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Joe2011
11-Apr-2011, 4:18 PM
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I've successfully installed a LAVA HD-2805 antenna with directional motor and super low noise signal amplifier built in, on my one story ranch house on a 6 ft steel pole secured to the chimney - total height about 30 feet above ground. Un-interupted 50 foot run of coax cable to the motor controller box about 20 feet below next to the TV and then patched thru an RCA digital converter box to my Sony 2001 era analog TV - Clear 180 degree vista toward the front on the house (12:00 O'Clock) The transmitters for the weakest stations are at 3:00 O'clock. Tall trees behind and on sides of house. A big fat international airport directly between the antenna and "TV Hill" in Baltimore. Channels 11 & 13 weak ... channel 38 same transmitter location - strong?! After 9:00PM - channels 11 & 13 are stronger - though they do not appear to register stonger on the RCA digital converter box signal strength meter?
Is there a way to "amplify" channels 11 & 13 further?
Please advise.
Joe

Tower Guy
11-Apr-2011, 7:36 PM
Is there a way to "amplify" channels 11 & 13 further?
Please advise.
Joe

Sorry, no; the antenna that you installed is not very good on VHF channels.

John Candle
11-Apr-2011, 8:27 PM
I never recommend the lava or other antennas like it , they are cheap flimsy junk , the Tv antenna scams are Full On here in the USA and Canada.

John Candle
11-Apr-2011, 10:38 PM
Amplifiers are not the magic that makes every thing all better , of many reception situations amplifiers make the reception worse.

Joe2011
12-Apr-2011, 1:37 AM
What would you reccomend for my situation?
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Thanks in Advance

No static at all
12-Apr-2011, 2:21 AM
The Baltimore channels & MPT are easy to get from your location. The HBU-22 (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3739595) is available with free shipping to your local radio Shack store. If it doesn't work out, you can return it to the store.

The best bang for the buck suburban antenna is the Winegard 7694 (http://www.google.com/search?q=WINEGARD+7694&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=WINEGARD+7694&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=8M9&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=NbajTa2rI472gAeg06SrCg&ved=0CCYQrQQ&biw=1024&bih=578&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9a3f219192ef7bea), but it is only available online. The 7694 should provide enough signal to drive at least 4 sets.

John Candle
12-Apr-2011, 2:26 AM
I suggest a Winegard Hd7696P antenna with No preamp and a Channelmaster CM9521A rotor. . We will see what the others suggest.

GroundUrMast
12-Apr-2011, 4:12 AM
NSAA has suggested a couple of practical options. JC has suggested a slightly upscale option.

Both suggestions will out-perform and out-last the LAVA. Both Winegard and Antennacraft have earned reputations over many years. Both vendors freely provide technically relevant documentation that is verified by both independent engineering measurements and real world performance.

Antennas Direct and Channel Master are also reputable manufactures who, like Winegard and Antennacraft, do not need to resort to hyped marketing claims to sell their products.

Your signal conditions do not call for an amplified antenna, unless you have a hobby interest in receiving distant weak stations in which case a much larger, high performance antenna would be the first and most important part of your system.

Dave Loudin
12-Apr-2011, 4:26 AM
If you have any desire to watch DC stations, the 7696p that John recommended would do. You'd have to run separate coax to an A/B switch or use a rotor to swing between markets.

John Candle
12-Apr-2011, 5:54 AM
Dave Loudin is suggesting using 2 Tv antennas and a A/B switch to switch between antennas , one antenna is pointed one way and the other antenna is pointed an other way. I am suggesting the HD7696P antenna and a CM9521A rotor so the antenna can be rotated around to receive all the receivable stations. I am thinking thats what you are doing with the rotatable lava.

Dave Loudin
12-Apr-2011, 11:59 AM
John, what part of "or use a rotor to swing between markets" did you not see?

Joe2011
12-Apr-2011, 3:39 PM
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Wow ... Thanks everyone. Predictably - when I saw this Forum I said "Damn, I wish I'd seen this before I dove into this overhaul project". I've glanced at the Winegard HD 7694 on-line and will research the Antennacraft, Channelmaster, HBU-22 options as well. I don't know that I need to pick up DC stations as; the networks offer primarily the same content other then local news. I see now that the Baltimore channels 11 & 13 are VHF while the other channels 45, 54 & 2 are UHF.

Winegard offers a Winegard MS2000 Metrostar Omnidirectional Amplified TV Antenna that appears to address the two transmission source challenge, with out needing a rotor and picks up VHF/UHF; or are the antenna choices mentioned more appropriate or suited to the closer & smaller directional range "slice" when pointing toward the Baltimore transmission sources, that I should just eliminate multi-direction or the rotor altogether?

I assume the big fat BWI International airport directly between my location and the Baltimore transmission source is just something I have to live with and no amount of "additional quality" in the antenna components will solve ghosting during peak activity times at the runways? Further, if I understand your collective comments correctly, the Baltimore transmission sources are close enough that I don't need a pre-amp because the amplified signal is amplifying the "noise" from the airport and the signal is already strong enough for those primary channels I want if dialed in that direction? Please comment.
Thanks again ...
Joe