MadCityHD.com (Digital HDTV)

Hey guys,
 
I'm at my wits end here.  I've tried 3 different antennas, in numerous different locations, and I simply cannot receive FOX in HD.  Even SD for fox looks like crap.  I can receive every other local HD channel just fine, with signal strength registering around 70-80 according to my TV, but WMSN-HD won't register at all, or if it does, rarely crawl above 10 on the signal strength meter.
 
Any suggestions?  Anyone want to come over and help me out here for beer or food?  I live near St. Mary's Hospital, but south of it, rather than a direction where St. Mary's should be in the way.
 
I'm going bonkers with this.
 
Thanks,
 
-stefan

WMSN-DT is the only station on the VHF band, digital channel 11.  Is your antenna capable of getting VHF?

Yep, I looked that up, and I've been adjusting the rabbit ears in all directions.

I currently have 2 different antennas that I've been trying - one from Radio Shack (First picture I found of it was here: http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/ele/196946862.html )

and one RCA Amplified ANT501

Neither one works.

-stefan

You are definitely in a location that can receive the signal.  Have you tried any type of outdoor antenna, maybe in the attic.  An amp might hurt or help your signal, but its worth trying.  
 
I think that plain rabbit ears placed up high (in attic) with an amplifier is the best way to get the signal.  

I have used rabbit ears with an amp indoors and received 47.1 and i live much further out of town.

Unfortunately, I rent, so outdoor isn't an option, and the attic seems to be sealed off, so I can't get to that either.  Basement or first floor seem to be my only options.

I'll be really crabby if I can't get Fox for the packer games, although maybe it'd be a blessing in disguise the way the preseason went.

-stefan

Saw this post and had to chime in with a similar problem I'm having.

I'm using a generic set of rabbit ears for my HD reception of Madison channels (I live in Albany).  When the antenna is connected to my Dish Network receiver, and is used to scan for OTA channels, I DO PULL IN 47.1 WITHOUT PROBLEM.  Now, while my receiver is on the fritz, the antenna is connected directly to my TV and I can pick up all but 47.1 in HD.  Solutions/ideas?  Anything to try would be great.  Thanks.

Well, after much work, I've managed to find a spot in my house that gives me about 70% signal, some of the time.  The rest of the time it inexplicably drops to 0-13% and I lose the channel and have to hope it comes back.

Very frustrating.

Anyone have any ideas to make a custom, small, non-invasive outdoor antenna solely to receive digital channel 11 or whatever 47.1 is?

-stefan

So during the packer game, my reception started at 70%.  It's now down to 11% and the game is unwatchable.  This is without touching anything nor anyone even being on the same floor as the antenna.

Anyone have a recommendation for a decent outdoor antenna?

This is driving me crazy, there is no reason I should have such erratic reception.

-stefan

47 comes in bad for me too. try getting a better antenna.

Just plugged in my new converter box, and it was easy as pie, but for me too, Channel 47 has vanished.

I was able to manually add 47 to my scan by selecting channel 11, but there's a reason it didn't get selected on the auto-scan -- the signal is impossibly weak. No matter where I put the rabbit ears, signal strength never passes 12%, while it's rarely less than 65% for any of the other local channels. Like others have mentioned, we're apartment dwellers, so the roof or attic really aren't options. Our next step will be buying an extra length of cable and trying the antenna in even more remote areas of the apartment. Any tips, anything that's worked for anyone else, would be appreciated. :)

are you sure you have a vhf antenna connected?  since 47 is on digital 11 it requires a vhf antenna.

In 2009 all madison stations will be on uhf antenna, so vhf will not be required.

Thanks ... we're using ordinary rabbit ears with the loop, for both VHF and UHF coverage. Watching in analog before plugging in the converter box, the antenna worked fine for VFH (3) and UHF (15 21 27 47 57) so I don't think the antenna is the problem ... Then again, I'm no techie and I really know only about as much about such stuff as I knew ten years ago, which wasn't much. We do have an extra set of VHF/UHF rabbit ears, which I'll switch in and try before spending money on more cables.

If I understand correctly, channel 47's website says they'll be broadcasting on channel 11 (VHF) even after the big switch...

Follow-up to what I posted ten minutes ago: I thought switching to a different set of ordinary rabbit ears couldn't accomplish anything, but I was wrong. Problem solved, and thanks, i4tas, for a gentle kick in the head. :)

Our ten-year-old RCA rabbit ears go in the trash, 'cuz a two-year-old but equally low-tech antenna from Radio Shack (birthday present, never before taken out of the box) works well enough to bring in channel 47 with exactly 50% reception, which is perfectly watchable.

All the other stations are in the 60s-70s reception, while 47 remains in the upper 40s and an all-time high of 50%. They must have the weakest signal in town, or maybe we're in an odd corner for reception...

If WMSN switches from 11 to 49 reception will become much clearer.

I'm on the north side of Madison with an indoor antenna.  For the past year+, I haven't had much trouble with Fox 47.  The last week and a half it's been awful.  I can get the picture fine, but the sound clips in and out.  I bought another indoor antenna, but I'm having the same situation.

Has anyone else had this problem?

I used to have this problem, until I realized I was losing signal strength by hooking a loooong cable from the antenna to my DISH box, and then from the DISH box to my VCR, DVR, etc.  I was losing strength on 47 and several others, and this was EVEN WITH one of the best rated antennas found on Amazon.com.  Then, I bought a splitter.  Short cable goes from antenna to splitter to TV.  2nd splitter cable goes to DISH box and other items, and then on to a secondary TV input with the 3-color component cable.  I switch between antenna and DISH box (and DVR) by the input button on the TV remote.  Works like a charm.