Posted on 05/02/2017 3:21:52 PM PDT by Weeble
I need some cable cutting help. Years ago, we got Dish network, which I am now dumping. I got Sling TV and a Roku box, which works great. I plan/hope to get local channels through a new antenna. I disconnected Dish and mounted and connected my new Channelmaster 45, right where my old antenna was. I live in the burbs, only a few miles from the major broadcast antenna and before we switched to Dish, the old antenna pulled in numerous channels. With the new Channelmaster, I only get a few channels (for you MN folks, I get TPT public television stations and the CW). I called the Channelmaster help line and they told me it will not work until I remove the secret equipment Dish installed in my house. What the heck...what secret equipment? The Dish set top box I have (model 322) supplies 2 tvs. It is connected to the coax running from the dish and to 1 tv. The other tv receives its signal wirelessly from the box. Channelmaster said Dish would have installed some electronic gear somewhere in the house to make this work. But, they said "for liability reasons" (I kid you not) they can't tell me what or where this super secret equipment might be (ok, a little sarcasm) . Until I find it and disconnect it, the antenna wont pull in OTA channels. This sound ludicrous. Any advice would be appreciated.
Didn’t Dish (or one of the other satellite providers) use to do program updates over the telephone. Long shot but I’d make sure that whatever old hardware is not plugged into the telephone jack or connected to the Internet. It might be an old dongle, too?
Also, they may have a record of you owning a system that you don’t.
All guesses.
Run the correct wire for your antenna and set directly to the set through a window to eliminate any matching networks in the house to see if it works. If it does you may need to run a new wire to bypass the matching network. (The impedance (resistance) on the cable/antenna and set must match.)
Have you ever thought about cutting all connections? Did it three years ago after my mother died and haven’t missed it one bit.
Gotta aim it at the antennas.
I live on the step of a mountain range, high above my city and virtually all of the TV and radio antennas are just around the bend from me so we receive - 0 - TV channels in this house (which we custom built 20+ years ago) and just a few radio stations. We do not have cable or natural gas service within 1 mile of this location.
With that in mind, I DO have Dish network and have always done all the installation of equipment myself (or with VERY strict oversight by me).
I wired this house myself for not only electricity but for telephony and RG-6 coax as well. I installed the coax for the Dish dish while building the house.
My friend is a Dish and DirectTV rep in the area and when I need a new box, he hands it to me and I install it, then return the old box to him.
Currently we run a 722 without a ‘Joey.’
I can assure you that Dish has NO special equipment in your house screwing up your coax, unless you have a ‘Joey’ - which could possibly block/override your OTA antenna.
If you have removed the 322 (and your Joey, if you have one) then you likely just need a good RG-6 coax from your antenna to the TV...
Is your TV newer? Does it have a tuner for OTA broadcasts? A few do not have this.
If it does, look through the menu on the TV for digital OTA and see if there is a ‘setup’ or ‘find stations’ menu. That may do the trick.
Best!
Another way to watch shows is to hook your computer up to the TV with HMDI or other video connection. You can then bookmark most of the shows you normally watch and view them a few days after they air. It’s like DVRing everything. Not sure about sports stuff. That’s probably not very good.
I used MS Word to create a simple home page with all the links I need. There have only been a few shows I couldn’t find that way. I watched those on NetFlix when they get released. It’s amazing what you can get for free if you look.
Look in the heels of your shoes.
I have had better luck with cheaper antennas than the fancy ones. You may have to try several. Also if you try an antenna that has a plug in “booster” try the antenna without plugging it in the wall socket. I had to try several antennas to find the one that worked best. The same antenna sucked at another location only a mile away. Good luck.
Did you get a pre-amp with your antenna? Coax will kill your signal without one.
Both tvs are 1080p Panasonic plasmas - about 5 years old. Both have digital tuners. After I connected the antenna, I ran the set-up channel scan for both analog and digital signals. Moved the antenna a bit and tried again. I don’t know what a “Joey” is. Is this the model 322 box that feeds one tv a wireless signal? Could there be another component of the system I am not aware of? I did disconnect all the Dish equipment that I know of. But the fact that the Channelmaster rep told me there is hidden equipment in the house that interferes with the antenna is just too weird. He told me to check all the wiring in the house. Oh, for “liability reasons” he can’t tell me what or where it is. Anyway, thanks for helping!
See link for types of antennas. What you have should work.
https://www.amazon.com/TV-Antennas/b?ie=UTF8&node=172665
Locate the over the air channels.
https://www.tablotv.com/tools
I use a Mohu Leaf TV Antenna and hang it in my window.
https://www.amazon.com/Mohu-Paper-thin-Reversible-Detachable-Performance/dp/B00HSMK580/ref=sr_1_4?s=audio-video-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1493766523&sr=1-4&keywords=mohu
A Joey sits behind a second (or 3rd, 4th, etc.) tv and receives signal from a Dish receiver, like a 722, over the coax and can access TV channels independently.
I was sure you do not have any Joeys ($10.00 a month ea.) but needed to mention it.
I gave you my background to assure you that I understand Dish components, and that NO ONE but me has ever installed any Dish equipment in the last 20+ years here. There are NO hidden devices.
Another FReeper mentioned using a direct cable from the antenna to your TV, it’s good advice.
Good luck!
The Channelmaster people don’t know what you have , they’re guessing ... you could have devices backfeeding power to a switch that needs external power or a multiplexer that allowed an antenna to run along the same coax as your sat signal.. just remove everything and at the point where the antenna enters the house use a quality splitter to feed your TV’s.
I’m using two antennas... an old radio shack
rabbit ears...and a clear TV flat 8 in square to recieve between 43-51 channels during summer months and up to 63 channels during the winter....according to the broadcast antenna locator map....( their about 40 miles away) I get most of the channels out of Philly..(68 miles away).CW..ION...ABC..FOX
NBC...CBS..PHIL17...F24...RT..NRK..a slew of Spanish chs...including UniMas, which broadcast Formula 1 races live... oh.. and of course, HSN..QVC..
If I want news, it's online.
If I want to watch sports, it's online, and free.
There is no problem with spy equipment hidden in your home. PS—that pothos by the TV looks a little wilted.
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