Wrong thread to be discussion this, but maybe we should look at the error logs when this happens and possibly file it as a bug. Lets discuss this further in the Mythtv (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=114140) thread.

RF6/Global is very susceptible to interference.

On my LG, turning on certain lights causes momentary pixelation. Having my HDHomeRun tuner too close to the antenna, and with a long length of cat5e cable between the tuner and the router, both caused total signal loss on RF6.

roger, Here is the contents of the email I got back from viewercontact at globaltv dot com


Thank you for your email. We are sorry to hear about the issues you are having in getting our over-the-air signal. We’ve made some tweaks, so hopefully you should be able to get a better signal in Ottawa.



Several factors could impact a person’s ability to get a television broadcast signal. These factors include, but are not limited to --



· the antenna /equipment being used and where / how it is configured

· the construction of the home

· the surrounding geography

· surrounding buildings and structures

· proximity to broadcast transmitters and the channel / power levels being used by the broadcaster(s)

· interference from other broadcast signals

· a combination of some of the above factors



It can be difficult to correctly identify via email or even by phone precisely why any particular person may be having challenges getting a signal.



As a potential next step to determine if there are other issues that may be impacting your signal, I would suggest you contact local electronics retailers for advice, or businesses that specialize in over-the-air antenna sales and installation. Additionally, there are “antenna TV” user groups with helpful discussion forums online who might help point you in the right direction toward a solution that is specific to your situation.



In the meanwhile, we will continue to monitor the issues regarding Channel 6 signal reception and evaluate if there are any viable options to solve the issues from our end. To that end, we greatly appreciate your feedback.

Thank you again for your interest in Global television.

@flavoie: I saw lightning flashes to the southwest of Navan at around 4AM, but did not hear any thunder. I don't think I would have heard the thunder anyway with the roaring winds that split one of my maple trees in half and toppled a huge 75 foot tall maple that fell across my neighbours backyard.

This morning, my wife and I discussed going OTA and dropping Rogers. I told her I'd start looking into it on DHC. And, so, it begins. :)

I'm looking forward to learning much here, and to eventually saving the roughly $54/mo. we spend to watch Y&R and the evening news daily, and CSI:LV once a week. (She already watches a bunch of her other regular shows via the Net on her laptop.)

I always seem to have a signal present at the antenna for WCFE 57 (RF 38.1) but I only seem to be able to watch it under tropo conditions. WPBS 16 (RF 41.1) is another regular tropo one for me. So I've spent alot of time playing around with various cables in an attempt to improve reception but I must be on the fringe for WCFE.
In any event, I ended up trying an RG-59 cable to connect my rabbit ears to the CM 7778 and I noticed a 10 % improvement in signal strength for Global and CTV 1. I'm not sure why as I've read RG-6 is definitely the one to use for UHF and my testing seems to support this. But for VHF, RG-59 may be acting as an extension to my rabbit ears. Anyway, I thought I'd share this as I know Global 6.1 is a tricky one.

Hello Eljay: By the number of your posts, I see you're not new to DigitalHome (perhaps new to OTA threads though).

If you haven't already, start by looking at the top of the page, "Welcome to the Over-the-Air (OTA) Television Forums." and click the thread hyperlink in the last sentence, "All members must read this thread before posting in the OTA forums." There, you will find reference to the TVFOOL link tool and recommended antennas.

Post your results from TVFOOL so we can get an idea of what you should be able to get, etc... Also find and post a thread for your area (Ottawa) so you'll connect with more 'locals' who can share their local knowledge, experiences, etc...

I've been dabbling in this for over a couple years now and love what I've learned and the people I've met.

Yours truly,
Fred in Saanich (BC).

Hey, Fred. Yup, I'm new to OTA, but not to DHC. I have started reading the "Welcome" and FAQ pages, and I'll be getting a little more into it in the next week or two. I'm glad to hear that your experience with OTA to date has been positive. I'm looking forward to enjoying a similar experience. :D

I believe I already know the answer, but I have a quick question for those in the Ottawa area:

Is it generally "easier" to receive any American stations than Global channel 6 in Ottawa and area? I'm just curious...

I would say it was equally difficult. I get the PBS stations (WNPI and WCFE) at about the same signal strength as Global but the PBS stations are more stable, likely just because they are not VHF low which is susceptible to electronic interference the way Global is on RF 6.

Jase,

It very much depends on where you live in Ottawa. Those that live in the south part of the city have a reasonable "view" of the nearest US sations, but a poorer view of Global. Those (like me) who live in the north-west of the Ottawa area are behind a low ridge, which makes receiving the US stations very difficult, if not impossible. On the other hand, I have a clear view of the tower that Global comes from, so it is very strong here (really!), and I have never had an issue with it.

Hey everyone,

I finally caved in and ordered a CM7778 to go with my CM4220HD. Without the CM7778, I received most stations from CF (except for Global) and only CTV Two and Omni 2 from HC.

I received my CM7778 last week and I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with the results. With the CM4220 connected to UHF/combined port on the CM7778 and a simple wire dipole antenna bought at The Source connected to the VHF port, I receive all OTA stations in Ottawa...Global included! My television detects WCFE on RF38 but I can't get a lock on it because it's much too weak. Not too bad considering both antennas are indoors!

