ON - Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Halton - OTA - Page 69 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

cableredneck · 2012-05-07, 10:35 AM

I'm in south central Burlington. Yesterday we hooked up an Antennas Direct DB4e. There are 23 channels coming through (last night). The major US networks and some Canadian networks come through (we also have satellite). The antenna is oriented toward Buffalo. We want the Buffalo channels, as our satellite service does not carry them. They carry Detroit and Rochester. FOX does not come in (ch 29.1). It came in very pixelated and conked out. Has anyone else in this area had this problem with FOX??

HWP · 2012-05-07, 10:43 AM

Cableredneck's TV Fool:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b8684cc29e9ed

Where did you end up mounting the antenna? Indoors, Attic, Exterior Wall/Roof?

Are you pointed straight at WUTV?

It would be just as good a place as any for aiming - especially since you have stated you're not interested in getting the Canadian stations since you already get them in HD on your satellite.

cableredneck · 2012-05-07, 05:23 PM

The antenna is mounted to face Buffalo. WUTV is in the middle of the range (angles). It is mounted on the roof, but the bottom is partially blocked by the second chimney.

cableredneck · 2012-05-07, 05:54 PM

Would a pre-amp help with receiving channels in cloudy/rainy weather??

goforit · 2012-05-07, 10:25 PM

Try re-aiming your antenna a little more north- WUTV transmits from Grand Island- north of Buffalo, and yes a preamp or even a distribution amp would help. BTW, tonight is not a good night for OTA- bad atmospheric conditions; try to monitor reception over a couple of days. Got to get the antenna higher, if possible to avoid the blockage. Now that I think of it, if you have some blockage, you might have to experiment with aiming beyond the expected direction...

cableredneck · 2012-05-09, 12:13 PM

The antenna is not completely blocked by the chimney. It (the antenna) is as high as it can possibly go. It's at the top of the mount (there is no mast). It would be very difficult to put it higher.

HWP · 2012-05-09, 01:06 PM

A pre-amp would probably help.

It doesn't need much of a boost. I'd try the Winegard 269. But that will probably solidify things for you.

On weak stations aim is important. So it would be a good idea to pinpoint the exact aim of your weakest station WUTV. Once you have peaked for WUTV, then verify that you have not lost anything else.

Your TV Fool scores for your US channels are not super strong. The pre-amp will help all year long, but especially in winter.

Good luck.

If this doesn't work, then you'll have to get a mast for your antenna to get it unblocked.

You now have a good antenna outdoors on the roof. The pre-amp will likey solve your problem, but if not, it's going to be about getting the antenna to open air to Buffalo.

Thanks for reporting back. Please update us again.

cableredneck · 2012-05-11, 05:09 PM

Thank you for the info. Actually, the antenna is not blocked. What is going on is that it is on one chimney, and the other one is a few feet from it. The antenna clears the top of the chimneys. We are now getting 15 channels consistently. The day we put it up we had a max of 23. However, it was sunny. Today is sunny and we have 15. Some are Toronto.

bunk3m · 2012-05-29, 06:49 PM

So I'm back to report that since Easter we are getting CHCH nice and strong and WGRZ (2-1 and 2-2) is good about 50% of the time. I don't know what changed but it has been nice to have CHCH again.

Next step in this process will be to replace the drop amp with a pre-amp. I think that will improve the gain from about 11db to 19-23db. I hope that will then make WGRZ as strong as the other stations.

BTW, we get FOX probably +95% of the time. I've only noticed it faded out a few times in the last 6-8 weeks. Happy times!

Oh, what do you guys do about watching the NBA playoffs? They only seem to be on ESPN/TSN/TNT, none of which are OTA. Is there another OTA station that I need to hunt for?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunk3m

Hi filper.

Thanks again for your help and encouragement. I didn't realize that it would be such an iterative process. The engineer in me has a hard time doing this "by trial and error" rather than "by design".

......

So I'm nearly there. I'll have to do some work to figure out what to do to get a bit more signal so WGRZ is solid and how to get CHCH 11-1. I suspect this will involve a bit more antenna tweaking when it gets warmer.

More later....

Burl_Brad · 2012-06-01, 01:06 PM

I'm moving to a house in North Burlington (Cedar Springs/#2 side road area) and am trying to understand my OTA options.

I thought initially that this higher altitude would prove beneficial for reception, but reading this thread, I might be 'too high'

Is this true?

I'm also trying to figure out the best setup for my area and and understand that I'd HAVE to use two antennas if I want to receive from Buffalo and the CN tower?

In emailing Save and Replay, they suggested that I can use a DB4e antenna pointed towards Buffalo and a DB2e for Toronto...I'm confused as I've read you MUST use the same antenna??

Does anyone live close by and what channels can you obtain?
Thanks!!

goforit · 2012-06-01, 02:46 PM

Welcome Burl_Brad.

No such thing as "too high" in the OTA world, the correct saying is, "the higher the better".

