ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — More television viewers are cutting the cord, and 10News WTSP is available over the air for free. You don’t have to be a tech whiz to access our signal. We’re here with the questions, and answers, you need.
What channel do I tune to?
The broadcast of 10News WTSP is available on channel 10.1 (CBS), 10.2 (Antenna TV) and 10.3 (Justice Network) 10.4 (Quest Network) on your digital TV.
Where is your transmitter located?
10News WTSP’s transmitter is located in Riverview.
What type of antenna is right for me?
It depends on where you live:
20 Miles from Riverview or Less
The same rabbit ear antennas we used in the early days of TV will still work great today. Only extend your rabbit ears about 15 inches for the best reception. If possible, get them in or near a window facing Riverview, or on top of a bookshelf or entertainment center.
Between 20 and 45 miles
We recommend using an outdoor or attic/crawl space mounted antenna without an amplifier. A directional Yagi type antennas work best for receiving both VHF and UHF stations. Get one rated for 45 miles or so. If you have a metal roofs or foil lined insulation, avoid mounting your antenna in the attic. If you are installing it on your roof, stay away from trees between your antenna and the direction of Riverview.
More than 45 miles
We recommend an outdoor antenna mounted at least 30 feet off the ground. You should be looking for a high gain antenna rated for over 50 miles.
There are many different choices, and more expensive doesn’t always mean better. Always save your receipt and return the antenna if it doesn’t work for you.
My antenna is old, do I need a new one to get HD TV?
No, older antennas are perfectly fine as long as you look for the following: Make sure it’s not damaged or heavily rusted. If elements are snapped off it’s time to replace it. Make sure you don’t have an old “St. Pete or Bay Area Special”. Those are dual antennas with a smaller antenna pointed north towards Tarpon Springs where our transmitter used to be located. If you have a dual antenna you can try spinning the smaller Ch. 10 antenna toward Riverview to match the larger portion of the antenna or you can disconnect it. If that doesn’t work you may need to replace it.
How do I rescan my TV?
Watch the following video from the Federal Communications Commission to learn how to rescan your TV. If you can't see it, click here.
Here are the general steps from the FCC:
- Press "set-up" or "menu" on the remote control or converter box
- Select "antenna" or "channels" -- or a word that looks similar
- Click "scan," "auto-tune," “channel search,” “auto-program,” or any similar term
- Your TV will then begin scanning. It will take a few minutes.
When do I need an amplifier?
Rarely. Amplifiers can actually inhibit your reception if you live less than 40 miles from our Riverview transmitter. If you are have recurring problems, and are sure your antenna is pointed in the correct direction, you can try an amplifier to boost the signal strength.
Okay, I hooked up my antenna and I still don’t get Ch. 10 or some other stations… what do I do now?
Double check your compass heading (most smart phones have a compass app built in). Then rescan your TV (or converter box if you have an older tube type TV) by going into the settings menu and looking for channel setup.
Rescanning your TV’s tuner will add stations that you may have previously not been able to see. While you’re in your TV’s settings menu, look for a signal strength meter. Most HD TV’s have them built in. They are very helpful when adjusting your antenna and it can help you see what kind of signal you’re getting.
Channel 10 was coming in great for weeks and all of a sudden I lost you. What’s wrong with your transmitter? Do you turn down the power at night?
We rarely have problems with our transmitter and we never turn the power down (or off) unless there’s work being done on the tower. Most of the time this is an antenna issue. Here’s a quick checklist to help you get us back.
- Try checking the compass heading again. Outdoor antennas tend to get blown around in storms. Sometimes it’s just enough to lose our station but still get most of the others.
- Make sure your cable connections are tight on the antenna and your TV, loose connections can cause reception problems.
- Make sure your cable leading from the antenna to your TV hasn’t been compromised. If you’ve had any work done on your house in or around where your antenna cables run, someone may have accidentally put a nail through the wire.
- If you are running multiple TV’s off the same antenna try hooking up only one TV directly to the antenna and see if that helps. If this fixes the problem, you can get a distribution amplifier to help boost the signal to your other TV’s.
- Try raising you antenna higher. Trees tend to grow over time, buildings go up around you, etc. If you have an indoor antenna, make sure you didn’t put any metal objects around it or even hanging a large mirror on a wall adjacent to it can cause problems.
- If you are still having issues after checking all of these things, you may be using the wrong type of antenna and need one with higher gain. We strongly recommend using a directional antenna whenever possible. Omnidirectional antennas lack the focus and gain needed to reliably pick up VHF stations more than 25 miles away.
If you are still having issues please call us at 727-577-1010 or email the 10News Engineering department at WTSP-TechDeptUsers@wtsp.com
