TV Reception

[Eli Polonsky]

On Wed, Aug 7, 2019 at 1:22 PM Larry Sochrin <lsochrin@rcn.com> wrote:

> Hi.  Are you both saying that you each currently get channels 2-1 WGBH-HD
> and 44-1 WGBX-HD fine (audio and video) via Antenna, and if yes, do you
> know what the frequencies are that are working for you right now?   I do a
> scan and nether of those show up at all.  Thanks.


Yes, 2.1 WGBH-HD and 44.1 WGBX-HD are now on RF Ch. 5 in the VHF band. I
get them both fine in Somerville with my Terk amplified indoor antenna that
has two telescoping "rabbit ear" arms for VHF, as well as the center
element for UHF. You can see it here:

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-7w2aqhKUOAi/p_209HDTVA/Terk-HDTVa.html

I extend the telescoping arms to receive 2-1 and 44-1 because they are on
VHF (RF 5). All other channels in the Boston area are on UHF RF channels,
and they are received through the center element.

The issue that many people seem to be having with 2-1 and 44-1 is that
their antennas are not designed to pick up VHF frequencies, only UHF (or
the manufacturers may claim that they pick up VHF and UHF on only one
universal element, but that may not actually work well for VHF).

Except for a very brief period when WHDH Ch. 7 (RF Ch. 42) tried
broadcasting their digital signal on RF Ch. 7 when TV went all-digital in
2009 (with poor results), I don't believe there have been any other TV
stations in Boston proper broadcasting their RF signal on a VHF frequency
until WGBH and WGBX as of last week. That's why over-the-air viewers in
this area could get by for the past ten years with modern indoor
(so-called) "HDTV antennas" that are designed for reception of UHF RF
channels only, or that claim VHF reception through the primarily designed
UHF element, but with poor results. There weren't any TV stations on the
VHF band in Boston since 2009.

Unfortunately the Terk antenna I have seems to no longer be manufactured (I
bought it on a physical walk-in at You-Do-It Electronics in Needham in
2009), but it may be found on online resellers, or you may need to find
another antenna that receives VHF.

EP