Hi pmartel1 and welcome here - are there several anennas up on the roof that you could get a photo of for us? That would be very helpful for predicting the capabilities. :)

I'm desperately trying to find a good outdoor vhf/uhf antenna in the GTA, though I'm willing to send out for one if there's somewhere reliable with decent shipping costs. I'm looking for something like the Channel Master CM-3016 or Winegard HD-7080, though if there are other good options my mind is open. Any suggestions would help. Thanks!

OTTO1990, here is the thread to ask about and look for OTA Gear suppliers in Ontario:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=23984

cheers

Turned on my TV today and most of my channels are gone!!!
only have CBC, CTV, OMNI2. reception level same as before.

But the rest of my channels are totally gone: CBS, ABC, PBS, CW, FOX, City, OMNI1, Global, SUN

Channel master 4221 + 7777amp.

OTTO1990,
Check out my post #791. This obviously works well for me. I bought the antenna on ebay from a seller in North York.

Wondering if someone can help me resolve a problem I'm having with signal strength for CBC (5-1).

I have a Channel Master 4228 mounted on a third floor deck (roughly roof level) with a fairly clear view south. For those familiar with Toronto, I live near Dundas and Lansdowne almost directly west of the CN Tower (about 4km west).

I'm receiving DTV/HD through the built-in ATSC tuner in a new Panasonic Plasma. I've been able to get every OTA digital channel, including all the Buffalo channels (although WGRZ 2-1 is spotty) as well as CHCH in Hamilton, by pointing the antenna roughly towards Niagara Falls. Lately I've been experiencing very poor signal strength for the digitial CBC station (5-1). The analogue CBC signal comes in ok but I can't seem to consistently lock into channel 5-1. This strikes me as odd since all other signals originating from downtown (CN Tower) are solid.

Any idea why this is happening?

DG

I have a similar problem - CBC (5.1-20.1-CBLT-DT) reception.

I've been reading this forum for a while and got a lot of helpful information. My location is Yonge & St Clair (you can say core Toronto), on 17th floor of a high-rise building. Unfortunately my apartment is facing north, so I use a CM4221 on balcony to pick up reflex signal, downlead with 20ft RG6 cable directly to a Samsung 260F tuner. With many days of testing, I set the CM4221 facing neither the CN tower or Buffalo (I could not even I want to), instead towards a high building at northwest of my balcony. This way I am able to pick up all Canadian channels and some Buffalo channels:

2.1 33.1 WGRZ-DT NBC (stable, strongest signal)
4.1 39.1 WIBV-DT CBS (need to change direction)
5.1 20.1 CBLT-DT CBC (recently no signal, that is the problem)
7.1 38.1 WKBW-DT ABC (not stable)
17.1 43.1 WNED-DT PBS (70% of time okey)
25.1 24.1 CBLFT-DT (stable)
29.1 14.1 WUTV-DT FOX (50% of time okey)
36.1 35.1 CITS-DT CTS (stable)
41.1 65.1 CIII-DT GLOBAL (stable)
44.1 44.1 CJMT-DT OMNI2 (stable)
57.1 53.1 CITY-DT CITY (stable)
64.1 64.1 CFMT-DT OMNI1 (stable)
66.1 66.1 CKXT-DT SUN (stable)

Please note that I didn't list sub-channels. Two things are weird:
1) my peak signal is NBC
2) French channel 25 is very reliable but CBC English channel 5 has no signal.

Any idea is appreciated.

digli and Jsn, I just replied to redzone in the Indoor thread regarding the same issue with 5.1 overloading your tuners. Go to The Source and pick up a 6dB attenuator and put it inline on your antenna cable just as it enters the TV. This should help with the CBC overload, but you'll need to check all your other regular channels to see if any of them have dropped out. If so, change to a 3dB attenuator instead and test again (available online because The Source doesn't carry them, AFAIK).

Thanks Stampeder. I will give it a try and post the result.

I bought a 6db attenuator from The Source, connected it to the downlead cable before my Samsung H260F tuner, and nothing happened - it seems no improvement on reception of channel 20.1 CBLT-DT CBC. I think it is not overload, but because CBC broadcasts this digital channel with relatively low power (38kw?) compared with channel 19 analogue NTSC signal.

