TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES:
If reception is poor, yet you are within 30 miles of a tower and have a clear line-of-sight, you may want to consult your local TV antenna installer. You may have a poor connection between your TV and the antenna or you may need a booster or other equipment. The most common problem is signal distribution. Most homes have two, three, sometimes four TVs, along with a Bluray/DVD player or two. Simply installing a splitter from the antenna to all those electronics doesn’t work because the signal is weakened as it is spread too thin. Line amplifiers are sometimes needed to boost the signal’s strength.
WEATHER:
Storms or hot weather can affect digital television due to the amount of humidity in the air. Digital signals freeze, pixilated or simply disappear.
Digital TV signals are most affected by summer weather. Conditions seen in June, July and August, especially, can cause higher atmospheric air to cool more quickly than air near the ground. The lower warm arm gets trapped, and a border forms between the two air layers. Digital signals can skip along the cold air and travel further than normal. This means TV signals might overlap. A channel from furtrer away can reach your TV on the same signal as an existing local channel (co-channeling). Disruption and pixelization then occur as the TV tries to decode both channel signals. This weather phenomenon is called “tropospheric propagation.” It most often occurs in mornings and evenings. Once more favorable weather conditions arrive, the reception issue will cease.
POOR LINE-OF-SIGHT:
CTV is a line-of-sight system. This means when you get on top of your house and look where your antenna is pointed, it should be pointed toward a CTV tower. Full foliage trees or grain bins in the way can interfere with the signal. When the trees lose their leaves, they may not be a problem. However, if you put your antenna up during the leafless season, remember its performance may be hindered when the trees are in full foliage. The rule of thumb for good antenna placement is the higher the better. There should be nothing between it and the tower.