Going to give OTA a shot... antenna/amp recomendations?

[BrianM]

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d1dda87cd07282e

I asked if this was possible about a year ago and the general consensus was that it wasn't a sure thing. Well, I have a little more money that I could afford to lose at this point so I'm going to give it a shot.

I'm only really interested in the stations right near 15deg, so ignore the rest. This will be fed to 1 TV (or more likely, my HTPC). Everything to the south is on the other side of a 400' ridge (which is what channel 23 is sitting on). I'm 200' lower than the stations that I'm interested in (signal at 1100, I'm at 900) and this being Georgia, lots of very dense tree cover from.. well, now (April) through November. Antenna can go on the roof of my 2-story home, or even in the attic if there's something that's recommended ~ we do have a number of nasty storms that roll through here every year. Sorry, not putting up a mast/anything that requires guylines so please don't suggest it.


Since I'm your average antenna/amp Luddite, I'm asking for recommendations. Ideally, a 'primary' and a 'secondary' with a Simple explanation as to why... which will help me learn (I'm comfortable with technology, but need a foothold to start my understanding... having a hard time getting the foothold with no frame of reference).

Thanks for taking the time to read this.... sorry if I come off as snarky, my in-person attitude doesn't translate well to the web. :/

[GroundUrMast]

Previous thread: http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?p=26652#post26652

An explanation of how to read your TVFR: http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57#how_to_read

Reliable TV reception is somewhat like getting a steady supply of clean water out of the ground. There must be signal in the air/water in the ground. The antenna/well must be located to avoid signal obstructions/dug deep enough to put the well point in the water. A weak but otherwise clean signal is better than a strong signal with interference, just as a small trickle of clean water is better than a lot of polluted water. A pump by itelf can't produce water. Amplifiers by themselves don't produce TV signals. Until you have a usable signal at the antenna, don't waste time thinking about amplifiers... just as you would need to know how deep the well is before you know the type of pump you would need to get water out of the well.

The antenna/well analogy goes only so far. An antenna, unlike a well, can have gain if designed to do so... that is, it can act like an amplifier in that it can intercept and deliver more signal to the down-lead.

The Winegard HD7698P was suggested previously along with a few amplifier options, all of which were appropriate given the conditions shown in your TVFR. The HD7698P is designed to provide gain in one direction, thus it's able to help receive weak signals (low NM values on your TVFR). In the FAQ cited above, they say re. NM, "...you need to end up with an NM value above 0 in order to pick up a station." I would add to that, you'll want some fade margin so that reception is reliable. A net NM of +10 dB is a minimum goal for me... if I'm encouraging someone to spend hard earned money. The Winegard antenna we've suggested has enough gain to improve your NM values to the point of encouraging you to try.

So, you say,"...I have a little more money that I could afford to lose..." My recommendation is, buy a Winegard HD7698P and a coax cable with factory installed connectors. If a 50' cable is long enough to reach your TV or tuner, you'll have enough equipment to 'drill some test wells'.

If you find enough reliable signals, then we can help get the antenna installed permanently.

[teleview]

The closer the antenna is to the street that runs north and south in front of your house , the better the reception will be.

Out toward intersection of Mayes Way and the street that runs north and south in front of your house , the better the reception will be.

You can put 2 or more sections of mast pipe together and probe for best reception.

Moving the antenna away from the trees to the north will provide better reception.

The idea is to get the antenna , in the clear as much as possible , for reception of the transmitters to the north east , for the best reception.