Is VHF harder to pick up than UHF?

8462 Views 14 Replies 8 Participants Last post by thestaton, Sep 23, 2008

thestaton

Discussion Starter · Sep 9, 2008

According to antenna web these are the color codes for the digital channels.
Fox - Green. VHF 56.1. Compass 245 Miles. 22.6
CBS - Red. VHF 27.1 Compass 274 Miles. 23.8
NBC - Red. UHF 18.1 Compass 273 Miles 23.4
ABC - RED. UHF 36.1 Compass 273 Miles 23.4

My antenna I currently have has no problem picking up both UHF channels. ABC & NBC. They come in great, with a very high signal strength. However, for the life of me I can not get the VHF channels to come in with my current antenna which is the RCA ANT 706A. It says it's supposed to pick up both UFH & VHF. I've tried doing the dance around the roof pointing every way I can and I'm having no love with the VHF.

Today I ordered the Antennas Direct DB4, and it says tt will pull in all UHF frequencies and most higher level VHF frequencies with a range of about 55 miles.

What is considered a high level VHF signal? Does FOX 56.1 or CBS 27.1 qualify as being high?

If this antenna does not work out do you have any suggestions?

Thanks.

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scooper

· #2 · Sep 9, 2008

VHF channels = 2-13, with the split between high / low at 7 -13 high/ 2-6 low.
UHF channels are 14- 69, with that upper limit going down to 51 Feb 19,2009 .

With digital - their "old analog channel" number may or may not be a good indication of their actual RF channel number. If you could give us a zip code, I could give you a better answer with a better tool than antennaweb.org .

BNUMM

· #3 · Sep 9, 2008

thestaton said:
According to antenna web these are the color codes for the digital channels.
Fox - Green. VHF 56.1. Compass 245 Miles. 22.6
CBS - Red. VHF 27.1 Compass 274 Miles. 23.8
NBC - Red. UHF 18.1 Compass 273 Miles 23.4
ABC - RED. UHF 36.1 Compass 273 Miles 23.4

My antenna I currently have has no problem picking up both UHF channels. ABC & NBC. They come in great, with a very high signal strength. However, for the life of me I can not get the VHF channels to come in with my current antenna which is the RCA ANT 706A. It says it's supposed to pick up both UFH & VHF. I've tried doing the dance around the roof pointing every way I can and I'm having no love with the VHF.

Today I ordered the Antennas Direct DB4, and it says tt will pull in all UHF frequencies and most higher level VHF frequencies with a range of about 55 miles.

What is considered a high level VHF signal? Does FOX 56.1 or CBS 27.1 qualify as being high?

If this antenna does not work out do you have any suggestions?

Thanks.

Are you using a pre-amp? If you are is it for both UHF and VHF?

garys

· #4 · Sep 9, 2008

First off, you are listing the mapped channel numbers, not the transit numbers. But to answer your question, it depends on the antenna you are using. A lot of the antenna's out there that are marked as HD are UHF only. Also, some the preamps block VHF or UHF signals, if not entirely at least to the point of an unusable signal.

thestaton

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 9, 2008

Right now the RCA has a inline power adapter that I am using. If I disconnect the power I get no UHF at all.

Stewart Vernon

· #6 · Sep 10, 2008

As others have suggested... some "HD antennas" are optimized for UHF band, and may or may not pick up VHF reliably. Also some splitters/amplifiers target certain ranges as well... so either could be your problem.

I also noted that some of the channels were in different directions... so if you are using directional vs omnidirectional that will change things... and your elevation + any potential obstructions between you and the broadcast tower can make a difference.

I, for example, am several miles farther away from my local PBS than my father... but I can get it nicely with an indoor antenna while he cannot get it at all unless he puts up an outdoor antenna even if we use the same equipment (receiver) to try.

Lots of factors... but generally speaking, a VHF signal will travel farther than the same power UHF signal.

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scooper

· #7 · Sep 10, 2008

Ok - according to www.tvfool.com, your local stations are on REAL RF channels 21, 39, 40, 4, 13, 15, 42, and 7 pre transtion , corresponding to channels 67.1, 18.1, 36.1, 56.1, 27.1, 38.1, 46.1, and 65.1. Post transition channels 21, 39, 40, 4, 13, 15, 42, and 7

So you need a combination VHF and UHF antenna.

thestaton

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 10, 2008

scooper said:
Ok - according to www.tvfool.com, your local stations are on REAL RF channels 21, 39, 40, 4, 13, 15, 42, and 7 pre transtion , corresponding to channels 67.1, 18.1, 36.1, 56.1, 27.1, 38.1, 46.1, and 65.1. Post transition channels 21, 39, 40, 4, 13, 15, 42, and 7

So you need a combination VHF and UHF antenna.

Thanks. Do you think this DB4 will work, or am I going to have to get something else?

scooper

· #9 · Sep 10, 2008

thestaton said:
Thanks. Do you think this DB4 will work, or am I going to have to get something else?

I think you need to consider another antenna with that spread of channels.

wreck

· #10 · Sep 10, 2008

scooper said:
I think you need to consider another antenna with that spread of channels.

I'm dealing with this now myself. Keep your DB4 and get a stand alone VHF antenna (perhaps an indoor might even work) and combine them. Use this combiner/separator
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=UVSJ

Run your DB4 off the "UHF" side and your "VHF" (rabbit ears) off the VHF side.

thestaton

Discussion Starter · #11 · Sep 11, 2008

DB4 for the WIN!!! Maybe I'm an OTA noob, but when I had the DB4 straight up and down it wouldn't pick up any VHF for my life. However something came over me and I decided to put it at about a 45 degree angle and it started beasting the LO VHF & High.

Can't wait to get the SWM8 in so I can get this diplexed into the receiver!

scooper

· #12 · Sep 11, 2008

The important thing is that it works .

dishlover2

· #13 · Sep 20, 2008

thestaton said:
Right now the RCA has a inline power adapter that I am using. If I disconnect the power I get no UHF at all.

the amplifer has to be on and theres a built in a/b switch to allow to switch between cable and antenna

arxaw

· #14 · Sep 20, 2008

thestaton said:
DB4 for the WIN!!! Maybe I'm an OTA noob, but when I had the DB4 straight up and down it wouldn't pick up any VHF for my life. However something came over me and I decided to put it at about a 45 degree angle and it started beasting the LO VHF & High.

Thank god for beginners' luck.

The DB4 usually sucks for lowband VHF channels 2 thru 6. Glad you got it working.

thestaton

Discussion Starter · #15 · Sep 23, 2008

arxaw said:
Thank god for beginners' luck.

The DB4 usually sucks for lowband VHF channels 2 thru 6. Glad you got it working.

You are correct, the only way I could get the DB4 to pick up the low band VHF was to lay it flat on my roof which kept it at a 40 degree angle, and in the long term that just can't happen. I ended up picking up a Terrestrial Digital V15 for my low & high band VHF channels, and I'm using the DB4 for the UHF signals.

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