OTA Antenna questions

[notruffinit]

I am set up in Des Moines for the weekend and have a problem with my TV antenna reception. As a result, I am looking for suggestions on what might be my problem.

I have cranked up the antenna, I have made sure that the booster is set for antenna and not cable. I do not fully understand the booster display, but it appears that I have reception. When I auto-search for stations I only get one station on both the televisions. I know from experience that I should see about 15. I did not find any stations at the last campground, but I was unfamiliar with the area and wrote it off to where I was parked. Before I left home a few days ago, I had all the stations that I should have seen.

All connections were checked. All settings on BOTH televisions are set to ANTENNA as is the signal booster. I am inside the city limits where I should be able to pick up all the networks without even cranking up the antenna.

Now my question, where should I start my search for a remedy? This will not ruin my trip because I have better things to do than watch the tube, but I do like to watch the news at night.

[MNtundraRet]

Does your coaxial off the antenna amplifier plate go to a switch-box and then the TV?

If so, disconnect the coaxial cable going to the switch-box and connect it directly to the television coaxial input. Make sure the amplifier is turned on (LED is lit). Now set up television to "antenna" and do the auto-search.

If the stations are found the problem is the switch-box (wrong buttons pushed/bad cable connections/or otherwise).

Did you remove the amplifier-plate screws, and pull the plate slightly away form the wall to make sure the coaxial-cable is tightened correctly to the back of the plate power injector? If not no power to antenna amplifier or good signal connection.

[notruffinit]

camperpaul wrote:

notruffinit wrote:
OK. So I got an external antenna and hooked up my TV. I got 15 channels right off the bat. I guess the problem must be in the signal booster.

It could be the booster or a bad connection; the power to the booster is fed through the co-ax.

I have the winegard SensarPro and it is powered. I will keep investigating. Thanks all for the suggestions.

[notruffinit]

Lynnmor wrote:

notruffinit wrote:
Sorry. Don't mean to interrupt your conversation on LEDs.

OK. So I got an external antenna and hooked up my TV. I got 15 channels right off the bat. I guess the problem must be in the signal booster.

You were asked if you use LED's, and you never answered that.

No

[RoyB]

LYNNMOR - Does my heart good to see someone having RFI from LEDs. I thought I was the only one haha... Just about every regulated type LED lamp I found would create enough RFI to blank out my OTA reception of HDTV signal...

Most folks say theirs works just fine >>> go figure...

Roy Ken

[Lynnmor]

notruffinit wrote:
Sorry. Don't mean to interrupt your conversation on LEDs.

OK. So I got an external antenna and hooked up my TV. I got 15 channels right off the bat. I guess the problem must be in the signal booster.

You were asked if you use LED's, and you never answered that.

[camperpaul]

notruffinit wrote:
OK. So I got an external antenna and hooked up my TV. I got 15 channels right off the bat. I guess the problem must be in the signal booster.

It could be the booster or a bad connection; the power to the booster is fed through the co-ax.

[notruffinit]

Sorry. Don't mean to interrupt your conversation on LEDs.

OK. So I got an external antenna and hooked up my TV. I got 15 channels right off the bat. I guess the problem must be in the signal booster.

[camperpaul]

Lynnmor wrote:
I understand that, but all I need is a source, make or model number of a product that someone has tested with a TV. If you could point me to such a product, then there would be no need to waste time and money to test different products.

Here is one eBay store; check out the different products they offer.

Taken from: "My LEDs".

[Lynnmor]

camperpaul wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

camperpaul wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Do you have any LED lamps? At the last place I camped there were 7 channels till I turned on the lights. Only 1 channel came in, with poor reception, with the lights on. I tested repeatedly and it was the LED lights interfering.
I have 921 type lamps that I replaced with voltage regulated LED's. Does anyone know of a good LED replacement that does not cause the above problem?

See: "My LEDs"

While there is a lot of information there, and I followed that thread before, I don't see an actual test of 921 replacement lamps for TV interference.
It would be good if someone has already tested and found a good supplier to share that information.
I guess the best thing to do is buy unregulated lamps and see if they last and cause no other problems.

There are a bunch of posts in that thread by RoyB, myself and others about RFI caused by regulated LEDs.

I understand that, but all I need is a source, make or model number of a product that someone has tested with a TV. If you could point me to such a product, then there would be no need to waste time and money to test different products.

[camperpaul]

Lynnmor wrote:

camperpaul wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Do you have any LED lamps? At the last place I camped there were 7 channels till I turned on the lights. Only 1 channel came in, with poor reception, with the lights on. I tested repeatedly and it was the LED lights interfering.
I have 921 type lamps that I replaced with voltage regulated LED's. Does anyone know of a good LED replacement that does not cause the above problem?

See: "My LEDs"

While there is a lot of information there, and I followed that thread before, I don't see an actual test of 921 replacement lamps for TV interference.
It would be good if someone has already tested and found a good supplier to share that information.
I guess the best thing to do is buy unregulated lamps and see if they last and cause no other problems.

There are a bunch of posts in that thread by RoyB, myself and others about RFI caused by regulated LEDs.

[Lynnmor]

camperpaul wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Do you have any LED lamps? At the last place I camped there were 7 channels till I turned on the lights. Only 1 channel came in, with poor reception, with the lights on. I tested repeatedly and it was the LED lights interfering.
I have 921 type lamps that I replaced with voltage regulated LED's. Does anyone know of a good LED replacement that does not cause the above problem?

See: "My LEDs"

While there is a lot of information there, and I followed that thread before, I don't see an actual test of 921 replacement lamps for TV interference.
It would be good if someone has already tested and found a good supplier to share that information.
I guess the best thing to do is buy unregulated lamps and see if they last and cause no other problems.

[camperpaul]

Lynnmor wrote:
Do you have any LED lamps? At the last place I camped there were 7 channels till I turned on the lights. Only 1 channel came in, with poor reception, with the lights on. I tested repeatedly and it was the LED lights interfering.
I have 921 type lamps that I replaced with voltage regulated LED's. Does anyone know of a good LED replacement that does not cause the above problem?

See: "My LEDs"

[Lynnmor]

Do you have any LED lamps? At the last place I camped there were 7 channels till I turned on the lights. Only 1 channel came in, with poor reception, with the lights on. I tested repeatedly and it was the LED lights interfering.
I have 921 type lamps that I replaced with voltage regulated LED's. Does anyone know of a good LED replacement that does not cause the above problem?

[j-d]

Sounds like something isn't connected correctly, or some setting on the TV is wrong. I just met somebody who couldn't receive OTA on their flatscreen using the Batwing. Turned out the flatscreen wasn't new enough to receive OTA DTV. It only offered OTA Analog and Cable. This couple had never used a site without cable to that day. Told'em they needed a Converter Box or a new TV.

Wingard Batwing is fully HDTV capable. They offer an extenstion add-on called "Wing Man" that dramatically improves DTV reception, and it requires no tools to install. Just pop out the rubber feet on the bottom of the antenna head and install the Wing Man with plastic push pins provided. Just be sure the antenna lowers into a space that allows room for the extension.