"Phil Marlowe" wrote to "Mike Ross" (02 Jul 103  01:16:44G)
 --- on the topic of "RECEPTION, TV"

 PM> I was thinking of an outdoor antenna, but if the
 PM> indoor one works...

The point of an outdoor antenna is that it has the advantage of being
mounted much higher than an indoor antenna. Height is usually a big
factor in signal strength and there are few exceptions to this rule.


 PM> But before I start buying stuff and tinkering with
 PM> it, did any of the solutions/improvisations you
 PM> suggest actually end up getting you the U.S.
 PM> stations during the summer with any degree of
 PM> success?

Yes to the point that I always get a signal but it is more degraded in
summer though viewable. I use the sensitive tuner in an older broken vcr
(never throw those out as they had the best tuners) which doesn't have a
blue screen of death (argh!).


 PM> The reception I got from the U.S. in winter
 PM> was as sharp and crisp as the local channel 12,
 PM> ie excellent. Now I can't even bring up a blurry
 PM> picture -- just a blank screen.
 PM>
 PM> I'm guessing but I don't think height and location
 PM> would be a factor, since they haven't changed? And
 PM> different TV sets in different rooms all worked
 PM> equally well -- in the winter.
 PM>
 PM> This summer thing is definitely a puzzle. I wonder
 PM> if the stations themselves are aware of it?
 PM>
 PM> Couldn't be the mountain, since I'm clear to the
 PM> border. Plus, as I said, excellent reception in
 PM> winter....
 PM>
 PM> Temperature? Humidity? Density of the air?...
 PM>
 PM> Puzzling.

The season is definitely a big factor. Consider during winter the ground
is frozen over with ice, the trees have no leaves, and the air is much
drier because it can't hold as much humidity when colder. What happens
then is the microwaves are reflected by the ground, free of obstructing
leaves, and not absorbed by the air's humidity. So it is easy to
understand why reception just has to be better in winter.


 PM> You say it's better at night.  But these stations
 PM> go off the air pretty early. Or do you mean after dark?
 PM> I've only tried at 7 pm for the PBS NewsHour.

What happens is that the Sun itself is a source of radio noise which
when the signal is weak then interferes more with it. A double whammy is
that the stations are geographically located south so we have to point
the antennas in the Sun's general direction. Usually after sunset this
noise clears up and the signal improves noticably. The Sun also affects
the ionosphere, making it porous to radio waves during the day and they
punch through instead of reflecting as during the night. Consider also
that in winter, days are shorter and night comes much sooner so you have
more viewing time without the Sun's effects on the signal.

One last factor to consider is that the stations tend to place their
antenna repeaters on mountain tops which are difficult to access in
winter. So any equipment maintenance has to be done during the brief
summer months. This may explain some disruptions in the signal pattern.

 Mike
 ****

... It's an echo Jim, but not as we know it!
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.30