I don’t have much flexibility on where I put my antenna, so wanted to see if anyone knew of it was possible to get better signal on the broadcast networks. My NBC affiliate is the only one that comes in reliably clear. CBS, ABC, and Fox are spotty at best and don’t record well. However, all of the subchannels for those networks, which broadcast at 480p instead of 1080p, come in clear 100% of the time.
Does anyone know if there’s a reason for this and if it’s possible to adjust anything to get the flagship stations to come in with the same reliability as the subchannels?
The best starting point for solid advice is to provide a report for your location from RabbittEars. Also, what antenna are you currently using, its location in/on your house, using an amplifier? Reception depends on many factors, but this is a good place for tips.
1 Like
The physical transmitter transmits one RF (analog) carrier on its physical RF channel. The digital data for the various virtual channels is multiplexed on this RF carrier, which is then received by your antenna, and finally “decoded” by your digital tuner. As long as the primary network virtual channel (like NBC 2.1 or whatever) and the “sub-channels” (like COZI 2.4) are multiplexed on the same RF carrier channel (like 27 or whatever), they should all be able to be decoded by your tuner equally. In other words, if COZI 2,4 is good, NBC 2.1 should also be good.
Be advised, not all sub-channels are necessarily being broadcast by the same transmitter on the same RF channel. COZI 2.4 could be coming from a different transmitter than NBC 2.1. In this case, COZI could be fine, and NBC could be crap.
When trying to debug such issues, it’s important to know what virtual channels are coming from what RF transmitter. Thus the advice to use something like Rabbitears.info to see where things are coming from.
Sorry this stuff is not simpler, but it is what it is. Lots of posters here can help.
3 Likes
Picking up UHF (14-36), VHF-HI (7-13), and VHF-LOW (2-6) channels depends on the antenna design. Check RabbitEars.info as @Morpheus suggested and check the broadcast channel (physical channel as opposed to display channel) for the channels you want to receive. Sometimes the set-top antenna with a hoop and two long rabbit ears is the best option because something this simple should handle both UHF and VHF-HI. Philips has a good one - check AntennaMan’s YouTube page for additional info on antennae.
1 Like
I’m currently using a channel master indoor FLATenna about 15 feet off the ground on the upper level of the house, facing south.
1 Like
Thanks for the report. I have no questions that this is a quality antenna, but it could be that you’re on the very edge or beyond the capability of that FLATenna. Is there a way to replace it with a 2-bay antenna like this ChannelMaster? You might want one with a metal reflector, like this one.
The dipoles are for VHF, but you really don’t have a VHF channel except for the two out of Mount Vernon, so you could find an antenna similar to these without the dipoles, or maybe remove them.
In my opinion, these bay antennae work surprisingly well. Or, if you’re handy, you can make your own DIY hoop antenna with 50+ mile range (unconfirmed).
Can you move the FLATenna to point southeast instead of south? This might provide the boost you need.
1 Like
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I don’t have any windows/walls that are oriented southeast. I primarily use the tablo to record old movies off the substations that always come in clear, but would like more reliable signal on the broadcast networks for award shows and news from time to time. I may look into one of the antennas you shared to see if they provide any more reliability on those networks.
2 Likes
Just try to turn it so that a plane is oriented southeast, you don’t necessarily have to move it to the southeast part of the house. Near a window isn’t necessary, but would probably be best. Against a wall might not be very good.
Also, each time you move the antenna you need to rescan channels. There is no real-time antenna meter in the Tablo.
1 Like
All the suggestions here for the placement of your antenna are very good. And you’re definitely pushing the limits of your current antenna. I’m a big fan of the Televes Dinova antenna. (See my profile pic.) It’s got an excellent pre-amp that would be useful in your case plus a 5G filter. I could justify the price with all the built-in electronics.
1 Like
What a great recommendation. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the brand. This model is small and compact with built-ins PLUS @KeepitSHORT could also push in the VHF elements and make it even smaller. Plus it has the horizontal or vertical mounting option. This Televes antenna is probably the best-bet.
1 Like
Thanks @wysiwyggin. A cool feature of the Televes pre-amp is that it amplifies only as needed and so avoids over-amplifying strong signals, a bane of those in markets with both weak and strong stations. Also, the pre-amp will pass through signals even if unpluggged — most pre-amps require power to function in any capacity.
To be clear, the Televes preamp amplifies VHF and UHF bands independently. Think of it as 2 “volume controls”. It does not adjust individual RF channels within those bands independently.
Either the Televes Smartkom or the Avantx is required to balance levels between independent RF channels. Think of these as having separate volume controls for each RF frequency (like an audio equalizer). Both of these devices are good solutions to handle situations where both strong and weak signals within the same band (UHF or VHF) need to be balanced. They are also essentially active antenna combiners so in combination with 2 or more directional antennas they are very powerful solutions for specific “difficult” situations.
If OP is simply dealing with a strong VHF signal, and a group of weak UHF signals, the Televes preamp is awesome.