TVFool and antennaweb wrong?

Im trying to pick up local stations and going by antenna web and tvfool, i should only be able to pick up a few local stations most of them are grey. My zip is 22827

But on a small outdoor antenna i am getting.

WRCH FO 35.1
WRIC-TV 8.1
ABC16 16.1
NBC29HD 29.1

TVfool don't even list some of these so how can i figure out where these stations are located? Using google i found wric-tv it says its in Richmond but thats over 100 miles from me that can't be right?

I even got a hint of these stations

FOX27 19.3
CBS19 19.1

Do i just have to watch the news at 6PM to see where they are? Anyway going by tvfool i should not be getting these stations. Can anyone suggest a new antenna? Im using a Eagle Aspen Dtv2Buhf Directv 2-Bay Uhf Antenna at the moment.

To Vadavid,

The first question I ask is how long have you had this antenna set up?

On occasion, lucky atmospheric conditions can create a reflective layer in the atmosphere that can result in television reception from incredible distances. But when that reflective layer vanishes, the more usual condition, that incredible distance reception vanishes.

In places like Florida, one can almost rely on that reflective layer during the summer, in places like Virginia its more miss than hit.

Which is why I ask that how long question.

But any antenna recommendations should be tabled until you can post an exact address TVFool report.

TV Fool is nothing but a tool. In order to know how to use a tool, either someone has to show you how or you have to be able to do a little reading and investigation work on your own.

No one can hold your hand all you life.

The answer to your question is - if you raise the elevation of your home antenna on the TV Fool site, it will look out further and guesstimate what you could receive. With enough height, you ought to be able to find any station within 120 miles.

OR

If you were really intelligent, you would know how to do a search on the internet, where you simply type in the call letters of the station you wish to research on say - Google? Then you will be redirected to their web site. If you know how to read, you can see where they are located at and you can use google maps to get a idea of where they are located in relationship to where you live, or if you were really smart you would know how to use Google Earth to look at the terrain between you and the transmitter and would know exactly which direction it is in.

To go even further, you can do a FCC search of any call letters, or you can use www.antennapoint.com and put in your zip code and look for a direction for how to click on the call letters of the station and it will give you all the station information and also a direction with compass of where you need to point your antenna to receive it properly.

If your television or converter box has a signal strength meter, you can adjust your rotor until you find the strongest signal for that channel and then write down where it is located on your dial or numbers for your rotor control.

Both are approximations.

Unless TVfool reps came to your exact house with all of their meters and gadgets, they are NEVER going to be right.

Can anyone suggest a new antenna? Im using a Eagle Aspen Dtv2Buhf Directv 2-Bay Uhf Antenna at the moment.Since your area is all UHF, I recommend the Winegard HD-8800 antenna with a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp. I recently installed both at a friends house on the other side of the mountain from you with very good results.

The TV stations you mentioned are coming from Charlottesville (16, 19, 27, 29, 42), & Richmond(35 & 8). The signals from Richmond are surprisingly strong. I even see WRIC-8 quite frequently here in Arlington. There is also another PBS station near Washington, VA that you may be possible from your location.(WVPT-51)

Both are approximations.



That's been my experience. None of the sources I've looked at including antennaweb and the FCC could predict with 100% accuracy which stations are available at my house. There are stations high on the TVFOOL list that I can't get, and others that are low on the list that come in fairly well. According to antennaweb I should only be getting a single Spanish station.

If you're an amateur like me you have to analyze the information and make a best guess as to what to do. In my case it's been trial and error.

Since your area is all UHF, I recommend the Winegard HD-8800 antenna with a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp. I recently installed both at a friends house on the other side of the mountain from you with very good results.

The TV stations you mentioned are coming from Charlottesville (16, 19, 27, 29, 42), & Richmond(35 & 8). The signals from Richmond are surprisingly strong. I even see WRIC-8 quite frequently here in Arlington. There is also another PBS station near Washington, VA that you may be possible from your location.(WVPT-51)

The antenna has been up for a few months so the stations are here to stay. CBS did drop out on me and so did ABC but FOX HD is the main one i was after for the NFL on Sundays.

