OTA tv reception has degraded

mikeb33

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Jan 25, 2002
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I bought a lake house last year about in the middle of Milwaukee, Madison and Janesville WI. About 40 miles from each. I didn't want to sign up for a dish for just weekend so I bought this antenna: https://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT3036WZ-Outdoor-Element-113/dp/B0027VST0I
And this amplifier: https://www.channelmaster.com/Amplify_TV_Antenna_Preamplifier_p/cm-7777hd.htm
I installed it in my attic. I ran all new quality Genesis coax cable and splitters. I've been making coax cables and wiring mine and my friends houses for years and have professional Belden tools. Anyway it came out great. We could get over 60 channels mostly form Madison and Milwaukee. Very pleased and it worked flawlessly until a few weeks ago. We started getting break ups on channels we watched all the time. Did rescan a few times and now we have under 20 channels. What could have changed? The Channelmaster amp has a low and high gain, I've always used high. I wonder if that is failing? I bypassed it and got almost no channels. Even on low gain we don't get much.
The only components are the antenna itself and that is alone in the attic hanging from the roof so it doesn't get touched. The amp which turns on and the high/low gain switch and red/green/ led seems to work so it probably works. I bypassed all the splitters and ran it to one tv and not much difference. My cables? What could happen in walls and attic?

Any ideas? Any way to check the amp besides get another?
 

mikeb33

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Jan 25, 2002
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I guess it was fall before I got around to installing my antenna and amp. And all the new leaves in the trees is a very logical explanation. I was so happy that I didn't need a rooftop antenna... Oh well. Now I need to move it up there, drill holes in my new roof, and a ground wire. It never ends.

Think I'll have any luck trying to fold the antenna back up so I can get it out of the attic and onto the roof?
 

dudio

Admirable
I suspect the amp is fine since it helps when it's inline and active.
Typically when they fail, they are worse when connected.
I agree with getochkn that your line of sight will get affected by any trees that now have leaves,
and also the warmer/thicker summer air can play a difference.

I am curious where your amp is located.
Having it right close to the antenna output could help a lot.
 

mikeb33

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Jan 25, 2002
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dUpSH8
The amp is within 2 feet of the antenna in the attic. I have the antenna into a 2 way splitter that one side feeds my FM stereo and the other into the Channel Master amp. From the amp one more 2 way splitter and each of those feed a 2 way splitter. I have 5 tvs total. All the splitters are pro quality as is my cabling. While diagnosing this I bypassed all the splitters and ran direct to my main tv with no improvement.

It has to be the trees.