Antenna Issues

#8

I have a couple channels that hover around 60% signal strength but 95 to 100% quality...right on the line of becoming unwatchable. They are very touchy to any interference, and often do become so glitched out can't watch them.
These are channels whos transmitter is farest from me, over 40 miles.
All my other OTA stations towers are less than 10 miles, and several are less than 5 miles.
So, if i use an amp with my HDHR, yes, it makes the couple weak stations come in stronger and be more stable, but it causes all the other stations, that were all ready 100% or very very near to be come over amped and they breakup and have issues...so I don't use a amp, only a LTE and a low pass filter on my coax line.
I use Locast for those couple stations that the antenna can not get well.

I can not use outdoor antenna, because i live in an apartment complex, so have a Mohou Ranger flat rubber antenna mounted above my window inside that works very well.

A properly installed and positioned outdoor antenna most always will get you better signal reception, but it all depends on your immediate surrounds. Lots of large trees, or a large tall building, or any obstructions etc.

Depending on how long the coax run from antenna to end point may be needed, then that may be a use case for a pre-amp at the antenna, say like if you needed to make it more than 150ft+, i forget the length at which coax starts to loose db.

Very important an outdoor antenna is properly grounded, as it will act as a lightening rod.

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#9

There is an app for ios that will allow you to tune to different channels simultaneously and view the signal strength. This way you can change the placement of your antenna and get a happy medium for all channels.

I used an amplifier with my setup (I used to be a cable tech back in the day so I understand rf). I had a 50ft rg6 drop with 2 3-way splitters. Doing the math on 4 legs I was down 10.5db and on 2 legs I was down 7db.then subtract a couple of dB for the 50ft rg6. So in my calculations a 15db amp would be just fine. Wrong... My signal was 100% but I had all kinds of issues, pixelation etc. Took the amp out and my signal was still 100%, I actually had to add attenuators to drop it down, probably because I can see the towers from my house.

Also add an LTE filter, that solved the rest of my pixelation issues.

#10

@Richard_smith How do you have your antenna in a different room than your HDHR? The previous owner of my house had DirectTV so I thought about either using that coax line or replacing it with another and putting an outside antenna on my house there. But, my house is also wired for fiber and that comes in on the order side of the house. So That is where my HDHR is and I put my Mohu in the window nearest to that.

#11

The towers for me are 21 miles to the south. I pick up several HD channels and even the ATSC 3.0 channels. All with or without the amplifier. I'll probably remove the amplifier and see if the channels load faster and if I get PBS again. I'm also thinking about getting a 4k Apple TV now so I can take advantage of the 4K channels.
Would the best recommendation be to get an outdoor antenna or stick with what I've got if it's working? This is the antenna I was looking at if I get a new one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/antennas-direct-clearstream-4max-indoor-outdoor-hdtv-antenna-black/5894080.p?skuId=5894080&ref=212&loc=1&extStoreId=1002&ref=212&loc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwjdOIBhA_EiwAHz8xm0_91R1F_ygZ7KJPdcxxknBqwq_RkZ2XIvebZlG6bsC-c0ynuXuWbxoChvYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

#12

I picked up a $18 Ethernet repeater

#13

@Richard_smith could you explain this more? Are you saying that you have your antenna in a different location than you're HDHR and your modem? If I could move my Mohu across the house to those windows instead of the room where my HDHR and modem are I'd get much better reception. If that isn't possible I'm thinking about replacing my Mohu with an outdoor antenna.

#14

Hey all, so I removed the amplifier from my antenna and the missing channels came back and I can move between channels much quicker. However, now NBC, ABC, and FOX stutter when I'm watching them and that wasn't happening with the amplifier on. So, would it be better for me to swap out my Mohu for an outdoor antenna? I can't think of anything else to do but that.

#15

First make sure your HDHomeRun firmware is up to date. Then test with your indoor mohu outside on the direct tv coax. That should help decide if an outdoor antenna would help

#16

Try the signal app that I mentioned earlier and move your antenna around until you get the optimum signal strength

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#17

My Hdhomerun and Antenna are in a different than my router. I run the Ethernet from the Hdhomerun to this
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/tp-link-n300-wi-fi-range-extender-with-ethernet-port-white/2080012.p?skuId=2080012

#18

Amplification may be necessary when your signals are uniformly weak; however, two or more signals that are strong enough when amplified can combine in an HD HomeRun or any receiver's own tuner to form noise in other channels. The effect is nonlinear - e,g. a 1dB (25%) increase in the strong signals can produce a 3dB (200%) increase in the noise; a 2dB (60%) increase can produce 6dB (400%).. The weak signals can easily get buried in the noise because they only get the 1-2 dB of amplification whereas the noise in effect gets 3-6 dB. A signal search for your address or Zip code on rabbitears.info will give you a rank ordered list of estimated single strengths. You'll only get so far down the list no matter how much amplification you use.

#19

According to the FCC all tenants have the right to install their own antennas.

#20

True but they can prevent you from damaging their property if you had to mount on the roof etc..

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#21

sure...well most apartment complexes do not allow you to install such outdoor fixtures, ie screw or attach anything to the outside walls etc.

