full image - Repost: Large Metal MASS will interfere with OTA signal reception. (from Reddit.com, Large Metal MASS will interfere with OTA signal reception.)
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Sold the following and installed for a new customer.Antennas Direct ClearStream 2MAX-XR, Lightning Surge Arrestor, Cable Service Utility Box, SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex Duo 2 ATSC Tuner, Toshiba Canvino 4TB USB Hard Drive, TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi Mesh, 5-Port GigaFast Ethernet switchhttps://preview.redd.it/9yje2vc9vchb1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3644fe7b6dbc1e7d116486ad5c1b02a7807371a8I installed the antenna on the east top edge of their enclosed chimney, instead of the north face, and approximately one foot higher up towards the top edge. That put the antenna at 20' over the property elevation (612' above sea level). See the attached Picture.The antenna was oriented towards 10deg TRUE, which was to pickup the local stations from the Toledo, OH towers. Most of them were within 7 miles distant. The customer also wanted reception of Ch27 22MHz, which was broadcasting from a transmitter 40 miles to the SSW at 219deg . I figured that it would get picked up from the back side of the antenna, since it was not too far away and with a fairly strong signal. In hindsight I should have mounted the antenna facing 219deg and allowed Toledo signals from the back of the antenna.I connected the antenna cable directly to the new HDHomerun Flex Duo. Upon running a Channel Scan on the HDHR, I see that it is receiving all of the Toledo channels (11,13,24,30,36,48) along with most all of the Detroit MI channels (2,4,7,20,50,56) and Windsor Canada channel 9 !However CH 27 out of Bowling Green OH was missing! See the attached Picture,https://ift.tt/fmDNVAn I changed the orientation of the antenna to 219deg and rescanned. After the channel scan, I lost Ch7, Ch9 and most of Ch20 but was still receiving Ch2 & Ch4, Toledo channels, but there was still no Ch 27 from Bowling Green. As you can see from the transmitter specifications, See the specs below, I should have been able to receive the signal.Channel 22 BOWLING GREEN, OH1050' 137 kW ND (H)(6.7 kW + 13.11 dB gain = 137 kW ERP)52.7 mile contour / 8721.2 sq. mi. area / Est. Pop. 1,336,9551060' AGL; 1788' AMSL; (1016071)0.5° Elec Beam Tilt; Full Service FilterThe customer was insistent on getting Channel 27, as it was the only broadcast of the Lawrence Welk show in the area.I called and spoke to Antennas Direct tech support. After much discussion, review of Google Earth, and other tools at his disposal, The final determination was ... the all metal steel top cap on the entire chimney, combined with the anodized steel flue cap, was attenuating the UHF Channel 22 518-524MHz signal, enough so that the tuners in both the HDHR and the LG TV were unable to lock on to the signal. At the same time it was enhancing the other frequencies from Detroit.The customer states; "Please explain why I was able to receive CH27 in the second floor office with a flat antenna(South facing window) connected to my Amazon Fire TV Recast? Why could my dollar store flat antenna get Ch27 but this expensive outdoor antenna can't? Answer to followThe customer wanted to keep the Amazon Fire TV Recast connected to the network, so she could watch the hundreds of Lawrence Welk recordings. I then split the antenna line and ran it to both HDHR and Recast. Lo and behold the Recast was able to tune Ch27. The HDHR was still not able to tune Ch27, but the customer was happy and understood my explanation. She will watch and record Ch27 on the Recast instead of the new HDHomeRun Flex DVR.To test ... I placed the flat antenna on the south facing window of the room approximately six foot away from the fireplace and 28 foot below the metal cap. Connected it to the Recast and the HDHR (separately) and neither was able to receive Ch27. So then I placed the flat antenna and the recast in the second story office (South facing window), which was 20 foot west of the chimney and Voila Ch 27 was received, not great but was viewable with some pixilation.The moral of the story ... a large metal plate, five foot by three foot, with a huge metal flue cap in the middle of that MASS, will attenuate UHF Channel 22 518-524MHz, and depending on the size of the metal MASS, the Antenna and the target signal path. need to be kept at a minimum of six feet away. In my case the Metal MASS required a minimum of twenty feet separation, both Vertical and Horizontal.ELSE ... employ a device with a much more sensitive tuner, with a lower signal threshold, like an old 2017 Amazon Fire TV Recast. The current 2021-2023 tuners (including those used in the HDHomeRun Flex and that LG OLED have a much higher signal threshold to enable reception.
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