Need a little help with locals OTA

[dlhoppe]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a puzzling problem.  

I've got a Winegard Chromstar 2000 - CA-8100 in the attic. I've been using a Hughes E86 receiver for the last year to pick up the digital broadcasts out of Milwaukee. By the way, I live just southeast of West Bend.  Up until about a month or so ago (maybe longer, I haven't been watching much) I used to get all the local digital stuff with VERY strong signals.  As of lately I can't get 1-1, 18-1, 18-2 (HD color bar) or 24-1 at all. My favorite channel, 36-1, which I used to get signal strength in the high 90's or 100 is now a marginal signal and sometimes is not even watchable. The funny thing is that I can still get all the other channels at very strong levels.  

Here are the channels I get and their strengths:

1-1:   Nothing (channel scan doesn't see it)
4-1:   100
10-1: 100
10-2: 100
10-3: 100
10-4: 100
10-5: 100
10-6: 100
12-1: 100
18-1: Nothing (channel scan doesn't see it)
18-2: Nothing (channel scan doesn't see it)
24-1: Nothing (channel scan doesn't see it)
36-1: 51
55-1: 90

Earlier today, 36-1 was only coming in at a strength of around 30. I just went up into the attic and connected a brand new piece of coax temporarily and made some adjustments to the antenna direction. I was able to get 36-1 up to the current strength of 51, but no more. All the signal levels listed above are after my antenna adjustment today.

Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem might be?  Any suggestions as to how to remedy this so I can get all the channels again?


Thanks,
Dave

[dlhoppe]

Is there any online resources where we can see the current "status" of digital transmitters?  

It sure would be nice to see what stations are currently on-air vs. off-air, what kind of power (wattage?) the transmitters are pumping out, and any directional issues associated with each.

That would go a long way in helping me understand the problems I'm having as described in my last post.


Again, thanks.

[borghe]

the only thing I can comment on is that yesterday I got no signal on 18-1 and 18-2. I checked channel 61 and it was empty.. every other channel was coming in as normal for me (100 on everything except for 46 which was 93)

[tazman]

I'm just a mile east of the fair grounds.  I do not get Fox 6 33 digital at all, UPN 24 25 digital, I get about 75 % of the time.  Everything else comes in Ok.  I do not have a signal strength meter, but nothings changed as far as my reception goes.  Except for WB 18 61 digital which must be down right now.  I have a Winegard HD7084P digital antenna on a 30' tower.  If you read one of the other threads, 18 is supposedly on 25-2 sharing 24's digital channel.  I havn't checked it out yet.

[dlhoppe]

Ok, that explains why there is no 18-1.  Do you have any ideas why I can't get CBS (1-1)?  Did they lower their transmitter power recently?   Seems like 36-1 is also at a lower transmit power compared to what it was.  Any thoughts?