What type of antenna would work best?

[NewAtThis]

I live out in the country on a farm and have a 30 foot mast but no antenna. The farm house has a metal roof. Currently I have satellite but do not get local channels. I am hoping to purchase an antenna to get local channels and, if the reception is good enough, cancel my satellite service. What type of antenna would work best and do I need to aim it or would an omnidirectional work?
I use only one television although there is a small chance a second one may be purchased. Thank you.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d9900f414888b3e

[ADTech]

Might as well install a large all-channel antenna with a pre-amp and rotor if you want to get all the local analogs that are still on the air for a while. Most of the local analog broadcasts are duplicates of the programs available out of Ottawa, so it's up to you if you want to chase them. However, if you are only interested in digital reception, you are likely able to get Ottawa and Watertown with a large 7-51 antenna, also with a rotor and pre-amp.

[teleview]

NO Antenna Rotator Required.
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For reception of the Canada Digital Tv stations/channels.

Aim a Winegard HD7084P antenna with a Winegard AP8700 preamp aimed at about 50 degree magnetic compass direction.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter.

For 2 Tv,s connected use a , HFS-2D , 2 way splitter.

http://www.hollandelectronics.com , also at , http://www.solidsignal.com.
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->IF <- the Analog Canada Tv transmitters are still transmitting at your location they are duplicates of what is being transmitted by the Digital transmitters.

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NO Antenna Rotator Required.
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For reception of the USA Digital Tv stations/channels of.

WWNY-TV Real channel 7 , virtual number (7.1) CBS as the main digital channel and WNYF-CD FOX Network as a digital sub channel.

WPBS-DT Real channel 41 , virtual number (16.1) PBS.

WWTI-DT Real channel 21 , virtual number (50.1) ABC as the main digital channel and The CW as a digital sub channel.

Aim a Winegard HD7698P antenna with a Winegard AP8700 preamp at about 160 degree magnetic compass direction.

For one Tv connected use no splitter.

For 2 Tv's connected use the HFS-2D , 2 way splitter.

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These are 2 separate antennas systems and Will Not be connected to gather on to 1 coax.
The 2 Separate antenna systems / Separate coax systems will be separate all the way to the location of the Tv , and connected to remote control A/B antenna switch.

http://www.radioshack.com , #15-1968 .
http://www.mcmelectronics.com , #32-4425 .
http://www.saveandreplay.com , #32-4425 .

The hand held remote control of the A/B antenna switch is , Channel Surfing Friendly , press the button on the hand held remote control , change antennas and keep right on channel surfing.

Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.saveandreplay.com , http://www.trentondistributors.com , http://www.canadapost.ca/shopper , http://www.amazon.ca , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.amazon.com.

[teleview]

The Tv Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv Channels sometimes named the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channel' in the Tv setup menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

Do not channel scan for cable tv channels.

[NewAtThis]

Thanks for all that information. Should I buy the two antennas is there a "splitter" for the one antenna mast that I have - in other words how do I attach two antennas to one mast without damaging either?

[teleview]

Do Not get the word splitter , tangled up with the antennas that are mounted on the mast.

The 2 antennas can be mounted on the same mast , separate by about 3 feet on the same mast.

It is also a good idea to look at pictures of all the equipment , antennas , amplifiers , splitters and etc. .


Trying to see it all in your mind with out pictures is difficult at best.

The installation goes like this ,

Antenna , preamplifier unit close to the antenna , coax cable to inside the house , power supply/power injector connected to the coax cable so to send power out to the preamp and from the preamp the signal travels on that same coax to the one Tv connected with no splitter.

Or through the power passing 2 way splitter if 2 tv's are connected.

This is one antenna system.

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The second antenna system is the same kind of setup. , sequence of events , sequence of connections.

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The 2 antenna systems are In Fact 2 Separate antenna systems that are separate all the way to the tv or Tv's.

The A/B switch/s is/are used to select one antenna or the other.

[NewAtThis]

Got it - thanks for the very detailed responses.

One last question for you - can I buy an apparatus to attach to my antenna mast that separates the two antenna and yet also attaches the two antenna to the one mast or is this something I do on my own?

[teleview]

The antennas are being mounted to the same mast and are being aimed in different directions.

All antennas come with their own clamp to clamp the antenna to the mast pipe.

The distances between the 2 antennas mounted on the same mast pipe is a adjustment you make when installing the 2 antennas.

The separation distance between the 2 antennas is not critical.