signal decrease

[mdsxfire]

I'm using a uniden bc780xlt with an external anntena..mounted in the attic..I've been receiving nypd manhattan very clearly for over a month with all precnts showing 4 to 5 out of 6 bars...the last two days the signal has gotten more static and now showing 3 bars...nothing has been moved or or changed..and the weather has been from perfectly clear to cloudy and rainy..I am about 25 miles from nyc...any ideas??

 

[GTR8000]

25 miles out on UHF 470 is right on the edge. The saving grace for you is that they're transmitting from the top of the ESB and Chrysler Building, otherwise you probably wouldn't hear much of anything.

As far as the weather, keep in mind that the hurricane/tropical storm just made its way up the coast. Just because the weather at your house is normal doesn't mean the atmosphere isn't affected by such a massive storm, which affects radio propagation.

 

[jackj]

The repeater you are listening to has dropped in transmit power?
Or it has shifted to a directional antenna pattern?
Some critter has chewed your coax?
Your receiver has developed a problem?

As you can tell from my questions, it is impossible for someone who is several hundred miles away to diagnose your problem. Get a buddy with a scanner to bring his over to your place and hook it up to your antenna. If his acts the same then you know the problem is not with your scanner. In other words, you need to do some basic trouble shooting.

 

[mdsxfire]

Thanks for your answers guys..come to think the worse reception started about a day before the hurricane was off our coast..so that could be it..I will check the anntena and coax out in the am...thanks agagain

 

[devlndskys]

That sounds like water in the coax, or possibly a grounding issue. it has been quite a few years since I've been doing scanning but thats the first thing I'd look at.