Advise on what outdoor antenna to go with?

[blu merle]

Hi,

We've been enjoying free OTA uncompressed HD tv signals for a few years. My mum is now interested in doing the same so I'm looking for some help figuring out what the best antenna options would be for her and if her location can get decent reception. She'd really only want the stations like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX. Her house is wired for cable tv, 2 tv's max. They will install the antenna on a mast (she mentioned something about an unused flag pole...) outside above the roof. They live in southern NH so lots of snow and it can get windy. House sits in a bit of a clearing, relatively level section of town. Currently they do not have an antenna.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3de2cb5914b21d61

Thanks ahead of time for your help.

[rabbit73]

Hi, blu merle:

The channels that your mum will need are in Boston. They are weak 2Edge signals and the coverage in Raymond is very spotty because of the uneven terrain. The tvfool reports are known to be less accurate for 2Edge signals.

NBC is the weakest desired channel. Here is its signal coverage in Raymond. Magenta is very weak; no color is even weaker.

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2018&d=1464458604

Here is a different Longley-Rice coverage map for NBC. Red is very weak; no color is even weaker.

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2019&d=1464458628

The terrain profile shows that the curvature of the earth blocks the signal, but some of it can make it to Raymond by refraction. If you use the 91XG, it might help to tilt the front of the antenna up about 15 degrees.

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2020&d=1464461218

She will need a high gain UHF antenna like the Antennas Direct 91XG or the DB8e with both panels aimed in the same direction, and a preamp like the Channel Master 7778 or Antennas Direct Juice.

If the antenna is outside, the coax shield should be grounded with a grounding block that is connected to the house electrical system ground with 10 gauge copper wire for electrical safety and to reject interference. For further compliance with the electrical code (NEC), the mast should also be grounded in a similar manner to drain any buildup of static charge, but the system will not survive a direct strike.

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1559&d=1441917363

[wizwor]

She'd really only want the stations like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX.
She should be able to get WMUR (ABC) and WENH (PBS) by pointing a vhf antenna between the two of them. NBC is leaving Boston at the end of the year, so, if she wants that, she will be looking at WNEU which is UHF and almost due west. The others are all UHF and almost due south. If you can talk her out of NBC, I would just point a long range antenna like a 91XG at the Boston stations and a fringe VHF antenna Stellar Labs 30-2476 at about 304 -- a little north of east. Otherwise you are looking at rotors and switches and stuff. Join the two with an RCA TVPRAMP1R.