Although you've provided a good bit of detail, some questions still arise:
just 'how' do you "touch the coax to the connection?" Are you touching just
the inner conductor to the outside of the connector, or the inner conductor
to the inner connection on the connector (not allowing the ground to make
contact)? Are you touching the coax connector on the TV at all...perhaps
instead the 300 ohm (if any) connectors?

i believe i am touching both pieces, ever so slightly. i tried one of
the other cables in the scheme that has a longer inner conductor - to
allow the connection of that alone, but it didn't improve the picture.
perhaps i really am only touching the gound part of the coax to the
ground part of the tv connector. that would explain why when i fully
engage the connector, the signal gets crappy. i will try some other
combinations to see if i can clarify what i am doing.


Without being a bit more specific, I doubt anyone's going to be able to help
you. For one thing, I don't understand how the two antennas are connected
on the pole in such a manner as to preclude interaction (perhaps a ch. 13
trap in series with the 'all channel' antenna before the
splitter/combiner?).

i mounted and pointed west a smaller antenna, onto the same pole as my
main antenna. there is a box on the pole as well where the two
antennas are connected and a third cable runs to the house.


In any case, your problem is probably 'up the pole.' If it worked before, i
t should work now; unless conditions have changed. Have any tall buildings
been constructed between you and the transmitter?

no new tall buildings. my hunch is that the connector for the smaller
antenna, or the part of the splitter/combination box up there that is
for the smaller antenna, is failing. all the other stations still
work beautifully.

My best advice would be to have the same people who installed the array (or
other competant service people) service it. It sounds like your technical
knowledge is limited, and I doubt you're going to want to climb that pole...

my technical knowledge is for sure limited, but i installed all this
stuff once and it worked. i guess i will be up on the roof this
weekend, taking a closer look at the small antenna connections.
thanks for the advice