Tv only getting 3 channels?!?

JMill62 · 09-28-2018, 10:56 AM

I have a 2014 Wildcat with the original Winegard antenna. It has worked perfect for years and picks up tons of channels. A few weeks ago I went to the Brickyard 400 and had to park under a tree and I only picked up 8 channels. I assumed it was the tree. Following weekend I tailgated at a football game and in an open lot only got 8 channels. Only 1-2 of which were main channels. I decided to upgrade my antenna, I thought maybe a tree limb might of came in contact with my antenna. I installed a Winegard rayzar Z1. I made sure during install to tighten all connections I could get to. It camp with a new wall plate amp so I replaced that too. When parked in storage lot with the old antenna I got 3 channels and after installing new antenna I still only get 3 channels with the amp turned on. Storage lot is less than 30 miles from downtown Cincinnati where all broadcast towers are. My house is 2 miles from my storage lot and my indoor antenna gets over 40 channels. What could be causing such a weak signal? I’m at a loss here. I’m going camping this weekend north of Columbus and I plan to try and troubleshoot my problem. Thanks in advance.

WoodLark-SC · 09-28-2018, 02:42 PM

Sounds like you are picking up the channels that you would get with no antenna at all. I'd look for a broken or shorted coax cable.

**Bama Rambler** · 09-28-2018, 02:56 PM

A shorted or open coax could be the problem. You could also have a splitter in the wall that's bit the dust.

If you have an ohmmeter it's easy to check the coax. Just disconnect the end and check between the center conductor and shield. The resistance should be pretty high. If it's zero (or almost) then it's shorted.

WoodLark-SC · 09-28-2018, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

A shorted or open coax could be the problem. You could also have a splitter in the wall that's bit the dust.

If you have an ohmmeter it's easy to check the coax. Just disconnect the end and check between the center conductor and shield. The resistance should be pretty high. If it's zero (or almost) then it's shorted.

Unfortunately, it may not be that easy. Some antennas appear as a short to direct current (ohmmeter), but are a high resistance at rf frequencies.

Kimber45 · 09-28-2018, 04:05 PM

power booster go bad? in a real bad hilly/mountain area?

DSurette · 09-28-2018, 06:57 PM

Check for a blown fuse in your power panel. I had the same problem and the antenna power light would light even though the fuse was blown. This was in a Coachmen 3150SS.

JMill62 · 09-29-2018, 08:39 AM

Update. Got to campsite. It’s fairly wooded. Both indoor and outdoor TVs are getting zero channels. Amp is turned on. I’ve turned antenna a few times and still nothing.
Hooked outdoor tv up directly to extra antenna with a 50’ coax and placed it on top of my truck. Still nothing.
No blown fuses and I’ve replaced the amp with my new antenna. Is it possible both indoor and outdoor TVs have went bad?
When my neighbors wake up I’m going to see how many channels they are getting.

Jay2504 · 09-29-2018, 09:03 AM

It could be the television(s). When you are done camping, roll by your house with the camper and try the indoor antenna and it’s coax cable from the house television. If that gets you lots of channels, then swap coax for the 50’ that you tried when camping. Still getting lots of channels? Try hooking the indoor antenna up to the coax on the roof of the camper. That way you will eliminate the camper television (s) first, then your 50’ coax, then the camper coax/antenna. Pleas let us know what you find. Jay

NJKris · 09-29-2018, 10:11 AM

Yes, see what other RV's are receiving. Distance from towers means very little. More important are the obstructions in between (topography, tall buildings, etc). I live about 30 miles from NYC and don't get a single NYC station due to the terrain.

JMill62 · 09-29-2018, 10:26 AM

i feel like the coax is bad or some connection inside the wall is loose or bad. The wire connected to the roof antenna is grey. The wire connected into the wall amp in bedroom is orange. Somewhere there is a connection I want to check. I just don’t know where it would be.

**Bama Rambler** · 09-29-2018, 02:20 PM

It's likely a splitter in the cabling either in the wall near the plate or in a compartment near the inlet fitting.

Villagerjjm · 09-29-2018, 02:56 PM

Moisture in the coax cable can cause it to short out.

tosh99 · 09-29-2018, 09:55 PM

I don't have an answer for you but can tell you a story of an RV park on the beach near Morro Bay, CA.

It was right on the sand next to a really nice small beach town. I mounted the TV on the swing out arm, raised the antenna and got ready for a night of entertainment. All we got the whole week there was two infomercial channels that ran 24/7 of a rehab center and Baseboard Buddy!

jjuscg · 09-29-2018, 10:00 PM

Please excuse me, if I'm stating the obvious, but I wasn't aware until I replaced an older TV recently that you have to rescan for local channels at every new location through the setup menu of the TV. It will only tune the channels it was programmed for at the last location. Again, no attempt at all to belittle you, but you mention multiple locations and didn't talk about the channel scan...

rlh1957 · 09-29-2018, 10:42 PM

My TV will pick up more stations on antenna if I do a channel-scan
at each new location instead of just turning on antenna amp.

JMill62 · 09-30-2018, 06:51 AM

Thanks for all the help. I removed the antenna from the roof and ran a new coax directly from the antenna to the back side of the amp and it works. Looks like I have a short in the coax or a splitter somewhere from the antenna to the wall plate. Looks like I’m going wire fishing. Thanks again for all the suggestions.

You may also like: