A larger and more directional antenna should help you. You also want to get the best LOS (line of sight) as possible. How high is your antenna?
DarkAudit said:
AM-21 minimum signal?
The only way I can get PBS in HD is via OTA. After DirecTV replaced my HR20 with an HR21, they sent me an AM-21 as well.
For now, I have just a set of amplified rabbit ears from Philips. I can receive the three subchannels from the PBS local, but that's all.
I've been doing a little digging, and from the FCC pages, the Clarksburg-Weston DMA locals aren't even broadcasting above 10kW on their digital channels yet. The Pittsburgh locals are at 1MW, but aren't registering here.
How much of a signal is needed before my AM-21 will get a sniff of it? Is there any point in putting up a larger antenna to try to try to get more locals before February (who knows if the Clarksburg stations will boost power by then)?
For now, I have just a set of amplified rabbit ears from Philips. I can receive the three subchannels from the PBS local, but that's all.
I've been doing a little digging, and from the FCC pages, the Clarksburg-Weston DMA locals aren't even broadcasting above 10kW on their digital channels yet. The Pittsburgh locals are at 1MW, but aren't registering here.
How much of a signal is needed before my AM-21 will get a sniff of it? Is there any point in putting up a larger antenna to try to try to get more locals before February (who knows if the Clarksburg stations will boost power by then)?
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Right now it's just rabbit ears. North view is mostly clear, South is a slight hill.Radio Enginerd said:A larger and more directional antenna should help you. You also want to get the best LOS (line of sight) as possible. How high is your antenna?
I'm concerned that putting up a rooftop antenna would be a waste to try to get Clarksburg channels because the signal is still so weak.
A rooftop antenna is vastly superior to any kind of indoor antenna. Can you confirm with anyone else in the area what can be received or checked out antenna.org?
Antennaweb.org offered only WNPB for digital stations. The same station I receive with rabbit ears already. A large directional would add just WTAE and WBOY analog.davring said:A rooftop antenna is vastly superior to any kind of indoor antenna. Can you confirm with anyone else in the area what can be received or checked out antenna.org?
Try www.tvfool.com and see what it says. It takes into account many more things than antennaweb does.
You could ask them what their plans are. I'm sure they would be willing to share that info.DarkAudit said:...I have just a set of amplified rabbit ears from Philips. I can receive the three subchannels from the PBS local, but that's all.
I've been doing a little digging, and from the FCC pages, the Clarksburg-Weston DMA locals aren't even broadcasting above 10kW on their digital channels yet. The Pittsburgh locals are at 1MW, but aren't registering here.
How much of a signal is needed before my AM-21 will get a sniff of it? Is there any point in putting up a larger antenna to try to try to get more locals before February (who knows if the Clarksburg stations will boost power by then)?
It is difficult to assess how much transmit power translates into receive power. Terrain, distance, atmospheric conditions make this impractical, but antennaweb can give you a rough idea in what sort of antenna they recommend.
What is more accurate for a particular location is actual received power compared to the noise floor, or S/N ratio. Most receivers (including the HR2x) only include digital signal quality meters, which don't really measure signal strength at all, and instead give a ratio of successfully-decoded bits to unsuccessfully-decoded bits.
If you actually do have a way to measure S/N, as most Sony TVs have, and assuming the noise floor is typical at your receive location, ATSC signals have to be 15 dB above the noise floor, or present a S/N of 15 dB (which also usually means a measured actual level of -14 dBmV will work, if you can get hold of a SLM). But in practice it it better to have S/N of 19 dB or higher for solid reception, especially if there is much multipath interference at all (which means if you only have a SLM, you would need a signal level of about -10 dBmV).
Tv Fool data isn't promising. Post-transition, I'd get CBS with 11 ft above ground level, and NBC/ABC at 50 feet. To get any Pittsburgh stations, it's calling for 257 feet minimum height to as high as 627 feet. Which is odd, since I have a mostly clear view north to the horizon.
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