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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.
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%.
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!
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
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.
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
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
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.
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!!
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 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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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
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...
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..
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?
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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 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 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 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.
I built me a Ariel it works great I used coax cable 2 alloy rods wrapped in copper screwed to a platform and a wire net around it got perfect reception even in bad weather
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.
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.
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.
One unit that I had back in 1981 was a "Static remover" that mounted to the pole and it locked the cable with a screw and a toothed washer that bite into the cable when you tightened the screw, then it was grounded to your grounding system. Back then, I also had 2 long old school antenna and ran them through an amplifier and I could pickup about 20 "Wayne's World" type UHF tv stations. Also, my neighbor was a tv repairman and he showed me how to remove the dial and adjust the tuner screw for each 2-13 channels to bring in better pictures. Cable didn't reach our area outside Albion in Parma Township. I also used a set of vise grips as a rotor and still do today.
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.)
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.
Can you talk about splitters and which ones are good for OTA and what frequency that should be? also where in the cable position the splitter should be installed and under what conditions it belongs at this location versus this location scenario in the cable? do enjoy the videos, Thanks!
In the old days of analog broadcasts, people in my area could get 4 or 5 channels, depending on their antenna, etc. Now, with digital TV, we can get up to one channel! Yippee! Some people can even get two (one of them is the rerun network or something like that) but even then they drop out often. It has been found that a large, expensive antenna and a pre-amp can result in a much more expensive lack of TV reception, although some say the "NO SIGNAL" display is sharper. Gotta love "progress"
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
Most people never look in their attic but, if the rafters are built on site and there are no joist gang-nail plates, work fine. The nail plates are stamped metal that produces spikes every holes are. These reflect signals bouncing signals around creating noise and a clear signal loss. So if your home is built before 1982, chances are the attic is fair game! (Tip) Place antenna near entrance to attic while providing access, but leave fasteners loose to rotate and move on a clear day with no wind or over cast sky's. TV stations place parabolic antenna on the ground, away from wind yet close together as real estate is expensive and property taxes go up for TV stations as well. Side band digital signals can be ran thru one dish. If they have 3 dishes, they can produce 9 channels without running into signal noise.
I have stations in different directions and play with antennas for each. The dreaded splitter can be made to work for more than one antennna. Those guys in a basement might try sticking a wire to metal anything… pipes, drop ceiling grid. I have tried everything!
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.
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!
Of the seven stations I should get the real channels are 20 33 29 34 12 47 and 20. The worst reception is broadcast on Real channel 12. So I think the CH antenna works fine for uhf 18 to 20 miles away.
Thank you very much. I have a roof mounted winegard hd8200u. I think finding the 'sweet spot' should come first (?). I will watch more of your useful instructions and look towards the purchase of the Ematic ATI03B, unless for suggest alternatives
Nice video. The D to A converter you mentioned uses a watch battery in its remote control which never seem to last, so I modified mine to operate on Two AA batteries which has bee far more reliable.. What I like about this converter is that it displays the frequency your picking up along with the older RF number. The down side is that it doesn't seem to accept double or triples into its memory when your picking up the same virtual channel being Re-broadcast from three different transmitters. Since this area is surrounded by transmitters that rebroadcast the same virtual channel numbers on up to Three different frequencies, it's not uncommon for TVs to store the same virtual channels in their memory on from three different transmitters, The D to A converter you showed only seems to accept one virtual channel number at a time, meaning I need to re-scan every time I move my antenna. Even when doing a channel add on scan.
someone speaks truth. one of your other vids about antennas.. color and hd so on lol i try not to lol when someone has them in there cart at WM or other stores. as grandpa below iam a amateur op also.. i use a vert cut for the highest freq tv in my area. i think it was 14 inchs. for 600mhz i did.. used a chunk of spekaer wire. sliped it over center pin of coax to tv. duck tapes it to side of house. hahhaha works like a charm i have 15 stations i think. all 35ish miles away .. no cable cost. saves big money. funny how we comming full circle.. 70s omg cable tv its best thing since sliced bread. hahhaha now we back to OTA.. i love it..
Checked a few of these youtubes helps. What finally clicked for me was his saying to try a better cable. My ancient free OTA setup I made after cord cut had a black fat cable from decoder box to back of old TV that won't die (@ 2006? demo). Well I tried swapping everything of boxes & antenna combos just keep correct power bricks. Finally saw I had a short run of white coax lying around from cable days. Put that on & bingo channels became available and stable. West side Man'h blocked by bldgs got worse reception when transmitters moved to WTC from Empire State. Couldn't believe reception got so flaky since it was a new fat black cable, modern connectors. Coax insulation does the deed. Lesson learned to keep trying.
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.
