Of the following options which would give me the best reception:

1. CM 4221 (as above)
2. CM 4228
3. CM 4228 with rotor
4. Combining two CM 4228 (one at buffalo and one at Toronto)
5. Combining two CM 4221 (one at buffalo and one at Toronto)
6. Adding a pre-amp to CM 4221

I think your 4221 with a rotor and get rid of the splitter will work.
And the rotor will work in your attic.

DLPfreak I'll check out you setup next time I go for a ride out your way. Dsspredator, my thoughts were toward a rotor, but unfortunately I have two coaxial cable run upstairs, I don't have a power cable for the rotor run into the attic.

I tried a short line of cable from the attic to the tuner, then added more cable, joiners and finally the splitter. The signal loss can be attributed primarily to the loss through the cable prior to the splitter. The splitter is required as we don't have cable and like TVO.

Would the 4228 provide enough gain to overcome the signal loss in the line or would a preamp be more appropriate?

Based on what I have read the 4228 is more directional but has more gain. Would this mean that I could lose channels compared to the 4221 without a rotor but gain signal strength?

The addition of a pre-amp would be a simple addition as I already have a extra coaxial cable run into the attic. The cable run up stairs for the rotor is more or an issue due to the routing outside, around the garage, along the roof and then back in.

I'm still amazed at all the channels I can get with the CM4221.

Hi I am from south Oakville, and get all the channels others list but for some reason channel 2-1 (NBC). I get no audio on 2-2 which is usually weather radar. I get audio as well as on all other channels HD, SD or analog. Could someone please help me to figure out why I get no audio on 2-1......

TNTXTC

TNTXTC,
Did you ever get audio back on WGRZ 2.1??

The reason I ask is because I was testing my brother-in-law's ATSC tuner in his Panasonic 61LCX65 tonight with a Zenith Silver Sensor. Got a similar potential problem with no audio on 2.1 (audio present on 2.2 and all other digitals that locked).

Big Disclaimer (yes I know better, but I'm just being thorough ;) ): However ZSS was aimed at CN Tower not Buffalo. Signal was hovering around 40%. I find it very odd that some OTAer's can lock the audio or picture but not both on some channels, especially on channels that are multicasting and the other sub-channels are okay. :confused:

p.s. It is not the TV's settings, as I spent the bettter part of the evening going through the manual and e-researching.

Have you tried hitting your SAP audio button on your remote a few times?

I have the same problem with channels 2-1 or 7-1.

Thanks dcorreia,
I had tried that. Pressing the [SAP] button cycles through all available audio tracks, when in digital mode, IIRC.
edit: I also turned off all audio processing - BBE, AI audio, VIVA etc.
I think it might have to do with it being a weaker signal. but until I get back over to their house I can't really look into it any further.

99gecko, try and unplug the tv power wait a min and plug it back in.

I find that once in awhile the LG42" plasma loses audio on a few channels, picture and signal is strong and by playing with the different audio setting it comes back.

Fed up I decided to try and unplug and plug it back in and that now solves the problem. Not sure why but it does.

Good tip Yaamon,
Hadn't thought about that. It's a cold reboot. There's lots of consumer electronics that suffer from this fate. My router/printserver is the guilty one in my home.

Hello all,
Thanks for a great site and info on OTA TV.

I live in Mississauga in the Erin Mills/Britannia (Thomas St) area. Live in a condo townhouse so we are not allowed to place an antenna outside.

I currently have an indoor RCA CANT501 30dB antenna and able to pick up

DT 20, 24, 32, 40, 43, 53, 66 steadily
DT 39, 38 sometimes but have found a poostion of the antenna that seems to work better
DT 33 during the day
DT 14 occasionally.

I am using the Philips DVDR3575H/37 DVD record with build in ATSC tuner.

Do you think an attic install of an antenna would be of benifit.

Thanks in advance

Joe

dcorreia/Yaamon,

re post 487; Thanks for the tips since it wasn't a reception issue.

jtime905,
the attic = elevation = increased chance at signals.
But remember you will loose signal for two reasons:

Signal attenuation due to roofing materials
Likely a longer run of coax to the tuner

What is the antenna "looking" through now? ie Is it brick/stone/wood/plaster etc, or a window?

99gecko, the antenna was "looking" through our wall drywall/brick.

I have picked up a CM 4221 (thanks Yaamon) and the reception is much better. Able to pick up both Toronto and Buffalo at the same time. Currently in the "test set-up" I am using a 50ft run of RG6 cable from the antenna to the Philips dvdr.