My antenna is only about 4 feet off the ground it is mounted to a short pole that Dish put up, im using a $20 Eagle Aspen Dtv2Buhf antenna.

My wife will not let me mount any giant antenna outside so i need something small that Winegard HD-8800 has some size to it im looking for something compact, i've been looking at the Antennas Direct C4 it's expensive but it's compact do you know of anything similar or better?

Thanks for the help!

VaDavid,

Do you get FOX 27 at all now? Are you using a pre-amp?

I would get rid of the wife and get a bigger antenna.

Unfortunately television for the uneducated and unwilling = has never invented a small UHF antenna that will receive signals from a distant source that works better than a big antenna mounted high up above anything that blocks your signals.

MIGHT I SUGGEST YOU LOOK IN ONE OF THOSE ACME CATALOG'S THAT THE COYOTE USES ON THE BUGGS BUNNY / ROADRUNNER SHOW.

There are people living in Waynesboro VA that cannot receive signals from Charlottesville and they have the proper antenna and height to do so. All the stations in the Charlottesville area are low power and the transmitters can be seen on the moutain - in the National Forest a couple of miles up the road, and still no signal.

So someone more distant than 30 miles is going to have a even harder time of receiving them than they do.

David seems to be in a pretty good spot if he is getting the weak channels 16 & 19 now. With a proper pre-amp, and some height/location tweaking, Charlottesville may prove to be quite reliable with his present antenna.

Again, there are no guarantee's in reception and if you want someone to prove that you can receive stations before you outlay money for a new television antenna and pre amp, I'm sorry - but I quit doing that a couple of months ago.

I spend my money to get you television and if it works I get paid!

At the same time, if it doesn't work, I just did a bunch of work for free and even if I do get paid, everybody wants everything at my cost and they want me to do a days or several days work for the cost of a pizza.

Sooner or later this economy is going to collapse, if everyone thinks that they can do everything themselves or expects someone to work for free while they go to work and get paid every day for doing nothing.

I would suggest that you stick with the cable or sat dish you already have and forget about trying to receive television with a small antenna from a distant station with a antenna 4 feet off the ground.

VaDavid,

Do you get FOX 27 at all now? Are you using a pre-amp?

No pre-amp and FOX 27 is gone, i still get the others just fine. NBC29HD from c-ville looks great i also get CW29, MyNetW and Wx+ but its all weather. WRCH FOX comes in great from richmond and WRIC-TV 8 looks great from Petersburg i think?......still amazed that i can get thouse two.

WRLH-35 is the Fox affiliate from Richmond. They should be carrying the same games as FOX-27 from Charlottesville.(And I feel the HD picture quality is better on the Richmond station).

If I were you I would get either the Channel Master 7777, or Winegard 8275 pre-amp. Either model should offer an improvement on your reception with your present antenna.

WRLH-35 is the Fox affiliate from Richmond. They should be carrying the same games as FOX-27 from Charlottesville.(And I feel the HD picture quality is better on the Richmond station).

If I were you I would get either the Channel Master 7777, or Winegard 8275 pre-amp. Either model should offer an improvement on your reception with your present antenna.

My cable run is only around 25feet do you think i still could use a pre-amp?

My cable run is only around 25feet do you think i still could use a pre-amp?More than once, I have seen pre-amps make a difference on UHF stations with a relatively short cable run to 1 TV.

Im trying to pick up local stations and going by antenna web and tvfool, i should only be able to pick up a few local stations most of them are grey. My zip is 22827

As NonMcTubber pointed out, a generic zip code analysis of your area is not accurate enough. This zip code is near some mountains, so an exact address analysis is needed to get a more accurate analysis. Your exact location might not be blocked by the same terrain that the generic zip code location sees.

FYI, TV Fool also has an interactive map browser (shows you transmitter locations) at http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=90. After you enter your address, you'll be given a map with a list of local stations. If you click on the radio button (small circle) next to any of the callsigns, you can see exactly where that transmitter is located and get a few other stats too (transmitter power, distance, signal strength, etc.).

If you move the marker representing your location (drag and drop the orange icon), the map will recompute your available channels and update all the stats. Editing the antenna height field will also cause things to be recomputed.

Cheers,