ON - Vaughan/Richmond Hill//Markham/North of 407 - OTA

[bete_noir]

Receiver: Hughes E86 Platinum HD

Antenna: Terk TV44 Amplified Clip-on antenna

Location: Richmond Hill, Yonge and 16th Avenue area


OTA Channels:

5-1 CBLT-DT 58%
9 analog
9-1 CFTO-DT 100%
19 analog
25 analog
25-1 CBLT-D (French Dolby Digital 5.1) 37%
40-3 CFTO-DT 100%
41 analog
47 analog
53-1 CITYHD 58%
57 analog
66-1 CKXT-DT (I think this is Toronto 1) 24% no video or audio
69 analog

Obviously, with this antenna, there is limited adjustment; I rotated it around the rim of the satellite dish a bit to try and peak CITYHD, but then I lost 66-1. I had this antenna kicking around in the basement for over a year after I picked it up for less than 20 bucks on eBay. It's doing the job for now, in fact it allows me to receive VHF/UHF channels as advertised, but I receive none of the Buffalo channels. My next step will be to mount something like the Wade SL-4BT on a separate mast and aim it south towards CN tower and Buffalo.

[Yaamon]

You should consider the Channel Master the similar antenna but with a reflector and from my experience the 4221 is a excellent antenna for the size.

It's able to pull in almost the same gain/signal as the much larger 4228 from Markham area.

From where you are located will pull in all the Buffalo stations except WB49 and the Toronto ones.

[bete_noir]

Thanks for the info. I mentioned the Wade SL-4BT because a previous poster in this thread recommended it.

By the way, it's great to have a place where we can discuss Canadian signal reception and other issues....

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by bete_noir

Thanks for the info. I mentioned the Wade SL-4BT because a previous poster in this thread recommended it.

By the way, it's great to have a place where we can discuss Canadian signal reception and other issues....

And that, my friend, is exactly why we're here! Regarding the Wade SL-4BT you might want to consider the reflector version of it: the 4BT-1483. Anyways we can discuss it in the Outdoor Antennas thread as you need because we're not really supposed to discuss things much in this Reports thread.

[intrac]

From my location -- Bayview North of Steeles CM4228 - chimney mount, Winegard AP-4700 pre-amp

WGRZ-DT 149 degrees 86 mi
WIVB-DT 154 degrees 88 mi
WKBW-DT 154 degrees 90 mi
WNED-DT 156 degrees 59 mi
WNYO-DT 146 degrees 85 mi
WNLO-DT 156 degrees 59 mi
WUTV-DT 156 degrees 59 mi
CBLT-DT 178 degrees 12 mi
CFTO-DT 178 degrees 12 mi
CITY-DT 178 degrees 12 mi
CKXT-DT 178 degrees 12 mi

[gg22]

Hi, I installed my outdoor antenna (Terk 32, a clone of Winegard 4 bowtie) two weeks ago on the second floor balcony and connected it with 75ft RG6 cable to my SIR-T351 tuner. I have a good signal on all channels except NBC Buffalo. I can get ABC with no problems althoug it has a weaker transmitter
and is located close to NBC.
It jumps from 0 to 3 bars and sometimes I could see picture for several seconds. I was pretty good a week ago but now signal is very unstable.
Does anybody else experience problems with NBC? Is this because my antenna
is just 4 bowtie and is not high enough? Will preamplifier help in this case?
Thanks very much. ( I live notrh of Toronto in Richmond Hill)

[gg22]

Yaamon, do you think you will be able to get NBC without preamp?
Or to put it another way, will it help me if I buy preamp? I think if my signal
on NBC drops to 0, pre-amp will probably not help.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by gg22

Does anybody else experience problems with NBC? Is this because my antenna is just 4 bowtie and is not high enough? Will preamplifier help in this case?

People in Markham and Unionville are doing great with Buffalo reception so you should also be fine in Richmond Hill. Are you actually using all 75 feet of that RG-6 cable? The less cable the better. I would measure where to cut it to its shortest possible length to reach the receiver and then add an extra foot for flex, then crimp it there with proper crimping tools.

Your Terk 32 actually might be a Winegard PR-4400 since Terk and Winegard seem to be in some sort of commercial deal these days. If so, its a good antenna and it seems to be working fine for you since only one distant station doesn't come in well. I would try the cable shortening and crimping first, and if that doesn't help then I would try a medium power preamp. If that is not sufficient, it may be time to change to an 8-bay bowtie reflector like a Channel Master 4228.

[Yaamon]

If you view is clear and you are pointing towards Nbc then a preamp might help.

To be honest you should be able to pull in Nbc stronger than that.

Even though Nbc went to 480Kwatts it seems to have made a difference for a month or so, but like I noticed recently the signal is not as strong as it was a month ago.

I think Nbc may have reduced the coverage towards us recently. Maybe someone can send the tech department a email to confirm.

