GeekasaurusRex
30-Jun-2013, 4:30 PM
First of all, thank you for looking at this post to help get me started. Here is my plan:
I'm getting rid of my dish, and all the related equipment. I believe that my existing dish location will end up being sufficient
for an antenna location:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d05594ca5e0d775
It happens to be on the north east corner of the garage... so I guess it might work pretty well. I think it has a clear view of the north and east. I do have a 2 story home and the garage height is only at 1 story.
I did a few initial tests with a silly little antenna I built after watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDg5DR58dUQ. I know it isn't the best antenna or recommended antenna you can build but the idea an office supply antenna was just too entertaining to not try myself.
This silly little antenna when attached my upstairs allowed the tv to find 57 Channels, but more than half of them are shopping channels or in a lanugage I don't speak. The major network channels have better HD picutre than my hi-def dish gives me.
Of the analog channels, I've been able to determine that these channels are not important (shopping channels or not in english):
*KMCF-LP* 35* 28.0* LOS*
*KFAZ-CA* 8* 28.0* LOS*
*KFVD-LP* 15* 28.0* LOS*
*KHSC-LP* 16* 26.4* LOS*
*KSDI-LP* 33* 26.4* LOS*
*KCWB-LP* 13* 26.4* LOS*
Of the digital channels these are not in english or are shopping channels.
KGMC-DT* 43* -43.1 Ind 26.4*
*KTFF-DT* 48* -61.1 Tel 28.0*
*KFTV-DT* 20* -21.1 Uni 49.1*
*KNSO* 11* -51.1 TEL 49.0*
*KFVD-LP* 15* -15.1 28.0*
*KVVG-LD* 51* 28.0*
*KJEO-LD* 32* 49.2*
*KSDI-LD* 44* 26.4*
*KTFF-LD* 41* 49.1*
*KVHF-LD* 42* 49.2*
*KMCF-LP* 47* -35.1 26.4* LOS*
*KZMM-CD* 22* 49.0* LOS*
*KHSC-LP* 16* -16.1 26.4*
*KFAZ-CA* 18* -8.1 26.4*
*KJKZ-LP* 27* -6.1 26.4*
*KMSG-LD* --* 39* 26.4*
I've been suprised at the number of channels I can recive for my $5 antenna, but it's time to stop playing around.
I currently plan on conneting up 3 tvs. I'm going to build my own HTPC for DVR. I have already purchased a HDHomerun so I can start developing my soluton. I will likely add one more... bringing my expected maximum number of antenna connections to 5.
The house was wired with coax when it was built about 8 years ago. After removing existing dish equipment, I plan using the existing coax for my PCs and HDHomerun units.
I am good with tech and learning new tech but I have no real antenna experience. So this is what I need to know:
What antenna should I be getting? Is a roof antenna overkill based on the report?
Let's say I decide to try to get the bottom channel on the list - what's the best way to verify that it is a non-shopping english language channel before I spend a bunch of money? I worry that all the extra effort will just give me channels I do not care about unless I learn spanish.
It seems that all the unique stations in this list are less than 50 miles away. Does my NE corner location make this seem feasible in this case? Should I try this location first before going all the way up?
Should I wait to preamp until I see the results? It doesn't appear that my dish signal is preamped for 3 TVs, so i don't know if it is something obvious to the educated.
Thanks again for your advice.
I'm getting rid of my dish, and all the related equipment. I believe that my existing dish location will end up being sufficient
for an antenna location:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d05594ca5e0d775
It happens to be on the north east corner of the garage... so I guess it might work pretty well. I think it has a clear view of the north and east. I do have a 2 story home and the garage height is only at 1 story.
I did a few initial tests with a silly little antenna I built after watching this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDg5DR58dUQ. I know it isn't the best antenna or recommended antenna you can build but the idea an office supply antenna was just too entertaining to not try myself.
This silly little antenna when attached my upstairs allowed the tv to find 57 Channels, but more than half of them are shopping channels or in a lanugage I don't speak. The major network channels have better HD picutre than my hi-def dish gives me.
Of the analog channels, I've been able to determine that these channels are not important (shopping channels or not in english):
*KMCF-LP* 35* 28.0* LOS*
*KFAZ-CA* 8* 28.0* LOS*
*KFVD-LP* 15* 28.0* LOS*
*KHSC-LP* 16* 26.4* LOS*
*KSDI-LP* 33* 26.4* LOS*
*KCWB-LP* 13* 26.4* LOS*
Of the digital channels these are not in english or are shopping channels.
KGMC-DT* 43* -43.1 Ind 26.4*
*KTFF-DT* 48* -61.1 Tel 28.0*
*KFTV-DT* 20* -21.1 Uni 49.1*
*KNSO* 11* -51.1 TEL 49.0*
*KFVD-LP* 15* -15.1 28.0*
*KVVG-LD* 51* 28.0*
*KJEO-LD* 32* 49.2*
*KSDI-LD* 44* 26.4*
*KTFF-LD* 41* 49.1*
*KVHF-LD* 42* 49.2*
*KMCF-LP* 47* -35.1 26.4* LOS*
*KZMM-CD* 22* 49.0* LOS*
*KHSC-LP* 16* -16.1 26.4*
*KFAZ-CA* 18* -8.1 26.4*
*KJKZ-LP* 27* -6.1 26.4*
*KMSG-LD* --* 39* 26.4*
I've been suprised at the number of channels I can recive for my $5 antenna, but it's time to stop playing around.
I currently plan on conneting up 3 tvs. I'm going to build my own HTPC for DVR. I have already purchased a HDHomerun so I can start developing my soluton. I will likely add one more... bringing my expected maximum number of antenna connections to 5.
The house was wired with coax when it was built about 8 years ago. After removing existing dish equipment, I plan using the existing coax for my PCs and HDHomerun units.
I am good with tech and learning new tech but I have no real antenna experience. So this is what I need to know:
What antenna should I be getting? Is a roof antenna overkill based on the report?
Let's say I decide to try to get the bottom channel on the list - what's the best way to verify that it is a non-shopping english language channel before I spend a bunch of money? I worry that all the extra effort will just give me channels I do not care about unless I learn spanish.
It seems that all the unique stations in this list are less than 50 miles away. Does my NE corner location make this seem feasible in this case? Should I try this location first before going all the way up?
Should I wait to preamp until I see the results? It doesn't appear that my dish signal is preamped for 3 TVs, so i don't know if it is something obvious to the educated.
Thanks again for your advice.