Anyone have an idea how much this should roughly cost? I’d try it myself but would probably be frustrated trying to get it pointed correctly.
I have an outdoor/indoor antenna inside but CBS seems to blip occasionally.
Anyone have an idea how much this should roughly cost? I’d try it myself but would probably be frustrated trying to get it pointed correctly.
I have an outdoor/indoor antenna inside but CBS seems to blip occasionally.
It’s not that hard, and having a flat roof would be even easier. I’ve done a few for myself and friends, one was on a very steep roof that in hindsight I’m not sure what I was thinking, lol.
As long as you get it pointed in the general right direction you should be good.
Have you tried the tvfool.com website to put in your address and directions to the broadcasting towers?
Thanks. Yes, I do know the general direction. Just wondering if precision matters.
I think you’re given a pretty good margin of error, it’s not like aiming a satellite dish. I’ve done those as well, from a big 10’ C-Band dish to the later DTV dishes, and those are critical to get perfect.
As long as you aim it towards the right direction, with the aid of a compass you should be golden.
If CBS is your only tough one to get, you could start by aiming towards that tower (if it’s different from the others) and tweak from there.
Be sure to research and implement the normal safety requirements for grounding it against lightning strikes as well.
If you have an android phone just download the Hdhomerun signal app and take your phone with you up on the roof. Assuming your wifi works up there you can tune to the channel in question and aim to get the best signal.
I see three numbers next to each:
Singal Strength
Signal Quakity
Symbol Quality
What would you say the minimums should be for each without pixelation
Seems I’m getting 93 or above for strength. One of the channels is around 60 for Signal Quality.
On iOS devices you can use the Signal GH app for aiming the antenna. It costs a couple of bucks but works well.
Here is a post over at the SiliconDust faq that explains the 3 readings: https://forum.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4474
My problem station always shows 95% strength but the Symbol quality fluctuates wildly.
100% symbol quality = perfect picture, any missing bits from the signal are fully reconstructed when processed
signal quality and signal strength are things that you can use to guide you to a point where you can get 100% symbol quality all the time. Sometimes, there are unique situations. Such as a strong signal could have periodic interference with the antenna pointed a certain way, so it ends up being better to find a place where there is less interference even though the signal strength is a bit lower. Whatever it takes to get symbol quality to 100%.
Thanks everyone so much for the tips. Here’s where I’m at for the 12 channels I want to watch:
Signal Strength: close to or at 100
Signal Quality: Between 65 and 100, depending on the channel
Symbol Quality: 100 for all of them
Since I am at 100 for Symbol Quality, should I quit while I’m ahead or should I really try to improve Signal Quality more for the channels?
I have our antenna against a wall on the third floor of our townhome. So, it would be rather difficult (but not impossible) to point it exactly at the tower. The direction is close though (coincidentally).
The only other thing I could do it move it left right up down. However, I’ve already put nails in the wall to hold the antenna up at it’s current location. . If Symbol Quality is key and I should have limited pixelation, then I think I’m good, but please let me know if you think otherwise.
Thanks!
If you have pixelation, your symbol quality is dropping for that moment. Key is to mount the antenna in a way so that doesn’t happen.
Do I need to worry about the coax cable at all making interference? I would think if it had the proper sheathing, it would not be a problem. For example, I have extra that I am winding up in a lasso. Do I need to be concerned where it is placed?
In my experience, everything is sensitive dealing with the antennas. The coax, the antenna placement, objects near the antenna, weather, etc. Mechanical devices that emit emi could cause interference. I live in a city and there is a lot going on outside my building. It took me a while to find a perfect setup for the antenna. Really you just need an app to measure the signal in real time. And some time to test the reception and make adjustments.