problem though thanks to you helping me improve my reception. Now, since watching this one, I need to fine tune the reception. Enjoyed working with you on my OTA project Tyler. Many thanks.
I use a cheap swivel tv antenna for my rv. Set it on top when watching tv, and run rg6 cable through the electric hookup access door of the rv. Works good at the rv campground.
Depends on where you live. If you live in a big market you will have dozens on channels available OTA but if you live in a small market or rural area you may only be able to get 1 or 2 channels
Depends. If you just want to watch the local and national news broadcasts, it’s great. It can also be good for certain sports such as the NFL which broadcasts most games on the big networks. Otherwise, cable/satellite and streaming are still the way to go.
A lot of the basic cable stations can be found now on broadcast TV. CourtTV just went broadcast; shopping channels as well. Many that haven't there's a similar broadcast version. Laff, AntennaTV and MeTV show old sitcoms. Buzzr airs old game shows, Ion and Start air newer cop dramas. And others specialize in true-crime, movies, Westerns, "reality" (barf), family, etc.
You also want to get a higher coverage of the shield given as a %. This refers to how much the braid covers the coax. Use at least 60%. Shielding helps to maintain the S/N ratio.
If your neighbor has something causing interference, his/her interference will travel down your shielded cable as effectively as the desired signal will.
The coax run down the side of the house from the antenna is zip tied to a pvc conduit that houses the wires from my solar panels. Is that causing an issue? I have a small raggi RCA antenna with a preamp on my 1 story house on LI. Lately, it hasn't been working well and Im trying to figure out the issue. Zip code 11566
Antenna Man! I am interested in purchasing your consultation service. Will you be able to advise me on a signal amplifier (pre-amp) & launch amplifier for my multi-unit (107 ) apartment building.
Hey Jon, unfortunately I don't have the best knowledge in commercial coax distribution. My guess would be to use a set of powered splitters but I'm not sure how well it would work.
I've already done almost all of what you mentioned. (I'm an Extra class Amateur Radio Op, so I know antennas). I have a huge Winegard VHF/UHF antenna with pre-amp mounted above my ham radio yagi antenna, about 50 ft. above ground. Problem is my home is located next to lake Erie, so everything is UP from my location. I also have used RG-6U coax from the pre-amp to its power injector, to an amplifier. I do have 1 unpowered 2 way splitter, which I should replace. Usually, my reception is pretty good, but all the "Greater Cleveland" TV channels (which are about 60 miles away from me in Madison, OH), are not exactly in the same compass direction. I'm luck to have a rotor on my tower so that I can adjust the antenna direction while looking at the "Local TV setup" monitor on my Dish Network receiver, which has an OTA input. With both pre-amp and amp, I'm sure I occasionally get multi-path which causes signal break up or signal loss for some period. Also, the reception values vary at different times of the day. A lot of TV station cut back power in evening hours. Even during the daytime, if there is a lot of precipitation in the air, that can attenuate signals. By having the OTA system, I was able to save $10 on my DishNetwork bill, not paying for "locals". That's $120 a year in savings over many years, and that should tell you that it is worth while investing in a GOOD outdoor OTA TV antenna system. One thing you didn't mention is antenna height. HIGHER is BETTER. The Higher you can get your antenna, the better your reception will be. Nice video with good points which I can validate as correct. I will have to look at a distribution amp to eliminate that one 2 way splitter.
@UCyTgHAXuyRJrS5y7fK4Pi-A Yeah, I can get Erie, Pa channels no problem. I occasionally can get Warren, OH & Detroit and Buffalo. Back in the days of analog, which used the full 6mhz bandwidth per channel, I used to "TV DX" .. trying to get reception from far away stations. I do have a Winegard 8200, a Winegard pre-amp, and a Channel Master (back of the set) amp. My best DX TV was about 9am on a Summer morning, and I had a perfectly clear reception of a channel 2 out of Texas. I took pictures when the station put up a station ID and sent it to them, and they sent me back a nice letter congratulating me on the reception of their channel up here in NE Ohio (probably got reception via 'VHF Ducting'). Now, with digital TV, DXing is a thing of the past, as multi-path usually kills off that idea. Even with my setup, my signal strength can vary 20 points depending on conditions (my antenna is located above my ham radio antenna, and has a powerful rotor to be able to turn it 360 deg). Cheers.
@Google User I also can point North and get Canadian channels .. occasionally I can point South and get Canton/Columbus channels. Its more difficult now with digital and multi-path interference.
@@billsomrak Your reception of a Texas station was not by ducting, rather by an unrelated phenomenon known as Sporadic-E skip, which happens on occasion usually in May, June and July and sometimes in January. The E- Layer is about 100km high, so it causes reception at distances around 1600km (rarely less than 1200 nor greater than 2200). When 6m is hot, try RF Channel 2 (6 metres' neighbor on the RF spectrum) for stations like KNOP in North Platte NE). Your reception of stations across Lake Erie IS ducting, and Lake Erie has excellent ducting opportunities when warm, steady air cools over the cold lake. You can DX Digital TV, but you should have a TV or converter box that allows you to change the actual RF channel at will.
thank you antenna man! your tips helped me diagnose my issue with my antenna signal! i installed a manual transfer switch, surge protector and ev circuit while moving coax and ethernet wires and immediately i ended losing my antenna signal entirely... problem was i moved my hdtv amplifier/splitter only a few inches away from my hepd80 surge protector... it had been working "ok" prior to then but after watching your video i realized i was getting interference from wires everywhere so i moved the amplifier/splitter to a better location and voila! much better signal!! thanks again antenna man!!
I'm glad my videos helped you get better reception. Feel free to give a contribution at the link below as I spend A LOT of time making the videos and responding to these comments: antennamanpa.com/support.html
Added FM trap and fixed NBC and FOX reception problem in low vhf ,large FM tower 3 miles away .thanks to you Tyler great advise for the radio shack fm filter.
I'm glad my videos helped you get better reception. Feel free to give a contribution at one of the links below as I spend a lot of time making the videos and responding to these comments: paypal.me/pools/c/8cwRt7M0g4 www.patreon.com/AntennaMan
Great video Tyler. I wish you were offering your professional services in my area. I do have reception problems in my area. No problem with cable tv but air antenna really sucks. I will follow your advice and follow your videos. Thanks much!
That's my problem when we had analog signals my reception wasn't too bad. But they switched to digital and I either get the channel or I don't. Very disappointed. I have a 40' plus antenna tower. 50 miles from TV stations and only get a few channels. Might have to break down and have someone get everything up to par again.
