TV and the HD antenna Issue

S

Searaybio270

Active Member
Jul 8, 2010
1,058
Bush River on the Cheasapeake Bay
Boat Info
1996 EC, Garmin 3210, Dinghy - Seadoo Jet boat with twin 85 horse. Fun and Fast.
Engines
7.4 MC 360 HP each
Westerbeke 7KW
Ok - I bought the HD TV and a HD Antenna. I hooked up the new antenna directly to the TV. I get about 15 channels or so and this is with the antenna on the helm. So tonight I decide to put the antenna up on the arch and use the existing cable that runs to some sort of a gain switch. Now the good part.
I only get one channel. Played with the gain but nothing. So I decide with the one channel on to take down the antenna (not secured to the arch, yet) and write about it here. Funny thing - when I removed the antenna - I still got one channel. the only thing sticking out of the arch is the cable wire.

So, that's the issue - Any ideas.
Thanks.
 
Hook the antenna back up on the arch. Run a channel search on the TV. I had to do it this spring when everything got hooked back up. I went from 8 channels to 37.
 
Thanks, I will try that. Didn't think of doing that last night. This is just one of the many reasons I like this site.
 
Are you sure the gain box is working? Try by passing the box with antenna on arch to compare.
 
There is actually nothing special as far as an antenna being "HD" it is all in the TV, I am using the original OEM antenna that came on my boat from Sea Ray in 1998 (Shakespeare 2025). I just installed a Sharp HD LCD TV and with the factory amplifier on I pick up almost 40 channels with amazing quality (HD!). We are about 25 miles line of sight to Manhattan and get great signal from my slip (we have cable at the slip but I rather watch HD over the air), I do notice when it is low tide that we get less signal strength as we are in a hole (almost 8 ft tide change)....
 
Joe, most stations that broadcast in HD transmit over UHF frequencies, instead of VHF. The dealer you talked to may be thinking you were using a conventional marine VHF antenna (think "rabbit ears"), instead of UHF (think "Loop").
The difference between Standard definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) is just a matter of how many "pixels" and what type of audio tracks they can pack into their broadcast signal.

You can use this site to determine which channels you should be receiving in your zip code. http://www.tvfool.com/
The direction your antenna points in (if it's circular it points in all directions) can determine at what strength you will receive some signals.
If you move from one place to another in your boat, it can affect the channels you receive.

Keep playing with it, and you do have to rescan your channels when you change location of your boat or your antenna to get the best results.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Wired2Cruze said:
Joe, most stations that broadcast in HD transmit over UHF frequencies, instead of VHF. The dealer you talked to may be thinking you were using a conventional VHF antenna (think "rabbit ears"), instead of UHF (think "Loop").
The difference between Standard definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) is just a matter of how many "pixels" and what type of audio tracks they can pack into their broadcast signal.

You can use this site to determine which channels you should be receiving in your zip code. http://www.tvfool.com/
The direction your antenna points in (if it's circular it points in all directions) can determine at what strength you will receive some signals.
If you move from one place to another in your boat, it can affect the channels you receive.

Keep playing with it, and you do have to rescan your channels when you change location of your boat or your antenna to get the best results.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Randy,
Thanks. That was some very good info. Can't wait to get off work and try these tips or should I say what to do. My antenna is the round type.
Joe
 
It sounds like maybe you have a problem with the antenna cable connector. Did you put a new connector on where the cable connects to the antenna?
You were still getting only one channel because the only antenna that you had was the cable itself - ie: it is not connecting to the antenna itself.
In regard to the amplifier. I have the Sheakspeare 2025 with amplifier. Without the amp turned on, I get 9 channels. With amp on, I get 19 channels.
 
That's what I have (2025). Directly connected to the TV, not running it through the existing wire, 15 plus channels. But the antenna is not mounted to the arch.
 
I meant to say in my other post that if you were using the "pole" kind of antenna, that is likely VHF only, but you indicated you have the "round" marine antenna, which should pick up UHF signals, and possibly VHF, depending on the antenna.

The report you receive from the website will also indicate the optimal height for your antenna in order to receive the stations in your area.
For example, at my home, although theoretically I have access to over 50 channels, I receive only 18, because my UHF/VHF antenna is only 5 feet off the ground, due to deed restrictions on placement.

Keep in mind that if you're on a larger body of water with good line of sight (the Chesapeake should qualify!) that you may get better than average results, depending on where the transmittal towers for the stations are located, due to the lack of obstructions between you and the tower.

If a station is broadcasting in digital format only (most do), then you will either receive all or nothing from that signal, but if you can pick up an analog signal (some stations still broadcast in analog) then you can get anywhere from decent quality to ghosting, etc. in your signal.
 
Ok Joe, from the information that you have given, I can't really tell what you have.
If you bought a new 2025 and rf pre-amp, the pre-amp automatically switches from cable or external antenna input to your arch input when you turn it on.

If you are trying to use an old pre-amp that was in the boat, it may only work with analog signals, not digital signals. When you put the antenna on the arch and connected to the existing cable, did you disconnect the cable from the pre-amp and wire directly to the TV input? As TbirdVet said, try by-passing the box.
 
Last edited:
Last night I hooked the antenna to the existing boat cable and got nothing. Hooked it to the provided cable, to the amp to the TV - 18 channels and very good reception. Tonight I will disconnect the existing cable to the old gain switch and connect it to the amp to the TV. I believe it will work then. Stay posted.
 
When you finally get it all noodled out, I have a tip for you concerning the mounting of the antenna. The antenna mounts to a riser and is secured in place by carriage bolts that squeeze the collar on the antenna around the riser. Go to the hardware store and buy some SS nuts, bolts and washers to use instead of the carriage bolts. I found that when you tighten the carriage bolts down, the heads will tear out the collar - best to replace them from the start with regular nuts and bolts and avoid the problem.
 
21QJqNPy6OL_SL500_AA300_1-1.jpg
 
JerryS said:
When you finally get it all noodled out, I have a tip for you concerning the mounting of the antenna. The antenna mounts to a riser and is secured in place by carriage bolts that squeeze the collar on the antenna around the riser. Go to the hardware store and buy some SS nuts, bolts and washers to use instead of the carriage bolts. I found that when you tighten the carriage bolts down, the heads will tear out the collar - best to replace them from the start with regular nuts and bolts and avoid the problem.
Click to expand...

I agree. Mine did the exact same thing. I actually had to put tape around the mounting pole as it was too small. No matter how tight you got the bolts it would not clamp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,197
Messages
1,428,351
Members
61,103
Latest member
Navymustng
Back
Top