Need some help picking a good roof antenna

[kalx]

Hi all,
I would greatly appreciate some input on this. I've been trying to use a regular indoor antenna (Rabbit ears, some cheap ones that come with 'amplifiers', a Terk HDTVa, etc) but haven't had any good luck, I cant even get the regular local channels like Fox, ABC, etc. Have tried numerous placements with no luck. They come in sometimes at night, but its rare. I have trees around the house which may be affecting signal.

I'm now looking to try a roof antenna, but I need help making the right antenna choice.

This is the TVFool report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d9fbe38f1209e90

What do you guys think? What antenna would you recommend?

I've been doing some research, and I could be way off but I have narrowed down to the AntennasDirect DB8, and the Channel Master 4228HD. Also looking at the AnntenasDirect ClearStream4. Do you think the DB8 would get me most of the locals? I want to get as many as possible, but at least Fox/ABC/CBS/NBC,etc. Plan to mount this on the side of the house near the roof with a 40" j-mount.

All help and feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

- kalx

[teleview]

Zip code 95051 puts address at Cabrillo Ave and Santa Cruz Ave. . Thats LOS = Line Of Site to 28 digital Tv stations. And the signals are Very Strong. . So what type of structure do you live in? Is it a metal box ? Metal siding on the out side ? . Read this http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=233 I will look at the satellite and street views of Santa Clara.

[teleview]

So do you live in an apartment? house ? town home ? condo ? ________? ________? ___________? ______? . And about the trees

[kalx]

Thanks for the reply.

<EDIT: Removed pictures>

I have an indoor antenna that looks similar to the CM-4010 (from the thread you linked to), but of course that doesnt mean it works the same. I'm able to get 5-10% reception on KTVU/Fox(Ch2) sometimes, but it constantly cuts in and out and the Signal Strength on my TV shows it going from 0 to 5to10. I've also tried the Terk HDTVa (Amazon Product Link (http://www.amazon.com/Terk-Amplified-High-Definition-Antenna-Reception/dp/B0007MXZB2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1277065367&sr=8-3)), but have had 0 luck on that one. I've tried with antenna's amplifier off and on, etc.

Thanks!

-kalx

[teleview]

Is the street a East / West street? THIS IS A TEST .You will actually be doing a test. Using an indoor antenna that does not have an amplifier , take the Tv antenna up stairs , get the antenna up , up up , up , up up , and up. Keep the Tv antenna away from the trees at the street . LOOK at the radar map and the >>StartMAPS<< part of tvfool. In your mind think about where the Tv transmitters are and where the town home is.

[Dave Loudin]

Sorry that you've not found an indoor antenna that has worked. I gather you've tried a few that are NOT amplified that that hasn't worked? I've seen people have success with the Terk HDTVi, the version without the amp. I'm not sure that turning off the amp in the "a" model works as well.

In general, if signals are strong enough to use an indoor antenna, then they do NOT need to be amplified (strong signals can overload amps and amplified strong signals can overload the TV's tuner). What the Terk's design does (as a decendant of the Zenith SilverSensor) is have a modest ability to discriminate between directions (directivity) and achieve slightly positive gain, very handy for multipath conditions.

What your TVFool report tells us is that you have a clear shot at all your local stations as far as terrain goes. You have alluded to having lots of trees around, and that is a problem for UHF reception. You may also be having to look through a neighbor's dwelling. You can actually get a good idea via the "Start MAPS" option. At the map, you can overlay a station's coverage plus a line showing the path between you and the transmitter. Check to see if your two major directions (305 and 19 degrees) have structures in the way.

Given your results so far, I'm going to assume you need to mount something outside. You do not need any gain, really, if you can aim above the trees and any neighbors. An RCA 751 is your best choice, as you need high-VHF (KGO)and UHF (everything else) (check the Real Channel column on your TVFool report), and it is a lower gain/broader pattern design. The other antennas you are thinking of will have too much gain and could overload your tuner. Plus, none of them are really designed for high-VHF reception.