Channel 8 Dallas

GTAlumnus

I had a pro install a 50 foot tower and Winegard antenna about 10 months ago. It think the antenna is an HD7084P, and it also has an amplifier.

I have a Dish 611 HD DVR that the off air signal plugs into. Channel 8 (digital/HD) gives much more trouble than any other channel, and strangely while the broadcast tower is about 75 miles due south of me, I have less pixelation and a better signal if I point southeast to east, or southwest to west. Due south is best for every other digital channel (thats all I watch).

I live 6 miles from any town, in a rural area. No buildings anywhere near, other than my metal shop building about 100 feet southwest of my tower.

I have looked at the antenna itself and it appears to be pointed in the direction indicated by the rotor control.

The dish DVR shows a signal in the low 70s and upper 50s or 60s when I am having trouble, but from 73 or so and up no trouble. I get 85 plus on channel 5 and sometimes 100 on channel 4.

Channel happens to be the only network channel I can't get on the dish, but even the other channels are so much better off the antenna since the dish local channels are not HD even though I have the HD package.

Any ideas?

Tower Guy

Those are classic symptoms of preamp overload.

It's unlikely that the Dallas stations from 75 miles away are causing the problem.

Is there an FM station near you and in line with WFAA?

GTAlumnus

I don't know if there are any FM towers between me and the antenna. Any idea how I can find out? Of course any more there are towers EVERYWHERE, some really tall, I don't know what all they have on them. Wouldn't surprise me if there is one due south.

jpfrasier

I'm not an antenna expert but I do know that WFAA can be a bitch to tune in. I live 34miles from the antenna towers in Cedar Hill and fortunately I been able to tweak my indoor antenna to the point where I can get everything pretty good. I have Dish also and most of my strengths are in the 80s to 90s on most stations with 100 routinely achieved with 21, 27, and 33. 8 usually is around the mid to low 80s. The hardest channel for me to tune in is 52, I get around the mid-high 70s.

If you have a 50ft tower and can't pick up that station from 75 miles away, hopefully the experts can help you out, sorry I can't. North Texas is pretty flat and I would think your setup would be fine, even trying to pick up WFAA. Hope it works out for you.

__________________
As of 12/27/08 Direct TV
HR22-100 HD/DVR
Sony KD-34XBR960

GTAlumnus

Actually my DVR is also a Vip 622, I said 611 before. I actually live on a creek and so I'm sort of in a low spot, but compared to Dallas my elevation is probably actually higher.

Being north of Dallas, all that signal has to pass through the entire metroplex to get to me. What really bothers me is that LOST is on ABC and I'm afraid I won't get the whole episodes.

Speaking of tuning, channel 8 (WFAA) actually seems to move on me. I'll get it fine for days at a time then one night it drops out and I have to turn the antenna to get it back. Sometimes I can't get it back, usually at night.

I think there is one size bigger Winegard antenna, they said the installed what they recommended. When you are that far out, why not use the absolute biggest antenna? I know wind resistance can be a reason, but I feel like I only barely am losing it. Funny that it drops out even in the lower 70s, you would think that would be enough.

jpfrasier

I have noticed lately that Dish is having problems with this channel as well. About two or three times in the last week I've noticed my signal drop to the 50s and then I tune into the Dish channel 8 feed and see that it is searching the satellite or lost the screen altogether. It's only on this channel. Most recently it just happened about 7:00 this morning.

if you haven't already check out antennaweb.org for specifics on what you would need to receive the signal. Tower Guy's info may be helpful as well.

__________________
As of 12/27/08 Direct TV
HR22-100 HD/DVR
Sony KD-34XBR960

Tower Guy

KKAJ is the strongest FM station in your general vicinity.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...FM1236762.html

How far away is that from your house?

If it were to overload your preamp, the preamp would create a second harmonic that would fall in channel 9. Does your preamp have an FM trap? If so, is it turned on?