Here is a TV Fool report for the location of Burlington Springs Golf club, 25' above ground:http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1349315064e76f

You can re-do it to your exact location and height of your antenna, but remember, if the antenna is indoors (in the attic) signal strength will decrease.

From looking at this general report, I would say you should be able to get all of the TO/HAM stations, plus the major BUFs with a single antenna - DB4e - aimed at Buffalo. Look at the NM(db) column; anything above 0 should be doable with a decent set-up and no major obstructions (big trees/buildings/hills) in your immediate area.

Also, consider some type of amplification if you have long cable runs from the antenna to the TV (over 75 feet), or if you intend to run more than one TV off the antenna signal - you could go with a simple amplified splitter (aka drop amp), or a mast mounted pre-amp that has two parts - one is connected just underneath the antenna (the pre-amp), and the other is connected inside your house (the power inserter).
Going with the DB4e is a good start and should get you plenty of channels (including the major US networks).

Jase88 · 2012-06-01, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burl_Brad

I thought initially that this higher altitude would prove beneficial for reception, but reading this thread, I might be 'too high'

Is this true?

No, you're not too high in Burlington.

For example, I'm in Kitchener at about 300-350m in elevation, and I receive all of the Toronto stations and several Buffalo ones just fine. For comparison, my GPS shows an elevation (ASL) of about 70m at the edge of Lake Ontario.

ota_canuck · 2012-06-01, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burl_Brad

In emailing Save and Replay, they suggested that I can use a DB4e antenna pointed towards Buffalo and a DB2e for Toronto...I'm confused as I've read you MUST use the same antenna??

Just to note that using 2 antennas may create more inherited line losses than the overall net-gain in having the extended beamwidth coverage. As goforit has just mentioned in his previous post,.. you'd be better to use a single antenna that has a wide beamwidth.

bunk3m · 2012-06-01, 04:00 PM

Hi Burl_Brad

I agree with the other comments. If I had to do all again, I'd start with 1 antenna pointed towards Buffalo and then progressively add stronger drop-amp/pre-amp. It might have ended up with two antennas, but since putting my antenna on the roof, there have been a few posts from people living closer to me who get by with 1 antenna.

I found it pretty time consuming and frustrating adjusting the two antennas. And given the improvement in signal I got from adding the drop-amps, I think that the drop-amps were a better investment than the second antenna. YMMV.

Check the antenna FAQ to see the performance/distance options. I expect the Save & Replay people know what will work but it's always good to do your own research.

You'll probably need at least a drop amp if not a pre-amp given your distance from Buffalo as others have suggested.

Given the relative close Toronto stations, you should probably be able to collect that signal from the sides.

Give it a week for some more people to reply to the forum and spend some time reading through this forum. People here are really helpful and there are lots of different set-ups from Burlington posted.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

bunk3m · 2012-06-08, 09:10 PM

So I spoke too soon and must have jinxed it.

Since I posted the CHCH was coming in strong earlier this week, it disappeared and now I get "No Signal" and Fox is now fading in & out.

What happened this week that changed the signals?

2012-05-07, 10:43 AM	#1022
HWP Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto, East York (Greenwood & Mortimer) Posts: 1,154	Cableredneck's TV Fool: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b8684cc29e9ed Where did you end up mounting the antenna? Indoors, Attic, Exterior Wall/Roof? Are you pointed straight at WUTV? It would be just as good a place as any for aiming - especially since you have stated you're not interested in getting the Canadian stations since you already get them in HD on your satellite. __________________ OTA, HD7697P, CM7778, Rotator, CM3218, TiVo, HDHomeRun Apple TV, Netflix, Teksavvy, Unblock-us, Wind, MagicJack

2012-05-07, 10:25 PM	#1025
goforit Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hamilton Mtn. Posts: 1,458	Try re-aiming your antenna a little more north- WUTV transmits from Grand Island- north of Buffalo, and yes a preamp or even a distribution amp would help. BTW, tonight is not a good night for OTA- bad atmospheric conditions; try to monitor reception over a couple of days. Got to get the antenna higher, if possible to avoid the blockage. Now that I think of it, if you have some blockage, you might have to experiment with aiming beyond the expected direction... __________________ 91XG, C5, CPA-19; Denon AVR-1312

2012-05-09, 01:06 PM	#1027
HWP Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto, East York (Greenwood & Mortimer) Posts: 1,154	A pre-amp would probably help. It doesn't need much of a boost. I'd try the Winegard 269. But that will probably solidify things for you. On weak stations aim is important. So it would be a good idea to pinpoint the exact aim of your weakest station WUTV. Once you have peaked for WUTV, then verify that you have not lost anything else. Your TV Fool scores for your US channels are not super strong. The pre-amp will help all year long, but especially in winter. Good luck. If this doesn't work, then you'll have to get a mast for your antenna to get it unblocked. You now have a good antenna outdoors on the roof. The pre-amp will likey solve your problem, but if not, it's going to be about getting the antenna to open air to Buffalo. Thanks for reporting back. Please update us again. __________________ OTA, HD7697P, CM7778, Rotator, CM3218, TiVo, HDHomeRun Apple TV, Netflix, Teksavvy, Unblock-us, Wind, MagicJack

