Home > > Antenna Troubleshoot
Antenna Troubleshoot#1 Problem is not a problem... Our antennas are Hybrid type antennas, both active (power amplified) and passive (no power required). The biggest mistake customers make are ordering an antenna that is too powerful for their location. So before returning the antenna, all you need to do is unplug the power supply and plug the antenna cable directly into the digital TV. Now do one more scan and enjoy your Free HDTV.
 AX903-909 Install Manual
AX912 Install Manual
AX929 Install Manual
After-Purchase
Using Antenna with
Digital converter box
Hints and Tips
These sub-channels are confusing me! Whats going on?
Lets say the FCC has given the NTSC station on channel 3 permission to use channel 41 as a DTV channel. But when you tune to channel 41, your new receiver says you are now on channel 3-1, and you have also discovered there is a 3-2. What are these channels and how did you get there?
Welcome to the world of virtual channels. Every virtual channel has a physical channel. The physical channel is the actual RF spectrum being used. The virtual channel could be called almost anything. In this example, 3-1 and 3-2 are virtual channels, and are also referred to as sub-channels of virtual channel 3, which is physical channel 41, and thus not the same as the analog signal on physical channel 3, even though they look about the same.
The data stream of DTV channel 41 has data blocks called PSIP data. The PSIP data tells the receiver that channel 41 has two sub-channels: 3-1 and 3-2. The channel 3 people chose these sub-channel names to remind you whom you are watching. Not every station follows the example of this hypothetical channel 3. A different management might have chosen 41-1 and 41-2 for physical channel 41s sub-channels.
Your remote controller will let you key in either the physical or the virtual channel number, but there are some differences between manufacturers. Some receivers will assume 3-0 means analog channel 3.
Why cant I get my local DTV station?
Your first days with your new HDTV can be a very confusing and frustrating time, particularly where OTA stations are concerned. You cant tell the receiver that a channel is digital. The receiver has to figure out for itself whether a physical channel is analog or digital. If the antenna is marginal or misaimed, the receiver can guess wrong. Then you cant aim the antenna because the receiver thinks the channel is analog, and you cant convince the receiver to switch because the antenna is misaimed. In strong signal areas the receiver might eventually right itself. Otherwise you might have to figure out how to make the receiver unlearn a channel. But that still doesnt solve much since the antenna is still misaimed.
Nearly all DTV receivers have a signal strength meter of some type. But many of these meters read zero until the signal is good enough (or almost good enough) for reception. In weak signal areas these meters will not tell you much about whether you need to aim more to the right or to the left. When you get no reception, you are left not knowing whether your antenna is just misaimed or is inadequate, and if inadequate, by how much. Maybe the receiver is locked up on analog. Maybe the station isnt there today or is at lower power. Maybe an antenna connector is poor or open. Maybe the pre-amp isnt working. Maybe you missed something in the instruction booklet. Will it ever work?
Once the receiver has learned all the channels correctly, these problems go away. People in strong signal areas will never see most of these problems.
All receivers have a Channel Learn sequence, in which the receiver will search for and learn all the channels at once. When you initiate the learn sequence, some receivers will forget everything they learned previously, which creates problems for users who use a rotor or who switch between two antennas. These users have to learn how to add channels manually. Other receivers never forget anything, which creates other problems.
Picture quality
The image quality is not affected at all by a low to moderate level of noise in the signal. This is true for both satellite and OTA DTV. Yet some people cant resist wondering could I improve the image by improving the signal strength? The answer is NO!
When the signal becomes too weak, you will see block errors (parts of the screen that are shifted or obviously wrong), sound dropouts lasting a few seconds, or image freezes lasting a few seconds. All of these errors are crude, unsubtle errors. If these are not present, your image is perfect.
If your image is perfect, there is still one reason you might want to improve the signal: It would make dropouts less likely in bad conditions, such as heavy rain. Rain can affect DBS and UHF reception, but not VHF. In some places, wind can affect UHF.
Reception errors
If you are experiencing mild reception problems, you will see video errors and audio dropouts. In all cases you will see a ratio of about 5 to 10 video errors for every 1 audio dropout. If you are seeing video errors and/or audio dropouts but not in this ratio then your reception is perfect and the fault is something else. Usually the station or the network is at fault, but occasionally it is the STB.
Am I seeing 1080i or 720p or 480?
This can be hard to tell. When a TV station decides to provide an HD sub-channel, that sub-channel is normally 1080i (or 720p) all the time at the transmitter, even if some (or most) of the programming originates at NTSC cameras. There is no technical requirement for this, but it seems to be nearly universal practice. Thus your receivers HD detector is not a reliable indicator of whether the program is actually HD. NTSC 4:3 images will have black bars on the side that you probably cannot eliminate because they are part of the 16:9 transmitted images.
The most reliable way to tell if you are seeing HD: If the image is 16:9 and it is not stretched and there are no black bars on the sides and nothing is clipped off the top or bottom then the image is 720p (ABC, FOX, and ESPN) or 1080i (everyone else).
