Crazy Reading Scanning for Channels

Well it really isn’t crazy scanning for channels, but one very specific channel that I am having consistent problems with. I can get anywhere from 5 full bars all the way down to one bar for channel 14 by doing a scan and re-scan last night. And this is a real 1 bar, because when it gets that bad I get all kinds of stuttering with the video.

Is there anyway for me to remote into the Tablo to monitor channel 14’s power level in real time? Maybe put me into some sort of read only mode with the device. I am torn between wanting to point the finger at the Tablo, my antenna, or maybe the tv station has reduced their broadcast power.

I did move the Mohu Leaf from againt the wall to a window and reception has improved a little bit, but I haven’t run a sequence of scans to see if the power level at channel 14 is as flaky when the leaf is in a window. Unfortunately the window isn’t a good long term solution, because I hate seeing the antenna in the window when I come home.

I just want some way to either rule out the Tablo or maybe point my finger at it.

I don’t have an amplifier on the antenna’s output and would rather not have to use one, every broadcast tower that I want to receive is within 30 miles of my house.

The basic leaf looks like a decent close range UHF antenna. What’s the “real” channel for channel 14? Physically larger antennas are required for VHF than UHF channels. The wavelengths are longer. It’s just physics.

A bigger antenna is always better than an amplifier, assuming you have the space.

It looks like Mohu rates the leaf for up to 30 miles. That means you may be pushing what that model can do for you depending on what “within 30 miles” means. If you’re close to 30 miles out, I’d step up to an antenna with more gain, physically larger.

Is the leaf antenna “facing” the tower for channel 14? If not, rotation to that orientation may help a bit.

Outdoor installed antennas are better than antennas installed indoors. You might try, at least temporarily, hanging the leaf antenna outside the window. If you don’t like the aesthetics of seeing it in the window, you’re probably not going to like it outside, long term. I can learn to live with a lot of things if they get me what I want. Especially, if they save me monthly money.

lambert, I want to shake your hand. Your comment about the range of the leaf really showed me the problem and it is the antenna. The television channel I am having problems with is 28.1 miles away.

For the time being I am just going to live with the antenna in the window. My wife had that channel on in the background all day and not once was there any stuttering like we have experienced lately. I would install the antenna’s amplifier as a last ditch, but all that gain just kills my other channels, I looked for F-type screw in attenuators, but I didn’t have much luck.

The back of the leaf is probably 20 degrees off from being directly aimed at the television tower.

I was at work today trying to figure out how I could mount the Leaf to something that would be RF “transparent” and allow me to point it in any direction I wanted and couldn’t really come up with something that didn’t look like it was fashioned as a hack.

Thanks again for your insight. I have never spent any time working with antennas in my career and I find myself either faking the funk or making up a lot of it as I go along. Nice to actually get some solid advice.

Go to www.tvfool.com and put in your zipcode. Under real for 14 what does it say?