I just bought a Sylvania 6626LCT LCD for the bedroom. $549 ntsc/atsc tuner, 26", 1000:1 and lots of inputs. We've been satellite customers for a long time, but this is our first HD set. Satellite works fine on it (SD... we don't have HD service), but I wanted to see if I could get HD channels OTA.

I found a Terk 75ohm to 75ohm matching transformer (and thought I should be looking for a 75ohm-300ohm.... but...) and I used a couple alligator clips and some scotch tape to stick this to an FM dipole off an old stereo. I draped the wires across the back of the dressers in the bedroom to spread them out.

HOLY COW! I have HD! ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CW .... HUGE difference over the satellite which I thought was far superior to cable in my area. I live in Sanborn. About 8 miles due east of Niagara Falls. So I'm pretty close to Grand Island (to the northeast of it.

If I can get this many HD stations with some cobbled together pieces of wire.... I would think it would be worth it (for the sake of appearance at least) to go out and get an indoor antenna. I've seen some for under 40 dollars. So... couple of questions...

That matching transformer... does that sound right? No transformer came with the TV. There's only one connection for coax on this set but I thought antennas used the 75 to 300ohm transformer. (Been on satellite many years and have forgotten most of this OTA stuff)

Considering what I've accomplished with some wire and alligator clips, my thoughts of getting a cheap antenna sound ok? Suggestions from the radio shack/best buy/circuit city ... local places?

I almost feel silly being this excited. You'd think it was like when color TVs first came out (yeah I'm that old... heheh... round picture tubes and all...)

hmm....well I am stumped then...makes no sense that fox does not come in....my tuner does see it when scanning for channels, it pauses on 14 and then moves on, so it sees something just not enough for a lock....will try another adjustment east since I am in oakville and buffalo/ GI is east of me...just strange that wnyo is good...I doubt I am looking at a overload situation since CW comes in fine as well as does PBS.

Get a silver sensor from sears or walmart...with you being that close indoors might just do it...a good outdoor like a channel master or winegard 4 or 8 bay should get you toronto as well based on where you are. Most antennas are 300 ohm and transform to 75 for TV

Another wierd thing...I tuned to the NTSC analog channel 29 with my panasonic PVR and it comes in very clear...a slight ghost....is the analog transmitter on the same tower do we know and is the signal as directional as the ATSC one ?...might be dealing with multipath but my tuner is the LG 3510 which is supposed to be great at multipath rejection.

Might also be dealing with overload......

I don't think that the analog signal is directional, but don't take my word for it.

The towers for analog and digital, if not the same, would again be very close.

Question. I want to 'point' my 4222 to max signal for the Toronto channels but need to do it while tuned to the analog channels - if I tweak for city-tv analog will that max the hdtv city-tv, or is that at a different location?

Thanks

27-1
26-1 TBN
WNYB 26 213 kW (1470')
Jamestown Active Low Power
(1080i/2.0) Religious network, currently showing upconverted SD material. They no longer seem to be stretching it.

does Anybody can receive this channel?

I did last week, but now it's gone. It was not the strongest signal out there, but it made it to the lake Ontario shore line. I was thinking it was a weather related issue, but it never came back and is still missing. (Somerset, NY)

I get it once in a while during tropo weather conditions, but not with any reliability.

I believe they maintain a repeater on GI that's channel 15 (Same TCT) if you care to watch!

I have a stupid question (you can guess i'm a newbie to the subject) - the TV I got has a built-in ATSC tuner but it doesn't support 1080i resolution, only 720i - on the list of channels for OTA hdtv, I see most of them are at 1080i - does it mean my tv won't be able to receive them, or will it receive them at 720i?

720p, you mean?

Yes, it'll recieve them, then just convert it to 720p.

Ron City-dt shares the same antenna as their analog signal so aiming for their analog will max your digital signal.Their digital signal is only 1200watts while their analog is several hundred thousand.

Are you sure? I get no signal on 15.

But I get the actual feed just fine from Jamestown...although it's deleted from my channel lineup. :-)

Ron, where are you located? If anywhere close to Toronto, you may not actually need to fine tune your 4222 that much... I know I don't even have to aim in the general direction for City or CFTO! :-)