Why wont satellite companies provide HD network feeds?
The National Association of Broadcasters lobbies effectively for the local stations. As a result, Congress has legislated that these stations continue to enjoy their monopolies. Contracts between the networks and the local stations vary a lot. The result is a patchwork of rules on who can receive what. In most cases the satellites operators are forbidden to offer viewers feeds or stations that would compete with the locals.
If you are out of range of the ABC, NBC, CBS, or FOX digital stations then the satellite company might be allowed to provide you with the New York or Los Angeles equivalents. The rules are too complicated to state here, but if the local station is owned by the national network then the odds are in your favor. If you are told that a waiver is required from the local station then you can apply for the waiver, but you will probably be turned down.
What are artifacts?
In image processing, artifact refers to any predictable flaw in the image resulting from shortcuts or shortcomings in the processing technology. In HDTV, most artifacts result from compromises that have to be made when the picture changes too rapidly and requires more than the allowed bandwidth (data rate). Sometimes the choice is to delete frames. There are a number of common artifacts that result from converting 24 frames/sec filmsto 30 frames/sec TV. Your particular TV model might introduce some more artifacts. (Snow and interference are not generally called artifacts.)
What you need to know after you connect your antenna?
After you connect your Antenna to the TV, refer to your TV instruction on how to set up the single source to Air/Antenna Type and scan the digital channels.
If you are using a digital converter box, please refer to the instruction for the converter box to scan the channels.
For most of the HDTV today, you will need to set up the signal source correctly in order to get the digital channels.
You can go to your TV menu and find the setting or installation option. Set up the signal source to AIR/Antenna.
After you set up the signal source, go to Channel scan or Channel manage to scan the digital channels. This process will usually take 5-10 minutes to finish. You will be able to see the Channels count during the scan process.
If the Antenna Power on OK there should be no problem for the reception.
NOTICE Turn off the power when not using. If reception not stable, please adjust the antenna to different position.
**Be sure that the Antenna and TV cables are plugged in appropriately, mixing these two may cause electrical malfunction.**
Frequent Ask Questions
Easy Self-Test
We will recommend you to do a test by yourself using the cable we extra offer before you install the antenna outside of the building.
1. If you plug the AC Adapter and connect to the control unit box, you should first see a red light is on on your control unit box.
2. Once you connect the control unit box(a port on the box named ANT) to your antenna with a cable, now you should see the red light is on on your antenna. If not, you can test again with different cable to see if the problem is caused from the cable.
3. After making sure both red light are on, everytime when you press the button on the control unit box, you can see a green light is on on the control unit box and your antenna should be rotating.
Above is a self-test instruction. Basically, you can test to see if your antenna set works without connecting the antenna to your TV set unless you're testing if any signals picked up by the antenna.
After you assemble all the parts correctly, the antenna should rotate about 360 degree and stop then rotate reversely by pressing the button on the unit box. Or you can change the direction by double clicking the button.
If your antenna didn't rotate, you can find out the problem easily from the steps above.
When you contact us asking for technical support, we appreciate if you can include a little details about which step above the error shows, so that we can more accurately diagnose the factor of problem your antenna might have.
For best result, the distance between the control unit box and your TV set should be within 20 ft. And the distance between the antenna and the control unit box should be within 50 ft.
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Q1: Which antenna do you recommend for me?
Help me chose what is best for me at my location:
Step 1. Click here and enter your zip code
Step 2. More Strong / Moderate signal = Indoor Antenna
Step 3. More Weak / No signal = Outdoor Antenna
Please note:
These predictions are based on a terrain-sensitive propagation model resembling but not identical to the propagation model used when calculating service and interference contours for licensed broadcast television stations. Actual signal strength may vary based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, building construction, neighboring buildings and trees, weather, and specific reception hardware. Your signal strength may be significantly lower in extremely hilly areas.
A:
To check for the DTV signals that are available at your location, use the DTV Reception Maps available at http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/.
If the broadcasting towers listed are within 40 miles from your location, we will recommend you the Indoor Antenna A-700. If it's between 50 to 100+ miles, we will recommend the AX903, AX906 or AX909 Outdoor Antennas.
The AX906 is a much stronger antenna unit. For some reasons, it might affect picking up signals which is not too far from user's location. So if most of the broadcasting towers are within 40-50 miles, usually we would recommend our indoor antenna (i.e. A-700) or outdoor antenna(AX909). If you are in a windy environment, the AX903 would best suite your situation.
Also due to various restrictions, we cannot guarantee which channels you can pick up.
Overall,
A-700, HD-600, A-468, etc.(GREEN Color Zone Antennas): within 40 miles
AX909(RED Color Zone Antenna): 40 to 100+ miles; to pick up signals within 40 miles, see Q3
AX906(RED Color Zone Antenna): 50 to 100+ miles; for those who really need more gain from your location
AX903(RED Color Zone Antenna): 50 to 100+ miles;for those who live in windy areas
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Q2: What are the differences between AX903/AX906/AX909?
