Okay, update: I ran it through the box and got a signal for all my networks, which the box happily added to my channel guide. Yay! Day saved!
Or not. The signal seems oddly spotty; it’ll play fine for 30 seconds, then get blocky for a few seconds, then return. Every couple of minutes, it loses the signal entirely.
Weak signal, right? Well, when it regains the channel, it briefly displays an antenna strength in the 80s and 90s, which seems sufficient to keep a steady signal going.
Can the signal fluctuate all that much just on the basis of not being pointed the right way? I’ve tried several antenna positions all in the general direction of the broadcast, though I haven’t precisely measured yet.
Or might there be some other reason for the signal coming and going?
Heh, 20 years after rabbit ears, and I’m back to antenna troubles…
I’m surprised if your signal is in the 80’s or 90’s that it would fluctuate that much. In my experience that shouldn’t happen. Maybe it’s getting periodic interference from something. Try putting the antenna in another spot 4 or 5 feet away, if possible.
Now, to get things working better: are you in an apartment, or a house, or what’s your situation? Are there any large terrestrial objects, power substations, or anything like that nearby that might keep you from getting a strong signal? Do you have a steel roof or anything else that might make reception difficult? And, are you sure the antenna’s pointing in the optimal direction (from looking at it, I’m guessing that the square bit should flatly face about 20 degrees east of south, if your antennaweb information is accurate)? Finally, how high up do you have the antenna? Higher is better.
Beyond that, you may get better and more specific help elsewhere; AVSForum has threads devoted to many specific geographic locations, which will give you some idea of what you ought to be seeing. In my own location, for instance, two local channels (CBS and ABC) didn’t go full power until this very month, meaning that I got weak signal until they finished their upgrades. I wouldn’t have know what all was going on without that messageboard. It’s worth a read.
I actually live about a mile from “TV HILL” in Baltimore and I get those problems occasionally. I can literally SEE the antennas from my house, and I get 100 signal strength and drop-outs still happens.
First of all. . .some of my locals broadcast UHF and some VHF. I have more problems with UHF. I looked at antennaweb for your location, and it looks like they’re all UHF.
Second of all. . .you just need to play with it. I’ve found that a steady signal strength of “75” is typically better than one that bounces between 80 and 90, because that second one every now and then will bounce to nothing.
I actually have an antenna that I can turn with a remote control. Signals bounce off solid objects, get disturbed by the atmosphere, etc. Usually, you can lock in on one, and it will be good for 2 months, and then all of a sudden, you need to change position again.
I moved the antenna a couple feet away and fiddled with it, and now I’m getting better behavior, though it still goes out every 5 minutes or so. I’ll continue fiddling and consider an external antenna at some point.
Still rather annoyed that I have to keep my $5.99/month fee to be able to record two shows at once, and that what I do pay for is standard-def. Guess I can hold my breath and hope they add HD to the Austin area at some point…