I'm almost thinking that your rotator has totally blown its gearing, allowing the antenna to free-wheel spin. During the bad weather on Saturday/Sunday, the wind blew and spun the antenna in the westward direction, then, with water getting into the gearing, froze it there.

Maybe?

Ummm, rotors don't have gears (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=928011&postcount=330). ;) I agree with what you're saying about the frozen water, though. :)

Can you clarify for me which side of the antenna is the front or facing side? Is it the bow tie side or the screen side.
Presently, the bow tie side is facing almost exactly due west.
It is very windy here right now, with the wind blowing toward the east, but I don't see any spin movement on the antenna.
You could be correct in suggesting the mast has become free spinning inside the rotor, but it's most likely frozen solid now.

The screen is the rear, and the bowties face towards the desired station.

I'm almost thinking that your rotator has totally blown its gearing, allowing the antenna to free-wheel spin. During the bad weather on Saturday/Sunday, the wind blew and spun the antenna in the westward direction, then, with water getting into the gearing, froze it there.

Maybe?
Gears or not, the more I think about it, the more I think you've solved it!
And I checked when I was home at lunch, the preamp has very generous "drip loops" in the cable running to it, further reducing the likelihood that the preamp is the problem. I'm quite happy to save the $100 or so that a new CM7777 would run.
Thanks Stampeder, I guess that would explain my excellent reception from the CKXT's translator in London.

Now, if I can just convince my wife to climb the tower with a heat gun to melt the frozen rotor....:)

Yeah, that's my lack of knowledge as I don't use a rotator :). Minus the "gear" statement (oopss :rolleyes:), it sounds as though the antenna has been moved into a location other than where the antenna was pointing at.

@HamClan
I was wondering why you were getting reception of SUN tv out of London's transmitter.
Indeed your antenna must have swung our way. BTW are you getting any of our analogs from the same tower located on channels 14,18,20,40,53,and 69?
Bummer to here of your rotor issues.

PanaMark, thanks for your RD sympathy (rotor dysfunction).
It's a terrible burden no OTA man should have to face, but face it I must. ;)
If only there was a pill....

Off the top of my head I don't know about those analog channels you listed.
I'll check tonight and report back.
I do have a fair number of analogs coming in pretty sharp.

Do you do any fishing, Ham.Clan? Put some 8lb test on a rod with a spinner reel and a big tri-hook and see if you can catch the reflector and pull it around into aim! :D

It would be a miracle if that ever worked! :D

No, unfortunately I'm not an angler, Stampeder.
That would be a heck of a cast!
:)

Okay guys, I'm at the final leg of this adventure :D. I've got two attic mounted SBGH -->3' cable --> one combiner (Holland Electronics GHS-2FC) --> ~60' of RG6 to where I have it connected to a second length of RG6 to the TV (~30 more feet). At night I have gotten the following readings on the SNR meter (I know not a true signal strength reading):
2.1 (.2/.3) - 20dB - occasional hiccup, sometimes watchable, sometime real bad
4.1 - 20dB - occasional hiccup like above
5.1 - 25dB - occasional hiccup for some reason even though signal is strong
7.1 - 21dB seems really good
9.1 - 12 to 14dB - no picture, but can get it if I don't use the splitter (single antenna)
11.1 - 29 to 30dB
15.1 - 30dB +
17.1 (.2/.3) - 22dB, sometimes it hiccups
23.1 - 31dB
25.1 - 16dB - fluctuates and freezes alot, can get it if I don't use the splitter like 9.1
26.1 (.2) - 23dB
29.1 (.2) - 12 to 17dB - sometimes can get it, other times - noway
36.1 - 27dB
44.1 - 22dB
49.1 (.2) - from 4dB to 10dB - surprisingly I got this one BEFORE adding the splitter and cable length, but since its been a no go.

During the day, sometimes I loose a constant lock on the American stations (2.1, 4.1, 7.1 and 17.1) on top of the problematic ones listed above (9.1, 25.1, 29.1, and 49.1).

I was looking at a Kitz, but since decided to look at a CM-7777. I want to get a constant "daily" lock on the 4 American stations, and try and get 9.1, 29.1 and 49.1 locked in as well. 26.1 doesn't really matter as I can't understand French too well, but it would most likely get locked anyways. Who knows...maybe I'm hoping for a miracle and somehow some of those higher Canadian channels might get locked in too (53.1, 64.1, 65.1, 66.1), but I'm not expecting it. I just want to make sure a CM-7777 will do it from hearing other peoples examples and trials in the area. Especially from other attic mounting dudes (and dudettes to be politically fair). I've been looking over the "Signal Amplifier" thread, and I think it will, just want some reassurances.

I'm not so worried about overpowering the tuner, as I have a couple tricks up my sleeve where I can take the 60' of cable and shove it into a 3x4 switch then through a diplexer, which will attenuate the signal if need be.

If a 7777 won't cut it, can someone suggest something that might.

I'm pretty pleased with this setup overall...it has performed better than what I could ever imagine...just want to tweak it now, the best I can.

Aside from trying a CM7777 is there any chance of mounting the SBGHs up on the roof? Maybe a pair of DBGHs outdoors?

The WAF would go for a tower over a roof mount. But I don't really want someone else's problem (aged tower ready to crumble). I also have to look at the economics to what I would get in return, and the cost of a new tower, and is it worth that cost (personal thing for everyone). If I was not able to get anything, then yeah for sure, a tower would be going up, I've even discussed it with a neighbor to share the lines with him (so I could utilize the best mounting location). But as I am getting a good slew of stations, and are coming in pretty reliably, minus some hiccups, I think I found the attic's "sweet spot" :).

