A little further west than Kanata, about half way between Stittsville and Carleton Place.

I have this ridiculous tower at the side of the house with this insanely tall peak antenna. I *think* it was meant for HAM radio. In the basement I have this funky oversized coax plug.

So I bought a cheap hdtv for use in the basement while wood workshopping, and since have drawn a cable to one of the bedrooms, because the results are better than what I expected.

I get the following 8 digital channels:

4 CBOT-DT
11 CHCHDT
24 TVO
30 CIVO-DT
40 CHOT
42 CTS-HD (ugh, sorry, couldn't resist)
43 CHRO
65 Citytv

Sometimes a scan shows up 9 channels, and I *think* I've seen it scan 10 channels once.
Late, late at night, every night, a few channels disappear. TVO being one of them. I *think* this means that perhaps late at night they reduce the tower's power output. If that is what they're doing, then I'd like to know why they are doing this, and if it's possible for them to do this a little more intelligently. If, for instance, at that time towers interfere with each other too much, they should be automatically adjusting to use the maximum power output that does not cause interference rather than some sort of of 75% output at night after 1am, or something like that. I'm not an expert on this and I'm only guessing as to what is happening. What I do know is that every night some time after midnight, later perhaps, more than 1 channels becomes unavailable. Very annoying if I'm watching something documentary like, like something on tvo.

One fuzzy analog channel:
36 ?

123mike, if you post a picture of the antenna, then someone might be able to identify it.
Clearly, it is not good enough for the VHF channels 6.1, 9,1, and 13.1.

It seems strange that you get 65 but not the OMNIs on 14.1 (20) and 60.1 (27)

I doubt that 24 is reducing power. The problem with the digital cliff effect is that you can't tell if your apparently "perfect" picture is really marginal. Is there any sort of signal meter or picture quality meter on your TV?

Channel 36 is an analog CKWS repeater in Franktown.

123Mike, with a good antenna(s) you should get good results in Ashton. One of the other members here (ashtonp) is also in Ashton and he is able to pull channel 7 from Watertown (as well as the repeater on 18) along with all the locals.

As tvlurker said, 36 is a low power CKWS repeater coming from half way between Smiths Falls, Carleton Place and Perth (centre of the triangle). I used to be able to get a snowy (but watchable) picture on it before I adjusted my antenna to optimize the Ottawa locals and now it barely comes in at all. You are that much closer so should be able to pull it in. There are few programs on it that you can't receive on other channels however (though my wife would record one), but they do show the Leafs when CBOT is showing the Sens if that is of interest.

Hi tvlurker, roger1818,

I didn't have the ground wire of the coax hooked up. Just went into the basement, connected that with a wire. So I won't have a proper connection, because the plug is a strange very large coax plug and the tv coax plug is a small normal one. Both center and ground is now soldered with (plain) wires in between, soldered together... McGiver style.

Did a rescan in the basement. Got more channels now:

4 CBOT-DT
11 CHCHDT
13 CJOH
14 OMNI2
24 TVO
30 CIVO-DT
40 CHOT
42 CTS-HD (Waltons, lol)
43 CHRO
60 OMNI1
65 Citytv

TV in the upstairs bedroom (I'm using a splitter in the basement):

Same, except 13 and 14 messes up, 60 no signal.

basement tv says signal "good".
bedroom tv says "45", which was "40" before I hooked up the ground wire.

So, I guess I'm missing:

6 ?
9 ?
7 and/or 18 Watertown (is that PBS?)

Is there a PBS available? In order to kill satellite, the toddler demands his kids shows ;-)

Next, I'll take pictures of that mystery plug and the tower + antenna outside. Thanks for the feedback btw.

I did a TVFool for a 40 foot tower in (what Google considers) the centre of Ashton (http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d8387be96f72804), and PBS (+4dB NM) and CBS/Fox (-5dB NM) should be good with a proper UHF antenna and downlead. Click on Pending digital to get the new Ottawa digital stations, and ignore the Ottawa analog stations, as they're all gone except for (temporarily) 34. Also ignore SunTV on 20 or 34, as it is also gone.

If you're using a 50 ohm Ham antenna and transmission line cut for different frequencies, you'll be losing a lot of signal due to impedance mismatches.

Don't forget that CBC 4.1 and TVO 24.1 both have many of the same kids programs in the early morning as PBS (Arthur, etc)

18.1 is the Watertown PBS repeater in South Colton. 18.2 has think and create, 18.3 is PBS HD.

You might also get PBS from Plattsburgh , which offers 57.1 PBS HD, 57.2 MHZ Worldview, and 57.3 PBS World

123mike: It sounds like you are describing an ancient RG59 coax connector that I had to use in the CB days for the "R.S." 23 channel equipment (1970's - just a few years after the world went colour - I have the pictures to prove it - when the world went colour not the connector ....).... I seem to remember the outer threaded sleeve was 1/2" - 3/4" in diameter. Ok, I may exaggerate, but it was huge!

Awesome 57 again tonight perfectly but still no 6 :(. Going to call again.

I still have to go into the basement with a camera to take a picture of that darn plug, but image-googling/wikipedia-ing, the closest I'm finding is a PL-259 plug. 18mm diameter it's about that. A WWII era design, lol. Perhaps it's used because the coax cable is a large fat cable, perhaps because of a high power world scale HAM radio that was once used...

