Did they install a amplifier, we have one?
Yes, they did install an amplifier. Jim said for me to go ahead and try the LTE filter I have ordered and see if it makes any difference. If not, they will come out and check things as maybe the angle of my antenna is just slightly off.
Maybe another possibility is my TabloTV is too old and the tuners are weak? I wonder if it is possible that one or two of the four tuners could also be weaker than the others, and that could have some bearing?
Sounds maybe antenna a little off. Do you have full signal?i just got the nee quad. I used the dual lite. Have not had any issues. There web site has stats for all there units, to compare each one.
New quad
I have some doubt that LTE interference is causing pixellation issues. If the station you are attempting to tune in is at or above a frequency of 600 MHz, then LTE interference is possible, but typically only if a cell tower is within close proximity, and in the directional beam path of your antenna. If the station is well below that point, itās not likely at LTE issue. Mobile phone signals on their own are not powerful enough to cause local LTE interference.
Furthermore, the Channel Master LTE filter is not a perfect solution, as itās specified to block signals above 700 MHz, but the design of the filter creates some dB loss for stations above 600 MHz, as well (thatās basically anything over RF channel 35)- in other words, it could make things worse, rather than better. If this is an LTE issue, and itās a T-mobile LTE tower causing your problem, the CM filter wonāt work in any case, as T-mobile uses the 600 Mhz band.
Along the same line, if the station in question is a VHF band station, LTE is not even a consideration, as the frequency range is far lower.
I suspect what you are dealing with is a multi-path signal, where foliage or terrain (even weather systems) block part of the signal. UHF signals, which is where most digital TV lives, hate tree foliage. That blockage causes part of the signal to reach the antenna sooner than others- in the old analog days, this would create a ghost image. On a digital tv tuner, most of the time the tuner will lock onto the stronger signal, and ignore the weaker ones, but it creates havoc when the stronger signal path āblinksā due to local blockage. This can be variable by frequency/channel- and even different channels coming from the same tower may be affected differently (ie, youāll have issues with one RF channel, but not the other).
Sadly, Iām well versed in multi-path, as my antenna direction is immediately through a neighborās 70 year old sycamore tree, about 50ā away. In the winter, or when itās calm, at a 20 mile distance from the towers, my reception is perfect. When the wind kicks up in the evening, the moving leaves create Multipath issues, and a couple of channels suffer from pixellation/macro blocking.
You donāt have the diagnostics on the Tablo to check this out, but if have your antenna directly connected to your TV, most TV tuners will give you a numeric readout that shows the signal strength, and sometimes the signal quality, as well. If the strength numbers are bouncing around, then youāre likely dealing with multipath issues. Thereās no technology fix for this- relocating the antenna to provide a clear line of sight to the horizon is the best option (or a chainsaw if the offending tree is in your yard). Sometimes rotating the antenna slightly off angle (nulling out part of the reception area) will work, as well.
After the spectrum auction and repack are there any OTA channels above 36?
Nope. Which means that we will eventually see major antenna makers re-cut their products for < 600 MHz reception, and it also means that the current crop of LTE notch filters (specifically the current offering from Channel Master) will not be completely effective against future LTE interference.
While there are instances where an LTE filter will make an appreciable difference, those are most likely when the cell tower is within close proximity and in the path of the antenna beam orientationā¦ and an older style antenna with an extended UHF band range.
I only mention this from my own experience in chasing down what eventually is a multi-path issue. My antenna is within 100 yards of an AT&T āmono-pineā transmission tower. The tower is off angle from my primary compass aim point (164 magnetic to the broadcast towers, the cell tower is about 60 degrees magnetic). I seized on some reception issues as being LTE related- but adding the filter provided no real benefit.
The good news in the war on multipath is that digital tuner technology is getting better, and more selective (I honesty believe the tuner in my Tablo Dual 64 is better than what was in my first generation Tabloā¦ although I have no spec data to back up that assumption). Thatās the only real solution, as there are very few antenna choices help multipath reception, and things like mast-mounted pre-amps wonāt help at all- especially if you live in a moderate to strong signal area.
I really do not have any trees or large obstructions in the line of site between my antenna and where the transmit towers; unless the trees almost a mile away could be interfering. That said, I guess anything is possible. I do know the problem seems to most prevalent in the morning and early evening. There is also, not far off in the direction the antenna points, maybe a 1.5-2 miles away, a cell tower. There are also power lines on tall towers that direction as well.
One thing I did notice today was the cable connections to the amp, splitter (splits incoming cable to power adapter for amp and the other to TabloTV) and to the TabloTV itself were not real tight. They actually moved real easy when I checked them. Tightened them using pliers, but not too tight and just snug. Hopefully that was the primary, and easy to fix, cause of my pixellation and noise.
This web page is what lead me to believe it was possible that not-too-distant cell tower might be my nemesis, http://www.overtheairdigitaltv.com/eliminate-over-the-air-antenna-interference/
Loose connections can be an issueā¦ (Iāve read somewhere that Comcast finds that 80% of their technician truck-rolls are due to loose or defective coax connectors). That said, be cautious in tightening the connection to the Tablo (or any set-top electronic device). I managed to over-torque that connection, and broke the RF connector from the mother board in my original Tablo DVR. A 10 inch-pound slip wrench for those connections, and a 20 inch-pound wrench for coax to splitter connections are very prudent additions to your tool kit.
An LTE filter -may- help, but it may very well not.
Again, if you can direct connect your antenna to a TV with a signal diagnostic, the changes in the reported signal strength at those times of the day can be informative.
Yeah, I was careful not to crank it too tight, just snug it a tiny bit beyond my finger tightening. That would totally ruing my day to break the connector from the motherboard.
Strangely, I did hook to my TV and it said it found 53 channels. Then when I tried to review them a few minutes later it said there was no signal.
I moved it back to TabloTV and theyāre all till there. Thatās when I noticed the other connections were loose. After tightening them and then running a new scan I suddenly have 72 channels found. Iāll wait and see it everything is better now. If not, try the ChannelMaster filter. If that doesnāt work, Iāll ask the installer to come back out and make sure they have the antenna pointed to the best azimuth; it actually looks like it might be a little to far east than the southeast I would expect, but then I am not out there checking with a compass either so it just a proximity guess on my part.
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Still having problems with pixelation in the mornings and more so in the early evenings; this even after tightening the cable connections and adding the LTE filter.
I believe maybe my antenna might be pointed a little to much toward the ast when most of the desired channels are more southeast. I have requested the antenna installer to come out and check the antenna direction. Maybe I am just on the fringe of the acceptable reception angle?
Since youāre in Florida Iām wondering if this might be caused by temperature inversionā¦
I guess anything is possible. I am aware of temperature inversions, dating back to my days as a weather forecaster in the Air Force. LOL
I was also wondering this prior, but when I checked the direction of my anntena it is pointing somewhere between 90-97 degrees AZ, but most of the stations are more southeast around 130 I believe.
Actually, I stand corrected by looking at the results on Antennas Direct, https://www.antennasdirect.com/transmitter-locator.html, it looks like the vast majority of the stations I want are located 107-110. My antenna is pointing to around 90-97, but I feel closer to the 90.
Make sure youāre always working with the same ānorthā.
Magnetic and true north are probably about 6 degrees different where you are.
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I have my iphone compass set to true north. The Antennas Direct web page is reporting the azimuth in true north.
Just went out and did a quick check again. While it is very difficult to know I am looking in the exact location of the antenna it reads 92-94 today, probably less fluctuation on my part. LOL