OTA Problem With an HR21/AM21 Combo

[Stanley Kritzik]

Since the HR21 lockup of a few days ago, I have an OTA problem, and could use some advice.

One channel in Milwaukee, 58-1, -2, etc., can no longer be received on the HR21/AM21 duo. I have reset, redone the antenna setup, etc., but when it comes time to tune the station, I get a 771 searching error. On the other hand, I do get 58-3. Also, I can get 58-1 and -2 on both my H20s. Even more interesting is the fact that using the antenna meter, I get signals in the 80s on all the channels.

Now, it so happens that the PSP information from this Weigel station is sketchy. For example, the guide info on 58-2 is the same as it is on 58-1, and it is wrong. Their PSP info. has been wrong for a long time.

My inclination is to blame the station for either sending out bad PSP info., or broadcasting a bad "signature" so the AM21 OTA tuner misses the station. Interestingly enough, 58-3 can be received, as
I've said.

Any suggestions or advice will be welcome.

Stan

[Kansas Zephyr]

I had to "reset off-air settings" after the recent lock-up fun on my 21.

"Edit" and "Initial off-air" didn't do the trick.

[Stanley Kritzik]

I had to "reset off-air settings" after the recent lock-up fun on my 21.

"Edit" and "Initial off-air" didn't do the trick.

I'll give it a try. I still have a hunch that Weigel, the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee, has some flakey stuff going on, too.

Stan

[texasbrit]

Since the HR21 lockup of a few days ago, I have an OTA problem, and could use some advice.

One channel in Milwaukee, 58-1, -2, etc., can no longer be received on the HR21/AM21 duo. I have reset, redone the antenna setup, etc., but when it comes time to tune the station, I get a 771 searching error. On the other hand, I do get 58-3. Also, I can get 58-1 and -2 on both my H20s. Even more interesting is the fact that using the antenna meter, I get signals in the 80s on all the channels.

Now, it so happens that the PSP information from this Weigel station is sketchy. For example, the guide info on 58-2 is the same as it is on 58-1, and it is wrong. Their PSP info. has been wrong for a long time.

My inclination is to blame the station for either sending out bad PSP info., or broadcasting a bad "signature" so the AM21 OTA tuner misses the station. Interestingly enough, 58-3 can be received, as
I've said.

Any suggestions or advice will be welcome.

Stan


Lokks like a PSIP issue to me. Although the HR20 does not use PSIP to map the real channel to a virtual channel, we know that incorrect PSIP data can affect different types of tuners differently. In this case my guess is that the HR20 knows where 58-1 and 58-2 ought to be, but it can't find the signals because the addressing data in the PSIP is not quite correct. The H20 tuner probably works slightly differently and does not have the same problems. There was a problem like this in DFW a couple of years ago where my H20 would receive the subchannels of a station fine but my Hughes E-86 would not, until the PSIP was fixed.
By the way, you will always get the same signal strength on all the subchannels of a primary channel because there's only one signal to measure.

[Kansas Zephyr]

If your TV has a digital tuner, fed the antenna directly into the TV and scan for channels.

It will "see" and display whatever is out there.

So, you can tell if you indeed have a PSIP problem. If so, call the station's chief engineer.

[Stanley Kritzik]

If your TV has a digital tuner, fed the antenna directly into the TV and scan for channels.

It will "see" and display whatever is out there.

So, you can tell if you indeed have a PSIP problem. If so, call the station's chief engineer.


I don't have a tuner to work with. However, in another section I described my fix. I reset the OTA stuff, put in my zip code, and ADDED a secondary market -- a city 50 or so miles away. That shook things up enough so that the channel came back. I still think the station's info is bad, but that's the best I can do, for now. Thanks for the good ideas.

Stan