# OTA Signal Strength



## Bradcny (Oct 21, 2010)

On Wednesday I had the local business that offers satellite and antenna service come and mount an antenna I own on my roof. Prior to that, I just had it propped in a window next to my TV. Well, there are two things that I am concerned about and I would like input from you folks. First of all, one of the stations came in at a strength of between 92% and 97% all the time, now that it is on the roof, the levels now read between 72% and 81%. It pixelates on clear days, so I hate to see it when it rains. My other concern is that when the worker went to mount the antenna, he just put it in the first spot he got to. I'm no expert, but from what I have read in an attempt to educate myself, it seems that you can walk in a straight line across the roof and have vastly different results. So, is there any plausibility in any of this, or should I voice my concerns to them? I just need evidence that something may be amiss here.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Yep.. digital signals are tempermental. Lots of variables to get max and reliable signal strength. Nearby buildings, hills, trees, etc. can all lead to multipath. Superposition from multipath can lead to low or no signal under just the right conditions even if you can see the tower. In most cases, when installing an antenna for digital TV, one needs to experiment a bit in most circumstances with different locations, directions, etc. to get the best install. I would think most professional installers would know this.


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