Digital Stations
14.1 14.2 Fox
20.1 CBC English
24.1 CBC French
27.1 Religious network
32.1 The CW
33.1 33.2 NBC
34.1 34.2 MyTV
38.1 38.2 ABC/RTN
39.1 CBS (No Doppler on sub 2)
40.1 CTV
43.1 43.2 43.3 PBS
53.1 CityTV
66.1 Sun TV

Also picking up analogly(?) Global, TVO, CHCH, OMNI 1&2, and others.

Fox, City & NBC drop out when I try to run the signal downstairs. Still need to tinker with the set-up a bit.

Yaamon thanks for the advice.

jtime905 you are welcome, glad that you are getting much better results.

Yes any longer than 50' as I suggested try the indoor booster 10db should be fine. If you are going to use a indoor booster add it as soon as you can from the antenna keeping that length short then boost it. :)

That some dedication and fast work you did there. :)

Hey how's the phillips hd dvd with atsc tuner.

99gecko jtime905 did a roof mount.

Picked up a 10 db booster and it has helped. No dropped signals. I am looking to get some mounting hardware for in the attic. Any suggestions.

Yaamon: the phillips hd dvd with atsc tuner seems to be doing the job. I have no bench mark to compare. There does not seem to be a signal strength indicator though. Best Buy matched the price I found on line at directcanada dot com.

jtime905, glad the booster worked where did you place it as the cable entered the house ?

I don't understand you needing a mounting bracket for the attic are you not using the tripod mount you got on the roof ?

I do have the channel master attic bracket in stock.

No signal strength on the channel setup for the tuner ?

Question I read and posted are you able to record ota hd on the hard drive itself?

yaamon, I did not have a roof mount (live in a condo and they frown apon stuff attached to the roof).
How much is the bracket?
The booster is currently at the end of a 25 ft. run before I split. This is still a "work in progress" until the sweet spot has been found with the antenna then I will bring it to the attic opening (approx. 6 ft. from antenna) if the I do not have to move the antenna. That is where I was hoping a mount would be of assistance (minor turns east & west) to fine tune the analog (Global, TVO, CHCH) but still receive all the DTV.

Having fun and understand why installers do not prefer attic installs. (a lot of work for little pay)

The Philips manual says " all HD pictures will be down converted to SD when they are recorded on this unit" But the manual also says you cannot manually add digital stations and I have been able to that. Need time to play and also get a HDTV

Take Care

jtime905

Digital Stations
14.1 14.2 Fox
20.1 CBC English
24.1 CBC French
27.1 Religious network
32.1 The CW
33.1 33.2 NBC
34.1 34.2 MyTV
38.1 38.2 ABC/RTN
39.1 CBS (No Doppler on sub 2)
40.1 CTV
43.1 43.2 43.3 PBS
53.1 CityTV
66.1 Sun TV

Hmmm, it seems your ATSC tuner is not changing the cahnnel numbers after the scan. (ie, CityTV shows up as 57.1 on my Sammy 260... it was 53.1 but the tunner changed it. Same thing for the US stations.)

ASA: the tuner does the remapping of channels as your Sammy 260 does.

I am at Chiguacousy and Williams Parkway and I cannot pick up any Canadian OTA at all, only CBC Sure, I am using a pair of bunny ears (for now), but I can pick up the major American Networks. Any advice as to why?

The bunny ears just don't pick up the weaker signals very well.
Until you get a better antenna, can you pop those bunny ears outside a window, maybe on the eavestrough just for a little experiment?

The bunny ears just don't pick up the weaker signals very well.
Until you get a better antenna, can you pop those bunny ears outside a window, maybe on the eavestrough just for a little experiment?
hmm.. I'll try. I have it next to a window. Unfortunately, It is a window that is facing north. That must be the reason right? Also, how come Canadian signals are so much weaker than the US ones? The US ones come in no problem, and they are coming from farther...

I have the same problem. I have the EyeTV located in one of my bedrooms that I use as an "office". The bedroom is on the north side of the house and I am using TWO CM 4221s, one at the window attached to a curtain rail aimed at the Buffalo stations and one seated in a swivel chair aimed at the CN Tower. CBC is the only Canadian station I can pick up. I regularly auto-tune the EyeTV and the number of channels will fluctuate from one auto-tune to another but not all channels that are tuned can necessarily be received. (?) I will definitely have to get some local installer to come along and erect a mast on a chimney to accommodate the two CM 4221s. Too bad I didn't opt for the 4228, but we'll see.