Question: Why can't I get ABC on my antenna???

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

ATL Royals

DTVUSA Member
#41
#41
Guest said:
I'm having the same problem. I'm Using the Mohu Sky 60 mounted outside. My tv fool report shows abc and cbs the same distance away 17.6 miles and CW at 22.2 miles. I get cbs fine but not abc or The CW. I have the Mohu 15db amp into the splitter about 3-4 feet from antenna. 1st tv is about 10-12 feet away. 2nd tv is about 38-42 feet away for some reason I can't post my tv fool exults here. Should I look into a 20 or 25 db gain amp?
Click to expand...
I'm assuming here you're also in San Diego. Even if you're not, the following is probably appropriate advice.

Try taking the amplifier off. Based on the distances you are from the broadcast towers, I wouldn't expect you to need one, unless you have a lot of hills, trees, and tall buildings in the way.

If you can't post the TV Fool, can you look at it again and tell us what the values under the "Signal" section are? The columns are labeled NM(dB), Power (dBm), and Path. Ideally, depending on the tuner and some other factors, your NM(dB) should be between 25 and 70 (plus or minus 5), and your amplification should be used to get you as near as possible to those values.

Also, height tends to be your friend. If it's an outdoor-mounted antenna but it's only 10-12 feet from the TV, I could be wrong but I doubt there's much height to it. If you can get the antenna say, 20-30 feet off the ground and above your roof line, that tends to help things out a lot.
 
G

Guest

Guest
#42
#42
Thank you. I lost channel 7 yesterday on two different TVs connected to two different antennas. Nothing at all had changed and I'd been getting 7 (on the North Shore of Staten Island, strong signals here)for years. Then it just dropped for no apparent reason.

This fix worked.
 
G

Guest

Guest
#43
#43
How to get CBS, ABC and other channels on your indoor TV antenna

I had a similar problem not getting CBS and ABC. Occasionally they would come very spotty and then disappear. I live in Northern Virginia in an apartment and am 18 miles (as the crow flies) from the TV transmitters and have a 50 mile amplified Mohu Leaf antenna.

How I Solved the problem
-------------------------
Place the antenna in the best possible location in the house (yes CBS and ABC still don't come there or they come spotty). Then I took an old 3 pin audio-video cable (one with the Red, Yellow and White pins on either ends which we used to connect to a VCR in the good old days!) and inserted the two red pins into two tiny holes on either side of the antenna. Actually Mohu Leaf antenna already has two pinholes to hang it on a wall, I pushed the Red pins into those. Voila! it worked and with amazing clarity. I get ABC, CBS with super strong signal and stability. Even the other channels that I was already receiving are significantly more stable now.

Well the reason this hack worked is because of the copper wire in the AV cables which pulled in weak TV signals closer to the antenna. If you don't have a AV cable use a simple electric wire that will work
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
#44
#44
SWHouston said:
There's a couple things we always need, to help people out with reception issues.

1: An analysis of the reception at your location.
This is done by going to the link below, filling out the required info, and copying the bold link toward the top of the report back here in your next post.
That link is...
https://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
be sure to scroll down and enter the height of your antenna above ground.

2: What kind of Antenna you have.
If you don't know, take a picture of it, and attach it to your next post.
Click to expand...
so i cant get abc and i am in the northwest houston area!
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=e2cb2d57bf41a9
 
A

ATL Royals

DTVUSA Member
#45
#45
Unregistered said:
so i cant get abc and i am in the northwest houston area!
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=e2cb2d57bf41a9
Click to expand...
It appears ABC is a VHF-hi station (RF channel 13). You shouldn't have a problem picking it up, unless your antenna is a UHF-only antenna that can't "see" VHF. I'm wondering if you can pick up PBS, on RF-channel 8? If not, I'm betting that's the issue.

Otherwise, you may be experiencing interference, such as multi-path (signal reflected off a nearby building, mountain, etc.) interfering with the main broadcast signal. In that case, moving your antenna from its current position could be helpful. I'd also make sure your wiring is RG-6 and in good condition (you'd be amazed what a squirrel can do to cabling spending just a few days in your attic!), and with no corrosion on any of the connections.
 
M

mrflip09

DTVUSA Rookie
#46
#46
ATL Royals said:
It appears ABC is a VHF-hi station (RF channel 13). You shouldn't have a problem picking it up, unless your antenna is a UHF-only antenna that can't "see" VHF. I'm wondering if you can pick up PBS, on RF-channel 8? If not, I'm betting that's the issue.