We cut the cord 7 years ago... we started with an outdoor antenna mounted where the satellite was on the roof and connected it to the existing outside coax to feed all of our tv’s at once. It worked great for a few years before the antenna died. In a pinch until we found another antenna we liked we put a cheap unpowered flat indoor antenna on the outside of the house hooked into the same coax coming into the house temporarily to see if it would even work, it worked great! Fast forward a few years and we are still using the unpowered indoor flat antenna with zero problems except the occasional normal weather related problems. One thing I don’t understand though is one of our tv’s doesn’t have coax where it is so we gave it its own cheap flat antenna, it has never received our local channel 8. Is that a tv issue or an antenna issue? It’s not a huge deal because it’s on a lesser used tv and we just watch other channels when we watch that tv. It just baffles me. The tv itself is identical to another tv that is fed off the outdoor antenna and receives all channels. Any ideas?
Antenna Man That’s what I was thinking also... we’ve never tried another antenna. I’ll have to try it and see, if not, no big deal, we don’t use that tv much anyway. Just thought I’d ask. I’ve always been curious. Thank you!
I have a 360 degree antenna that I am very happy with except on perfectly clear, cloudless days, then I get some pixelation on a couple of channels. I do have a long coaxial run and I could use a better coaxial cable but it's much better the other antenna's I've used. I live dead center between Chicago and Milwaukee and got tired of my old antenna with the rotor, which gave out rather quickly, especially in winter
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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
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 😂
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!
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!
I love watching someone who knows what they are talking about and explains it without b.s.
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.
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
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
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.
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!!
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.
I just love this guy. He has helped so much with equipment options and best things to buy. Just saying
I have the first one you showed. Its been on a pole ontop my house for 6 years. Still works
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?
Thanks Tyler. Got rid of the splitter and shortened the cable and bought new cable connector. Much better reception now.
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
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?
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.
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!
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.
Tyler is great. Does a excellent job. Mark
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
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...
Was just wondering what are your thoughts between the Channel Master CM-5020 and the Channel Master CM-3020, other than price
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.
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
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.
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?
Ya, your a pretty smart guy their fella, I really liked your presentation and delivery. I'll be back.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
The best Quote that I have read is -
TV signal capture is more of a Art, and less of a science !
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Mr. Antenna Man great job with the video. Super helpful stuff, thanks.
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
keep up the good work bro. you are very thorough and exact with your information. much appreciated.
Thanks for watching!
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.
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.
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.
🙌 thank you so much ❤️ I can watch football now
I built me a Ariel it works great I used coax cable 2 alloy rods wrapped in copper screwed to a platform and a wire net around it got perfect reception even in bad weather
Home depot sells rg-11 now.
LMR-400
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.
Thank you. Good information.
do you leave line amp on or off when you use a signal meater?
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.
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.
great video!
One unit that I had back in 1981 was a "Static remover" that mounted to the pole and it locked the cable with a screw and a toothed washer that bite into the cable when you tightened the screw, then it was grounded to your grounding system.
Back then, I also had 2 long old school antenna and ran them through an amplifier and I could pickup about 20 "Wayne's World" type UHF tv stations.
Also, my neighbor was a tv repairman and he showed me how to remove the dial and adjust the tuner screw for each 2-13 channels to bring in better pictures.
Cable didn't reach our area outside Albion in Parma Township.
I also used a set of vise grips as a rotor and still do today.
What parts of PA do you service?
Everywhere from Pottstown to quishville
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 $$
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.
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.)
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
What’s a good antenna for traveling in an RV?
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.
Cutting the cord soon your videos are very informative
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
EXCELLENT!! THANKS!
Thanks for watching hope these tips helped
Can you talk about splitters and which ones are good for OTA and what frequency that should be? also where in the cable position the splitter should be installed and under what conditions it belongs at this location versus this location scenario in the cable? do enjoy the videos, Thanks!
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.
@@brokendownoldman9547 Use a splitter: cable replaced over-the-air for the privileged. We are going half-back in time.
In the old days of analog broadcasts, people in my area could get 4 or 5 channels, depending on their antenna, etc. Now, with digital TV, we can get up to one channel! Yippee! Some people can even get two (one of them is the rerun network or something like that) but even then they drop out often. It has been found that a large, expensive antenna and a pre-amp can result in a much more expensive lack of TV reception, although some say the "NO SIGNAL" display is sharper. Gotta love "progress"
#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
Most people never look in their attic but, if the rafters are built on site and there are no joist gang-nail plates, work fine. The nail plates are stamped metal that produces spikes every holes are. These reflect signals bouncing signals around creating noise and a clear signal loss. So if your home is built before 1982, chances are the attic is fair game!
(Tip) Place antenna near entrance to attic while providing access, but leave fasteners loose to rotate and move on a clear day with no wind or over cast sky's.
