tv antenna

[California]

Weather and terrain has a lot to do with it. I'm running dual 4228 antennas stacked on a 50foot tower and pull 80 miles regularly but you need to consider your antenna height and elevation , the desired transmitter elevation and power, and obstacles in between. On good days I can pull stations 120 miles away.
If you keep your runs short and set it up right ganging antennas makes a huge improvement on signal strength.

I wish that would work here. I've never seen any hint of a signal from the couple dozen stations in the San Francisco area. I've been trying ever since the digital conversion, using the 4228, another claimed high gain directional antenna, as well as the old antenna that worked before the digital conversion.

I think what I have learned is that my location with a hill on the horizon slightly higher than my location, will never get reception of the frequencies now in use. I could try a 50 ft mast. That sounds expensive for something that might not help.

I posted this photo here in 2006 (to illustrate carrying hand tools). It shows the horizon I need to see over, to get signal from the SE, the Walnut Grove tower over in California's Central Valley.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...el-carrier-golf-bag-p1030489rgolftractor2-jpg

And here's my horizon to the south toward San Francisco. My line of sight to San Francisco runs through the left edge of the tall Eucalyptus trees. There are other less interesting stations a few degrees to the left of that, which shouldn't be blocked by those trees.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...le-nursery-stock-p40375r-orchardseptember-jpg

 

[MossRoad]

Have you gone to a site like this and plugged in your location to see what's within your range?

Antennas Direct | TV Transmitter Locator and Mapping Tool

 

[California]

Have you gone to a site like this and plugged in your location to see what's within your range?

Antennas Direct | TV Transmitter Locator and Mapping Tool

Yes. in summary, "Maybe."

 

[MossRoad]

Yes. in summary, "Maybe."

Yeah, it's a hard call with mountains and hills. Around here, it's pretty darn flat.

 

[buickanddeere]

Should have signal. Suspect a technical problem instead .

 

[MossRoad]

I wish that would work here. I've never seen any hint of a signal from the couple dozen stations in the San Francisco area. I've been trying ever since the digital conversion, using the 4228, another claimed high gain directional antenna, as well as the old antenna that worked before the digital conversion.

I think what I have learned is that my location with a hill on the horizon slightly higher than my location, will never get reception of the frequencies now in use. I could try a 50 ft mast. That sounds expensive for something that might not help.

I posted this photo here in 2006 (to illustrate carrying hand tools). It shows the horizon I need to see over, to get signal from the SE, the Walnut Grove tower over in California's Central Valley.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...el-carrier-golf-bag-p1030489rgolftractor2-jpg

And here's my horizon to the south toward San Francisco. My line of sight to San Francisco runs through the left edge of the tall Eucalyptus trees. There are other less interesting stations a few degrees to the left of that, which shouldn't be blocked by those trees.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...le-nursery-stock-p40375r-orchardseptember-jpg

If you have a local ham radio club, a lot of those guys have portable towers that crank right up. Maybe someone could bring one out to your place and crank up a TV antenna for you to see if there is any usable signal at your location.

 

[California]

Should have signal. Suspect a technical problem instead .

I can get some low-wattage stations that are closer but they are specialty religious broadcasters, old Jimmy/Tammy Fay fundraising call-right-now etc. And several foreign language channels. Not just the nationals like Univision but odd Korean game shows, Spanish-dubbed 'Cops', Shopping Channel. Junk tv.

What I'm specifically looking for is the national channels broadcast from San Francisco, or from Walnut Grove over in the second-tier market in the Central Valley - Sacramento, Stockton, etc. The local state university PBS affiliate comes in fine and runs PBS national news but apparently doesn't buy any programming that would cost them money.

 

[locknut]

I can get some low-wattage stations that are closer but they are specialty religious broadcasters, old Jimmy/Tammy Fay fundraising call-right-now etc. And several foreign language channels. Not just the nationals like Univision but odd Korean game shows, Spanish-dubbed 'Cops', Shopping Channel. Junk tv.

What I'm specifically looking for is the national channels broadcast from San Francisco, or from Walnut Grove over in the second-tier market in the Central Valley - Sacramento, Stockton, etc. The local state university PBS affiliate comes in fine and runs PBS national news but apparently doesn't buy any programming that would cost them money.

Go to TVfool and put in your address or better yet your exact coordinates.Save the chart and post it back here.Put in 30 ft above ground.Let's see what you have to work with.

TV Fool

 

[MossRoad]

Go to TVfool and put in your address or better yet your exact coordinates.Save the chart and post it back here.Put in 30 ft above ground.Let's see what you have to work with.