ATSC 3.0 will fix the problems you have now. Watch my video below to learn about what tuners work and if it's live in your area: ruclips.net/video/3kSt01FNse0/видео.html
@@AntennaMan I found that out searching for one. I am going to try the "Stellar Labs Deep Fringe VHF TV Antenna" that you gave a good review of. it's only $37. BTY, I used Puffer to watch the USFL game yesterday on NBC, the channel I lost and it worked perfectly. Thanks for your reply Tyler.
I added a cm 4228HD under the cm 3020 I already had. After doing this I lost 4 channels. I pointed them in the same direction and they are 30 ft off the ground. I am using a cm 0500v2 combiner and a cm 7777HD amp. There is one small mountain between me and the nearest towers which are 26 miles away. there are more towers in a different direction that are 42 miles away. If needed the zip code is 24984. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have also contacted Cannel Master as all the eqpt is made by them. Thanks Ron
I just read an article about people needing to get a smart tv antenna! I didn’t know that a specific antenna was made that was considered a smart antenna?
I most went to streaming but i still have my channel master antenna which was the best one they had in 2016. I can only get 35 in Hazelton,My TV,Fox,CW,16,16 2,Wvia,Wvia kids,Wvia create.....that is all i can get in Williamsport.
Distribution amplifiers can cause "noise". I have an attic antenna and I use one splitter with 2 outputs for 2 TVs, cable run is about 30-40 ft. Replaced an old 4 port splitter with -7db loss per output with the 2 port -3.5db per output. It works very well.
I have three roof antennas I get everything except CBS. I have looked up where the signal is coming from and pointed it in that direction. The weird thing is two towers by it come in and one that is farther comes in about 8 miles farther. I just purchased the largest antenna which goes 100 miles from menards. I get 43 channels from those three antennas. The only thing I haven't done is change the splitter like you recommend. I also hooked a preamp to all the antennas to eliminate any signal loss on the wire. The farthest station is 36 miles away and that comes in great. I also put the newer cable wire that is made for the newer tvs.
Rising Boo, That works?? Back in the day, as a kid, everyone had a rooftop antenna, AND a much smaller TV top antenna. Some homes had to take it a step farther. They’d do just what you said,...wrap aluminum foil on the long “arms” of the antenna. It worked better in some cases.
I have had issues with receiving broadcast tv since analog days at this location. 20 miles or so direct line of sight from the transmit towers on 9000 ft peaks across a valley floor. Problems have become more severe since the move to digital broadcast. Could be either the move to uhf frequencies or the tighter specs for digital modes. Problems were most severe on the occasion when planes flew overhead creating a multi path condition and occasionally from a severe storm. An inline signal booster had minimal improvement, especially with overhead planes. (multi path is where the signal comes nearly equally strong from several sources, in this case being reflected from the plane wings and body). What seems to have largely corrected the issue was using a distributed receive antenna array on the rooftop instead of a single antenna. Two antennas feeding a splitter/ combiner to a single coax to the television, this works in two way radio business for spotty signals and seems to work well here. if the signal to one antenna becomes weak momentarily the other antenna fills in the gap. Been using this for several years and almost never have a signal drop out compared to the single antenna arrangement. The antennas are the $30 outdoor sort from the local bog box home improvement store.
Regarding the marketing of “HD”, “digital”, “4K” antennas. I tell friends that it’s like tires for cars: if someone told you that you need to buy their “circular” or “circumferential”, if you just buy *round* tires, that’s all you need. As with antennas, tires have two types: road tires and off-road tires (VHF and UHF antennas). Everything else is marketing hype.
I kept the old analog TV antenna despite being told it needed to be replaced with a digital antenna. I work in RF professionally and I knew the old dual band antenna would still work great on the new system. While my neighbors spent hundreds on new antennas, cable, preamps and installers, I kept my old antenna setup and I pick up more stations than they do. I can pull in stations from up to 200 miles away where the neighbors struggle to keep local stations on screen.
I feel like millions of people were tricked into buying new "hd digital antennas" when they could have kept their existing antenna. I preached in almost every video that there is no such thing as an HD antenna. Not sure if people listen or not but it's the truth.
@@AntennaMan II's the same psychology that fooled millions about Y2K or even 2012. Scammy companies and even Media outlets hyped it up and people wasted lots of time and money on gimmicky things when nothing actually happened.. People will not listen to the little guy speaking the truth, no they will listen to the big company, radio or TV personality telling lies instead. Only educated and smart people will know not to fall for the snake oil.
Looks like I have 10,000 educated/smart people (subscribers) but that's a small fraction of the people that are fooled buying junky "hd digital" antennas.
Subscribed .... cut my cable 3 years ago. Live 40 - 60 miles from broadcast stations .... Got a small antenna and a "digital" antenna ... still get lots of interference. 1. Most every time a car goes by ... interference ... most channels 2. Rainy weather degrades a bit 3. To get one channel digital antenna must face east/west for best reception and other channel north/south ... even tho they're both in the same direction. 4. Going to check all your videos .... and fix ( hopefully ) my antenna problems. Thank for sharing the knowledge.
To answer both of your questions most antennas labeled as "hd digital" and cost under $30 are junk. Everything you listed is the result of a weak signal and a junk antenna. Thanks for subscribing to my channel. After numerous requests for indoor models I am going to publish some videos in the coming weeks but do not want to keep you waiting. This Clearstream model works very well. It comes with a stand so you can use it as an indoor model. amzn.to/2WxONfe
Yes you can hang it upside down and it should still work fine. You should see how mine is hung on the wall. If you give me your email I'll send you a picture.
@@AntennaMan I'm good. But ... I do thank you for posting these videos. Don't know how I didn't come across them when I was searching for antenna's to buy or ... how to buy.
Yes and no your antenna needs to be higher or lower than power lines trees may affect.but yes higher can be better but if not solid pole you have wind problem
I put one of the indoor flat antennas outside, on a couple of 1"x2"'s it was only supposed to be a few months, its been 3 years, and works fine, I'm using a amp, but don't think it makes a diff, the antenna was worthless inside, but I get 8 channels putting it outdoors,
We in Monroe , La just lost every single channel running scans on all TV's nothing I have 2 (2022) Sony tvs we are not picking up any channels in the past 4 hours now
Great information! Any recommendations for interference caused by led ceiling lights? One of my channels (VHF) doesn't come in when the led lights are on (most of then are still OK). Thanks!
need help: I have a ClearStream 4Max antenna that got blown down in a storm.There isa thin coax coming of it (RG58a/U i think, its about 5mm OD). the fitting that connects to my regular RG-6 cable was ripped off and lost to the elements. I would like to find a fitting that i can use to replace the lost fitting for this this thin coax that will have a male connector that will screw directly into my RG6 cable. Can you help?
