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Old 01-27-2015, 08:04 PM
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Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
<----Zenith C845
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
Posts: 4,035
Zenith indoor amplified DTV antenna test

The new Zenith indoor DTV antenna arrived here yesterday, January 26, 2015. I spent much of the day testing the antenna, and was very diasppointed in the results. Without the amplifier, this antenna is even worse than my ClearTV flat one. Even with the separate VHF dipoles, I still do not receive channels 8 (RF channel 8) and 19 (RF channel 10). I was hoping the reason I wasn't receiving those channels was that my ClearTV antenna is for UHF DTV channels only, not VHF (although one ad I read online for the antenna did state that it would receive high VHF as well as UHF), and that the channel 10 signal was getting here but was just too weak (the reason I bought this particular antenna, which has a variable-gain amplifier in the base; the gain control is an illuminated thumbwheel control located at the lower center portion of the antenna housing).

The Zenith antenna's performance on UHF is comparable to the ClearTV; however, I still need the amplifier to get every station in the area. I was able to receive every local TV station except 8 and 19 with excellent picture quality. I'm sure the reason for this is that most Cleveland TV stations now transmit on UHF DTV channels, while the two I do not receive are still on VHF channels. There are no plans, that I am aware of anyway, for either station to move to a UHF channel, although channel 19 (RF channel ten) does have a UHF translator on channel 36, IIRC, designed to cover an area about sixty miles southwest of here. (I am about 30 miles east of downtown Cleveland, and perhaps another 10 miles or so further from the area's TV transmitters.)

The Zenith antenna does not receive the channel 36 signal at all, even with the amplifier, but then again I was not expecting to pick up that station from here since it is a low-power translator, designed to cover an area that lost channel 19's DTV signal after the transition in June 2009. It was never intended to cover any other area, especially anywhere as far east as where I live. I am about one mile from the southern shore of Lake Erie.

I am not surprised, however, that the Zenith amplified DTV all-channel antenna does not receive the channel 19 (RF 10) DTV signal. I read not too long ago on the station's web site that it would be almost impossible to move the signal from channel 10 to a UHF assignment (even though I'm sure they wish they could, as there is a real possibility of co-channel interference between that station and a channel 10 station in Canada), and that Cleveland's channel 19 is now receivable in most areas only on cable or satellite. The Canadian station will not move its signal from RF channel 10; the channel 19 website had an explanation for that, but I don't recall it right now. Probably has something to do with international frequency assignments or agreements. When I finish writing this I'll look at the station's website again, and reread the section dealing with OTA reception problems; there may be a way I can get the station's DTV signal using an indoor antenna after all.

One other problem I had with the Zenith antenna is that the coax lead-in cable is only 48 inches long (and the coax itself is very small in diameter; in fact, I have my doubts as to whether it is actually coax, or just cheap shielded wire). This prevented me from placing the antenna near a window, as is usually suggested for best results with antennas of this type; I'm sure if I were able to put it near the front windows in my apartment, I would probably, even likely have better reception, and I might even see a bit of a picture from channel 8 and/or 19.

I will try the Zenith DTV antenna again this spring and summer, hoping for better results. While I probably will receive more stations from Detroit and southwestern Ontario, as I did with the ClearTV DTV antenna last year, I'm not expecting miracles as far as my two missing Cleveland stations are concerned. I'm almost convinced that the reason I am not receiving those stations has to do with distance, geography, or both.
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Jeff, WB8NHV

Collecting, restoring and enjoying vintage Zenith radios since 2002

Zenith. Gone, but not forgotten.

Last edited by Jeffhs; 01-27-2015 at 08:08 PM.
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