Otherwise, you may be experiencing interference, such as multi-path (signal reflected off a nearby building, mountain, etc.) interfering with the main broadcast signal. In that case, moving your antenna from its current position could be helpful. I'd also make sure your wiring is RG-6 and in good condition (you'd be amazed what a squirrel can do to cabling spending just a few days in your attic!), and with no corrosion on any of the connections.
Click to expand...
i dont pick up pbs either....i found i dont get any vhf channels but my indoor antennta is supposed to......
i have the rca ant111

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=ant111
 
M

mrflip09

DTVUSA Rookie
#47
#47
Guest said:
I had a similar problem not getting CBS and ABC. Occasionally they would come very spotty and then disappear. I live in Northern Virginia in an apartment and am 18 miles (as the crow flies) from the TV transmitters and have a 50 mile amplified Mohu Leaf antenna.

How I Solved the problem
-------------------------
Place the antenna in the best possible location in the house (yes CBS and ABC still don't come there or they come spotty). Then I took an old 3 pin audio-video cable (one with the Red, Yellow and White pins on either ends which we used to connect to a VCR in the good old days!) and inserted the two red pins into two tiny holes on either side of the antenna. Actually Mohu Leaf antenna already has two pinholes to hang it on a wall, I pushed the Red pins into those. Voila! it worked and with amazing clarity. I get ABC, CBS with super strong signal and stability. Even the other channels that I was already receiving are significantly more stable now.

Well the reason this hack worked is because of the copper wire in the AV cables which pulled in weak TV signals closer to the antenna. If you don't have a AV cable use a simple electric wire that will work
Click to expand...
funny u say this....i picked up more channels and more clarity when i was touching the antenna with my hand.....weird! hhaha
 
A

ATL Royals

DTVUSA Member
#48
#48
mrflip09 said:
i dont pick up pbs either....i found i dont get any vhf channels but my indoor antennta is supposed to......
i have the rca ant111

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=ant111
Click to expand...
So, what you have here is the old-style "rabbit ears" antenna. There's nothing wrong with them, and yes, theoretically they do receive VHF (although, not that well). However, since they're an indoor antenna, they're susceptible to interference from the plumbing, wiring, window casings, and even the screws in the studs in your wall.

Antenna's work by picking up wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (radio waves). In order to pick them up well, they need to be at least as long as the wavelength. Can they be shorter? Yes, but the signal will be weak and/or distorted, and a clear signal is what you're looking for with TV reception. The lower the frequency, the longer the wavelength.

VHF wavelengths can be as long as 6 feet, so the shorter your antenna the more difficulty you have picking up a clear signal. Add the interference from your home (which acts in many ways like a faraday cage at longer wavelengths) and you have a recipe for a badly distorted signal (or no signal) coming into your TV's tuner.

Your best options are to 1) get an antenna that's really meant to pick up VHF-hi signals, but which can still pick up UHF, or 2) get a UHF-specific antenna and a VHF-specific antenna and use a signal joiner (you have at least one VHF-lo station in your area), and then 3) mount the antenna(s) higher up, such as in your attic or on your roof.

mrflip09 said:
funny u say this....i picked up more channels and more clarity when i was touching the antenna with my hand.....weird! hhaha
Click to expand...
The human body has its own electromagnetic field. It's not uncommon for our field to interact with other fields, antennas, or the like, and affect the signal. When we touch an antenna, it can alter the antenna's signal reception properties, in both good and bad ways. That's why you see a difference.
 
Jim5506

Jim5506

DTVUSA Member
#49
#49
20-25 miles is the practical fringe for an indoor antenna to get reception - of course there are exceptions, but were speaking in generalities here.

If you get that far away from the transmitter, you need to use an outdoor antenna to get stable reception regardless of what the antenna maker says.

Another factor is that most indoor antennas are small so they favor UHF channels and if you want a VHF channel (Ch 2-13) that is fairly weak, you are out of luck.

You can't just go to a store an grab the first thing or the most expensive thing and expect it to work in every case, you must do some research and planning. Know which band your channels are on and know what antenna(s) you need to receive them.

Sometimes their expensive 50 mile indoor antenna won't get a station that is 20 miles away while a $30 outdoor antenna works great and vice versa.
 
R

RF Steve

Contributor
#50
#50
A Rabbit ear style antenna is possibly one the best choices of indoor antenna for high VHF. A half wave dipole cut for 195 MHz the center of channel 10 is 28.8 inches. Extend each side of the antenna about 14.5 to 15 inches get some extra coax, a barrel connector, and experiment with placement.
Household electrical noise can wipe out VHF reception and it is not always easy to locate the source of the interference. Anything with a switch mode power supply has the potential to be a RF noise generator. LED lights, wall warts, even the television.
 
U

Unreg

Guest
#52
#52
My solution

This is a strange solution but it worked for me and I don't understand why. I was having the same issue where I'm not getting KABC and maybe 1 other channel. I have a cheap standard OTA antenna on the roof and about 40 miles from the broadcast stations with a decent clearing. I ran tvfool and all standard troubleshooting.

