BC - City of Vancouver, North Van, West Van - OTA

[ardsa]

gkyc,
I have the Phillips phdtv3. I can't find it on Phillip's site, but you can Google it.

[montery]

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking around in the forums reading lots, trying to pick up as much information as I can.

I live downtown Vancouver, in a 15th floor condo, with a view of the Mount Seymour towers. I can see them from my balcony!

So, I figured if those are where the HD broadcasts are coming from, I should be able to get a good signal.

I went to London Drugs to pick up the Terk HDTVi antenna, and a Hauppauge 950 USB tuner (only because of the return policy!).

When I pointed the Terk towards the towers, I could get a lock on about 6 analog stations, but could not get a lock on any digital stations.

I am not sure if I've configured the Hauppauge software correctly, or if I'm not getting a signal because the antenna is not quite getting line of sight to the towers. There is a building blocking most of the view on Mt. Seymour, but if I move off to the right side of the living room, I have an unobstructed view...

Question: Is this slightly obstructed view preventing me from getting any sort of signal from Mt. Seymour? Or have I set the software incorrectly?

I have 14 days to figure this out (to take advantage of the LD return policy!)

Thanks in advance!

[stampeder]

Hi Montery, welcome here - I am certain that your software setup is the problem. In a situation like yours, high up and an almost unobstructed view of the antenna farm on Mt. Seymour you should be getting a complete lock on CBC and CTV digital OTA. Not only that but your ZSS clone antenna should be able to get that lock even if its within (guessing) about 10 degrees either way of pointing at those transmitter sites. Keep trying, and by all means find some help in the thread about USB PC devices for digital OTA:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=49381

Best of luck!

[montery]

Thanks Stampeder.

I re-installed the software and verified that the cable connection from the terk to the 950 was installed correctly.

I successfully managed to get ONE HD signal -- CBUT.

I was quite excited.. hey, I can live with CBC, I'm a Coronation street junkie and haven't had my fix in a few years so this would be great for me to watch! Sadly, I hit an altogether unexpected brick wall.

My PC doesn't have the horsepower to push a HDTV stream through to the video card. The video was all choppy to the point of it being basically unwatchable. But wow, was it nice and clear!

From now on, I'll be making sure if I move somewhere else, I have clear line of sight to the seymour towers... I can see how getting high quality HDTV signals can be addictive!

Thanks everyone for the help & support.

[blakew]

Montery, that's odd, because I live downtown too, have line of sight, and get both digital channels 95%+. Could it be that your windows are coated with something that might be blocking signals?

When I tried my ATI HDTV wonder at work (also downtown), even with an even closer and even more unobstructed view it was difficult to get a lock behind the tinted office glass.

PM me if you want to test your system with my antenna.

[cookie]

Hi all, first post.I have spent a few evenings lurking here and reading. I live in Champlain Heights. Just west of Boundary between 49th and Marine (practically in Burnaby).

I'm new to this idea of OTA HD and wonder if there is anyone close by with any recommendations. I've been thinking about going across the border and picking up a tuner. Possibly a Samsung 260. Any thoughts on the tuner model or the best place to buy it? What about the antenna. I'm naturally lazy LOL so would rather not put an antenna on the roof of my townhouse. Also being in a strata I would like it to be as stealthy as possible. Any recommendations or suggestions would be appreciated.

[stampeder]

Hi cookie and welcome here - the choice of OTA gear is all dependent on what your expectations/requirements are. If you want the Mt. Seymour digital OTA stations you should go with an outdoor antenna aimed directly at it. Have you downloaded the antenna chart? It will answer your antenna questions.

A 4-bay UHF antenna like a Delhi 4BT-1483, Channel Master 4221, Winegard PR-4400, or equivalent would be perfect. If you want the VHF Analogue stations from there too, you'll need a VHF/UHF combo antenna. I've also listed Stealth Antennas in the chart.

If an outdoor antenna is not an option for those local stations, go with a Zenith Silver Sensor or Clone, or try a Winegard Sharp Shooter.

If you want the US stations there are no guarantees you'll get SeaTac stations satisfactorily but there's a fellow getting them down the hill from you on SE Marine, so there's a chance. For that you'd need something like a CM4228. No indoor antenna will help you with SeaTac stations.

The tuner you mentioned is the cream of today's crop.

