Antenna reception diminishes after initial channel search

I have the same "mystery": I get to a site, perfrom a "search" on the tv and it finds (say) 15 channels. Upon completion, I get the "no signal" message from more than half of the channels.

Next morning, I get maybe 1 or 2 channels. I know reception is weather related but I can't figure out what is going on. I find that reception is better at night than in the morning.

I've had the same issue. I've experimented with various antennas such as indoor amplified, outdoor amplified with rotor and outdoor omni-directional amplified. I've had the best success with an amplified outdoor with rotor like this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HDTV-Antenna-Amplified-Digital-TV-Antenna-150-Miles-Range-360-Rotation-Outdoor-/202078442770?epid=912188818&hash=item2f0cd05512:g:~4kAAOSwna1ZzJl-

This has the best gain and pulls in the most channels, IMO. However, having an antenna like that in an RV is not practical because the elements are fragile and tend to break. So I got one of these 'flying saucer' outdoor antennas:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-8000-360-Degree-HDTV-Digital-Amplified-Outdoor-TV-HD-Antenna-VHF-UHF-120Mile/182594054244?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Not quite as good reception but it can be mounted permanantly on an RV or placed on a tripod (which is what I do).

I'm not sure if all OTA channels broadcast 24/7. Also from personal experience, from trial and error, and scientifically repeatable... anybody standing or sitting in the vicinity (basically under) of the batwing antenna
affects the initial channel scan and later reception. So standing back and scanning, say 24 channels. Sitting on couch under batwing, perhaps 8 channels. Standing back, same 24 channels. So that spot is off limits when the game is on.

mikebreeze wrote:
I've had the same issue. I've experimented with various antennas such as indoor amplified, outdoor amplified with rotor and outdoor omni-directional amplified. I've had the best success with an amplified outdoor with rotor like this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HDTV-Antenna-Amplified-Digital-TV-Antenna-150-Miles-Range-360-Rotation-Outdoor-/202078442770?epid=912188818&hash=item2f0cd05512:g:~4kAAOSwna1ZzJl-

This has the best gain and pulls in the most channels, IMO. However, having an antenna like that in an RV is not practical because the elements are fragile and tend to break. So I got one of these 'flying saucer' outdoor antennas:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HD-8000-360-Degree-HDTV-Digital-Amplified-Outdoor-TV-HD-Antenna-VHF-UHF-120Mile/182594054244?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Not quite as good reception but it can be mounted permanantly on an RV or placed on a tripod (which is what I do).

I have the rotating one as well. In N. Phoenix in my driveway I can get 83 channels.

Up on the rim north of Payson most people get 2-3 or nothing, I was getting 32 channels.

It seems a little frail but it works very well.

I see the same thing at home with a fixed antenna. The signal strength on these digital channels swings up and down by quite a bit. I run my antenna thru a DishTV box so all the sat and local channels are easily available and I've noticed that there's also a difference in signal strength depending on which DishTV receiver I use. The VIP-211k seems to do a better job than the VIP-222K with the same OTA module used in both.

As a Ham Radio operator I see the same thing and have for years.. I also watch an internet show called 'Ham Nation' (you can google for it.

Skip to the part where Doctor T. Skove talks about space weather (Solar activity) and you will have your explanation.

SUN spots. Coronal holes and solar winds and Coronal Mass Ejections. We have had a very active summer.. Now Dr. T mostly talks about "Low bands" (1.5 to 30 MHZ) not TV bands (56 MHZ to microwave) but she also mentions GPS (microwave) and "Space Weather" (Oh her web page is spaceweatherwoman.com) affects all of this.

I see that all the time.. Lots of technical stuff (Which I am still learning) left out of this post.. Lots and lots of it.

rockylarson wrote:
I'm not sure if all OTA channels broadcast 24/7.

This is most likely the culprit.

TV stations can broadcast more than one video stream per channel. In their digital transmission, they might define 3 streams and your receiver programs them during the scan. For some reason, the station only chose to use one of those three, that will give you two dead "channels".

Ignored post removed by author.

Too bad. Signal processing was a skill.

You may have more electronics running by the next day, producing more interference too. Probably have cell phone chargers charging away, etc.

I get this too, especially if I run an autoscan right at sundown. At sundown i get all sorts of stations that disappear shortly after.

My laptop power supply knocks out a very strong channel whether I use the DC to DC or the AC to DC, but the AC to DC also requires the inverter which causes more rfi. Some LED's knock out some other channels.

I try and use some Deoxit d5 every so often on the f Connectors, especially those outside. Sometimes it helps ither times it does not.