My only concern is that both CHCH and City TV are somewhat unreliable. Oddly enough, City TV is the stronger of the two but there are occasions where neither of them are watchable. Is there anything that I can do to improve reception of City TV and CHCH? Both share the same antenna at the top of the HC tower so I wonder if there's something in the way between my antenna and HC.

I was considering was trying the CM7777. Even with the CM7778, none of the stations I receive are at 100% so I doubt overload would be a problem. For example, my strongest station, CJOH, comes in at about 85% whereas all others vary between 50% and 70%.

Would the extra amplification of the CM7777 help?

Here's my TVFool report for those who are interested:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d8387a876e9a6bd

@OttawaGuy999

Welcome to the Forum.

Best thing for you to do is get the antenna outside & on the roof. Your 2 Bay antenna only has about 8 dB gain - outside it may be enough to get a picture on WCFE (but still doubtful). Your antenna only has a rated distance of 30 miles in reception (WCFE is 102 miles away from you) so I'm surprised that your tv tuner is that sensitive. All you can is try - tv reception is funny that way.

If the antenna has to be inside, try it on the 2nd floor facing Herberts Corners. Get it pointing through a window if possible. Then point the antenna slowly to the left or right (by an inch or two at the most) while flipping between the 2 stations will help you find a compromise position. It'll help if you have a compass & use the direction shown in your TV Fool in degrees magnetic. Same goes when pointing towards WCFE.

Note: for only a few dollars more you should have got the 4221HD but you haven't said why you bought such a small antenna. If you're handy, build a Mclapp M4.

OttawaGuy999, What's in the way of your antenna is your walls and possibly the other houses around you, and the limited gain of that antenna.

To help things out, you can get your current antenna or a better antenna in the attic or outside. A better gain antenna (4221, 4228, hd8800,... check the antenna chart) would help. Also try to aim to optimize your weakest channel, then see if you get the rest of the UHF channels. You will not see a difference with the 7777 preamp compared to your excellent 7778.

@Jase88, I should correct what I indicated in post #1270, I was picking up WCFE off the back of my CM4221HD and WNPI off the side and getting about the same signal strength as Global on RF 6 with my VIP302SR pointed at Camp Fortune.

I have added a rotator to my setup for the CM4221HD (not the vip302sr which will always point at Camp Fortune). When I rotate my CM4221 to point towards WNPI I am getting a much stronger signal for WNPI, WCFE and WNYF/WWNY all come in nice and strong, (about 10dB stronger than Global was) and I still pick up all the local UHF channels off the back except for CHRO (CTV2) and OMNI2.

Not sure why, but in adding the rotator I must have moved the vip302sr as my Global signal has dropped another 2dB and is really border line right now, looks like I will have to head to the roof for some more adjustments.

Would the extra amplification of the CM7777 help?


No, the addiotional amplification would not help in your case at all.

For short cable runs, a preamp only helps to the extent that its noise figure is smaller than the TV's. The UHF NF for 7777 on UHF is only 0.2 dB better than the 7778. The difference in gain will not help your fringe reception; it only helps recover the loss from multiple splits or very long runs.

I was actually wondering the same thing as OttawaGuy999, whether the CM7777 would offer me reception improvements. I have the CM 7778 and have been generally quite happy with it. It works well in my situation but I was curious about fringe reception. Thanks for the input here people, it saved me some cash :)

@OttawaGuy999

Welcome to the Forum.

Best thing for you to do is get the antenna outside & on the roof. Your 2 Bay antenna only has about 8 dB gain - outside it may be enough to get a picture on WCFE (but still doubtful). Your antenna only has a rated distance of 30 miles in reception (WCFE is 102 miles away from you) so I'm surprised that your tv tuner is that sensitive. All you can is try - tv reception is funny that way.

If the antenna has to be inside, try it on the 2nd floor facing Herberts Corners. Get it pointing through a window if possible. Then point the antenna slowly to the left or right (by an inch or two at the most) while flipping between the 2 stations will help you find a compromise position. It'll help if you have a compass & use the direction shown in your TV Fool in degrees magnetic. Same goes when pointing towards WCFE.

Note: for only a few dollars more you should have got the 4221HD but you haven't said why you bought such a small antenna. If you're handy, build a Mclapp M4.
Hi Maple Leaf,

Thanks for replying.

I live in an apartment so unfortunately, putting an antenna on the roof or outside is not possible. Further, I live on the ground floor so height, or rather lack thereof, is also a problem. Reception of WCFE is a near impossibility with my current setup but oddly enough, I get a decent picture of analog CKWS on RF36.

Hi flavoie,

Thanks for the reply. I'm almost tempted to try the 7777. I've read on here and also on other message boards that amplifiers are not usually required in an urban setting. Given the signal strength in the city, this certainly makes sense. I also understand that amplifiers can't amplify a signal that isn't there but in my current, basic setup, an amplifier seems to work. Without amplification, I only receive 2 stations from HC and no Global from CF.

Ottawaguy999, if you have a 7778 already, are inside and considering the 7777, I would pick the Kitztech kt100 or kt200 instead. At least the noise figure gain will be better, and Kitz preamps reliability is less of a problem inside.