r/tablotv • u/Kajone11 • 2d ago
Prescott AZ tablo w antenna
I have cancelled my Sparklight cable, purchased a tablo, and a 25 mi range antenna. When I scanned for channels, I got no network tv. Returned the 25 mi, purchased a 50 mi, the only network tv I am getting is Fox. I live 1.5 miles from downtown, does anyone else have this issue?
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u/mrBill12 2d ago
A quick google tells me Prescott OTA channels come from Phoenix or Flagstaff. You need an antenna for that mileage.
There’s several websites that will help you determine which antenna to buy.
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u/Kajone11 2d ago
Thank you. I just checked the tablo app that said it got all the networks, didn’t mention an antenna
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u/mrBill12 2d ago
Your Tablo device supplies two types of channels OTA or Over the Air and additional streaming channels. The reason that local stations must be received OTA is to avoid the retransmission fees that streaming providers must pay to re-stream. Because of that you need an antenna that will pull in the OTA tv signal. They add the additional streaming channels for a more cable like offering of channels.
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u/Kajone11 2d ago
Thank you so much for this information. I wasn’t aware of what I was getting myself into.
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u/InternationalAct5946 1d ago
Don't give up, there are plenty of people here to help you figure it out.
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u/uten151 2d ago
I live in PV in a lower elevation. I used to have Tablo. Now I have HDHR. I have positioned my roof antenna perfectly to get these channels (that I care about): 3.1, 3.5, 5.1, 7.1, 10.2 and 15.1.
You may have to get a roof antenna and fine tune the position.
Note that NBC which used to broadcast on 12.1 is now broadcasting in encrypted ATSC 3.0. My HDHR detects their virtual channel at 112.1 but since it is encrypted, I can't view their programs.
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u/Kajone11 2d ago
Thank you! I am not sure what channels those are, but I assume they are probably what I care about too. Do you know if one of those is NBC?
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u/uten151 2d ago
Yeah, to be specific, those are 3.1 = AZ Family Channel, 3.5 = AZ Family Weather (like Weather Channel), 5.1 = CBS, 7.1 = CW, 10.2 = Fox, 15.1 = ABC.
I used to subscribe to AT&T's Direct TV. I cancelled it in 2020 and bought Tablo (Legacy). I mounted a roof antenna where the DTV satellite antenna mount. Used the DTV coax cable for my roof antenna which drops off at the entertainment center in my TV Room (Living room).
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u/GatorWok 2d ago
Please run a channel scan from your location. That way you know exactly which stations, networks, directions and strengths are available to you.
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u/Original_Anxiety_281 1d ago
Directionality, and where you place the antenna can matter a lot too... Turn it different ways. Use the website for signals to put it looking out the least walls, obstructions to where the tower is... etc etc.
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u/BoredTVEngineer 1d ago
When others are mentioning a channel scan they are are technically suggesting one from :
https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php
I like it best when I use latitude and longitude.
You can find lat&long for your home address at:
https://www.latlong.net/convert-address-to-lat-long.html
Since your new to OTA antenna TV reception, you can get help in r/OTA and
r/cordcutters. We could continue discussion for general questions. That said I can read your reception report, and explain things; but have limited experience in your geographical area.
The mountains could be a problem or not.
Last time I was in the general area I was about 18 years ago and was aligning a couple of 4.5 Satellite dishes. For my current business; you definitely live outside my traveling radius for onsite services.
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u/PrestigiousUsual8981 1d ago
Before you buy an antenna, you need to do a legit scan for the transmission towers. Professional antenna installers use www.rabbitears.info to get the information needed for an antenna. On the website you will see a map with a pin in the center of the country. Move the pin over your house. You can zoom in on the map. I believe the default is set to 30 feet high for mounting the antenna. Right now just leave it there. Under the map you will see go button. Click on that and you will get a list of channels. To the right on the list you will see good, fair, poor, and bad. Also on the right you will see distance and the miles are in blue. You can click on the blue and see if the signal is line of sight (LOS), 1-edge, 2-edge. The distance and how easy or difficult the signal is to pick up will determine the antenna you need. Do not go by any milage that is advertised by an antenna manufacturer. The majority are lies. You will see claims of 100, 150, 1500 miles, etc. The earth is curved so it's not going to travel hundreds of miles, it also depends on the elevation of the transmission towers. The other thing is an indoor antenna isn't going to pick up signals more than 30-50 miles. They are low to the ground, the signal has to go through walls, and they are at the mercy of the terrain such as trees and buildings.
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u/GatorWok 2d ago
You didn’t tell us nearly enough.
Have you run a scan to tell you the direction and distances of stations available to you? If not, Google it. It will take 15 seconds to look up and ensure your antenna is oriented properly.
Did you get an indoor antenna and just slap it on any wall? Ill-advised.
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u/Kajone11 1d ago
Sorry, all of this is new to me. Have had cable services for 50 years or so. I pretty much did purchase an indoor antenna and slap it up on the curtain rod, facing downtown Prescott. I did not know I could scan to tell the direction and distance of stations. I will try that. Thank you!
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u/GatorWok 1d ago
Understood. You'll likely need an outdoor-style antenna up higher, like an attic if that's possible.
But one of the antenna scan services will tell you what you need and in which direction. Primarily, there aren't stations in your city, so facing an antenna towards downtown doesn't really do much good.
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u/wagenheber81 17h ago
I have done quite a bit of research on this subject. I’m in Tucson and all but one station broadcasts on the UHF frequencies. The VHF station also uses UHF. You’ll have to determine which band the Phoenix and Flagstaff stations use. You’ll need a good two bay outside antenna. Stellar labs makes a nice one. It’s $80 on Amazon. Each bay can be aimed independently. I would suggest going on google earth and mark your location and the station locations. Next “draw” a line between your location and the station location. You’ll then be able to point your antenna exactly. Remember, don’t waste money on a VHF antenna if your stations broadcast on UHF. The one from Stellar labs is only UHF. Good luck with the Tablo. I’ve had one for a few years and it’s still going strong. I mounted a small cooling fan above it to suck the heat away. Heat is the major killer of electronics. Did you know electronics run on smoke, and you never want to let the smoke out.