Hi All

I've been trolling about this killer site looking for info about OTA. I got tons of helpful pointers. I'm considering making an antenna to receive HD signals but I'm concerned about a building that is obstructing my view to the CN Tower.

http://picasaweb.google.ca/lh/photo/caM2_MIHBXZkbcZNdXUkgQ?feat=directlink

Should I bother trying or can I expect some bouncing waves reaching the antenna.

thanks

I bought a 6db attenuator from The Source, connected it to the downlead cable before my Samsung H260F tuner, and nothing happened - it seems no improvement on reception of channel 20.1 CBLT-DT CBC. I think it is not overload, but because CBC broadcasts this digital channel with relatively low power (38kw?) compared with channel 19 analogue NTSC signal.
i get digital 20.1 100% and I get ch 19 TVO analog on both my TV's just fine. They don't interfere with each other.

relatively new to OTA as I think I mentioned a few weeks ago..

I have pretty serious problems pulling in WIVB 4-1 and in the course of investigating last night (fruitlessly looking for the football game) I noticed some strange stuff and wondered if anyone had any insight...

Equipment - CM 4228 on a chimney mount, probably over 30 feet up, new LG (I think model is 42LG50 if that makes a difference)

1 - Most folks seem to report that WGRZ is the toughest south buffalo channel to bring in.. I tuned both stations manually last night.. The LG doesn't report percentages, but a simple bar which has 3 "ranges"... Bad on the left side, Normal in the middle, Good at the right side.. WGRZ was maybe 4-5 out of a maximum of 10... tipping into the Good range at a maximum. It was coming in solidly.

2 - WIVB was coming in at a higher signal strength. Consistently about 5-6 out of 10, in the Good range, and yet my TV reports "No Signal" and shows a black screen.

3 - This was the strangest bit: WIVB showed a picture on occasion, but usually just a frame that would get frozen for a few seconds. It was the picture from WGRZ! I thought I was seeing things, but NBC was showing a Saturday Night Live special last night and my WIVB signal showed a closeup of one of the cast members... No way that was airing on CBS.. Has anyone heard of something like this..?

I thought maybe there's something wrong with my tuner, but it seems weird that the two feeds could be confused (one is on 33, the other on 39) for each other. Anyone have any insight to what could be going on??

Equipment - CM 4228 on a chimney mount

WIVB showed a picture on occasion, but usually just a frame that would get frozen for a few seconds. It was the picture from WGRZ!

You need to 'peak' your 4228 on the south Buffalo stations. It sounds like you are
having serious multi-path issues, causing your problems.

3 - This was the strangest bit: WIVB showed a picture on occasion, but usually just a frame that would get frozen for a few seconds. It was the picture from WGRZ! I thought I was seeing things, but NBC was showing a Saturday Night Live special last night and my WIVB signal showed a closeup of one of the cast members... No way that was airing on CBS.. Has anyone heard of something like this..?
I use the Samsung T451. That happens all the time with my receiver when I change to a station that is on the reception "cliff". It hesitates, and partial images are shown from the channel I tuned from. I seem to remember reading once that that is part of the way the compression algorithms work in DTV, only data for changed pixels is altered in the data stream and thus only those pixels need to be refreshed (but I might be wrong about this).

Regardless, what you're seeing is just a function of your receiver being confused by the weak signal.

Several times I have seen a recommendation of "peaking" tuners to WGRZ (eg see thread 814 above). How is this done, why WGRZ, and what effect will this have? I have a Samsung that either automatically scans for channels, or I can add channels manually. If a digital signal doesn't lock in manually, the analog channel is saved in the program memory, signal or not.

You don't peak a receiver/tuner.
"Peaking" is the act of making fine adjustments to your antenna's "aim".
You can use your receiver's signal meter to do this.

Excellent! I'll be "peaking" my system for 29 wutv, I can't get it, but intend to use the 4228HD instead of a 4221HD, possibly amped too (can't find original CMs).

egeno:

Try getting the cheapest antenna you can get, with a return policy would be good. Get an indoor powered amp/signal boosted UHF antenna (has a loop usually), probably comes with rabbit ears, just need the loop for UHF. Discount stores usually have them dfor about 10 20 bucks. This will give you a start of possible reception. TV must be able to receive digital signals (has a digital receiver).
Good Luck!!

Should I bother trying or can I expect some bouncing waves reaching the antenna.
Just had a look at your photo and you have an interesting problem with the trees and the large apartment building.:o

I am not sure how far are away from CN tower? Your only hope is that you are close enough that the signals broadcast from the CN tower are strong enough to saturate your location and you can receive secondary signal off one of the homes near you. I have heard of others who live in apartments down town GTA who can only point there antennas North, but have been able to receive the signal off other apartments close by.

You most likely will able to pick US stations south west of you. But to tell you the truth you will have try yourself, see if you beg or borrow from someone any kind of UHF antenna.

If you willing to spend a few dollars good starting point might be CM4221 it has wide antenna pattern and you could use it to run tests to determine if viable for you. See what get, then go on from there.

Not sure this helps you much?:confused: