Signal Strength Suggestions
 

This is probably not the right group for this question...but you guys
are the experts on antennas so I thought I would throw my question out
there...
I am in an office building (43rd floor) and I was wondering some tips
on getting television reception to come in clearer? I have a basic
bunny ears antenna but the picture is very fuzzy and fades...this is
almost certainly because of the building. Is there anything I can do
to make the picture come in clearer?
Thanks,
Nickolas

"Nickolas" wrote in message
om...
This is probably not the right group for this question...but you guys
are the experts on antennas so I thought I would throw my question out
there...
I am in an office building (43rd floor) and I was wondering some tips
on getting television reception to come in clearer? I have a basic
bunny ears antenna but the picture is very fuzzy and fades...this is
almost certainly because of the building. Is there anything I can do
to make the picture come in clearer?
Thanks,
Nickolas

certainly... install an antenna on the roof and connect to TV.

oh.. i bet you did not want to hear that answer.

try some different things.

move the antennas near a window.

there are gizmos that you can buy which safely couples the antenna input to
the buildings AC wiring.

try an amplified indoor antenna.

Well, you're right that the group's dedicated to ham radio-type antennas
but I'll still give a try. Don't know how many floors up to your roof but,
at 43 plus floors, you'd get awesome reception I suspect if you just put a
real antenna on the roof and ran the line down to your office. You might
not even need a fancy one like winegard makes or any other beam antenna
readily available at Radio Shack. Take a look at 1) where the TV station is
that you're looking for and 2) how far away it is. Now, compare that to how
acceptable the reception is with your rabbit ears is. Take a look at this
website.
http://www.starkelectronic.com/allant.htm
They make some good omnidirectional antennas for your application with a
preamplifier. That might do the trick. Make sure you do your own research
based on your particulars that I'm not aware of. Better yet, give 'em a
call. They're experts on this one:).
Best Regards,
Jim,WP3JQ
"Nickolas" wrote in message
om...
This is probably not the right group for this question...but you guys
are the experts on antennas so I thought I would throw my question out
there...
I am in an office building (43rd floor) and I was wondering some tips
on getting television reception to come in clearer? I have a basic
bunny ears antenna but the picture is very fuzzy and fades...this is
almost certainly because of the building. Is there anything I can do
to make the picture come in clearer?
Thanks,
Nickolas

Drink wrote:
"Don`t know how many floors up to your roof but, at 43 plus floors,
you`d get awesome reception I suspect if you just put a real antenna on
the roof and ran the line down to your office."

It`s worth a try but may not result in a clear picture. I`ve fought that
battle from the roof of the almost highest building in town. You are
probably at about 650 feet and the TV horizon if visible would be about
36 miles away. Line of sight may have little to do with your problem.
Other structures in a city reflect delayed signals in your direction,
blurring your reception.

You need high directivity to "turn a blind eye" to the multiple
reflections.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

You need high directivity to "turn a blind eye" to the multiple
reflections.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

Indeed. I used to do MATV systems in Honolulu.
There, the TV transmitters are right in the middle of town.
One is about a block from a 25 story building, and of course a bunch of
others, and you're trying to get a good signal in the concrete jungle of
Waikiki..

We used "deep fringe" yagis, and large attenuators (20-30dB) then amplifiers
to drive the feeders.


--
KC6ETE Dave's Engineering Page, www.dvanhorn.org
Microcontroller Consultant, specializing in Atmel AVR