Tyler, I'm an RF tech for a well known company and I have lots of experience installing commercial two way transmission equipment and antennas. I have no issue putting up an outdoor antenna to increase my OTA channels. My issue is that the two DTV transmission towers are about 90 degrees apart in azimuth. My home is located in Garner, NC at 35deg 37min 29.27secN, 78deg 33min 23secW. One tower (WRAL Auburn, NC) is 3.7mi to my NNE at 35deg 40min 34.98secN, 78deg 32min 7.5secW. The other tower (UNC TV Carrboro, NC) is 38mi to my WNW at 35deg 52min 0.37secN, 79deg 09min 59.22secW. I can access the public safety repeaters on the UNC tower with a 3W VHF portable from my house. I've been to most of the towers (of all types) in eastern NC. Not sure if there's OTA TV on any others. What model antenna(s) would be good for this situation and I assume that I would probably point toward the further antenna. I'm currently receiving OTA TV with those flat indoor panels. The tower at 3.7miles is line of sight and perfectly clear but the tower at 38miles has drop outs when viewing it. Also, I have 4 TVs that I'd like to split the signal to. I assume there's an amplified distribution amp I could use? Thanks for your input.
Thank you for the very informative video. I have two (simple?) questions: 1) I have a Winegard Wingman on my Sensar OTA antenna on my RV. The signal pixelates (and No Signal) on some stations all day but seems to get worse right at sunset. (Stations that I watch during the day are not available after dark.) Why is that? 2) When you say "point the antenna" - where is the 'front' of the antenna? (My Antenna looks like an airplane - two long wings and a tail with three cross members.)
1 more tiny tip....I noticed making my cable have sharp bends cuts down the signal a lot. I found the bigger the loop the better....using a longer cable with more slack is superior to short cable with a sharp bend which cuts my signal by a good 2 to 3 dbs on one TV and 50% on another.
What happened to the FCC plan to re farm all the VHF (2-13) for high speed data? This was why the TV broadcasters were give a UHF channel (digital mode) so they would move to UHF at great expense to them. VHF band still contains TV stations that did not move, translators and new low power local stations. So many antennas are designed for UHF only and can only receive strong high band VHF signals.
The FCC never had a plan to move high-speed data to the VHF band. That is a false rumor that keeps coming up. A lot of TV stations moved to the UHF band for better reception for their viewers but many stayed on the VHF band end as the TV band shrinks more and more stations are going back to the VHF band.
I already have an excellent tuner in my tv. How do I connect and transmit via wifi a remote antenna signal to a wifi receiving device connected to my tv’s coax antenna import? Can this be done? Thank you.
3:25 Keep cable runs to 25 ft. and under if possible. 3:40 unpowered splitters. 6:10 Better quality coax cable for better reception. Go with thicker RG6 over flimsy RG59 coax.
I live in the ideal location in Niagara Falls on Canada. I get buffalo and Toronto stations. I installed a rotary antenna with a digital readout. It works great. Then i bought a double flat type antenna . One panel points to Toronto and the other top Buffalo. No rotate required now. I was watching you vid about cables. I check mine and all were rg58. I have 2 tvs. and an amp. so i was getting good reception. After i watch your vid about the cables, my local auction house had a sale on rg6 cable so i bought 2 - 50 ft cables for $7.50 each lol. i won't need all the cable but that's what they had. I will run the cable in the house soon and cut it to what i need and but and end on the one end. Then when i get ambitious i will lower my antenna. It on a winch and pivot so it easy. I will replace that cable also.Thank you for all your help i really appreciate it.
Which way to position the antenna is it a bigger longer or the shorter up and down I can do appointed to the tower like an arrow or do you reverse it it’s a big and tennis channel master one in real big ones I appreciate you and your comment
Excellent information. About 5 years ago I purchase an outdoor antenna from Antennas Direct. Its not perfect but I get about 65 channels in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Depending on the weather some channels will disappear and at other times they come back in. I split the signal between 2 TV's. I am thinking of eventually getting 2 separate antennas. I do have a signal boost also from Antennas Direct which greatly helps. I used to have the Juice signal booster but every time we got a storm it blew out the Juice device so I went to another signal booster. The Juice worked incredibly when functioning but it was to susceptible to electric storms.
Don't blame the amplifier for your signal issues. Changes in atmospheric conditions during storms will weaken the TV signals to the point some may not come in. If you are having issues with TV stations during storms you may need a larger antenna.
i bought a radio signal booster for my car radio so i could get music in better in my car and i thought i would try it on my tv antenna and now i get all the free tv channels. Amazing idea.
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#AntennaMan I came across this i jave a Clearstream V2 and a basic $15 Rabbit ear antenna with some 6" x6" square box connected to the ears. If i use a basic Verizon 1 in 2 out splitter I simply reversed it. Now 2 in and 1 out to tv, is this fine or a no no also nothing is powered. Below is what i came across what do you this ? RG6 everything..... Below is what i just read, what do you think?
**Can a 2 way splitter be used in reverse? Splitter Construction. Reverse a splitter to combine signals from different 2 antennas. Splitters contain no electronic devices and don't require any power, making them "passive" instead of "active." Because of this, they can be connected in reverse without any damage.
Z
TELL US ABOUT NOVAWAVE ANTENNA IS IT ANY GOOD?
Question.... I have 5 different locations for transmitter sites for my local channels... what if I were to add multiple outdoor annteneas in different directions and combine the signals into a combiner before the preamp before I interjected the signal to my tvs
@@glennschlorf1285 No, you cannot do this. It will mess up your reception. Depending on your reception situation you may only need one or two antennas. For more information sign up for an antenna recommendation from me below. www.antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html
Antenna Man - I have been a Broadcast Engineer for over 30 years and Amateur Radio Operator for over 40 years and I must say that your videos are spot on. Congrats and Nice job.
Thelma Peckerwood
Why would you even bother to post that? You went out of your way to take the time to be rude and disrespectful to a total stranger. I’ll bet that if someone asked you to your face, you’d say that you think you’re a good person. Well, you’re not.
I grew up over-the-air, and had to repair the TVs (most often the TV-tuner tube; a little less often the vertical) because we couldn't afford repair. Learned much about antenna issues as well.
Never fell for the hype of cable. But -- never learn -- many are "cutting the cable" and going to streaming where the quality is less and the coast is probably more than for cable.
Us old geeks tend to know stuff that young'uns ain't learned yet, and the better-heeled are above learning.