TV stations place parabolic antenna on the ground, away from wind yet close together as real estate is expensive and property taxes go up for TV stations as well. Side band digital signals can be ran thru one dish. If they have 3 dishes, they can produce 9 channels without running into signal noise.
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.
I have stations in different directions and play with antennas for each. The dreaded splitter can be made to work for more than one antennna. Those guys in a basement might try sticking a wire to metal anything… pipes, drop ceiling grid. I have tried everything!
Judge judy.lol thanks. Cheers
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 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...
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!
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
Hi Tyler, what are your thoughts on Sterling TV? Thank you, for your in-depth knowledge OTA broadcasting!
I've made about 4 clothes hanger antennas. They work good enough
about 20-25 miles from the towers. It sometimes helps to lay them flat.
Those wire coat hanger antennas are VHF. For UHF use a pair of beverage cans.
Of the seven stations I should get the real channels are 20 33 29 34 12 47 and 20. The worst reception is broadcast on Real channel 12.
So I think the CH antenna works fine for uhf 18 to 20 miles away.
Thank you very much. I have a roof mounted winegard hd8200u. I think finding the 'sweet spot' should come first (?). I will watch more of your useful instructions and look towards the purchase of the Ematic ATI03B, unless for suggest alternatives
Nice video. The D to A converter you mentioned uses a watch battery in its remote control which never seem to last, so I modified mine to operate on Two AA batteries which has bee far more reliable.. What I like about this converter is that it displays the frequency your picking up along with the older RF number. The down side is that it doesn't seem to accept double or triples into its memory when your picking up the same virtual channel being Re-broadcast from three different transmitters. Since this area is surrounded by transmitters that rebroadcast the same virtual channel numbers on up to Three different frequencies, it's not uncommon for TVs to store the same virtual channels in their memory on from three different transmitters, The D to A converter you showed only seems to accept one virtual channel number at a time, meaning I need to re-scan every time I move my antenna. Even when doing a channel add on scan.
someone speaks truth. one of your other vids about antennas.. color and hd so on lol i try not to lol when someone has them in there cart at WM or other stores. as grandpa below iam a amateur op also.. i use a vert cut for the highest freq tv in my area. i think it was 14 inchs. for 600mhz i did.. used a chunk of spekaer wire. sliped it over center pin of coax to tv. duck tapes it to side of house. hahhaha works like a charm i have 15 stations i think. all 35ish miles away .. no cable cost. saves big money. funny how we comming full circle.. 70s omg cable tv its best thing since sliced bread. hahhaha now we back to OTA.. i love it..
Checked a few of these youtubes helps. What finally clicked for me was his saying to try a better cable. My ancient free OTA setup I made after cord cut had a black fat cable from decoder box to back of old TV that won't die (@ 2006? demo). Well I tried swapping everything of boxes & antenna combos just keep correct power bricks. Finally saw I had a short run of white coax lying around from cable days. Put that on & bingo channels became available and stable. West side Man'h blocked by bldgs got worse reception when transmitters moved to WTC from Empire State. Couldn't believe reception got so flaky since it was a new fat black cable, modern connectors. Coax insulation does the deed. Lesson learned to keep trying.
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.
Thanks for your great insights and advise.
We cut the cord 7 years ago... we started with an outdoor antenna mounted where the satellite was on the roof and connected it to the existing outside coax to feed all of our tv’s at once. It worked great for a few years before the antenna died. In a pinch until we found another antenna we liked we put a cheap unpowered flat indoor antenna on the outside of the house hooked into the same coax coming into the house temporarily to see if it would even work, it worked great! Fast forward a few years and we are still using the unpowered indoor flat antenna with zero problems except the occasional normal weather related problems.
One thing I don’t understand though is one of our tv’s doesn’t have coax where it is so we gave it its own cheap flat antenna, it has never received our local channel 8. Is that a tv issue or an antenna issue? It’s not a huge deal because it’s on a lesser used tv and we just watch other channels when we watch that tv. It just baffles me. The tv itself is identical to another tv that is fed off the outdoor antenna and receives all channels. Any ideas?
It's likely just the antenna is not strong enough to pick up the weak station you aren't getting
Antenna Man That’s what I was thinking also... we’ve never tried another antenna. I’ll have to try it and see, if not, no big deal, we don’t use that tv much anyway. Just thought I’d ask. I’ve always been curious. Thank you!
I have a 360 degree antenna that I am very happy with except on perfectly clear, cloudless days, then I get some pixelation on a couple of channels. I do have a long coaxial run and I could use a better coaxial cable but it's much better the other antenna's I've used.
I live dead center between Chicago and Milwaukee and got tired of my old antenna with the rotor, which gave out rather quickly, especially in winter
Great job Tyler as always.thakyou!