[RocketNJ]

Hi All,

I'm in northern NJ about 35 air miles from Empire State building (Fox 5 HD transmit site). I am unable to receive Fox 5 (005-01 on my 942, digital tv channel 44). I can receive eight other HD stations OTA fine (CBS, NBC, ABC, WWOR, CW11, WNET, WFME, PAX, WNJN 50.) .

All the other stations come in between 80 and 100 (max) signal strength. Antenna is a Winegard 9085P and using Winegard UHF mast mounted preamp.

Looking at the signals with a spectrum analyzer I can see digital channel 45 (ABC) at around -65 dB and FOX is around -88 dB. ABC shows a good square wave for the 6 MHz wide signal (as do the other stations I can receive). Fox's signal slopes down to the right (it is not square) and I am thinking this is causing my ATSC tuner to not lock on the signal.

Anyone else in northern NJ having any issues with channel 5 HD OTA?

Dave

 

[bluefoxtrot]

I have the same issue. I can get Fox SD, but not Fox HD which should tune as channel 5.1. I am about 30 miles away from NYC and my roof top antenna is pointed there and I can tune 40 or so channels, both UHF and VHF.....just not FOX HD. I would love to know that solution to this if anyone knows.

 

[KyL416]

Yeah, you just bumped a thread from 2006, during the transition when they were frequently doing maintenence, so your issue has nothing to do with that. Back then a lot of the NYC digitals went off air late at night so they could work on reconfiguring the mast.

In Princeton you might be getting massive co-channel interference from WMCN, which is also on RF 44. Princeton is basically at the midpoint between the NYC and Philly channels. The real challenge though is WMCN comes from almost the opposite direction and many antennas still get some reception from the reverse side.

 

[bluefoxtrot]

Interesting. Yes, I am located in Princeton which is halfway along a straight line drawn between Philly and NYC. So what you are saying is that WMCN from Philly at RF 44 is cancelling out the broadcast from WNYW from NY, also at RF 44. Odd in that my antennae is directional, is pointed at NY, and I do not tune any Phlly channels (not even WMCN).....only tun NY channels. Do you have any ideas on how I can solve the problem?

 

[KyL416]

WMCN is from a different location in New Jersey and doesn't come from the same place as the rest of the Philly locals. The problem is they both cancel eachother out in the inbetween areas like Princeton. (Which is one of the reasons why the SD simulcast of Fox 5 is on WWOR's signal and the SD simulcast of WWOR is on Fox 5's signal even though they both originate from the Empire State Building) We have a similar problem here in Northeast PA where WBRE and WYOU frequently get interference from WPIX and WNET the closer you get to the NJ-PA border.

You can try rotating your antenna a bit more north towards the Hudson Valley to see if you find a sweet spot that still lets you get the NYC locals.