Some will allow install of a sat dish (by a professional installer only) with prior written permission from landlord/management company and a fee and show proof of Renters Insurance. (for my building the fee is $500 non refundable for sat dish install)

And, well, outdoor roof antenna, yea, they just laugh at you.
They already have each unit wired for cable tv and internet...so...they expect you to use that and you do know that going into the lease.
And how you gonna install a antenna on to the roof if you live say on floor 4 of 10 or something.
If you face the right direction, perhaps you could get away with just setting a small outdoor antenna on your patio/deck, but thats unsightly and not safe or practical.

edit: Says right in that link:

"OTARD rules do not apply to common areas that are owned by a landlord, a community association or jointly by condominium owners. These common areas may include the roof or exterior walls of a multiple dwelling unit. "

I live on 3rd floor of my complex, witch is the top floor, and is flat roof design, so a medium sized latter on my deck and i can get to the roof of the complex....but it still would be a violation for me to install anything up there, or the outside walls, which are stucco. No to mention, drill a hole through the outside walls to run a cable inside...yea...not something I am going to do. not when sticking the large flat antenna i have inside, right over the east facing window in my 2nd bedroom works very well. infact, that position is further in the best direction and angel away from more obstructions than my patio is. And, even if i was allowed to install it out side the window, its a 3rd floor window, with nothing below it. so would need a very tall ladder or special "cheery picker" machine to raise up to that height.

I for sure would not want to live in a complex that allowed tenants to install or do what they want as far antennas go. The risk for severe damage is too high from improper install. Fire risk from lightening strike if not properly grounded, or water damage from screws etc. DIY is not the way to go when you have other dwellings around you to consider. Been plenty of apartment fires and even entire complexes have burned to the ground do to negligent/careless tenants not following the rules. A few happened to buildings in my area many years ago.

#22

As someone who has worked in property management for multifamily units, the only place a resident is free to install is within their own personal/exclusive space. (At least this is the case in CA; other regions may have different additional regulations, either more restrictive or more lenient. YMMV) For an outdoor antenna/satellite dish, this is effectively limited to your balcony (if you have one), or your yard (for first floor units), as long as the installation does not extend beyond the imaginary box that encompasses your space.

So while you technically have the ability to install an antenna, the practical reality is quite different. And as far as an antenna or dish goes, if your unit does not have a clear view of the direction your signal comes from, even if you can install it, its reception may be impacted.

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#23

This.

Even if the landlord allowed me to mount an antenna on my patio, which they said no, and it would be a lease violation as "only outdoor patio furniture is allowed to be on tenants patios..no permanent fixtures or anything that attaches to walls or railings"....my patio faces south and the transmitter towers are northish west and east. There is a 12 story office complex directly in that line of sight to over come for me, and even if i could get antenna over the roof line of my complex, it would not get any better signal, if not worse, than where i have it now. Especially, setting it in the invisible box that is my patio, means its surround by metal siding and stucco walls(which have metal mesh in them) worst place for an antenna.

The point....not everyone who lives in a multi dwelling building has the option to use outdoor antenna, an most often, would not get good results even if they could.

#24

I don't miss the mohu at all. Years of fighting with that thing, I finally went with the Walmart rca attic antenna, and 15 ft + wall coupler + 6ft of quad shield cable. And the silicon dust lte filter. Finally got the signal issues sorted.

I found with the mohu that the coax had more to do with a quality signal than the actual antenna (in my case anyways).

#25

Nearly ALL of those flat style "leaf" or whatever they want to label them as....are just a piece of very thin aluminum foil pressed/molded into plastic or some sort of pliable material that is soldered to a wire that connects to the coax input.
You can literally make one your self and get the same results.

Flat type antennas do work very well in the proper situations.

But, a dipole style antenna, is almost always gonna do better job, especially those with many elements. Afterall, they are the type used in nearly all radio related things, CB, police, cell etc.

But it is not practical at all to have a large shiny pokey thing sitting on ones living room for those who can not go the out door or attic antenna route.
I have a couple old Radio Shack "discone" antennas that was used with radio scanners. Its pretty much a shinny metal Christmas tree thing when all setup.
for kicks and giggels, i set one of those up, even set it out on my patio for a hour, to see how it did as a HDTV antenna...and...made no real difference for me, save for the couple stations that are hard to get did come in much better, but all the others were just the same, 100% or close, ( i am close to those towers so I expected no difference).

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#26

For some, like me, a Preamp is the ONLY way to get signal from a long coax run from the antenna. But in that same vein. A Preamp cannot make signal that isn't there to begin with to the OP. Or as others have said. You can have TOO MUCH gain. Best to see how your setup does without the preamp first.

#27

Yeah those flat style antenna's are a no go. I had cut the streaming services last year because Hulu Live was getting way to expense and I was only watching local channel content anyway (Chicago Fire, Blue Bloods, etc.) So I had purchased one of those flat style antennas and a HDHomerun Connect Quarto to test out Channels DVR. The signal strength on most channels were not that great at all. I had trouble with them being very pixelated and just not wanting to tune especially on my most important local channels. I tried a few different antennas from Walmart and landed on the ClearStream® MAX-V UHF/VHF Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna. Had to buy a coax cable because it doesn't include it with the antenna. Then I had to figure out how I was going to get my coax inside because I live in an apartment. I searched on Amazon and found a flat antenna jumper cable that I could put through my apartment window instead of drilling a hole or doing something stupid. But then had to purchase a 3ft. coax on the inside of the apartment and then a 15ft. so I would have enough outside the apartment. But by doing this it gets a stronger signal outside because you aren't interfering with anything through walls and you are direct to the sky lol. I am not facing the transmitter exactly but getting real strong signals and been super happy with this setup and saving me a good amount of money by doing this. So I would totally recommend getting this antenna or an outdoor antenna. P.S. the HDHomeRun Flex 4K doesn't actually do 4K supposedly later on we might be getting that but as of right now it's not but the ATSC 3.0 channels are supposed to be better. Also, if you need a mast they are sold separately but the Clearstream comes with a mount to, mount it on the wall which I just drilled 2 wood screws into the wall on the balcony of my apartment. But all in all I have invested almost $300 dollars and super happy about the setup and haven't had barely any problems with the setup.

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