[cookie]

So I guess I'm basically impatient LOL. I went down to bellingham yesterday and bought a samsung 260 tuner. Brought it home and hooked it up last night with a phillips mant940 antenna. Got the shopping channel on 19.1 at about 20% and one brief unrepeatable glimpse of cbc.
Went out today and found an old radio shack MS2000. I know its a piece o garbage but it was cheap.
I assembled the thing on a tripod but the rain kept me in the house. I carried the thing around and still only got 19.1. About 5:30 or so I opened the back door and stuck the tripod on the back deck. Now my deck faces north but its surrounded by buildings, trees, fences etc., i figured I would have to be on the roof to have any hope of a signal from Seymour. I came inside and changed it to channel 2. The next thing you know I'm watching HD hockey!
I went back outside and put the tripod on top of the table and pushed the auto seek.
2.1 20%
13.1 20%
19.1 40%

Now I know thats not great but I seem to be able to watch pretty well at 20%, maybe it's a good tuner?

I'm mostly wondering why I'm getting 13.1 with the antenna on the north side of my house. As near as I can figure that signal comes from 115miles in the other direction. Shouldn't i be getting KVOS before that.

I guess this just gives me hope that I might get some good results when I get a real antenna on the roof

[stampeder]

13.1 (actually on 18.1) from SeaTac has always been energetic up here for some locations, while KVOS-DT is still using a tiny transmitter. Lots of things affect propagation of broadcast signals so it doesn't surprise me that you are getting a sniff of Q13 Fox. Keep thinking about a roof solution for when this ridiculous rainfall ever stops!

[cookie]

I'll definately be putting an antenna on the roof! I'll try what I have first and upgrade if it looks to be worthwhile.
As a complete newbie to this maybe someone could tell me or direct me to the answer - how does the weather we have here affect OTA signals?

[stampeder]

Typical rainfall doesn't cause much effect on local DTV stations, but very heavy rainfall can. Occasionally we get tropo conditions that allow strong signals from SeaTac and elsewhere, but that's pretty rare here on the coast.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=26789

[Nicky]

Hello out there,

I live in a cabin on Hollburn Mountain in West Vancouver. A ranger came by a few years ago and gave me these coordinates: N 5468982.487 m, E 486683.967 m. (GPS?) We are ~850 altitude. We have no services and thus generate our own power.

I want to get CBC, Knowledge Network, and KCTS in particular. I have Proscan TV, about 12 years old. I don't care about HD - I just want the three channels mentioned. A&E would be nice too...maybe Space/SciFi channel...

I have used various rabbit ears over the years and never really get KCTS or CBC very well (except during the Olympics!). The funny thing is, my neighour below me down the trail does get CBC...so we go there to watch hockey. She just uses some rabbit ears too. And she has lots of trees and whatnot so I don't know what the problem is up at my place. I don't know if she get KCTS.

I can see Tsawasswen and the Orcas Islands from my upstairs kitchen window through a fairly good sized gap in the trees. That is the only gap.

Is there someone I can hire as a consultant to figure out FOR ME what I need to get?

I appreciate your patience and any help you can give me.
Thanks, Nicky (MountainMama)

[stampeder]

Hi Nicky and welcome here!

My concern about your location is whether the mountain blocks signals from Mt. Seymour where the local Vancouver stations usually broadcast from. You have that southbound view from upstairs so in your case I would say that a roof-mounted VHF/UHF/FM antenna will get you a wide variety of TV and Radio stations from Salt Spring Island (CITY 10), Saturna Island (CHEK 6), Bellingham, and maybe Seattle/Tacoma stations too. Also from your altitude there might be a possibility that if you have a northwest view some of the Courtenay/Comox/Campbell River stations might come in if you had the antenna mounted on a rotor so that it could be turned in that direction. Maybe the mountain blocks out those stations. I'll check out your location on maps and see what I can find out.

In the meantime, here is a thread with links to people in our area who can give you expert assessment, sales, and service:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=51079

[Yaamon]

Nicky welcome, Iam afriad that you are only able to receive A & E and Space/SciFi channel via cable or satellite.

Over the air normally broadcast local networks like Cbc and from the US if you are able to get Abc, Nbc etc..

[EndUser]

I am moving to North Vancouver, right down by the Sea bus terminal at Esplanade, high up on the 20th floor, facing South. Is there any chance to receive HD from the Seattle stations using a CM4228? With or without a pre-amp??