Wineguard Antenna Issue

1st of all, 50 is usually a marginal signal at best. Some boxes will tell you you are about to lose signal, others not. Considering that you are likely trying to watch the local Sacramento stations down in Walnut Grove, it wouldn't surprise me that the signal dips you are seeing are due to inversion fades that I am very familiar with in that area and they have been brutal the past few weeks.

Before you start trying to trouble shoot something that may not be equipment related, look at TV FOOL.com and see what the calculate receive signal should be where you are located, keeping in mind that those numbers have no idea about the famous SJV inversion fades.

I love this new digital TV world. When the picture is good it's good. However, I have seen many times where my TV will one minute tell me the signal is excellent, and then the next get nothing. Same with cell service. One minute I get 2-3 bars and then no signal. Go figure... Net is there may be nothing wrong with your antenna or booster.

using Antennapoint, it shows you at least 35 miles from your TV towers. Depending on the terrain, that is about max for any RV antenna, even with the amplifier. We have received a signal at 65 miles over very flat terrain, but it also would go in and out depending on the weather and atmosphere conditions. Your antenna and setup are probably OK, just your range. If you are using the Winegard Sensar, it does indicate that too MUCH gain can cause the problem, so you might check that. If the meter says that you are losing the signal, it is probably atmosphere. Sorry, thats how digital works.

I had a problem like that at this one camp ground we stayed at all the time. Even stayed in the same spot most of the time. Turned out my OTA HDTV would blank out when an airplane was in the TV beam.

Also another situation might be associated with LED LIGHTS you may have. The LEDs are known to blank out your HDTV signals especially if they are marginal.

My cable TV usually is strong enough to over-ride any of that but when I was using the OTA BATWING to pick local HDTV I would run into it sometimes. Finally noticed it was when one certain indoor LED WALL READING LAMP was turned on.

Roy Ken

RoyB, after reading you comment about the LED lights before, DW and I noticed that we had the same problem. LED light is nowhere near the TV, cables, or antenna. But when our signal was marginal, turning the LED on and off was just like a switch on the TV. Have you got any ideas on how to solve this??

I have noticed than when an airplane flies over its almost always signal loss wherever I an located. Planes in the air anywhere always mess my viewing up.

SCVJeff wrote:
1st of all, 50 is usually a marginal signal at best. Some boxes will tell you you are about to lose signal, others not. Considering that you are likely trying to watch the local Sacramento stations down in Walnut Grove, it wouldn't surprise me that the signal dips you are seeing are due to inversion fades that I am very familiar with in that area and they have been brutal the past few weeks.

Before you start trying to trouble shoot something that may not be equipment related, look at TV FOOL.com and see what the calculate receive signal should be where you are located, keeping in mind that those numbers have no idea about the famous SJV inversion fades.

By using the TVFOOL.com site I see that the signals are marginal at best. We were at Doran Park in Bodega Bay with the antenna directed across the Bay. Guess it is just the strength of the signal.

Thanks to everyone for your ideas.

WOW, now that I know where you are it's no surprise you can't see anything. Even the top hit is 3kw@33miles BEHIND the hills. No wonder you are seeing the fades you are.