Digital TV Question

[smlranger]

Related to a HDTV at home.....

Have the digital signals from local stations dropped in strength recently? I have a LG digital HDTV in the stick house that has been previously (up until two weeks ago) receiving 4 local stations on the digital channels using an inside antenna (glorified rabbit ears). About two weeks ago, we lost all the local signals. I've done the EZscan and all I get is 'No Signal.' I've connected the TV to one of my Direct receivers and it works fine.

Any ideas?

[Bill Adams]

You may need to reposition your rabbit ears and scan again. Try this every 20 degrees or so until you get the maximum number of channels. If that all still doesn't work then you may need a better antenna.

[W4RLR]

The higher frequency signals used in digital broadcasting are also prone to interference from atmospheric conditions. You may not be able to get your local stations, but you may be surprised to get several stations you would not ordinarily get.

For example, I have received New Orleans and Tampa stations on my off air antenna here in the Florida panhandle, when I could not get the local Pensacola and Mobile, Alabama stations without dropouts.

[SCVJeff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smlranger Related to a HDTV at home..... Have the digital signals from local stations dropped in strength recently? I have a LG digital HDTV in the stick house that has been previously (up until two weeks ago) receiving 4 local stations on the digital channels using an inside antenna (glorified rabbit ears). About two weeks ago, we lost all the local signals. I've done the EZscan and all I get is 'No Signal.' I've connected the TV to one of my Direct receivers and it works fine. Any ideas?

UHF, if that's where your problem channels are, can move around significantly with weather, foliage, thermal inversions, etc. If they are all consistently low, look for a new building down the street.

[wa8yxm]

Most Digital Televison is on UHF frequencies.. Here are a few radio facts

The lower frequencies (VHF LOW BAND for example) will tend to "Bend" around the curve of the earth way more than the higher frequencies (UHF) do. So line of sight is important and HEIGHT IS MIGHT (more on that shortly)

2: The shorter the wavelength (The higher the frequency) the greater the effect of weather, wet leaves, and other stuff that can get in the way.. Where as a Channel 2 signal (56MHZ or about 5 meters wavelength) will blow right past a tree... An 1GHZ signal (about 1 foot wavelength) will be blocked by it.

So as weather changes, (Wet blocks better than dry for example) signals change.

Now the height is might story. This one is on VHF High band (146Mhz to be precise)

I was standing in downtown Detroit, holding a 1-watt 2-way radio in my hand with a "Rubber Duck" antenna, effective power a fraction of a watt (perhaps a quarter watt)

I was chatting with some hams in Toledo, via a relay station (Repeater) in Adrian.

Another ham from nearby Windsor. close enough to me that I could actually see his house, tried to join in but was not making it, he had either 30 watts effective at 40 feet or 40 at 30, forget which.

Recall I'm doing the trip with about a quarter watt effective hand held.

I was on the 21st floor of an office building, about 250 feet above ground.. HEIGHT IS MIGHT