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-za8bZDzNpJs/TmrFwnB6OtI/AAAAAAAAABk/Dvj0orlTh-U/2011-01-29_14-48-55_640.JPG

(my last post needs "approval", I guess because I added a picture of my tower). Now I have to wait for that.
In the meantime, I think the plug is a PL-259...

edit: trying this... http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-za8bZDzNpJs/TmrFwnB6OtI/AAAAAAAAABk/Dvj0orlTh-U/2011-01-29_14-48-55_640.JPG

Yup - I think that was the model ..... looks like the previous owner of your place worked for SETI! :D - judging from the photo. I'm so jealous! From the looks of it, none of those antennae are for OTA. The dishes look too small for FTA satellite too. I don't remember seeing the tower the last time I was in Ashton but I only made it as far as the pub!

Nice looking tower 123Mike. The antenna with a mesh parabolic reflector looks like it was for LookTV. Still not good for OTA, but not much use for anything else either so you could replace it with an OTA antenna.

Okay I did some more debugging today.

Changed my balun and ot 6.1 on a scan so slightly better. Took my laptop on the roof, off the cm4228 I get all the local channels at 75% according to eyetv with 100% signal quality. Then I tried the same on my 302 and the results were identical except omni1 was 10% quality so not working, the rest of the channels came in no prob.

In the house behind the cm7777 I get everything exactly the same as on the roof with a short cable and no amplifier.


Global is reporting 10% signal quality and 76% signal strength, but no luck on picture obviously. Any other thoughts?

The meshed dish could be Look, but perhaps it's a Ripnet high speed internet leftover, not sure. Waiting for my shitty Xplornet contract to expire, then I'll explore Ripnet. Apparently they don't use those small Motorola white flat boxes that everyone else uses.
The other dishes are ExpressVu and the other one FTA which used to be fun.

I have two of those funky plugs in the basement, but only one of them yields a decent OTA tv reception. I'm guessing that would have to be that tall peak antenna.

I'd love to add a proper OTA antenna, so long as I can definitely expect more channels. Right now I'm not getting PBS.
Slight problem, I don't have / know how to use a harness and am a little nervous of heights.
So I guess I'm looking for a good OTA antenna choice and installer, and need total cost estimate, and a set expectation as to what I'd be getting...

... and yep, it's doing it again. Around this time, a number of channels are giving trouble. It's really as if at this time of night, the towers reduce power output. Why else would this be consistent 100% of the time?

@wing

I seem to have much better luck with Global by putty my antenna vertical instead of horizontal. It seemed to yield better results with channel a 6 folded dipole, rabbit ears, and a channel 7 yagi. (Basically any antenna I've tried). The cost is that I lose SRC-9, but CJOH-13 is still strong.

It could be quirks of my location, but that's my observation. It could also be because the channel 6 transmitter is circularly polarized, and reducing the gain of other horizontal signals makes it 6 cleaner.

You've tried so many things so far, it's probably worth a shot.

Does any one have any experience with the Channel Master CM3010 antenna? I already have a CM 4221 antenna for UHF but I'm thinking about the CM3010 to receive Global and CTV (13.1). What I like about the CM3010 is that it has a compact size compared to the other VHF-Lo antennas (like the DELHI 302). I plan to mount the CM3010 outside, on the side of my house. If anyone can give me their reception results with the CM3010, it would be greatly appreciated. I live in Kanata North (Morgan's Grant area). Thanks.

vejostde, interesting results. Here is my theory what is happening.

Global is polarized circularly (since their antenna is also used for a couple FM stations) but CBOFT is likely polarized horizontally, so vertical orientation won't hurt Global but will hurt CBOFT. I suspect that with vertical orientation you are minimizing the reception of impulse noise, thus increasing your SNR. CJOH is so strong that you could likely receive it with a paper-clip, so that is likely why you are still able to receive it.

Kashif, Although I don't have any first hand experience with the CM-3010, just from looking at its specs, I can't recommend it. The big problem is since it is only 52" wide, it will have a negative gain on channel 6. To have a positive gain for it, the antenna would need to be at least 6' wide.

If that is your only option for getting an antenna outside and you can get it from a place with a good return policy, by all means give it a try however. The biggest issue receiving channel 6 is impulse noise, and most of that is generated inside the house, getting the antenna on the roof not only distances the antenna from the noise source but the roof acts as a noise shield. This is why I think some people are able to receive it with a roof top UHF antenna even though they have an extremely poor (negative) gain.

Since the digital cutover I haven't been able to receive 43.1 CTV2. I received A-Channel fine before the cut-over. The wife is murmuring about getting satellite back if I don't get it working..... Any suggestions on how to proceed would be appreciated. I have an HD360 omni directional antennae on the roof (30 ft). The rotating feature is fried so I haven't been able to play with the direction.
I currently receive 4.1, 6.1, 9.1, 11.1, 13.1, 14.1, 24.1, 42.1, 60.1 and 65.1. I also occasionally receive 18.1, 18.2 and 18.3.
My TV Fool Is http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d3cf4d56841350d.
What would pull in 43.1..... anything that might also permanently pick up 18.1?

123Mike, The angle of the dish suggests that it's terrestrial broadbrand (WISP service). The coax will definitely be 50Ω, which, as mentioned, will create a impedance mismatch.

I can't believe a ham left that equipment behind....