new hd antenna

MNtundraRet wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:
Careful about running gain that hard inless youre working your way up beforehand or it can get ya and you wont even know it. Where we typically camp there is a comm site several miles away that i think has at least one FM up there, and thats enough to swamp the TV, or maybe the amp with the RF coming off the hill. Im pointing away from there and could use some extra help, but the FM kills the amp

The only places I have been were near by signals could overload was Loveland, CO with the transmitter above the town on the mountain. I only used the 10 DB Winegard amp with the Winegard antenna stored on the roof.

Other locations are on Lake Superior, or Lake Michigan, where the lake conditions can increase signals received, There the one amp, or maybe 2 DB gain on 2nd amp will do.

What usually happens is the close in signal is never found during search because of overload. I have missed some channels coming from Duluth at Ashland, WI. Lowering the additional gain to 2 to 4 DB will finally locate and store channel in the TV's memory.

I carry channel lists from 2 sources to identify transmitters I expect to receive signals from.

I would expect the problems you talk about to be mainly a California issue do to all the foot-hills and different cities in close proximity broadcasting. That's what I call unwanted signal bounce coming off sides of hills causing unwanted interference.

i havent actually experienced it out of Cal, but i see the potential for the problem almost anywhere i go for business, and i think the problem could be worse in the flatlands where you may have TV antenna farm in one or two places, but i see FM transmitters scattered all over the landscape, and don't forget, unless filtered (and they're not), FM transmitters can saturate the amps often easier than the TV xmtrs can. At least you have THAT list. The Phoenix to Tucson corridor is a perfect example where you may have the main antenna farm on South Mtn., Lemon, etc. In PHX and southbound there are full power FM transmitters scattered on both hilltops and tall towers all over the place. Wish i knew how to spot and fix these so the deep frings amps don't get creamed. Anyway that was an FYI because it bit me and I know better.