And include a picture of your tractor and any valuables you have in the house, too...

 

[locknut]

And include a picture of your tractor and any valuables you have in the house, too...

It doesn't work like that Moss.Doesn't show location.

TV Fool

 

[California]

And include a picture of your tractor and any valuables you have in the house, too...

Nobody wants stuff I have out at the ranch.

2006 photo. It hasn't gotten any prettier. I wish the prior owner hadn't stored it outdoors since new in 1980. (But it's a Yanmar. It continues to run like new).

After the digital conversion I started with TV Fool and the related FCC (?) reception database and learned of the weird small stations at random points on the compass. But all the biggies in SF showed 'probably not'. I thought that the premium antenna might overcome difficult reception, but it just can't see over the hills/mountains between here and SF. Map. (zoom out). I'm in the hills SW of Santa Rosa. 60 miles NW of Sutro Tower in SF and behind several hills/mountains. Mt Tamalpias is 2500 ft and directly in line. Apparently all my pre-digital reception was reflected off the atmosphere.

 

[MossRoad]

Looks bad.

 

[MossRoad]

Your reception area.... not the photo. :laughing:

 

[locknut]

Nobody wants stuff I have out at the ranch.

2006 photo. It hasn't gotten any prettier. I wish the prior owner hadn't stored it outdoors since new in 1980. (But it's a Yanmar. It continues to run like new).

After the digital conversion I started with TV Fool and the related FCC (?) reception database and learned of the weird small stations at random points on the compass. But all the biggies in SF showed 'probably not'. I thought that the premium antenna might overcome difficult reception, but it just can't see over the hills/mountains between here and SF. Map. (zoom out). I'm in the hills SW of Santa Rosa. 60 miles NW of Sutro Tower in SF and behind several hills/mountains. Mt Tamalpias is 2500 ft and directly in line. Apparently all my pre-digital reception was reflected off the atmosphere.

Here's KNTV. Unless you're on a hilltop,you're screwed.I looked at your local stuff and you're right,it's crap.

RabbitEars.Info

 

[MossRoad]

Here's KNTV. Unless you're on a hilltop,you're screwed.I looked at your local stuff and you're right,it's crap.

RabbitEars.Info

That's a great map! :thumbsup:

 

[California]

Here's KNTV. Unless you're on a hilltop,you're screwed.I looked at your local stuff and you're right,it's crap.

RabbitEars.Info

Thank you! That pretty map conveys a lot more information than the numeric data I found after the digital conversion.

You're right, the map shows I'm simply hoping for the impossible. Most everything for miles around is white (no signal) with a few hill peaks pale red, 'maybe'. The ridge blocking my line of sight is all white, no signal there. Bah.

Thanks guys for the encouragement, and the realistic information.

 

[ultrarunner]

Received Monterrey and Sacramento and all the Bay Area Stations before Digital...

Now, there are more channels but still only half in English...

No more Monterey and Sacramento...

The old rabbit ears have zero margin for error to pull in the regular 50 or so channels...

Even having people walking around can affect the signal.

It was nice getting all the local blacked out Raider, Athletics and Giants with a regular old antenna on the old Zenith Console...

Looking out the window I can see the Oakland Coliseum and the Old Candlestick Park... but pulling in Monterey was sweet... old channel 8

 

[buickanddeere]

Two stacked Channel Master Digital Advantage CM2020 antenna with a top mounted amplifier and FM trap. Use real RG-6 low loss cable, a 30+ ft tower and a rotor . You will bring in those weak channels .

 

[MossRoad]

Two stacked Channel Master Digital Advantage CM2020 antenna with a top mounted amplifier and FM trap. Use real RG-6 low loss cable, a 30+ ft tower and a rotor . You will bring in those weak channels .

I think in his case it's not that they are weak.... they are non-existent due to the terrain.

 

[cqaigy2]

Sometimes you have to just try it out. My address shows i get one channel good and the rest poor. I don't get the good one but do get a number of the poor ones. I also moved it around my property, to see where i got the best reception, some places none what so ever. My current antenna, points south and looks like a somewhat smaller version of one i had 20 years ago. It doesn't get lower frequency channels that aren't there anymore, but it's still pretty big and narrow beam. I would have used my old one, but apparently half of it didn't make the move.:confused3:

I'm thinking of make another antenna to point northish to see what i get. I'll be checking the frequency of the northern stations and make on more tuned to those, maybe.