I guess thats what i need to do have to stop passwords
Well said. I am also a Ham and i learned a hell of a lot with this one video. I am going to check out his other videos.
@@totallyfrozen wat? You mother,just in case
OMG...while watching your video, I took notes. I found an RG6 coax in my basement and I made sure my connection was NOT crossing any other electrical wire. I scanned my channels BEFORE moving my indoor antenna around. SURPRISE!!! Your tips improved my reception immediately!!!! I wasn't concerned with the quantity of channels but the quality of what I was seeing. Thanks!
I've worked with TV both transmitting and receiving for many years. This fellow knows what he's talking about. You can trust him.
This guy is great! I had a setup that was working about 80% for me. Paid for his recommendation service and now I am getting every station in my area at full strength in all weather conditions. I would not have thought this possible, was all ready to live with 80%.
Paid for a recommendation 😂
I love watching someone who knows what they are talking about and explains it without b.s.
We've been OTA only for eight years. I'm a retired telco tech and find OTA TV to be a great hobby. I want to mention a feature on TVfool that I found to be very helpful for antenna placement and siting. On the right hand side of the TVfool main page click on "start maps". Enter your address info and click "map this". You'll see map of the address you entered. On the map select satellite view and zoom in with the + /- until you see your house clearly. Below the map select antenna height. Now click on "Show lines pointing to each transmitter". Now you'll see the signal path from all available broadcast towers. Click and hold the red pointer to move your antenna position around various points on your house or property. See how the signal path changes. Look for obstructions like trees and buildings. Where is the sweet spot for all your stations?
Unfortunately, TVfool isn't being updated with FCC repack info so the real channel info isn't accurate all the time. Rabbitears.info is updated and will have accurate info for that.
I enjoy your videos Tyler. Thank you
Thank you very much. Have been struggling to help family and friends with antenna reception and this is super helpful!
Dude, I love your videos because I am a nerd like that. I remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old I was just fascinated by antennas and signals. I remember saving up my allowances to purchase an RF frequency chart that gave a breakdown of RF signals running from ELF (subs operate in this range) to (EHF Miltary Satellites, hitting up around the Gamma Band) had me a shortwave radio and a modified scanner radio that picked up all frequencies between 30khz to 2.4GHZ. And even went through the days of listening to TDMA cell signals before they started encryption and moving them to GSM. Moved on to satellites C\ku\ka band before digital came out. keep up the good work. By the way any new news on the ATSC 3.0
Just wanted to let you know I don't use it anymore but from 1972 to today on CB radio I am the antenna man. I have been an engineer since 1970 in broadcast electronics and I design and build antennas. It is good to meet you.
Another tip, can be to try to eliminate electronic interference. Even though most devices are not suppose to cause excessive electronic noise every device creates some. Transformers, dimmer switches, and some light bulbs can be very problematic. There are several simple ways to see if this is the problem.1) Run around the house and unplug everything one at a time. (example, the printer cable power transformer might be the problem). 2) turn off household circuit breakers. This will cut everything on that circuit quickly. 3)take an old AM transistor radio on AM band and hold it up to every switch, outlet, lightbulb, or electronic device listening for excessive static. This can help find the source of the problem. Replacing the individual transformer, light switch or light bulb can then clean up the noise echoing through the houses electric system.
That’s dang near genius using an am radio to sniff out noise!!👍👍 I have been an antenna freak since I was a kid and this is the first time I ever heard that one. As with audio I always keep signal separate from power in every case. Also simple routing of antenna wire makes all the difference. Thanks!!
Tyler is great. Does a excellent job. Mark
good morning...I have a motorhome with NO antenna, can you tell me some good antennas that fold up for traveling?
You can find a list of recommended antennas below: www.amazon.com/shop/antennaman/list/2LH365VAPDKLC
I just love this guy. He has helped so much with equipment options and best things to buy. Just saying
Thanks for the info. I was over amplifying and needed to put my 4g filter before my preamp. Fixed those things and my signal is stable now! Thanks for your videos.
Just wanted to let you know I'm a new subscriber to you channel because of this video 😊👍. I cut the cable here in S. Jersey about 3 years ago and have been having a hell of a time trying to pick up as many channels from Philly (40 miles away) as I can. And just watching this video I now know 4 more things that I didn't know that can screw up my reception or weaken my signal that I am going to address today. Thank you for the info 👍
are you using 150 mile antenna? (i have mine in attic and im 30 miles away) also pointing in direction...i recieve 53 channels, got my antenna on ebay $15 bucks, had to build it, cheap metal so i hot glued and ziptied every inch....
told Verizon to suck it...
Thanks for all of the information on your RUclips channel. Another tip. I have the new T-Mobile Wifi service. This service grabs the internet from the Cell tower instead of the cable line. As a result, it is a very good idea to keep your external TV tuner unit and TV coax away from the Wifi unit. The Wifi unit introduces noise and/or weakens the TV signal if the external TV tuner is near it. I haven't tried an LTE trap, however, keeping a reasonable distance between the two units seems to have solved my issue
i made my own antenna and mounted it in attic. i compared it to hd winegard and the homemade bow tie design was actually a lot better signal in every station ...
AnyWho
Link to your eBay store.
Thanks just added amplifier with outdoor antenna got reception for more channels
Thank you for mentioning Locast it’s a life saver for us!! I did purchase the tv tuner and hard drive you recommend and it works extremely well! Thank you for opening up our world a bit bigger..! Ohh btw I moved from Pennsylvania to California back in 2013 and it’s goofier here but the weather and girls are nicer ha ha
Few more: 11) Place amplifier closer to the antenna end. Once low-signal is lost to cable, it can't be recovered; an amplifier can boost what signal remains, but once the smallest portion of signal is lost, it's lost forever. 12) Several loops anywhere post-amplifier can help prevent lightning-strikes. Lightning takes the shortest (inductance) path and a few loops of coax go a long way to making some other pathway more attractive to lightning. 13) Antenna height is the most beneficial signal booster once an antenna/amp are in-hand. 14) If antenna is outdoor wall-mounted, there is often a sweet-spot wall-distance to bring-in weak channel(s)? 6"-18" normally.
Thanks for the preamp suggestion. I installed the ChannelMaster at the outside antenna and the result was fantastic. After initially checking the signal strengths in my area through the website you suggested, (all were at the lower end of strength), the preamp added 25% to each and I was able to bring in the ABC stations that didn’t come through before the preamp. Thanks again for your great expertise.
