New to OTA in San Diego, CA

[benthicex]

Hi there,
Here is my tvfool report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d0b86d73d6d31af

I moved into a new house recently and wanted to go OTA. I bought a set top antenna to try my luck and had 50/50 success with my local stations. NBC and FOX I get perfectly. However, ABC and CBS I get no signal at all.

My house is situated at the base of a large hill between me and the towers, with more houses at the top. A rather large obstruction, it appears. How much of an impact will that have on getting those two vhf channels? I'd hate to invest time and energy installing an antenna in the attic, just to find myself with no better signal than my set top antenna. Thanks for your time!

[GroundUrMast]

If you and I lived next to one another, you'd see a couple antennas on my roof. One would be an Antennacraft Y10713 or Winegard YA1713 aimed at 272° compass. The signals from KFMB and KGTV are receivable, but some attic and roof materials may make it difficult to receive those two signal reliably from in the attic. There's no harm in trying though.

The second antenna on my roof would be a 4-bay UHF panel antenna such as the DB4e, U4000 or CM-4221. That would be aimed at about 155°.

I'd use a UVSJ to combine the two antenna feeds into a common coax.

[Electron]

Install a ANT751 aimed at about 315 degree magnetic compass. here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

[ADTech]

Your proximity to the shadowing hill suggests that channels 8 & 10 are going to require more effort than your TVFool plot would suggest. You're going to need more than a small, mis-aimed antenna at your location. You may need to resort to amplifying the VHF (only) signal. Ugh! I can't believe I actually suggested that.

Go with the high-gain high-VHF antenna pointed at La Jolla and a separate small UHF aimed to split coverage between Tijuana and Mt Miguel.

Combine the antennas with the UVSJ as suggested.

[Tower Guy]

I'd hate to invest time and energy installing an antenna in the attic, just to find myself with no better signal than my set top antenna. Thanks for your time!

One trick that works in San Diego, and few other places, is to use the Winegard HD-1080. The VHF pattern is backwards form the UHF pattern, which is exactly what's needed. In your location, the best performance is obtained with the antenna mounted upside-down.

www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD-1080.pdf

[benthicex]

Thanks for all the quick responses! Looks like I have a good jumping off point. Sounds like I will have better luck going roof-mounted. There are a couple of houses on my street that have some seriously tall antennas outside their homes. Whatever route I go with, probably will not be in the immediate future though. I will be back with my results when I have something. Thanks again!

[Electron]

Correct me if I am wrong , the HD1080 is all so a "small antenna".

[Electron]

And the backward VHF pattern and upside down HD1080 will also be aimed at about 315 degree magnetic compass. So it is the same , using a different antenna then the ANT751.