How to deal with coax signal loss?

[bmcdougald]

I finally got my antenna(s) set up correctly and when hooked directly to my TV with about 85 ft. of coax and a Channel Master 7777 power amplifier, I could pick up all 38 digital stations in the Houston and surrounding area. GREAT!!!

I then set about connecting the antenna array into my house's cable/satellite tie in at the back of my house. The 85 ft. coax lead in was just long enough to reach this entry point. After I got the cable secure, I went back to the TV and re-scanned the channels and I was only able to pick up 12 stations. I tried several times, sometimes getting 1 or 2 stations less, sometimes 1 or 2 more. I then hooked up an old Magnavox 24 db TV amplifier I had laying around, and I was able to increase the station count to 24 or 25, but was still missing some of the main stations like NBC channel 2.

Fron my main tie in, the cable runs (approx. 35 ft.) to my attic where it is connected to a 1 or 2 main splitters and then fans out to every room in house from there.

Since I could get all of the stations prior to tieing in to the house's coax system, I know I'm dealing with signal loss over the coax. How can I overcome this signal loss? Since their appears to be a difference in the power amplifiers, is there one out there with more gain? I'm open to any suggestions.

One thing, I know is "why not mount the antenna closer to the house's tie in point", but we have to huge pine trees that are right behind our house, and appears to have blocked the signal on a prior antenna installation attempt a few years ago. The antenna's current location does not have that obstruction.

Also, I used a cable grounding block to make the connection between the house and the antenna. Don't think this should be the problem, though.

Thanks,

Bruce

[bmcdougald]

More info:

I went to another room that has an analog TV and I believe a shorter cable run, and hooked up a Philco HDTV converter box to it and did a scan, it took in all but 1 channel (ch 55). However, the converter box had a feature that either my HDTV did not have (or I just could not find), that is the signal strength meter. All of the channels were coming in with a strength of 49% or less (ch 2 was at 30%), which tells me, I believe, that if I adjust the direction of the antenna, I should get a stronger signal strength over the entire length of the coax. DUH.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, are HD converters different in how they pick up signals? My HDTV that is missing stations is a Sony Bravia, I would think it would have a fairly sophisticated HD converter.

Thanks again.

[tigerbangs]

You have a distribution problem, but, without knowing how your signals are distributed, or how man TV sets are connected, its hard to diagnose the problem. The tip-off is that installing the Magnavox amplifier helped, which tells me that your distribution system is inefficient. If you can map out the splitters as they are installed now and your TV sets, I can help you.

[bmcdougald]

Ok, that will require a trip to the attic, so I will check that out and get back to you later. I believe there are two splitters up there fanning out to the rest of, but I'm not totally sure. When we built the house. I had the electrician wire every room with two phone jacks and cable jacks.

Right now I only have two TV's setup. Potentially will setup 2 more at most.

Would I need something along the lines of a distributuion amplifier?

Thanks for your help.

[tigerbangs]

A distrubution amp is possible, but I really need more info before I say for certain...I am very concerned about the sheer number of connections that you have in the house, and what you really NEED for connections.