I have built a pretty good antenna for my HDTV but I want a better one. I have an 8 element collinear array with reflector, 2 antennas in parallel. It has a good range and good bandwidth I can pick up signals 60 miles away. The signal is about 97% most of the time.
From time to time the signal sucks. It mostly has to do with the weather. In the summer when it is very hot 90+ degrees F every day when the sun is low on the horizon the signal drops to 25% for about 30 minutes. I don't have a problem with this because I don't watch TV until after dark.
Heavy fog, heavy rain, clouds and high humidity causes low signal too. Tonight signal is bad I can receive 7 channels out of 24 channels. TV was working fine until about 15 minutes ago it looks like a storm is moving in so there won't be much TV until the storm moves out of the area. I was watching a good movie when I lost the signal.
I know someone is going to say, get cable, or get satallite. Been there done that. I am tired of paying $$$ to watch the same shows they have been showing over and over and over for many years. I am especially fed up with paying money to watch advertisements. When pay TV started many many years ago there were NO advertisements I thought that was the whole idea, no advertisements. What am I paying for? I can watch this crap for free.
I watch very little American TV these days it all sucks. I check out Foreign movies at the public library for free. Its just like checking out a book you keep it for a week and return it. Foreign TV is good, they have a lot of very very good movies. Inspector Frost is one of my favoriate.
I don't watch much on TV anyway so its not a big deal but when I watch it I would like for it to work. Does anyone have any suggestion on how to get a better signal???
Sorry I should have taken a photo of my antenna but I can't go out in the rain and dark to take a pic now. Antenna is 20" wide 36" tall with 8 elements. Elements are 3/8" diameter 9" long. Reflector is 1/4" screen 4" from the elements. If you have Anateur's Radio handbook 1973 edition you can see a pic of my antenna on page 634.
I have tried other types of antennas but not many are suited for local TV where stations are scattered all over a wide area. I tried a beam antenna it pulls in a very strong signal but it is too sensitive it has to be aimed directly at the station like a laser beam. I can pick up TV stations several 100 miles away with a beam antenna but signal drifts alot. I would need 24 beam antennas each one aimed directly at each local station transmitter.
From time to time the signal sucks. It mostly has to do with the weather. In the summer when it is very hot 90+ degrees F every day when the sun is low on the horizon the signal drops to 25% for about 30 minutes. I don't have a problem with this because I don't watch TV until after dark.
Heavy fog, heavy rain, clouds and high humidity causes low signal too. Tonight signal is bad I can receive 7 channels out of 24 channels. TV was working fine until about 15 minutes ago it looks like a storm is moving in so there won't be much TV until the storm moves out of the area. I was watching a good movie when I lost the signal.
I know someone is going to say, get cable, or get satallite. Been there done that. I am tired of paying $$$ to watch the same shows they have been showing over and over and over for many years. I am especially fed up with paying money to watch advertisements. When pay TV started many many years ago there were NO advertisements I thought that was the whole idea, no advertisements. What am I paying for? I can watch this crap for free.
I watch very little American TV these days it all sucks. I check out Foreign movies at the public library for free. Its just like checking out a book you keep it for a week and return it. Foreign TV is good, they have a lot of very very good movies. Inspector Frost is one of my favoriate.
I don't watch much on TV anyway so its not a big deal but when I watch it I would like for it to work. Does anyone have any suggestion on how to get a better signal???
Sorry I should have taken a photo of my antenna but I can't go out in the rain and dark to take a pic now. Antenna is 20" wide 36" tall with 8 elements. Elements are 3/8" diameter 9" long. Reflector is 1/4" screen 4" from the elements. If you have Anateur's Radio handbook 1973 edition you can see a pic of my antenna on page 634.
I have tried other types of antennas but not many are suited for local TV where stations are scattered all over a wide area. I tried a beam antenna it pulls in a very strong signal but it is too sensitive it has to be aimed directly at the station like a laser beam. I can pick up TV stations several 100 miles away with a beam antenna but signal drifts alot. I would need 24 beam antennas each one aimed directly at each local station transmitter.
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