From the Avs board another board got a previous reply from Nbc and they said even though they had a increase in power they limited the signal being broadcasted north because there was a Toronto HDTV repeater to be installed and operational in Barrie summer of 2006 using the same frequency.

We dont need another repeater in Barrie and trust me the local residents north is surely not interested in HDTV.

Because of the elevation in Markham north of Hwy 7 Nbc comes in at 94 to 98% at my parents on there Sony 42A10

[gg22]

Just tried it with shorter cable 15' - still no luck with WGRZ. The same with CBS - can only get it on 23-1 and not on 4-1. When it was warm I was able to pull it with indoor Silver Sensor. I also live on a hill
so I don't know if raising the antenna on the roof will help. (currently it's
on the second floor balcony).
Is there any place in Toronto where I can buy pre-amp and return it if it does not help?
Thanks everybody for help.

[spmarceau]

Hi guys..lime many people if it wasnt for this forum I wouldnt have got into OTA.

So I want to report back my findings.

Anyways, I am located in Woodbridge (Weston/Rutherford).

I got a Samsung T160 from ebay, hooked it right now to old set of dusty rabbit antenna (and thats at the back of the house - north) and I'm getting 3 Toronto digital stations; CBC English & French and CTV! Not bad.

Next I will read about antennas, I would like to pick up buffalo stations, it will have to be an attic install.

Thanks!

[spmarceau]

Sorry...Woodbridge in is 905 & GTA.

Ok, how about that for a report:

Woodbridge with Rabbit ears:
- 0/7 Buffalo DTV stations.
- 3/4 Toronto DTV stations

Better? :-)

[bete_noir]

Hi, all. For the last few months,I've been using a a Hughes E86 receiver with a Terk TV44 for getting local OTA channels, but about a week ago I replaced it with a CM 4221 I purchased from Yaamon's place. While the weather was still decent, I mounted it to the south side of my two-story house using a satellite dish mount; I jam-fit a piece of 1 1/4" ID galvanized pipe into the mast and mounted the 4221 to that after using a level to make sure the pipe was vertical. The pipe extends perhaps 38" from the end of the satellite dish mast for a total length of about 5 feet..... the top of the antenna is about 6" under my eaves.

Yesterday, I aimed the CM 4221 towards the southeast and did a scan with the receiver. All the Toronto digital channels come in 100 bars of signal stength, so I will skip that part (it doesn't seem to matter where I aim it towards the South, I get full strength on all of them...heh-heh!). Previously, I was unable to get any Buffalo channels, but lo and behold I got the following:

2-1 WGRZ-HD 58-72 bars
2-2 WGRZ-SD 58-72 bars

23-1 WIVB-HD 72-79 bars
23-3 WNLO-SD 72-79 bars

29-1 WUTV-HD 37-51 bars
29-2 WUTV-SD 37-51 bars
29-3 WUTV-EN 37-51 bars

39-1 WIVB (?) 24-30 bars (no image)
39-3 WIVB (?) 24-30 bars (no image)

43-1 WNED 15 bars (no image)


I guess what puzzles me most is why PBS digital isn't coming in at all. I see some signal strength there, but so far I have been unable to peak it enough to get a picture - yet signals from much further away like WGRZ and WIVB are coming in fine .....(at least the 2-1 HD and 2-2 weather channel are fine, 39-1 and 39-3 are breaking up...)


Do you think this is because:

a) the Buffalo PBS signal is directed from Grand Island towards Buffalo, i.e. away from Richmond Hill/Toronto?
b) the PBS transmitting signal is 156 kW vs 480 kW for WGRZ?
c) my antenna isn't projecting beyond my roofline, even though I still have an unobstructed view to the South with the current setup?

Oh, yeah: I am located in the 16th Avenue and Bathurst area. Thanks....

[Yaamon]

Glad that you are getting better reception.

I would say that is very good signal for under the eves. I would try and move it up another 4 to 5 ' if you can.

Weird that you can get Fox but no Pbs and its from the same location and much stronger than Fox.

39/4 Wivb is normally a very good signal.

I would have to say that you need more elevation if you are having problem with so many stations.

[gg22]

bete_noir, looks like we have a similar set up.
I'm also located in the 16th & Bathurst area, have a similar 4 bow-tie antenna (Winegard 4400) and it's also mounted on the south wall a few inches below eaves. I have no problems with 43-WNED and 38-WKBW, but can't get
WGRZ and WIVB. As I understood from previous posts our options are:
1. mount antenna on the roof
2. Use 7777 CM preamp
3. Buy a bigger antenna (like cm4228 or Winegard 8800)

I hope I don't have to do all three, as each option will cost me around $100,
so now I'm thinking what to start with.

What's your exact location? (I'm at Coltrane & Pleasant Ridge in Thornhill Woods).