# ghosting problems with terk tv 42 antenna pls help!



## william04 (Jul 2, 2004)

i just installed my first antenna today installation was snap i read the manual 3 times to be sure about how its hooked..

but i have ghosting problems its really annoying is there anything i can do to get rid of it?? 

the antenna i am using is a terk tv42 clipon antenna i also made sure the receiver off to i learned quickly it makes some channels not even watchable at all with my SAT box on..

heres my channel lineup i am supposed to get without problems..according to antennaweb.org 

WLFL	22	WB RALEIGH NC 32.4 miles away
WRAZ	50	FOX	RALEIGH NC 17.1 miles away
WRDC	28	UPN	DURHAM NC	17.1	28 miles away
WUVC	40	UNI	FAYETTEVILLE NC 39.1 miles away
WTVD	11	ABC	DURHAM	NC 16.7 miles away
WNCN	17	NBC	GOLDSBORO	NC	16.7 miles away
WRAL	5	CBS	RALEIGH	NC 17.1 miles away
WRAY	30	SAH	WILSON	NC	21.6 miles away

whats even weird is that 50""11""28""17""15"" are all in the same direction!! and i get ghosting on all of them while a channel i dont even watch shopathome comes in clear little to no ghostins. there are no tall trees near either. wb22 is the farthest station and that comes in better than channel 5 and its only 18 miles from me??

i also am getting way lines on channel 17 and 11 so far the lines will come out of no where just slowly running to the top of the screen. while the other channels are clear but ghosting problems!!

any fix???


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## olgeezer (Dec 5, 2003)

That is classic interference. The stations signals are bouncing off the stations signals and your picking up the interference..


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## william04 (Jul 2, 2004)

olgeezer said:


> That is classic interference. The stations signals are bouncing off the stations signals and your picking up the interference..


welll i know that now but will aluminum foil help with the problems?? or should i try an FM-trap or an AC-line-filter for the scrolling bar on my tv??

any thing u can thank of to get better reception??

channel 28 comes in for about 5 minutes the goes blank for a sex or two then comes back on..is there any fix to that problem??


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

I use the terk 44 amplified antenna and I don't get much if any ghosting on my primary networks. Now my dad had the terk 42 installed on his dish and he gets ghosting on his abc station. I don't . His antenna is high up on his roof and mine is on a pole behind my house. I tried the terk 42 first and I didn't like the reception I got with it , so I switched to the terk 44 and it works like a charm.


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## olgeezer (Dec 5, 2003)

In Chicago 20 years ago the restrictions on TV antennas was such that only the most experienced, the best qualified installers survived. I worked for a national electronics chain, that decided the televisions, in my new store, would all have antenna instead of cable signals on them to improve picture quality. They employed the fella that was reputedly the best antenna man in the country. He was able to get a wonderful picture on the televisions, but couldn't completly erase ghosting. This was in east Wichita, Kansas. And there was not at that time,a complete solution to reception, from antenna, when all the towers were in a row. Now i'm no antenna expert, and that was 20 years ago, so I would hope there is someything available now, that could improve your signal. I think it would involve a more traditional antenna, than the Terk.


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## Mike500 (May 10, 2002)

Unfortunately, the Terk 42 is a piece of junk, and works only under ideal conditions. Since it is nearly omni directional, it pick up nearly all of the stray signals that are reflected off of the ground, towers and tall buildings.

If you have all of the channels in one direction, you need a narrow beam antenna with a very high front/back ratio,

The Terks are basically wide beam dipoles with two large gain lobes, one in front and one in the back. The signal may be bouncing off of many reflectors in the invironment. When they arrive out of phase synchronization, they reveal themselves as ghosts on the screen.

Unless you live in a totally clean environment, there will always be ghosts or multipaths.

My case is similar to yours. I have a conventional Winegard CA7210 Ghostkiller antenna, which is ideal for the ranges and ghost problems that you describe.

The picture I get is usually better than cable or locals on satellite. Ghosts are still present, but extremely light and faint. I don't knotice them at all, unless I look for them.

If you can't find this antenna locally, you can order it on line at:

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?CAT=Antennas TV&PROD=ANWGHST


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