As stated, I'm pleased with what I am getting. I should note that, yeah, the Americans may hiccup, but it is not enough to deter from watching them, that's why I'm wondering if the pre-amp will help there. And really, the other station that I really want to get is CTV (9.1) for the Olympics. So will the pre-amp compensate for the loss through the splitter. I think it should, just want some confirmation before purchasing. Everything else is just added bonus.

I should also mention that the pre-amp inserter would be injected at the foot of the 60' length, not at the TV, as that will be where I would be distributing the signal to other locations. So that first location would have that ~30' length. Other locations will have more or less.

I am located around Sherman and Delaware so not on the mountain. I have a CM 4228 in my attic pointed at Toronto. With a cheap preamp I get all the Toronto stations, sometimes Global is a bit finicky but if I adjust the antenna just slightly I usually can get a lock without the amp I would get some stations but City, Global and CTV could be a bit flakey depending on the weather. So I think an preamp will help.

Just my two cents.

John

I am not far from you near Rymal and Upper James. Without the CM-7777 installed on my set up pointing to Buffalo, I can get a few of the Buffalo stations, with it, I can get 95% of them. I believe I am missing only 1.
Made a big difference, worth the money!

Thanks guys for the positive responses.

@giovanni,
That's right, your not too far away. Big difference is that you have an outdoor install, but it's good to hear that the pre-amp is working well for you. Have you had any luck with a Toronto facing antenna? Or is it still a work in progress?

@videoproducer,
That's what I wanted to hear, a successful attic install, with a cheap pre-amp to boot.

Here's another example. Last night, Fox came in with a picture. Mind you, it froze and glitched every few seconds, but I'm assuming that with the help of a pre-amp, this channel should come in 70-80% of the time, and only screw up under poor weather conditions. On the weekend (don't remember if it was Friday or Saturday night), Fox was in the clear, and I had a fair SNR reading (16-17dB), and for the time watching it, it never glitched. I figure, if I can get these decent results in the winter, when it is supposedly the worst time for reception (or the best time for testing, depending on how you look at it), then that can only be a good thing, and I'm hoping the pre-amp should help. Also last night, CTV audio could sporadically be heard, but there was no picture. First time for that, so that channel is very much on the brink, and a pre-amp should help there too.

Marbles......

I do have a 4220 pointed towards TO, but it does not bring me much. I think I may have some roof tops in the way in that direction.
It only hepls me get CBLT, CHCH and SUN. No CM7777 means no TO stations!

I have (2) CM4220's that I have ready to go up to replace the single 4220 for the TO stations, just waiting for better weather to go up there to make the switch.
Hopefully, the dual will bring in the rest of the TO stations.

Mother Nature gave me a break today, guys.
I went home for lunch and as I was washing up at the kitchen sink, I glanced at the outside temperature on the thermometer and it revealed the most wonderous of digits +1.1 degrees!
I bolted for the rotor remote in a table drawer in the living room and punched in "360" to get it spinning, then ran out onto the deck to gaze skyward, beholding the marvel of movement on my previously frozen antenna!
Happy Days!
My son, who is home on exam break from highschool, said he's never seen me move so fast or look so excited - "like a little girl" I believe were his exact words.
:)

Scanned in 15 channels at it's present alignment (approximately due east).
Will try more tonight.
Not getting CBC 5.1 though, but still getting 66.1 Erie as clear as a bell.

I have not even bothered rotating my antenna since the recent freeze. I have just left it pointing towards Erie, Pa.
I have not scurried "like a little girl" but I have slipped on on of my son's Hot Wheels during one tropo event running to the rotor that hurt like heck.
Glad to hear your back in business.

So I added a CM-7777 pre-amp and can't believe the difference it made :D :D :D. Extremely happy about its performance. You can view the performance chart at the bottom of my google site page here:
http://sites.google.com/site/maycreates/htpc/my-sbgh

In summary, all the channels I mentioned above came in stronger. I gained back CTV, CBC-Fr, and Fox. MyTV though coming in stronger, still is down. Wouldn't surprise me if the weather conditions are right, I will gain that channel sometimes as well.

The other exciting thing was that I gained OMNI1 now. Weather conditions should also improve the reception of that channel hopefully as it is watchable, there is occasional glitching, since it is close to the WinTV SNR cutoff (15.5dB).

I was not able to get City, nor Global, but those might be different too, like MyTV if the weather is right, so I'm not counting them out yet. I will most likely use WatchHDTV sometime and see if I can tune them in.

To setup the CM-7777, I flipped the switch from Combined UHF/VHF to separating them. I did this as I felt that CHCH analog would over-amplify and cause issue by over-driving the tuner. Besides, to pickup CTV and CHCH post transition may require a VHF-HI antenna setup anyways...which I may have to amplify.

Overall, I'm really happy with how things have gone. The attic install, though may not be the most optimized setup for most, sure worked in this case.

Big time thanks for everyone here - from the many who designed and helped optimize the Gray-Hoverman antenna, from 300ohm and stampeder's excellent input and help, and to all who have input some very informative information, both answering my questions and helping out other (there is just so many of you to list).


*EDIT*
Sorry, I forgot to "publish" the chart...should work now.