Indoor antenna in Detroit, MI

[G-Rock]

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d2c15ed9a7c3102

I was looking for a new indoor antenna. The house isn't wired for coax and I'm not particularly interested in setting up everything for an outdoor antenna.

Currently I get 2 (WJBK), 4 (WDIV), 7 (WXYZ), 14 (WHNE), 18 (WDWO), 20 (WMYD), 23 (WUDT), 31 (WPXD), 50 (WKBD), 56 (WTVS), 62 (WWJ) with my (RCA flat antenna from WalMart (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882125338)

I need a new antenna anyways (got another TV for the bedroom), but I'd love one that could pick up channel 9 (CBET). Is that possible in something like the Leaf? That's the only channel I'm really missing in my life to get OTA hockey.

Thanks!

[ADTech]

pick up channel 9 (CBET). Is that possible in something like the Leaf?

The Leaf is very inefficient on VHF (VSWR > 20, gain somewhere south of -15 dB depending on frequency). Your odds might be better at winning a lottery than picking up VHF reliably unless the VHF signals are VERY strong.

CBET also transmits from a location southeast of you. You'd probably need to relocate any indoor antenna to that side of the house so as to improve your reception odds indoors.

[tomfoolery]

I would just use a cheap rabbit ears and UHF loop combo from Radio Shack (unamplified), or at most the Terk HDTVi (also unamplified) which has some real directionality to the UHF portion, but still has a VHF dipole similar to all other rabbit ears types. I've used the $15 RS antenna, with a very similar TVF report to yours, similar signal strength and distance (also LOS), and only switched to a large antenna in the attic to get some of the more difficult stations. It was receiving all the local stations from the ground floor, on the wrong side of the house, looking through a lot of walls, wiring, and kitchen appliances.

But my VHF in the attic is still a dipole from a portable TV, which just hangs by its twin lead from the UVSJ which combines the UHF (DB4e) with the VHF (set to a length that corresponds to the two channels it receives).

For $15, it's worth trying. Oh, and the $10 RCA rabbit ear unit with the rectangular UHF loop from Home Depot also worked, but my FIL has it now. Either one is returnable, so no real risk as far as I can tell.