So I put the antenna on a mast about 5-6' high on top of the roof. Still, I could not get KABC and 1 other channel. Weeks go by and I'm still troubleshooting. During this time I go inside and realized all the channels were coming in clear. What I did was forget to remount the antenna. It was just sitting upside down laying flat on the roof, pointed in the right direction. As soon as I put it back on the post up high, again I lost signal.

So... For the last 2 years, I've left my antenna flat on the roof. Sometimes I get pixelation on KABC but I'm getting picture about 95% of the time. There's been a couple of times where I try to adjust the antenna and just prop it right side up about 6" off the roof, I lose signal.

I just leave it on the roof and I can't explain why this works.
 
A

ATL Royals

DTVUSA Member
#53
#53
First, you ran your TV Fool report for 4 feet. Try running it at the height of your roof and the height of your mast. This should give us a better indication of stations in your area.

Second, your report indicates RF channel 40 has both adjacent channel (39 and 41) interference, as well as co-channel interference (although I'm not seeing the other channel 40). Since 40 is your RF channel for virtual channel 4.1 (ABC), the interference may be confusing your TV's tuner. By laying your antenna on the roof, the roof may be blocking the signal of the interfering transmitter(s). That's my best guess right now, based on what you're reporting.
 
Fringe Reception

Fringe Reception

Super Moderator, Chief Content Editor
Staff member
#54
#54
Guest,

It works because of Pixie Dust and Black Magic! Please post the resulting URL of your antenna survey here for us to study.

Jim
 
MrPogi

MrPogi

Moderator, , Webmaster of Cache Free TV
Staff member
#56
#56
Unreg said:
This is a strange solution but it worked for me and I don't understand why. I was having the same issue where I'm not getting KABC and maybe 1 other channel. I have a cheap standard OTA antenna on the roof and about 40 miles from the broadcast stations with a decent clearing. I ran tvfool and all standard troubleshooting.

So I put the antenna on a mast about 5-6' high on top of the roof. Still, I could not get KABC and 1 other channel. Weeks go by and I'm still troubleshooting. During this time I go inside and realized all the channels were coming in clear. What I did was forget to remount the antenna. It was just sitting upside down laying flat on the roof, pointed in the right direction. As soon as I put it back on the post up high, again I lost signal.

So... For the last 2 years, I've left my antenna flat on the roof. Sometimes I get pixelation on KABC but I'm getting picture about 95% of the time. There's been a couple of times where I try to adjust the antenna and just prop it right side up about 6" off the roof, I lose signal.

I just leave it on the roof and I can't explain why this works.
Click to expand...
Sometimes in fringe areas with "edge" signals, moving the antenna to a different location will do the trick. Oftentimes, the direction you need to move is "DOWN". That may seem counterintuitive, but if you understand how waves (radio, light, etc) work, it makes perfect sense.
I had a station 90 miles away over the mountains I could not receive due to both the mountains and a closer station on the same frequency. While testing a new antenna on the ground, I discovered a sweet spot where I could get that station I wanted. Unfortunately, that spot was 2 feet off the ground in the middle of my patio.
 
MrPogi

MrPogi

Moderator, , Webmaster of Cache Free TV
Staff member
#57
#57
MermaidD said:
OK. I went to TV Fool & here is the report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=e2cbcd469a55ca

Am still unable to access WABC or WNET in NYC.
Click to expand...
What antenna did you say you were using? I get lost in this thread, there are so many posts by "guest". Both are VHF-hi channels, requiring an antenna designed for those channels.

I did notice that you are only 2.2 miles from these very strong transmitters - and if you're using an amplified antenna or too large an antenna, you're probably overloading the receiver. You should be able to get those 2 channels just by sticking a paperclip in the coax connector!
 
G

Guest

Guest
#58
#58
I have in 2 states one east coast the other west and used the same indoor rabbit eqiv for HDTV and ABC is the only one giving me fits. The 'chief engineer' at the station told me the ch listed is diff than the actual transmit# and tried telling me to reposition the antenna but that only resolved for 2 days. I have given up on it. Not missed at all.
 
MrPogi

MrPogi

Moderator, , Webmaster of Cache Free TV
Staff member
#60
#60
Guest said:
I have purchased a new indoor antenna that reaches up to 55 miles from location. While I am able to view CBS, NBC, and other channels, I am unable to pick-up ABC. This is THE channel I would like to pick up, if any. Please help me figure out how to make this happen. These are the results from TV Fool.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=dfafb28ed0cd78 Please help!
Click to expand...
I notice that ABC is VHF-hi channel 12 (Channels 7-13 rf are VHF-hi) , as well as KMHZ-LP (11) and PBS (9). Can you get any of these channels?
I ask because I suspect your antenna may not be designed for VHF. Many of the available indoor antennas are designed for UHF (channels 14-51). Can you tell us what antenna you are using, or post a pic?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top