Helping a friend
 

We are thinking to get an 8 bay antenna mounted 20 feet but need your help and knowledge for this location. We are looking for both Local & US channel. The most possible using the setup above.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e2cbaf679b0012

Thanks in advance

Your friend lives in a difficult location for TV reception if he wants local and US. They are in different directions and there is a great difference in signal strength.

If you click on pending, the report is probably more accurate for the local channels.

If you try to aim the two panels in different directions, a preamp is needed for the US channels, but it will be overloaded by the local channels.

I suggest two separate systems. The 8-bay with both panels aimed at the US with a preamp. For the locals, a lower gain UHF antenna, like the C2 or a 4-bay, without a preamp.

So point the 8 bays towards 169 degrees magnetic & a 4bay 231 degrees magnetic.
Would I use a combiner or a A/B switch for the different directions?
Thanks for the help Rabbit.

Yes, unless CHCH on real channel 15 is important, then 225.

Combining two UHF antennas aimed in different directions doesn't always work, whether it is a 4-bay and an 8-bay, or whether it is the two panels of an 8-bay aimed in different directions. The reason it doesn't always work is because when the same signals from each antenna arrive at the combining point they will interfere with each other if they are not in phase (arrive at the same instant). You just have to try it.

In this case, make sure that each antenna system gets the channels you want when separate, then combine them with a splitter in reverse. If you lose some of the channels after combining, then it doesn't work at your location.

In this case, the combiner is used to combine the output of the power inserter for the 8-bay preamp with the coax from the 4-bay.

If the combiner doesn't work, you will then need to use an A/B switch to select which antenna you want to use. But, that will mean you must rescan unless your tuner can add a channel after scan like a Sony.

An alternative would be to connect the main antenna to the antenna connector of the TV and connect the other antenna system to a separate tuner with its output going to the aux input of the TV.

Thank you rabbit73 for your help and info.
I will try what you suggested.

You'll get a lot less wind load, and take up far less mast space if you choose yagi-style antennas instead of panel-type antennas: consider this choice, instead; an AntennasDirect 91XG aimed at 158 degrees, and an Stellar Labs 30-2065 aimed at 220 degrees.

You don't need amplification for the Toronto stations, but you do for the Buffalo stations. Probably the easiest way to accomplish this is to use a high-input preamplifier on the XG-91, such as an AntennasDirect "Juice", and run separate coax leads into the house. Put the preamp power inserter on the line coming from the XG-91, and combine the signals from the two antennas using a combiner-splitter AFTER the power inserter. You can then distribute the signal throughout the house, and can add a distribution amplifier, if necessary.

The rationale for using a preamplifier here is to more closely equalize the signal strength differential between Buffalo stations and the closer Toronto stations before combining the signals.

Your Toronto stations are "very" strong, they'll come in on a 91XG aimed at Buffalo anyway. You probably do not need an additional antenna unless you absolutely have to have the CHCH on UHF 15.

Until very recently, I lived about 10 miles from a million watt channel 14 transmitter that was about 45° off-axis to the aim of my 91XG. I still had to suppress it with a notch filter to keep it from overloading some of the amp's that I tested at home in order to equalize the signal powers.

In a similar vein, you likely do not need a separate VHF antenna for CFTO on VHF 9. Put the 91XG up there and see what you get and see if you actually need the second antenna before doing anything more.

Now, long time readers know I rarely suggest using the "wrong" band antenna, but I'll simply submit that I've had a LOT of time to experiment with these scenarios so I do have experience and data to back up my suggestions. ;)

I agree with ADTech about the 91XG: signal strength on CFTO being what it is, you are probably safe without using a separate VHF yagi. Give his suggestion a try, and then be prepared to add a distribution amplifier if you plan to run more than one TV.

We installed the an Eaglestar pro 53-6165v antenna 25 feet with no amplifier. There was a great improvement from 11 channels all Canadian to 24 channels US & Canadian.
Thank you for the help.