OTA: West Coast DXing Tropo, Atypical Reception

[BOUVAL]

be236,

CHEK-DT RF49 is in your TV Fool report if you hit "Only Digital"

And you'll need at least two 91XG to get it solidly.
.

[be236]

Yeah, I just noticed it now in my report... but its NM is so low (> -20dBm) that I have almost but given up on picking it up.

Currently I have an poorly made M8 that dont even see a signal mark on RF 49.

But I have a new problem, per my last posts.

With this M8, I was able to pick up CHAN 22 about 80% of the time with its NM at -8 dBm (amazing, huh?). Also I can pick up OMNI 20, and sometimes CBUFT 26 on "good" days... and these are NMs in -15 dBm or so... for 140km away!

But since KCPQ LD RF 22 came online to the south of me, now I'm getting interference of course and can't get either channel.

I'm guessing M8 can't block the side lobe or back lobe signals?

I'm considering ordering ONE 91xg as I know it's more direction.

If you look at my report, do you think it can overcome the stronger KCPQ signal from the back/side?

[BOUVAL]

Hard to tell for CHAN RF22, maybe by increasing the corner reflector size of the 91XG, who knows ?

There's a thread about that antenna here: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=111398
.

[be236]

Well, with my current M8, I can still (sometimes) get RF 17 (CTV2) which is co-channel with another local RF 17 located to the front-side lobe, so I guess there is hope that I can still pick up my target channel with another closer transmitter tower on the same channel.

[Archerotor]

be236 are you still using the stock balun on the VU-160XR. Does it look like this one: http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sel.../5/200-490.jpg

That's the one on my antenna, though I'm going to try putting on the Channel Master CM 94444 high efficiency balun and see if it is an improvement for distant stations, because very little info is available about the Steren.

[be236]

No, I dont think mine is like that. I've stopped using the VU-160 antenna pointed to BC. Currently I'm using it to point south to get my local Seattle channels and because it has VHF elements to pick up the three VHF channels down there as well (RF 9, 11, and 13).

To pick up BC channels, I'm using my poorly made M8, along with some generic balun. In that last few days with good tropo, I can occasionally pick up RF 20, 26, and 17, and sometimes RF 43. Rarely can I get RF 32. Just put my order in for 91XG and hoping that that is more directional to reject newly RF22 (KCPQ) south of me so I can get RF 22 CHAN again at 140km away.

Do baluns make that much of a difference? I thought all baluns were "equivalent" to any other?

[be236]

Originally Posted by BOUVAL

be236,

CHEK-DT RF49 is in your TV Fool report if you hit "Only Digital"

And you'll need at least two 91XG to get it solidly.
.

Well, again, not sure if I have any hope of getting RF 49 (around NM -37 dBm)?

If my newly ordered 91XG can't pick up RF 22 CHAN, I would consider getting a 2nd one.

And to stack them, they just need to point at the same direction, have same length phase lines and be 1 metre apart?