Junglerock

I am about 60 miles west from the towers with clear LOS, and I can tell you that at only 18.6 kw of power that WFAA is the weakest of the "bunch" and can be problematic for sure. Most of the time it comes in clearly, but if a thunderstorm comes in it is the first to go. Hopefully it will come in better next year after analogue is shut off.

For what its worth I have to be aimed dead on to receive it... just a degree or two left or right... and its gone.

Good luck!

GTAlumnus

Thanks, that KKAJ tower appears to be 60 miles or so north of me, so it would appear that it would not be the problem.

I don't know what my amplifier has on it in terms of FM trap, because it is mounted on the antenna, 50 feet up in the air.

WFAA is going in and out tonight at 10:00 while trying to watch the news. There are storms around. The signal (on the Dish DVR) is 77 or so one minute and 0 the next. It is mostly on tonight, with brief dropouts. I'm pointed southeast.

Tower Guy

Don't confuse lower ERP values on VHF channels than UHF channels as the issue. 18.6 KW ERP on channel 9 is not a weak signal. It takes less power on VHF than UHF for the same coverage.

The typical complaint occurs when a viewer installs a UHF only antenna and then gets poor reception of WFAA-DT. WFAA-DT is VHF, not UHF.

Rick0725

please provide tv fool results for your exact address to get a feel for directions, power levels, etc. .

in the mean time...

-are you diplexing/combining satellite with the off air
-need model# of amplifier and description of you setup

GTAlumnus

No combining of signal with satellite - have separate cabling. Don't know what kind of amplifieer I have, its on the antenna.

The antennas I believe is a Winegard HD7084P mounted with rotor and amplifier on top fo 50 foot tower next to the house. The cabling comes in to a closet upstairs where it is then split to various locations in the house.

I am attaching tv fool results (thanks for that tip - I had never heard of it).

WFAA channel 8 (I guess its actual 8-1) the Dallas ABC affiliate is the one giving trouble.

Attached Images

Radar-Digital.png (65.2 KB, 21 views)

Tower Guy

WFAA-DT is really on channel 9. The tvfool database seems to have a glitch in it today.

In any event, the attached tvfool picture shows the multitude of analog and digital signals that you have. All of them are line of sight. Your preamp is overloaded. You may not need the preamp at all. If you really want a preamp, the HDP-269 is the one rated for high overload resistance.

Attached Images

Tioga.PNG (120.1 KB, 10 views)

GTAlumnus

I can say that when I was watching strictly analog here in this same location I REALLY needed the pre-amp.

moonraker79

I am also having problems receiving channel 8-1 (WFAA)!

I live in Allen, near central expressway just north of Plano. I get my digital signals from a rooftop antenna. I do not subscribe to cable or satellite, I get my signals over-the-air. I am not using any additonal amplifiers, etc. The signal from my rooftop antenna goes straight into my digital tuner. I have a two-story house, the tallest in my neighborhood, so there are no immediate obstructions in the path of my antenna (like a neighbor's house, tree, etc).

Anyway, I get all the other local stations fine: FOX, NBC, CBS, CW, PBS, UPN, etc. But ABC -- which is WFAA (8-1) just won't come in good. I checked the signal strength meter on my digital receiver -- it doesn't display a number like some of you are reporting, but intstead it shows how many "bars" there are. Channel 8-1 comes in at a pretty good 7 bars out of 10. Other channels come in weaker -- like PBS for example only has 6 bars -- but the only channel that has problems is WFAA. Even with a good signal strength, (7 bars) the show I am watching frequently pixelizes (breaks up) and loses the sound. I was completely unable to watch "LOST" last night (April 24), but all other stations came in fine.

Any suggestions? I am even wondering if WFAA might be experiencing technical difficulties at their end? Does anyone know? I should also add that this problem with WFAA just started recently -- maybe 2 - 3 weeks ago. Prior to that I had no problems -- used to watch "LOST" for example all the time with no problems until just recently. So this is why I am wondering if it is something at WFAA's end.