Thanks for checking in. I'm glad my videos helped you get better reception. Feel free to give a contribution at one of the links below as I spend a lot of time making the videos and responding to these comments:
paypal.me/pools/c/8cwRt7M0g4
www.patreon.com/AntennaMan
@@AntennaMan does the preamp have to be mounted AT the antenna? My antenna is on a 20 foot mast and that mast is approximately 55 feet from my home. Can the amplifier be mounted inside the home?
I am NW of Tyler and use the LAVA 2605 long range antenna for reaching Dallas 80 miles away. But I did 2 things that helped a lot. 1. I cut the rotation power so it would not turn. 2. I did an add on to the Gain using 2 tall cans. Got 64 channels. I also pick up SW of my location some 50-60 miles away without turning that direction.
Rob T
If you have time, could you make a video showing your setup?
Awesome Channel! We live in Northern IL where it is over 70/90 miles in any direction to receive good programing. Thank you for all your tips!
Thanks Tyler. Got rid of the splitter and shortened the cable and bought new cable connector. Much better reception now.
Another thing about splitters is the output runs need to be equal for minimal loss. The cables should be of the same length and quality and never leave one or more outputs disconnected. If you don't need to use an output, use a terminating resistor or replace with a splitter with the correct number of outputs.
You also didn't mention that a lot of issues are due to the connectors. Quick connect (ones that don't screw in) don't usually work as well and poorly installed connects will cause problems, both in db loss and outright loss of signal (i.e., no connection). Cut off bad connectors and crimp new ones.
No, output runs do not need to be equal for minimal loss. There are other factors that have a much greater impact on signal level and quality than the difference in the length of cable runs on the split side of the splitter such as the type/quality of the load that is connected to the end of the cable. This is the first time I have ever heard this and I work in the cable TV industry for 19 years designing headend splitting and combining gear. And yes always terminate unused ports on a splitter. If you are going to split the signal, use a powered splitter or an amplifier before the splitter to try and maintain the signal to noise ratio. Using amps after the split and not before reduces the S/N ratio more.
Do not use cheap coax cable! As mentioned in the video RG6 has less loss per length than RG59 coax. At a minimum use double shielded coax with at least a 60% coverage. Quad shield is even better, but terminating the cable is more difficult and takes some practice to get the technique.
Found the little baby antenna they advertise on tv all the time , the guy on the boat one, marked down in the seen on tv section at either Walmart or target. Shocked me how good it worked, I only bought it as a quickie fix but it is great, you can move it around so easy.
Mr. Antenna Man great job with the video. Super helpful stuff, thanks.
do you leave line amp on or off when you use a signal meater?
For external antennas a good lightening and ground system is important! Vital, even. RG-11 coax for runs of more than 30 ft. Bond and ground with arresters before the coax enters the home. The NEC also comes into play with wire sizing, ground-rod sizing rules as well. (5 yrs CATV install and troubleshooter tech from the mid-80's) Coax-Seal to keep moisture out of the connections. And dielectric paste inside the connectors for the same reason.
with preamp mounted at antenna good quality RG-6 should be fine for at least 100 feet.
@@teekay1785 . Good tip. RG6Q Quad even nicer
I have the first one you showed. Its been on a pole ontop my house for 6 years. Still works
Ya, your a pretty smart guy their fella, I really liked your presentation and delivery. I'll be back.
New subscriber. I believe that a sheriff helicopter is distorting my signal. I usually watch the 10pm news and always during the broadcast my signal is disrupted a few times. So I went outside during a few of the disruptions and there was a helicopter out there. Is this something that can happen? If so what can I use to combat this other than a law rocket?
Quality and Truth.
I do not recommend a Preamplifier and Powered Amplified Splitters at the same time as the signal can be over amplified and this will produce bad reception.
One or the other.
A Preamplifier.
Or
Powered Amplified Splitter.
Depends on the incoming signal strength and the number of splits.
What’s a good antenna for traveling in an RV?
2 aerials decide to get married. Wedding was terrible but the reception was really good... Where I grew up we didn't have electricity so we had to watch TV by candlelight..
We were so poor we had to watch tv by coal oil.
Hi Tyler, How's things? Really like this video. I like them all but this one especially. Very informative BUT now I have to add a few filters. No problem though thanks to you helping me improve my reception. Now, since watching this one, I need to fine tune the reception. Enjoyed working with you on my OTA project Tyler. Many thanks.
Antenna Man, what small compact TV Antenna would you recommend for my RV servicing 4 different TV's?
I use a cheap swivel tv antenna for my rv. Set it on top when watching tv, and run rg6 cable through the electric hookup access door of the rv. Works good at the rv campground.
Was just wondering what are your thoughts between the Channel Master CM-5020 and the Channel Master CM-3020, other than price
Broadcast television is 100% better than paying for cable and satelite television.
Damn right it is. I'm glad America is FINALLY waking up. We've been paying for free TV for nearly 60 years
Depends on where you live. If you live in a big market you will have dozens on channels available OTA but if you live in a small market or rural area you may only be able to get 1 or 2 channels
Depends. If you just want to watch the local and national news broadcasts, it’s great. It can also be good for certain sports such as the NFL which broadcasts most games on the big networks. Otherwise, cable/satellite and streaming are still the way to go.
A lot of the basic cable stations can be found now on broadcast TV. CourtTV just went broadcast; shopping channels as well. Many that haven't there's a similar broadcast version. Laff, AntennaTV and MeTV show old sitcoms. Buzzr airs old game shows, Ion and Start air newer cop dramas. And others specialize in true-crime, movies, Westerns, "reality" (barf), family, etc.
@@AntennaMan that's true but the analog was worse than cable now foa digital is better that cable.
I always use RG6Q coax cable - the "Q" stands for quad shielded, to reduce any chance of electrical interference.
You also want to get a higher coverage of the shield given as a %. This refers to how much the braid covers the coax. Use at least 60%. Shielding helps to maintain the S/N ratio.
If your neighbor has something causing interference, his/her interference will travel down your shielded cable as effectively as the desired signal will.
The coax run down the side of the house from the antenna is zip tied to a pvc conduit that houses the wires from my solar panels. Is that causing an issue? I have a small raggi RCA antenna with a preamp on my 1 story house on LI. Lately, it hasn't been working well and Im trying to figure out the issue. Zip code 11566
Its funny that my antennas sweetspot is the opposite direction of where the broadcast towers are located. Works like a charm.
Same here.
Are you sure you aren’t pointing the wrong end?
ruclips.net/video/AD59zfAtm6o/видео.html
Antenna Man! I am interested in purchasing your consultation service. Will you be able to advise me on a signal amplifier (pre-amp) & launch amplifier for my multi-unit (107 ) apartment building.
