Help selecting antenna, Southeastern PA

[OldAcorn]

Here is my signal analysis:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dd2435c3ac75808

We have a circa 1925 two story house, stone with stucco. There is also an attic, no windows, with a shingle roof. We only have 1 TV (insignia Model: NS-32E321A13) that we use in our living room. That is on the first floor, front of the house facing north.

We want to start the new year without Comcast TV and need help finding an antenna.

Channels that I really want:
CBS (kyw tv, virtual channel 3.1)
ABC (wpvi dt, virtual channel 6.1)
Any PBS station, whyy or wlvt would work...

A huge bonus would be KJWT, which is ME-TV on virtual channel 2.1 (***edit for typo! it is KJWP, not kjwt)

Any other channel would be icing on the cake but not necessary.

The tv is in the front northeast corner of the house, with a window on the north, and on the east side...

Help! Recommendations??? ***Rooftop is NOT an option, per landlord***
Many thanks,
OldAcorn

[timgr]

First, I suggest you ignore the virtual channels, because it tells you nothing about what frequency the station comes in on.

Look at the real channels. 2-6 is VHF low, 7-13 VHF high, and 14-51 UHF. You want KJWP (not KJWT?) ch 2 and KPVI channel 6, so I'd choose one of the Antennacraft HD series http://www.antennacraft.net/Antennas/AntennasAllChannel.html and point it at 132 magnetic. Note these are big antennas - the smallest HD850 has a 7' beam length, and the largest is 15'. You need the length to pick up those VHF low stations, because of the signal's long wavelength.

I expect that the larger you go, the more stations you'll get. Your report isn't great - you have a lot of stations at one heading (that's good) but none of them are line of sight. Realize that buildings and trees will cause problems with the signal, so if you can choose a location that has a direct shot to the horizon at 132 your results will be better. Usually more height is better, so go up as much as you can. I'd mount a mast on the roof with the antenna at the top of that.

An attic antenna is often problematic. Roofing and contruction materials attenuate the signal, and you don't have a lot of signal to waste. Stucco is a problem, because the wire mesh used to support the stucco is a barrier to radio waves. And stone is ... dense as stone. And these antennas will probably be too large for an attic.

However, if you are fortunate that the house is oriented so that you can aim though the shingle roof at 132 magnetic, and there is room in the attic for the big antenna, and there are no pipes/vents/chimneys in the way of the antenna, an attic installation might work. But you can't aim through the stucco sidewalls - you want only roof sheathing and asphalt shingles between your antenna and the outside. And from there, a straight shot to the horizon - no trees or buildings in the way.

How about a mast in the yard? It's not on the roof, and you can get some decent height with a little effort. Won't be cheap. but it seems like your only other option. Just an example - http://www.antennapartsoutlet.com/Pages/Products/TelescopingMasts.html

hth!

[OldAcorn]

Hi timgr,
Thank you for your reply.

Previous tenants had DirecTv install 2 satellite dishes without asking the landlord first...ruined anything else for us, even with asking first...

The attic may work. It is empty. North and south is pitched roof only, walls are on east and west sides. There would not be any building or tree interference at all for all north and all east direction from the attic. (Houses and trees are west and south).

[ADTech]

If you want Philadelphia stations, you must focus on the east southeast direction only. The other directions do not matter.

With that in mind, review your possibilities and let us know how that azimuth looks.

[timgr]

Also, do you have a chimney? That's a popular method for antenna mounting, and would be above the house without mounting to the roof. Possible that could be landlord approved? Examples - http://www.antennapartsoutlet.com/Pages/Products/ChimneyMounts.html