Setup will not connect to uhf stations using rabbit ears antenna1

Make sure that you have the TV tuner set up to receive ATSC (digital) signals via "Off Air" or "Antenna". Having it set to the "Cable Ready" mode will only get you Ch 2 - 13. These settings are usually available in set up and may even allow the TV to scan for available channels, etc.

Is the antenna the correct one for your environment? Do you have the antenna pointed at the stations you want to receive? Use antennaweb.org or tvfool.com to get an idea of the location and likely channels you can receive at your location. Antennaweb assumes an outdoor antenna but is very conservative in the list of channels you can receive. (These may match the limits of the indoor antenna.) TVfool lists the stations and the appropriate antenna that will likely receive each station.

Tall trees and buildings will block the signal. Get the antenna as high as possible. Move the rabbit ears and UHF loop to maximize your signal strength. Then make sure the TV is set to use the OTA tuner (ATSC for digtal stations). (That may mean changing the source in the setup menu.)

Then scan for channels. Move your antenna or parts of it and rescan or edit the channel list. (For some TVs there is a weak signal setup option that will let you manually enter the station number (including sub-channel). Then it will provide the signal strength information as you move your antenna.)

I hope this helps. An amplifier may help you bring in weak stations with enough signal strength for the tv to see them.

Cindy Wells

Channel 19 actually broadcasts on VHF channel 11 (approximately 201MHZ) and channel 25 actually broadcasts on UHF channel 15 (approximately 479MHZ). I know that sounds a bit weird but it has been done so that stations don't have to change there "call" channel number when we switched to Digital TV. Your digital converter box keeps track of this. This is important to understand because you need and antenna that is good at picking up both UHF and VHF signals. If you're not getting channel 19 it may be due to a poor VHF portion of your antenna. If your using a basic old set of rabbit ears for your antenna that has a loop in the middle then I might have a trick for you. Most rabbit ears have 2 telescopic antenna elements. Extend or collapse until each length is 14.7 inches long. (Which is a quarter wavelength at 201MHZ). You are effectively tuning (Optimizing) your antenna specifically for that channel 19. You may need to rotate your antenna a bit to find the best signal.

There are other factors which can hinder you receiving channel 19 but this is a good starting point. Let me know what type of antenna you have. Hope this helps.

digital signals do not fade out and get snowy like signals used to do ... if the signal gets too weak then it just freezes .. you might say its either perfect or frozen .. sometimes it gets blocky .. where some sections of the screen freeze while other sections continue .. what that means if you are using an antenna is .. you need a better antenna or better aim for the one you have .. outside is much better than inside but just rabbit ears are ok for strong signal areas .. you can aim the antenna based on a signal strength meter usually provided in HD receivers in the setup menu .. you can also get an antenna map from "www.antennaweb.org" .. that will show you what direction to point the thing for each channel and how strong each channel should be ... if you are using Cable instead of an antenna then you should have good signal strength but there is a problem called "Crest Factor" .. that becomes an issue when they put too many signals on a given cable .. the cable handles it ok as long as there is no damage (bad ends, water inside, animal chews, corrosion) but the cable box or receiver may be overloaded as thousands of signals drift in and out of phase ... thats a cable company problem that might be getting worse as more channels are added .. the results are that periodically the picture will freeze or pixelate .. you probably have to accept a little of that but more than a little gets really irritating ....off the air reception with an inside antenna (like rabbit ears) you will find that moving around the room can effect the signal for channels in the UHF range (most are) .. aiming the antenna and getting it as high as possible will minimize that problem.. make sure whatever antenna you use is designed for UHF as well as VHF .. the little circle often found between the two "rabbit ears" is actually the UHF part of the antenna .. it can be rotated for UHF channels while the big ears are aimed and adjusted for VHF .. antennaweb.org will tell you which is UHF and VHF ..

Check to make sure your DTV antenna is an "all band" antenna with reception in both the UHF and VHF bands. It sounds like you may be in Philadelphia area. In Philadelphia, all the DTV stations are in the UHF band except Ch 6 and Ch12, which are in the VHF band. Some of the DTV antennas are UHF only. You can tell if yours can receive VHF if it has the "rabbit ears" long wip antennas. If so make sure the whips are extended fully and turn the antenna to try to get a good signal.

Visit the 6ABC and WHYY websites for up to the minute information about the issues with reception issues.

You may need an antenna that gets VHF and UHF bands. The "rabbit ear" antenna is designed for VHF band. Many of the DTV channels are located in the UHF band. You may want to call the FCC's DTV hotline for help. They will know the TV stations in your area and can tell you if you need a different antenna. The can also arrange for someone to come help set up your DTV converter at no charge to you. 1-888-CALL-FCC is the number.

First, make sure your connections are right. The rabbit ears need to be disconnected from the TV and reconnected to the converter box. Then the output cable from the converter box connects to the TV. Then try turning the rabbit ears or re-locating them near a window if the wire is long enough. You should be able to get some signal. A newer indoor antenna may help you pull in some of the weaker stations.

Your TV is old enough to have not only screw terminals for the antenna, but it sounds like it has separate UHF and VHF terminals as well. Pick up a 75-ohm to 300-ohm adapter (available at Radio Shack and probably most other places that sell TV's and antennas). This is a small cylinder-shaped part with a threaded antenna connector on one end, and a flat wire with two terminals on the other end. Connect the cable from the converter box to the round connector, hook the two terminals to the VHF antenna screws on your TV, put the TV on channel 3 and you'll be set.

You should also pick up a new antenna designed to work with digital broadcasting. If you use the old rabbit ears you were using before, you will probably not pick up all the channels available in your area.

Your TV has a built in tuner but NOT a built in antenna. Depending on where you live (distance from broadcasters) you will need to add anywhere from rabbit ears (with the UHF loop) to an antenna on the roof or mast.

If your home already has an antenna installed, connect the coaxial cable to the back of your TV. Then go to "Set-up" and scan for DIGITAL channels. If you are trying rabbit ears, do the same.