Hey Jon, unfortunately I don't have the best knowledge in commercial coax distribution. My guess would be to use a set of powered splitters but I'm not sure how well it would work.
I've already done almost all of what you mentioned. (I'm an Extra class Amateur Radio Op, so I know antennas). I have a huge Winegard VHF/UHF antenna with pre-amp mounted above my ham radio yagi antenna, about 50 ft. above ground. Problem is my home is located next to lake Erie, so everything is UP from my location. I also have used RG-6U coax from the pre-amp to its power injector, to an amplifier. I do have 1 unpowered 2 way splitter, which I should replace. Usually, my reception is pretty good, but all the "Greater Cleveland" TV channels (which are about 60 miles away from me in Madison, OH), are not exactly in the same compass direction. I'm luck to have a rotor on my tower so that I can adjust the antenna direction while looking at the "Local TV setup" monitor on my Dish Network receiver, which has an OTA input. With both pre-amp and amp, I'm sure I occasionally get multi-path which causes signal break up or signal loss for some period. Also, the reception values vary at different times of the day. A lot of TV station cut back power in evening hours. Even during the daytime, if there is a lot of precipitation in the air, that can attenuate signals. By having the OTA system, I was able to save $10 on my DishNetwork bill, not paying for "locals". That's $120 a year in savings over many years, and that should tell you that it is worth while investing in a GOOD outdoor OTA TV antenna system. One thing you didn't mention is antenna height. HIGHER is BETTER. The Higher you can get your antenna, the better your reception will be. Nice video with good points which I can validate as correct. I will have to look at a distribution amp to eliminate that one 2 way splitter.
Thanks for sharing
@UCyTgHAXuyRJrS5y7fK4Pi-A Yeah, I can get Erie, Pa channels no problem. I occasionally can get Warren, OH & Detroit and Buffalo. Back in the days of analog, which used the full 6mhz bandwidth per channel, I used to "TV DX" .. trying to get reception from far away stations. I do have a Winegard 8200, a Winegard pre-amp, and a Channel Master (back of the set) amp. My best DX TV was about 9am on a Summer morning, and I had a perfectly clear reception of a channel 2 out of Texas. I took pictures when the station put up a station ID and sent it to them, and they sent me back a nice letter congratulating me on the reception of their channel up here in NE Ohio (probably got reception via 'VHF Ducting'). Now, with digital TV, DXing is a thing of the past, as multi-path usually kills off that idea. Even with my setup, my signal strength can vary 20 points depending on conditions (my antenna is located above my ham radio antenna, and has a powerful rotor to be able to turn it 360 deg). Cheers.
@Google User I also can point North and get Canadian channels .. occasionally I can point South and get Canton/Columbus channels. Its more difficult now with digital and multi-path interference.
@@billsomrak
Your reception of a Texas station was not by ducting, rather by an unrelated phenomenon known as Sporadic-E skip, which happens on occasion usually in May, June and July and sometimes in January.
The E- Layer is about 100km high, so it causes reception at distances around 1600km (rarely less than 1200 nor greater than 2200).
When 6m is hot, try RF Channel 2 (6 metres' neighbor on the RF spectrum) for stations like KNOP in North Platte NE).
Your reception of stations across Lake Erie IS ducting, and Lake Erie has excellent ducting opportunities when warm, steady air cools over the cold lake.
You can DX Digital TV, but you should have a TV or converter box that allows you to change the actual RF channel at will.
thank you antenna man! your tips helped me diagnose my issue with my antenna signal! i installed a manual transfer switch, surge protector and ev circuit while moving coax and ethernet wires and immediately i ended losing my antenna signal entirely... problem was i moved my hdtv amplifier/splitter only a few inches away from my hepd80 surge protector... it had been working "ok" prior to then but after watching your video i realized i was getting interference from wires everywhere so i moved the amplifier/splitter to a better location and voila! much better signal!! thanks again antenna man!!
I'm glad my videos helped you get better reception. Feel free to give a contribution at the link below as I spend A LOT of time making the videos and responding to these comments:
antennamanpa.com/support.html
Lots of information here, dang. Thanks for sharing
I've read that an amplifier can cause interference with a signal that's too close. Try unplugging the amplifier and rescanning.
Added FM trap and fixed NBC and FOX reception problem in low vhf ,large FM tower 3 miles away .thanks to you Tyler great advise for the radio shack fm filter.
I'm glad my videos helped you get better reception. Feel free to give a contribution at one of the links below as I spend a lot of time making the videos and responding to these comments:
paypal.me/pools/c/8cwRt7M0g4
www.patreon.com/AntennaMan
The best Quote that I have read is -
TV signal capture is more of a Art, and less of a science !
What do u do if the broadcast towers are in opposite directions. One of mine is a tower 45 min south of me. The other is 60 min north of me.
Great video Tyler. I wish you were offering your professional services in my area. I do have reception problems in my area. No problem with cable tv but air antenna really sucks. I will follow your advice and follow your videos. Thanks much!
That's my problem when we had analog signals my reception wasn't too bad. But they switched to digital and I either get the channel or I don't. Very disappointed. I have a 40' plus antenna tower. 50 miles from TV stations and only get a few channels. Might have to break down and have someone get everything up to par again.
ATSC 3.0 will fix the problems you have now. Watch my video below to learn about what tuners work and if it's live in your area: ruclips.net/video/3kSt01FNse0/видео.html
keep up the good work bro. you are very thorough and exact with your information. much appreciated.
Thanks for watching!
Great job Tyler as always.thakyou!
What parts of PA do you service?
Everywhere from Pottstown to quishville
Tyler, are cut channel yagi antennas still available? I need one just for channel 9. I lost it due to a storm 3 weeks a go.
There used to be but not anymore due to low demand.
@@AntennaMan I found that out searching for one. I am going to try the "Stellar Labs Deep Fringe VHF TV Antenna" that you gave a good review of. it's only $37. BTY, I used Puffer to watch the USFL game yesterday on NBC, the channel I lost and it worked perfectly. Thanks for your reply Tyler.
Thank you. Good information.
I added a cm 4228HD under the cm 3020 I already had. After doing this I lost 4 channels. I pointed them in the same direction and they are 30 ft off the ground. I am using a cm 0500v2 combiner and a cm 7777HD amp. There is one small mountain between me and the nearest towers which are 26 miles away. there are more towers in a different direction that are 42 miles away. If needed the zip code is 24984. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have also contacted Cannel Master as all the eqpt is made by them. Thanks Ron
Home depot sells rg-11 now.