2012-06-01, 02:46 PM	#1031
goforit Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hamilton Mtn. Posts: 1,458	Welcome Burl_Brad. No such thing as "too high" in the OTA world, the correct saying is, "the higher the better". Here is a TV Fool report for the location of Burlington Springs Golf club, 25' above ground:http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1349315064e76f You can re-do it to your exact location and height of your antenna, but remember, if the antenna is indoors (in the attic) signal strength will decrease. From looking at this general report, I would say you should be able to get all of the TO/HAM stations, plus the major BUFs with a single antenna - DB4e - aimed at Buffalo. Look at the NM(db) column; anything above 0 should be doable with a decent set-up and no major obstructions (big trees/buildings/hills) in your immediate area. Also, consider some type of amplification if you have long cable runs from the antenna to the TV (over 75 feet), or if you intend to run more than one TV off the antenna signal - you could go with a simple amplified splitter (aka drop amp), or a mast mounted pre-amp that has two parts - one is connected just underneath the antenna (the pre-amp), and the other is connected inside your house (the power inserter). Going with the DB4e is a good start and should get you plenty of channels (including the major US networks). __________________ 91XG, C5, CPA-19; Denon AVR-1312

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2012-05-07, 10:35 AM	#1021
cableredneck Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 204	I'm in south central Burlington. Yesterday we hooked up an Antennas Direct DB4e. There are 23 channels coming through (last night). The major US networks and some Canadian networks come through (we also have satellite). The antenna is oriented toward Buffalo. We want the Buffalo channels, as our satellite service does not carry them. They carry Detroit and Rochester. FOX does not come in (ch 29.1). It came in very pixelated and conked out. Has anyone else in this area had this problem with FOX??

2012-05-07, 05:23 PM	#1023
cableredneck Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 204	The antenna is mounted to face Buffalo. WUTV is in the middle of the range (angles). It is mounted on the roof, but the bottom is partially blocked by the second chimney.

2012-05-07, 05:54 PM	#1024
cableredneck Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 204	Would a pre-amp help with receiving channels in cloudy/rainy weather??

2012-05-09, 12:13 PM	#1026
cableredneck Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 204	The antenna is not completely blocked by the chimney. It (the antenna) is as high as it can possibly go. It's at the top of the mount (there is no mast). It would be very difficult to put it higher.

2012-05-11, 05:09 PM	#1028
cableredneck Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 204	Thank you for the info. Actually, the antenna is not blocked. What is going on is that it is on one chimney, and the other one is a few feet from it. The antenna clears the top of the chimneys. We are now getting 15 channels consistently. The day we put it up we had a max of 23. However, it was sunny. Today is sunny and we have 15. Some are Toronto.

2012-06-01, 01:06 PM	#1030
Burl_Brad Rookie Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1	I'm moving to a house in North Burlington (Cedar Springs/#2 side road area) and am trying to understand my OTA options. I thought initially that this higher altitude would prove beneficial for reception, but reading this thread, I might be 'too high' Is this true? I'm also trying to figure out the best setup for my area and and understand that I'd HAVE to use two antennas if I want to receive from Buffalo and the CN tower? In emailing Save and Replay, they suggested that I can use a DB4e antenna pointed towards Buffalo and a DB2e for Toronto...I'm confused as I've read you MUST use the same antenna?? Does anyone live close by and what channels can you obtain? Thanks!!

2012-06-01, 04:00 PM	#1034
bunk3m Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Oakville, ON Posts: 12	Hi Burl_Brad I agree with the other comments. If I had to do all again, I'd start with 1 antenna pointed towards Buffalo and then progressively add stronger drop-amp/pre-amp. It might have ended up with two antennas, but since putting my antenna on the roof, there have been a few posts from people living closer to me who get by with 1 antenna. I found it pretty time consuming and frustrating adjusting the two antennas. And given the improvement in signal I got from adding the drop-amps, I think that the drop-amps were a better investment than the second antenna. YMMV. Check the antenna FAQ to see the performance/distance options. I expect the Save & Replay people know what will work but it's always good to do your own research. You'll probably need at least a drop amp if not a pre-amp given your distance from Buffalo as others have suggested. Given the relative close Toronto stations, you should probably be able to collect that signal from the sides. Give it a week for some more people to reply to the forum and spend some time reading through this forum. People here are really helpful and there are lots of different set-ups from Burlington posted. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

2012-06-08, 09:10 PM	#1035
bunk3m Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Oakville, ON Posts: 12	So I spoke too soon and must have jinxed it. Since I posted the CHCH was coming in strong earlier this week, it disappeared and now I get "No Signal" and Fox is now fading in & out. What happened this week that changed the signals?