Pixelation With 4-1 & 4-2

[Stanley Kritzik]

I'm having problems for the past two days with PQ on OTA 4-1 & 4-2.  I have a D* installation with a Winedard SS 2000 powered Square Shooter OTA antenna diplexed in.  I'm about four miles from the Capitol Drive antenna farm -- at about Brown Deer Road and I-43.  When I installed all the equipment, all was well.  But, for the past two days, there is heavy pixelation on those two channels.

My receiver has a meter function, and all the other OTA channels read 80 to 90, whereas 4-1 reads about 40, and fluctuates a bit.  From where I am, 6-1 is East of 4-1, and 10-1, etc. is West of 4-1.  So, I'm aimed right.

My questions: is it me -- could my SS 2000 be failing on that channel, only?  Or, is TMJ running on a low-power auxiliary transmitter?  Or, am I missing something else in the equation?

(By the way, D*'s rendition of 4-1 (via satellite) is perfect, but I'm sure they get a direct feed to send up to the satellite.)

Any help will be most appreciated.

Stan

[troyriley]

Lately, I've had the occasional decrease in signal strength on WTMJ. My situation is probably different though. While you're 4 miles away, I'm 46. It seems this time of year, stations come in pretty strong from across the lake in Grand Rapids and South Bend. With WTMJ, South Bend has an analog channel 28 (which digital channel 4 is broadcast on). For me, I have a feeling the South Bend channel is interrupting TMJ's digital signal, although not to the point I've lost channel 4.

However, you're so close to the transmitter, I would assume 4 wouldn't have any problems overpowering South Bend's 28.

[Bebop]

Channels 4's signal is about 20% lower than rest. The rest of the channels are near 100%. But I'm not having any problem. A better antenna would help.

[Stanley Kritzik]

Channels 4's signal is about 20% lower than rest. The rest of the channels are near 100%. But I'm not having any problem. A better antenna would help.

I'm between 80 and 100 per cent on all channels, except 4-1 and 4-2.  Those are at about 60%, and they fluctuate a bit, too.  Sometimes I get pixelation, and sometimes not.  When I originally set the antenna up a few years ago, I angled it a bit skyward, since it gave me the best results for analog 4 and 6.  Now that analog is close to history, I guess it's time to get my tall ladder out and see how much better I can do.  I want the OTA digital channels coming in strong, for those oggasional rain-out times, and for any incidental TV sets in my future that won't have D* facilities.

Stan