LMR-400
Cutting the cord soon your videos are very informative
🙌 thank you so much ❤️ I can watch football now
ITS FREAKING 2022!!! WHY ARE WE STILL FIGHTING THIS CRAP?? I REMEMBER BEING THE ANTENNA TURNER WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND IM NOW 52!!!
They want us to pay for TV.
All about the $$
great video!
I just read an article about people needing to get a smart tv antenna! I didn’t know that a specific antenna was made that was considered a smart antenna?
DUMP CABLE!
It's a rip-off!
Half of the stations these days are infomercials. Why pay for that?
When The WWE took out
Classic on Demand in
January 31 2014
I said Rest In Peace
To Old School Wrestling
And To
Mene Gene Okerlund.
Exactly you’re basically paying to watch commercials
I most went to streaming but i still have my channel master antenna which was the best one they had in 2016. I can only get 35 in Hazelton,My TV,Fox,CW,16,16 2,Wvia,Wvia kids,Wvia create.....that is all i can get in Williamsport.
EXCELLENT!! THANKS!
Thanks for watching hope these tips helped
Distribution amplifiers can cause "noise". I have an attic antenna and I use one splitter with 2 outputs for 2 TVs, cable run is about 30-40 ft. Replaced an old 4 port splitter with -7db loss per output with the 2 port -3.5db per output. It works very well.
Another great video, thanks Tyler. Jim, k4vw
hey Jim! funny seeing you here. Ke8bhp.
@@Zombeegun Hi Jim, I watch most of Tyler's videos, good accurate info. CU on the Radio 73's
I have three roof antennas I get everything except CBS. I have looked up where the signal is coming from and pointed it in that direction. The weird thing is two towers by it come in and one that is farther comes in about 8 miles farther. I just purchased the largest antenna which goes 100 miles from menards. I get 43 channels from those three antennas. The only thing I haven't done is change the splitter like you recommend. I also hooked a preamp to all the antennas to eliminate any signal loss on the wire. The farthest station is 36 miles away and that comes in great. I also put the newer cable wire that is made for the newer tvs.
I was wrapping aluminum foil on my antenna
For some reason that did work for a long time
Rising Boo, That works?? Back in the day, as a kid, everyone had a rooftop antenna, AND a much smaller TV top antenna. Some homes had to take it a step farther. They’d do just what you said,...wrap aluminum foil on the long “arms” of the antenna. It worked better in some cases.
Thanks for your great insights and advise.
Steaming service is the option when I am not on youtube.
Lower quality than cable and over-the-air TV, and replaces the cost of cable with the cost of streaming.
I have had issues with receiving broadcast tv since analog days at this location. 20 miles or so direct line of sight from the transmit towers on 9000 ft peaks across a valley floor. Problems have become more severe since the move to digital broadcast. Could be either the move to uhf frequencies or the tighter specs for digital modes. Problems were most severe on the occasion when planes flew overhead creating a multi path condition and occasionally from a severe storm. An inline signal booster had minimal improvement, especially with overhead planes. (multi path is where the signal comes nearly equally strong from several sources, in this case being reflected from the plane wings and body). What seems to have largely corrected the issue was using a distributed receive antenna array on the rooftop instead of a single antenna. Two antennas feeding a splitter/ combiner to a single coax to the television, this works in two way radio business for spotty signals and seems to work well here. if the signal to one antenna becomes weak momentarily the other antenna fills in the gap. Been using this for several years and almost never have a signal drop out compared to the single antenna arrangement. The antennas are the $30 outdoor sort from the local bog box home improvement store.
Regarding the marketing of “HD”, “digital”, “4K” antennas. I tell friends that it’s like tires for cars: if someone told you that you need to buy their “circular” or “circumferential”, if you just buy *round* tires, that’s all you need. As with antennas, tires have two types: road tires and off-road tires (VHF and UHF antennas). Everything else is marketing hype.
I kept the old analog TV antenna despite being told it needed to be replaced with a digital antenna. I work in RF professionally and I knew the old dual band antenna would still work great on the new system. While my neighbors spent hundreds on new antennas, cable, preamps and installers, I kept my old antenna setup and I pick up more stations than they do. I can pull in stations from up to 200 miles away where the neighbors struggle to keep local stations on screen.
I feel like millions of people were tricked into buying new "hd digital antennas" when they could have kept their existing antenna. I preached in almost every video that there is no such thing as an HD antenna. Not sure if people listen or not but it's the truth.
@@AntennaMan II's the same psychology that fooled millions about Y2K or even 2012. Scammy companies and even Media outlets hyped it up and people wasted lots of time and money on gimmicky things when nothing actually happened.. People will not listen to the little guy speaking the truth, no they will listen to the big company, radio or TV personality telling lies instead. Only educated and smart people will know not to fall for the snake oil.
Looks like I have 10,000 educated/smart people (subscribers) but that's a small fraction of the people that are fooled buying junky "hd digital" antennas.
I give up! Too much crap to deal with. I would rather watch my old DVDs.
Reading is a good idea too.
@@thomashumphrey4953 and you will find yourself getting smarter instead of being dumbed down by TV.
Subscribed .... cut my cable 3 years ago. Live 40 - 60 miles from broadcast stations .... Got a small antenna and a "digital" antenna ... still get lots of interference.
1. Most every time a car goes by ... interference ... most channels
2. Rainy weather degrades a bit
3. To get one channel digital antenna must face east/west for best reception and other channel north/south ... even tho they're both in the same direction.
4. Going to check all your videos .... and fix ( hopefully ) my antenna problems.
Thank for sharing the knowledge.
To answer both of your questions most antennas labeled as "hd digital" and cost under $30 are junk. Everything you listed is the result of a weak signal and a junk antenna. Thanks for subscribing to my channel. After numerous requests for indoor models I am going to publish some videos in the coming weeks but do not want to keep you waiting. This Clearstream model works very well. It comes with a stand so you can use it as an indoor model. amzn.to/2WxONfe
@@AntennaMan Hmmm maybe just a shelf that way I can rotate it.
Ohhhhhhh boy .... more hill billy projects ... LOL
Yes you can hang it upside down and it should still work fine. You should see how mine is hung on the wall. If you give me your email I'll send you a picture.
@@AntennaMan I'm good.
But ... I do thank you for posting these videos. Don't know how I didn't come across them when I was searching for antenna's to buy or ... how to buy.
#1 way to Improve OTA TV reception: Raise your antenna (the higher the better)
@Radio Rob, but going up higher means longer cable run and which can result weaker signal.
