# Better than AntennaWeb.org



## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

Where I live antennaweb has fallen way behind in offering really useful information. Here's a link to a site which those of us on AVSforum have found much better.

http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=45

I've often recommended antennaweb but from now on it's TVFool. I like the name better too


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## Gilitar (Aug 1, 2004)

Wow! Definitely better than antennaweb.


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## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

I was wondering if anyone was going to check this out. Not only does TV Fool give better directional info for you OTA antenna, it also provides you with a LOT of additional data which should help in those troublesome situations.


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## MadScientist (Dec 1, 2004)

This does not work with my address!


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## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

MadScientist said:


> This does not work with my address!


What city are you in? Just for fun I got results using Boone, Mount Airy and Kinston without using a zip code.

If your problem is widespread I'd sure like to know. If it's an exception I'd like to know that as well. I'm one of about 6 people on our local AVS forum who try to help those with OTA problems and don't want to give out poor information.


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## booger (Nov 1, 2005)

tvfool is much better. antennaweb found only two digital stations for my location when I actually can pickup 7 with the correct antenna. tvfool was right on the money.


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## waynebtx (Dec 24, 2006)

Still does not give all the DT ch i get from corpus.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

I looked at it, tons of info. Only issue was on the Antenna guide itself. I know from Experince the idea of a using a set top unit for where I live, would NOT work at all. Where the info is great, looks like Antenna.org is a little more accurate, just by going from the recommendation it put in for me.


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## dclaryjr (Mar 11, 2007)

waynebtx said:


> Still does not give all the DT ch i get from corpus.


Do you get KZTV's digital signal? I'd be surprised because they are operating on very low power.


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## MadScientist (Dec 1, 2004)

Hello,

I live about 25 miles South of Danville VA. and about 10 miles North of Roxboro NC.

The thing is I live in Person county, but my mail goes to a different county which is Caswell county. So when I enter my address it comes back as unknown address and I need to enter my coordinates instead; of which I don't know how I would do that?



jgurley said:


> What city are you in? Just for fun I got results using Boone, Mount Airy and Kinston without using a zip code.
> 
> If your problem is widespread I'd sure like to know. If it's an exception I'd like to know that as well. I'm one of about 6 people on our local AVS forum who try to help those with OTA problems and don't want to give out poor information.


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## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

Go to http://maps.google.com and find your location. On the right side above the map click the Link to this Page link. You will then get a link that looks something like

http://maps.google.com/ ?ie=UTF8&ll=*42.946364,-85.001198*&spn=0.008023,0.014977&z=16&om=1

The part I highlighted in bold is the lat and long.


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## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

HobbyTalk said:


> Go to http://maps.google.com and find your location. On the right side above the map click the Link to this Page link. You will then get a link that looks something like
> 
> http://maps.google.com/ ?ie=UTF8&ll=*42.946364,-85.001198*&spn=0.008023,0.014977&z=16&om=1
> 
> The part I highlighted in bold is the lat and long.


You and I were thinking the same thing, except I used Google Earth, found Pearson North Middle School

36.265505 N Latitude
-78.590108 W Longitude

That should get Madscientist fairly close.


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## HobbyTalk (Jul 14, 2007)

I normally use Google Earth too but not everyone has it installed. Anyone can esily use Google Maps.


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## Lyle_JP (Apr 22, 2002)

This site only tells me one thing I didn't know: That if I want OTA digital, I will need to build an antenna tower roughly 700 feet high. Not very helpful additional info for me


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## MadScientist (Dec 1, 2004)

Exactly !! That is almost the same for me!



Lyle_JP said:


> This site only tells me one thing I didn't know: That if I want OTA digital, I will need to build an antenna tower roughly 700 feet high. Not very helpful additional info for me


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## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

MadScientist said:


> Exactly !! That is almost the same for me!


I've got some questions for you that would be of help to me.

1. Can you receive:
a. Fox 49?
b. ABC 52?
c. CBS 53?
d. NBC 55?

2. What type of antenna are you using and where is it located? (indoor, attic, outdoor)

Base on the location info you posted earlier, I plugged in Lat=36.27 and Long=-78.59 (Pearson North Middle School) which should be fairly close to you.

At that location, TV Fool tells us this:

You are receiving a signal from Fox, CBS and ABC of 1000 kW (couldn't be better) and NBC at 525kW (should be more than strong enough) at this location.