A:
The differences between AX903, AX906 and AX909 are:
- AX906 has more gain than AZ909 which means AX906 is more powerful on receiving signals than AX909. AX906 is best for towers 50-100+ miles from your place.
- The input signal to your TV for AX909 is stronger than AX906.
- Dimension: HD-2605 is smaller than HD-2805.
- AX909 is more easily to assemble compared to AX906. But it does not mean AX906 is that complicated to assemble together.
- The AX903 is the most wind resistant of the three models.
This does not imply one antenna is better than the next. Each antenna has features that will provide more benefits in your specific environment and area.You need a converter box for traditional analog TV sets.
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Q3: There are no channels shown up after I install your antenna. (How to get signals within 40 mile and rescan channels?)
A:
If you would like to get the channels from stations within 40 miles away from your place, you can use the antenna without turning on the power on the control box with switch OFF. Then the signal will not be that strong. If you would like to get the channels from stations between 40 miles to 100 miles away from your place, you will have to turn on the amplifier with switch ON.
Don't forget to always rescan your converter box or TV set for channels when installing equipment. While some boxes do this automatically, you may need to select "scan" manually.
Using the remote control for your converter box or digital TV select "menu" or "setup" or some similar term. Now select "scan," "channel scan," "auto scan," or "auto program."
From there, select "OK," "auto scan," or "channel scan" and wait while your converter box or digital TV searches for all the channels available to you in your area.
Once complete, you should be able to select the channels you want using the proper remote. For TVs connected to a converter box, the remote control for the converter box (not the TV) should be used to change channels.
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Q4: How to install converter box with my antenna to the TV set?
A:
If you don't have a HDTV set, you'll need to have a converter box for your analog TV sets
For information about how to install your converter box, go to FCC website here.
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Assembly Guides
How To Ground A HDTV Antenna
by TK Tsumura
TV Antennas are usually mounted on the side of your house or on the roof. They're usually located fairly high the sky, and in this position, they are at a great risk of being struck by lightning. If a lightning bolt were to strike your antenna, it could easily send hundreds or even thousands of volts of electricity through your antenna and into your home. By grounding your antenna, it can reduce the risk of being struck. This is why grounding your antenna is a great investment. Though nothing you do can help if you were to receive a direct hit from lighting, but grounding your antenna will substantially prevent a direct hit. Here's another reason why you should ground your antenna: research shows that grounding your antenna not only makes it safer, but it also helps to eliminate noise on your shielded RG6 cable. This means you will have improved signal, reduced static build up, and higher quality reception to watch and enjoy HDTV without hassling with expensive bills.
Grounding your antenna is an easy procedure and you will need 3 of the following items:
E Good quality copper wire (14 Gauge is best for an antenna, we recommend 14 Gauge copper wire Belden.u. For satellites you can use a 6 Gauge.)
E A simple Grounding block
E Grounding rod 48 inch (4 feet grounding rod)
How do you ground your new HD Antenna?
First, connect the grounding wire to the mast or pole, if you are using a J pole mount, use one of the screws from the J pole. If you are using a mast, attach one end of the mast U bolt screw to the copper wire. The wire follows the path of the RG6 cable to the grounding block, which is met just before entering the house. Secure the coaxial cable run into your house while avoiding the crossing of other cables or power lines. It's recommended to seal the outdoor leads (where the cable screws onto the antenna) to prevent corrosion, seal it with coax seal or RTV.
Arrange the antenna for the best reception and then tighten the screws and secure the rest of the antenna assembly. Be sure your gear is plugged into quality surge protectors, preferably ones that are guaranteed for at least the amount of your equipment.
Next, take a copper wire and screw it into the grounding block with another piece of copper wire; this wire is then attached to the grounding rod, make sure it is pushed in at least 4 feet into the earth. However, some people may not have earth to push the rod into. For example, if you have concrete or stone at the base level, it may not be possible to ground the grounding rod without causing damage. If this is the case, instead of attaching the copper wire to the grounding rod, attach it to an exterior water pipe (main water pipes go deep into the ground). If there is no water pipe to attach it to, try looking to see if your cable company or phone company may have installed a grounding block for their installation, sometimes it's possible to tap into. If you attach the grounding rod to a pipe though, make sure to remove any paint at the point at which you attach the grounding wire; this is because in some new construction they use PVC pipes instead of metal and that's not reliable to attach the grounding wire.
The entire antenna system should be grounded to prevent the possibility of lightning damage. The coax cable should be grounded as well just before it enters the building with a coax cable ground block. To properly ground the coax cable, the coax should be cut just before it enters the building. Then, two weather boots and coax connectors should be placed over the cables. Both ends of the coax will be connected to the ground block.
The antenna mast should be grounded using a #10 gauge solid copper wire. Both the coax cable and the antenna mast should be attached to the building grounding electrode or grounding rod to meet the National Electric Code (N.E.C.).
However, your antenna itself maybe have special instructions for grounding, if this is the case, be sure to follow those instead. If you're not sure you've grounded your antenna correctly, consult a professional in installing antennas or contact the manufacturer of the antenna.
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