Yes and no your antenna needs to be higher or lower than power lines trees may affect.but yes higher can be better but if not solid pole you have wind problem
I put one of the indoor flat antennas outside, on a couple of 1"x2"'s it was only supposed to be a few months, its been 3 years, and works fine, I'm using a amp, but don't think it makes a diff, the antenna was worthless inside, but I get 8 channels putting it outdoors,
There's a good chance you'll get more channels with a better antenna
Isn't it nice that cable is so goddamn expensive now that we are actually going back in time!
We not going back in time to analog, digital replaced analog.
@@Female.Lesbian Use a splitter: cable replaced over-the-air for the privileged. We are going half-back in time.
We in Monroe , La just lost every single channel running scans on all TV's nothing I have 2 (2022) Sony tvs we are not picking up any channels in the past 4 hours now
Judge judy.lol thanks. Cheers
Great information! Any recommendations for interference caused by led ceiling lights? One of my channels (VHF) doesn't come in when the led lights are on (most of then are still OK). Thanks!
I get it , its like Transgenderism , Im really on channel 61 but I identify as channel 33
I knew that someone was going to go there.... LOL today I identify as a can of tuna......
sodom and goamoerica
Sometime 22
@G G Thank you least not a Liberal
Typical liberal response...just call people names...
need help: I have a ClearStream 4Max antenna that got blown down in a storm.There isa thin coax coming of it (RG58a/U i think, its about 5mm OD). the fitting that connects to my regular RG-6 cable was ripped off and lost to the elements. I would like to find a fitting that i can use to replace the lost fitting for this this thin coax that will have a male connector that will screw directly into my RG6 cable. Can you help?
You had me until you said you watch judge judy. Im stealing my neighbors cable now. Its your fault bills cable is getting molested now
i said i have two panels. i get 60 stations and don't have to turn them. Toronto one direction and Buffalo the other.
Tyler, I'm an RF tech for a well known company and I have lots of experience installing commercial two way transmission equipment and antennas. I have no issue putting up an outdoor antenna to increase my OTA channels. My issue is that the two DTV transmission towers are about 90 degrees apart in azimuth. My home is located in Garner, NC at 35deg 37min 29.27secN, 78deg 33min 23secW. One tower (WRAL Auburn, NC) is 3.7mi to my NNE at 35deg 40min 34.98secN, 78deg 32min 7.5secW. The other tower (UNC TV Carrboro, NC) is 38mi to my WNW at 35deg 52min 0.37secN, 79deg 09min 59.22secW. I can access the public safety repeaters on the UNC tower with a 3W VHF portable from my house. I've been to most of the towers (of all types) in eastern NC. Not sure if there's OTA TV on any others. What model antenna(s) would be good for this situation and I assume that I would probably point toward the further antenna. I'm currently receiving OTA TV with those flat indoor panels. The tower at 3.7miles is line of sight and perfectly clear but the tower at 38miles has drop outs when viewing it. Also, I have 4 TVs that I'd like to split the signal to. I assume there's an amplified distribution amp I could use? Thanks for your input.
Thank you for the very informative video.
I have two (simple?) questions:
1) I have a Winegard Wingman on my Sensar OTA antenna on my RV. The signal pixelates (and No Signal) on some stations all day but seems to get worse right at sunset. (Stations that I watch during the day are not available after dark.)
Why is that?
2) When you say "point the antenna" - where is the 'front' of the antenna?
(My Antenna looks like an airplane - two long wings and a tail with three cross members.)
Thank you for sharing all this information and taking the time to post your video. It made a huge difference on my TV settings.
1 more tiny tip....I noticed making my cable have sharp bends cuts down the signal a lot. I found the bigger the loop the better....using a longer cable with more slack is superior to short cable with a sharp bend which cuts my signal by a good 2 to 3 dbs on one TV and 50% on another.
What happened to the FCC plan to re farm all the VHF (2-13) for high speed data? This was why the TV broadcasters were give a UHF channel (digital mode) so they would move to UHF at great expense to them. VHF band still contains TV stations that did not move, translators and new low power local stations.
So many antennas are designed for UHF only and can only receive strong high band VHF signals.
The FCC never had a plan to move high-speed data to the VHF band. That is a false rumor that keeps coming up. A lot of TV stations moved to the UHF band for better reception for their viewers but many stayed on the VHF band end as the TV band shrinks more and more stations are going back to the VHF band.
I was wondering about hooking two indoor antennas together with the Y connector so I can get signals from all sides
I already have an excellent tuner in my tv. How do I connect and transmit via wifi a remote antenna signal to a wifi receiving device connected to my tv’s coax antenna import? Can this be done? Thank you.
See video below:
ruclips.net/video/ArHQeUqDT48/видео.html
3:25 Keep cable runs to 25 ft. and under if possible.
3:40 unpowered splitters.
6:10 Better quality coax cable for better reception. Go with thicker RG6 over flimsy RG59 coax.
I live in the ideal location in Niagara Falls on Canada. I get buffalo and Toronto stations. I installed a rotary antenna with a digital readout. It works great. Then i bought a double flat type antenna . One panel points to Toronto and the other top Buffalo. No rotate required now. I was watching you vid about cables. I check mine and all were rg58. I have 2 tvs. and an amp. so i was getting good reception. After i watch your vid about the cables, my local auction house had a sale on rg6 cable so i bought 2 - 50 ft cables for $7.50 each lol. i won't need all the cable but that's what they had. I will run the cable in the house soon and cut it to what i need and but and end on the one end. Then when i get ambitious i will lower my antenna. It on a winch and pivot so it easy. I will replace that cable also.Thank you for all your help i really appreciate it.
Which way to position the antenna is it a bigger longer or the shorter up and down I can do appointed to the tower like an arrow or do you reverse it it’s a big and tennis channel master one in real big ones I appreciate you and your comment
Excellent information. About 5 years ago I purchase an outdoor antenna from Antennas Direct. Its not perfect but I get about 65 channels in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Depending on the weather some channels will disappear and at other times they come back in. I split the signal between 2 TV's. I am thinking of eventually getting 2 separate antennas. I do have a signal boost also from Antennas Direct which greatly helps. I used to have the Juice signal booster but every time we got a storm it blew out the Juice device so I went to another signal booster. The Juice worked incredibly when functioning but it was to susceptible to electric storms.
Don't blame the amplifier for your signal issues. Changes in atmospheric conditions during storms will weaken the TV signals to the point some may not come in. If you are having issues with TV stations during storms you may need a larger antenna.
i bought a radio signal booster for my car radio so i could get music in better in my car and i thought i would try it on my tv antenna and now i get all the free tv channels. Amazing idea.
I work for broadband and will say that all these methods work. I have a set up in and central md and can receive Harrisburg.