Just a quick update. System still working well with 2 TV's. I added a cheap distribution amp from Canada Computer but it does not seem to do much.

WGRZ is sketchy and despite several adjustments, I cannot seem to get WUTV at all. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Overall I am still thrilled with results!!

I canceled cable portion of my bill today and it felt good. I am keeping their phone and internet just for the convenience. I hope that more people continue to exercise their options as it may send a message to the big communication companies.

Cheers


Roof mounted CM 4228

If you go with a Channel Master distribution amp you should get better results- if only 2 TVs, get the 2-way one, but if you see more TVs in the future, get the 4-way. Check all connections. Since WUTV and WGRZ are your trouble stations, aiming will be tough since they are not in the same exact direction, UTV more east, GRZ more south east. Take the black caps off the 4228HD, in the centre of the bow-ties, this will add a little more gain- easy to do, just pull them off.

deadguy,

Though your not right at the escarpment, you're close enough that it could be playing havoc on you and blocking CH. I've seen post of individuals that live off Barton having troubles getting CH and they had an antenna mounted outdoors. To add to it, you are using an indoor antenna, which is omni-directional. Add to all this, the antenna is on the ground floor to boot, so you have building materials, of just not your house, but your neighbors houses as well to have to penetrate. If you had a directional antenna, aimed primarily towards the direction of CH, but still open to the Toronto, you may have better luck in picking up CH, and keep getting the TO signals.

An amplifier most likely won't help, since its use is for compensating for cable loss, which you don't really have. If you opted for a amp anyways, be very selective, as it could over-drive your tuner, which will be totally counter-productive.

Your best bet, if you can, is to mount an antenna outside, and get it high.

Good luck

Welcome to the forum deejer!

Glad to hear you are getting plenty of channels.

I have found there is no need to have a Toronto (aimed) antenna now that the digital transmission is complete. Just have an antenna aimed to Buffalo and all the TOs are strong enough that they are caught on the side or back of the antenna. If you are feeding more than one TV you might want to consider using a powered distribution amp that is very easy to install.

Cheers!
uhhh...I don't agree. I just did 2 Gray Hoverman antenna's at my Mom's. One point to Buffalo with a grill reflector and the Toronto antenna points to the CN Tower with no reflector. 90 - 100% Toronto channels. Buffalo is 40%, 50%, & 60% depending on the channel. All are stable (even 2-1 WGRZ). You still need two antenna's for a reliable signal from boths sides of the border.

Is anyone else having difficulty with reception tonight? I have numerous channels that always boom in and are either very weak or no where to be seen tonight. CFTO, CBC, even TVO. Yet I can still pickup WGRZ, and most of the Buffalo stations. PBS 17 is gone, as is my Erie channels. Hope something didn't mess up with my Antenna. F.T.

Likely tropo. Hot weather is moving into the area...usually a precursor for strong tropo.

Same here for the past several hours. It's the worst dead zone I've ever seen. Most likely just strange weather, tropo-co-channel, or just some very intense fog between here and TO over Lake Ontario, etc... Fog is deadly for OTA....

As for tropo conditions? ,... according to Hepburn,.. we're being swallowed up ;)
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

True about the fog. It's definitely out there tonight.

Holy crap, and I've been busting my A$$ trying to figure out if I blew a pre-amp. Almost all my Buffalo, and CKCO which run from my one pre-amp were dead. The only saving grace was that I was still able to pickup WNLO, and sometimes WNYB. The only other thing that led me to believe it is some strong tropo and not a pre-amp issue is that I started to loose CFTO as well, which is picked up by another antenna, on a separate pre-amp drop. This is the worst I have ever seen it...seems only my strongest Canadian channels have stayed alive (CBC (both En and Fr),TVO, Global, CityTV, OMNI's, CHCH, and CTS), everything else is down.

Thank the good Lord I decided to check this thread, otherwise, I would have blown $ on a new pre-amp tomorrow. Now I just have to wait this out.

Yup,. and because of this very humid warm front, fog is quite heavy and rising high above the cool great lake waters.

Hepburns forecast does look pretty extreme today too,.. so that is likely the major current cause of our local problems. This severity of tropo is likely pulling in some very distant co-channel frequencies and cancelling many local signals using same frequencies.

As for tropo conditions? ,... according to Hepburn,.. we're being swallowed up
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

___________
I've lost all Erie, all Toronto and even some Buffalo channels,... but the religious Jamestown stuff and CTS seems to be blessed with an overpowering signal...:p

No sooner did I type that last post, but got WGRZ, WKBW back...but I won't say they are stable.

Weird night.

WGRZ was 100% - normally about 75%.
And WKBW and WIVB were on the cliff.

I wouldn't call it tropo,
tropo would imply excessive reception of distant channels.

Here your talkin about signals that aren't propagating any further than their
own back yard. Like hitting a brick wall over the colder lakes..
Last nite I was watching the signals from Toronto & Hamilton on the spectrum analyzer here in Buff. Every station Fading drastically, UP 20 db, Down 20 dB, Up, Down over and over, for relatively long periods of time, about 10 minutes or more between fades...Was actually pretty cool.

Yep, bad atmospheric conditions; my better half was nonplussed last night in missing her favorite shows on the bedroom TV which reminds me to replace the cable going into the bedroom.

My other two TVs held on to the BUFs barely except for WNYO, which is the weakest.

My 4221HD stack does a great job of holding onto signals in the worst conditions. It doesn't really get me more channels, just better reliability...

yeah, assuming it happens again tonight, I'll try and record some video
this time and post a link so everyone here can see it in action.

Can anyone see what is wrong with this picture besides old cables?
I have this setup in Brantford (N3S 3C8) and would like to get a consistent 22 channels.

Current setup:
***********
1. We get 10 to 21 Digital channels – with some duplicate channels. It is strange that on a normal day we can go from 10 to 20 channels...
2. We live in Brantford, Ontario and the antenna is on a tower over the roof.
3. One bay is pointed to Toronto and one bay to Buffalo.
4. Using brand new ******** ANT-7288 360 Degree Adjustable Multidirectional Super 8 Bay HDTV Antenna (About 5 feet across and 2.5 feet tall in total)
http://www.********technologies.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=469
5. Using a brand new Levitron 48210-VA Video amplifier (10 to 25 Db adjustable gain) at the end of two old coax wires ( 60 ft in total) that are joined. I have it setup at about 50% gain (17 db ) which seems to work best with FM trap turned on.
http://****************/Leviton-48210-VA-Amplifier-Module/dp/B0002472KA
6. From amp to TV is 50 feet of old coax cable.
7. The Antenna is tight and does not wiggle.


I think I want to:
*************
1. Replace old coax wire with new:
a. One 60 ft black coax cable (rated for outside)
b. One 50 ft white coax cable (to current TV)
c. One 40 ft white coax cable (to second TV )
2. Is my video amp a good model and in the correct place ( 60 feet from antenna ) ?
3. Will any splitter work after the amp for both TV's or should I use a specific model?

Added another 10 foot tower section. Added 91XG on top about 45 feet, few feet below - C5, fed into AD diplexer, fed into AD pre-amp - CPA-19.

This set-up gets me all the stations from before, but now also WBBZ. Could be tropo, but WBBZ has been solid all day - time will tell.

Will post pictures soon...

Good job, Goforit! Hopefully WBBZ stays....

Great job goforit!

You're living up to your name!

Wife thinks I should change my name to ultra-nuts. LOL

Just watched a little bit of the Mummy on WBBZ 67-1. Picture quality seems pretty good, even on the subs.

Cheers!