my tv reception sucks!!!

The BIGGEST problem is the CHEAP OVERPRICED POS TV you got at a truckstop. You can spend far less money for a decent POS TV at Walmart.
The built-in antenna on the truck doesn't help matters. When TV finally changes over to DIGITAL, you can expect matters to get worse, because digital signals are "LINE-OF-SIGHT" and unless you can actually see the transmitting antenna, you won't get much of a signal at all.

I gave up trying to get good TV reception in a truck years ago. I have had Directv in my truck for over 10 years.

 

Not quite. The transmitter will still work the same, but the information being transmitted will be different. The transmission will still come from a terrestrial antenna, with a highly amplified program signal.

The issue is that you have to have decent reception strength to view anything. The picture is either 100% or none at all. A marginal signal, instead of having snow or static on the screen, will show up as "no signal", or will freeze or dropout at times.

Satellite is line of sight however. Instead of the thousands of watts being pumped out by television and radio antennas, you are talking microvolts , a much weaker signal. That means the signal cannot be blocked in any way. Most satellite signals are digital, but they aren't the same format. That may be the source of confusion.

 

what can I do to keep my picture.. I lose it when ever a truck or car drive by?
I tried a 50 mile amplified antenna and it worked the same as the antenna that came with the truck..

 

That's what I was afraid of.

 

forget about tv, use a noteboook, and wifi access and watch tv online. that is what i have been doing for past year, since my last tv fell. it works great.

 

Mine got better when I used a telescoping pole (came with a window squeegee) with a small, powered dtv antenna. The digital signal is way more susceptible to interference from passing vehicles than the old frequencies we used to get tv on. So you need height. At a truckstop, get to the highest end, get that antennae up as high as you can, and it'll get better. But you'll still have a tempo interrupt whenever a truck goes by between you and the transmitting station. The other solution is to use that tv as a computer monitor and start tuning in free tv over broadband internet. My browser is Firefox and I just got the new Firefox tv toolbar. I get dozens of tv stations from U.S. and dozens more from overseas (5 from Haiti). Nope, the pic is not quite as good as on tv itself, but better than what you're getting right now, I'm thinking.

 

When tv went digital i got a few extra channels here at home but when it gets real cloudy or snows over where the towers are i lose 4 channels right off the bat then when the weather clears those 4 channels are back, so much for digital tv.

 

From reading this, I am going to buy a power antenna and put that puppy on a pole..... update to follow...

Using your wifi costs money, more in the long run than direct tv. I tether my phone to my laptop and it doesn't take but a few netflix movies to eat up my data plan.... and extra gig costs me $15, it adds up.

 

we're in the age of digital signal.

most channels will suck no matter what your setup.

last year i bought a walmart tv. and it wasn't bad. but it wouldn't pick up CBS no matter where i was at.

 

well, after I get a power antenna and stick that sucker up in the air, if things don't get better than they are, or good enough to even turn on the tv, I will ditch the whole idea.... I get so fricken mad trying to watch something and everytime a truck goes by,,,argggggg