But, there are 2 obstacles (2Edge) between you and these towers (probably some hills since your not in the mountains) which are blocking a direct Line of Sight.

In order for you to get a direct LOS you would have to mount an antenna +/- 45' above the ground

The stations I listed are 41.1 miles away almost directly South of you


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## Unclejeff (Mar 10, 2004)

Pity. I got great info...but can't print the page. bummer.


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## kb7oeb (Jun 16, 2004)

This program is neat, I always wondered how people significantly further north than me can pick up stations in the dma to the south and with this program I could see a small mountain cast about a mile wide shadow across my house.


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## gjh3260 (Mar 19, 2006)

I put in my address and it was right on.


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## digital223 (Dec 19, 2002)

Unclejeff said:


> Pity. I got great info...but can't print the page. bummer.


download MW Snap 3 [freeware].... here: http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html

snap any portion of your browser screen into a jpe, bmp, png, tif ....etc.
easy to use, great app.


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## MadScientist (Dec 1, 2004)

I live on Hyco Lake, I get no signal from any of them. so no to a,b,c,d

Antenna is a Channel Master. I received it from WRAL for free. It has antenna amplifier also.

It is also installed with a channel master rotor. It is on a 15 feet pole and still nothing.

Antenna is outside, I don't remember the model numberbut it must be 3 feet by 3 feet squared.

As I said I live on the lake and its down hill from the main road. I can use my cell phone at the main road, but not at the house, no signal.

So I guess I am SOL.



jgurley said:


> I've got some questions for you that would be of help to me.
> 
> 1. Can you receive:
> a. Fox 49?
> ...


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## waynebtx (Dec 24, 2006)

dclaryjr said:


> Do you get KZTV's digital signal? I'd be surprised because they are operating on very low power.


Yes pickup 10 and 10-1 very good lot better then KDF.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Actually Antennaweb and TVFool use the same dataset for their info -the FCC database, it's just that Antennaweb is much more conservative in what they filter and what they allow through.

I've noticed in my area TVFool lists channels that do not exist and will not exist until February 2009, just because they regurgitate more of the data in the FCC database. It's interesting, but not accurate.


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## dahenny (Apr 16, 2007)

According to TVfool, I don't exist. Maybe that's why the sun rises at 2pm & sets at 4pm.


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## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

I've been to Boone (nice place) so unless you're on top of a mountain with an antenna the size of you house, OTA is only a prayer. Did you try your coordinates? And does antennaweb show that you exist?


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## deweybroncos (Jun 15, 2007)

Great info! thanks


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## dahenny (Apr 16, 2007)

jgurley said:


> I've been to Boone (nice place) so unless you're on top of a mountain with an antenna the size of you house, OTA is only a prayer. Did you try your coordinates? And does antennaweb show that you exist?


antennaweb does show my existence, but they don't have a clue about my particular topography. I'm less than 20 miles from the Tri-cities towers in TN, but because I am 500 ft below the ridgeline between me & them, I can't even get analog, much less DT.

The weird thing is, I get DT's from the Greensboro market. 2 channels, 45.1 and 20.1 are locked in most of the time.


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## jgurley (Feb 1, 2005)

dahenny said:


> antennaweb does show my existence, but they don't have a clue about my particular topography. I'm less than 20 miles from the Tri-cities towers in TN, but because I am 500 ft below the ridgeline between me & them, I can't even get analog, much less DT.
> 
> The weird thing is, I get DT's from the Greensboro market. 2 channels, 45.1 and 20.1 are locked in most of the time.


You and I have one thing in common; we both live in the mountains where OTA is hit and miss at best. On TV Fool I entered the coordinates for Boone (Latitude: 36.220364/Longitude: -81.686965) and it doesn't show your Greensboro stations at all.

For me the reverse is true. TV Fool shows at total of 12 DT stations, several of which I've never heard. Antennaweb only shows 4 stations and one of those is a very, very weak powered one I'd didn't know about and can't receive.

The weird thing for me is that I have one cluster of stations only 7 miles to the west and cannot pick up Fox regardless of many efforts. The others there come in fine. Two other networks (ABC & CW) are 25 miles east and they are my strongest signals. Go figure.

What I liked about TV Fool is that it showed all the DTs in my area together with lots of info antennaweb doesn't have. Unfortunately all this info didn't help me with my Fox situation, but it is interesting to see.


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