HDTV outdoor antenna

[daywane]

I tried the coat hanger one. worked fine till all the rain rusted it.
signal strength was 30%
Channel's came and went often

I bought a $50.00 one (indoor) at walmart.
signal strength was 50%
lost Chanel's 27 (wife's favorite)
Channel's I had was good and clear.

I got fed up.
went to radio shack , spent close to $300.00
bigest darn antenna I could find
a tripod for it and a 5 foot mast.
It is on the top of my house.
200 feet of rg6 cable
signal strength is 28% I was ticked off at first. I thought I should be much higher but I scanned for channels and got 18 of them. All work fine.
I do not understand the signal strength?
I did buy to much cable , I like having it around. I have not cut it yet. Could it be because all the cable?

[DaOld Man]

Have you tried turning the antenna towards the station you want to pick up?

This brings back boyhood memories of having to turn the outside antenna from the Nashville direction to Bowling Green direction, just to watch the closest local news we had on TV (and a few of Momma's shows that only came on ABC).

I was glad when we finally got cable.
Looks like we have come complete circle.

[TOK]

If you're getting the channels that are available and they're not tiling, you're good.
What you'd see in the analog world as snow is now gone, replaced with something called the digital cliff. That is, it's good until its bad. Without a meter to read bit error rates, all you have to rely on is a solid pic.
Sounds like you have that, so you're good! 

[vaunce]

the 200 feet of rg6 cable is your problem. rg6 lost on channel 3 (60 MHz) is about 8db.
time 2 = 16 db.
Point the antenna at the station on lower channel you are watching and short the cable as much as you can.
remove all the unnecessary splitters and make sure on every connection no shielding wires are touching the stinger. Do not use connector that need to be flattent only screw on, or cramp on.
AND DO NOT CUT OFF SHELDING, BENT IT OVER SO THEY TOUCH THE OUTSIDE OF EACH CONNECTOR.

[TOK]

the 200 feet of rg6 cable is your problem. rg6 lost on channel 3 (60 MHz) is about 8db.
time 2 = 16 db.

I think your estimates are high... should be about 6db per 100' at 750mhz... 2db at 55mhz.
His total loss should be 5 or 6 db... Thats with Belden stuff though, not Rat Shack.