Assistance in antenna selection and direction

[cooldevo]

We recently cancelled cable, and I am quite a beginner when it comes to OTA. We are from Ontario, Canada.

TV Fool report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d001b4aadb59dcc

The two main broadcasting towers in our area stand out pretty clearly, and I'm thinking we should have little trouble in getting those.

I've talked to a couple of people I know who said they would recommend a directional VHF/UHF yagi antenna. We are looking for an attic mount (2 floor house), and not wanting to spend more than $100-ish dollars on one.

Save and Replay was recommended to me from a few people I know that bought from there, and from their stock it was suggested that the two below could work. Choices of shops diminishes significantly when buying in Canada or cross-border.

http://overtheair.saveandreplay.com/channel_master_4221HD.asp and http://overtheair.saveandreplay.com/channel_master_4228HD.asp were suggested (choose Canada, Ontario if asked).

When I looked at the two pages it stated they were UHF antenna, does that mean I could miss out on channels 2-13 if I don't get one that can do VHF/UHF? From the report it looks like 7 VHF channels and ~17 UHF channels could be received with the right antenna.

Like I said I'm pretty new when it comes to OTA, and any assistance provided would be greatly appreciated.

[John Candle]

The Canada digital stations are easy to receive. You might be able to receive some American digital stations. Please make a new tvfool radar report because the default antenna height is 10 feet. With the antenna at 25 feet the signal strength might be better for some American stations and with the correct antenna some American stations could be received. Thank you for the information you have provided. Yes I also have observed that choices of buying most anything in Canada diminishes significantly. Here are two more places to buy Tv antennas and so forth in Canada , http://www.trentondistributors.com , http://www.canadapost.ca/shopper

[John Candle]

Here is more information about the Canada digital Tv transition , http://www.user.dccnet.com/jonleblanc/Canada_TV_Stations , http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/117022 , http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/105462 , http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum , http://www.friends.ca / http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/home-accueil.htm , http://www.canada.com/entertainment/television/index.html

[cooldevo]

John,

Sorry for taking so long to get the updated report, here it is from an elevation of 25 feet.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d03d9d3b77cb65a

And thanks for the transition information, it would appear that both of our TVs are capable of getting it without a converter box.

What I was planning to do was to run the cable from the antenna in the attic to the basement where the splitter currently sits (literally almost straight down) and attach it to the existing wiring so it minimizes having to do any extra cabling.

I'll check out those links and see what I can find, although I may wait to do much research until I know what kind of antenna I would be looking for.

Thanks again.

[Dave Loudin]

Looking at your report, it seems pointless to chase the US stations from your location. The complicating issue you have is the orientation of the two towers carrying Canadian broadcasts, about 100 degrees apart. Getting both with one antenna without rotating it will be challenging.

To the recommendations: both antennas are UHF bow-tie arrays, not yagis, and both have way too narrow beamwidths to work in a fixed location (meaning that pointing the antenna to get one tower will put the other tower in one of the antenna's "blind spots"). You need an antenna that has a wide beamwidth, like the RCA ANT-751.

Before you go any further, though, I recommend signing up at the OTA forum (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=81) at digitalhome.ca. There is a subforum for reception results that will have a thread for your area. If you feel the least bit handy, folks in the antenna research and development thread at that site have come up with a very wide beamwidth antenna called the "stealth hawk" that could be the perfect design for you.

[John Candle]

Raising the antenna height did not help with the American stations. For the Canada stations I recommend a Winegard HD1080 antenna aimed at about 343 Degree magnetic compass. http://canadapost.ca/shopper/items/3621939/WINEGARD-HD-1080-BOW-TIE-HD1080 . The angle of reception from the antenna to the Tv stations to the north and a little east and the Tv stations that are to the east and a little south is a very steep angle. However I think the stations will be received. If not then I suggest 2 antennas , one aimed at the stations to the north and a little east and one aimed at the stations to the east and a little south. The 2 separate antennas would not be connected together on the same coax. Separate coax would be run to each Tv. One antenna would have a 2 way splitter and the other antenna would have a 2 way splitter , the coaxes from the out puts of the splitters would go to each Tv. And a remote control A/B antenna switch would be at each Tv. You can also Google all the stations call signs and see if all the channels you will like to watch can be received by pointing one antenna at one group of stations.

[cooldevo]

Thanks for the assistance, and sorry for the delay (was a crazy long weekend). I'll check out the antennas and look into the information you specified.

Thanks again.