antenna suggestion for attic mount, 2 TVs
 

Hi all. Thanks in advance for whatever help you provide, this seems like a great and very informative site. I am not an enthusiast, nor am I looking to spend a bunch of money. I just want a dependable and cost-effective solution for picking up ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and CW in HD.

Here are my specs: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9fbebef7608700

I appear to be pretty close to my area's broadcast towers so I imagine I can get by with a smaller antenna, but here are a few details that might make a difference:

- We have a two story house
- Signal needs to be split for two televisions, one in the basement and one on the first floor. If possible splitting into 3 is even better but not necessary. I don't know what to buy to make this all happen.
- I don't want to mount anything on the roof. It is difficult to even get on this roof and the angles are treacherous. Attic is preferable, assuming that is a viable option.
- I am concerned the length of cable will degrade the signal, but don't know enough about this stuff to know if this is a valid concern.

Thanks again, let me know if I've left out any important info.

Hello and welcome!

Yes, you are very close to the local broadcasts. In fact, some of the signals are so strong that you might have problems with too much signal.

Whatever you do, make sure you DO NOT use any signal amps in your setup (avoid antennas with built-in amps). Most amps would be overwhelmed by signals this strong, so you really should avoid them completely.



With very strong signals, an indoor antenna can work. The main thing to watch out for is signal reflections (a.k.a., multipath) off of objects in the vicinity (e.g., walls, neighboring buildings, ducts, pipes, etc.). A rooftop antenna is out in the open and usually gets a nice clean signal. Indoor environments are usually surrounded by a lot more "stuff" that can cause signals to bounce around.

For an attic installation, it's best to keep the space around the antenna clear of other objects. In most cases, it's best to suspend a mast from the rafters or mount a mast from the bottom up so that the antenna is in the middle of an open space.

You should also check the direction of the stations (north-west in your case) to choose a location that has minimal "stuff" to get in the way (e.g., chimney, trees, ducts, etc.).

You'll have to check to see if your attic is suitable for such an installation.



Since your signals are starting out so strong, the cable length should not be a problem for you. The signals should still be plenty strong by the time they reach each of your televisions.



I would recommend an antenna like the Antennacraft HBU-22. This is a channel 7-69 antenna (you don't have any channels in the 2-6 range), so you can have a smaller overall antenna. Another good choice for a channel 7-69 antenna is the Winegard HD7694P.

All of the networks you want can be picked up by pointing the antenna at around compass heading 306º. The "beam width" of the antenna spans roughly 60º, so you should have no trouble picking up all the stations in that general direction.

To mount the mast, you can use a bracket like the Channel Master 3078

You can use a standard 4-way splitter to send the signal to each of your TVs.

Just be sure to cap off any unused ports with a 75-ohm terminator. Any open-ended connections can "reflect" signal back into the cable and cause interference. Terminating all the loose ends avoids this problem.

Use RG6 coax to connect everything together. Some places might give you RG59 coax (thinner and more flexible, but more susceptible to noise and interference). You're much better off sticking to RG6 cable.

Antenna masts are usually pipes with a 1.25" diameter. They can often be found at a local store (e.g., Radio Shack, Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace, etc.) so that you don't have to deal with shipping.

Fantastic response, thank you! A couple follow-up questions:

- Do I need to ground anything? If so, how do I do that?
- You mention I don't have any channels in the 2-6 range which threw me off. Are "real" channels the important ones, whereas virtual channels aren't? This is a new concept to me. Will my TV still detect the virtual channels?

I guess those are the only questions. Thank you very much for making these suggestions idiot-proof!

"Real" chnnels are the actual RF channels in use. "Virtual" channels are what your receiver maps the data to.

Thank you Dave. I googled my grounding question and since it won't be outside it looks like I don't need to ground anything. Thank you very much for the help. I am going to try Fry's electronics because shipping for parts comes to $20 which seems high.

Yes, you can save on shipping bulky items, but then Fry's is not known to have the lowest prices either. Their in-stock selection might also be limited.

I may be able to order online but pickup in-store. Of course then that means I pay sales tax. Decisions decisions...

I was actually suggesting that other online retailers might have lower prices and more selection than Fry's. You do have to pay for shipping, but the lower product cost might offset the cost of shipping.

I shop at Fry's fairly often, but in terms of TV antennas, I sometimes find their in-store selection quite limited. They don't carry all the best makes/models of antennas, and sometimes they have a hard time keeping an adequate inventory of the products they do carry.

If Fry's does not have the products you're looking for, you will probably have better luck getting everything you need from some of the online retailers that specialize in OTA reception products.

I did some online Fry's checking and they don't have the antenna I want or a reasonable price on RG6. Right now on Amazon I can get the HBU-22, 100' of RG6, and a 4 pack of terminators for about $43 shipped. Seems like a good deal. I'll pick up the splitter at Fry's which has a Phillips 4 way for $2.99 in store. Sound good to you mtownsend or does that still seem high? Thanks again for your help.

The price sounds great. No complaints there. You might also want to check solidsignal.com.



When you say 100' of RG6, is that raw cable or a pre-made cable with F-type connectors on both ends?

Keep in mind that you'll need multiple segments of RG6 cable (each with F-type connectors on the ends) to complete your setup. There's a section of cable going from the antenna to the splitter, and then cables going from the splitter to each of your TVs. The lengths of cable that you need depend on where you plan on putting the 4-way splitter and the paths that you choose to route the cables.



Instead of buying pre-made cables of fixed length, it's also possible to buy spools of raw cable and then build your own custom cables to the exact lengths that you need. After the cables are pulled to their desired locations, you can simply cut the cable down to an appropriate length (leaving a bit of slack) and put connectors on the ends.

However, in order to do this, you'll need to buy the connectors and a special tool to put the connectors on the ends of the cable. The special tools and connectors add quite a bit to the total price of your project, so you'll have to decide whether or not this is a good option for you. BTW, if you go this route, the "compression fit" connectors work well and are easier to work with than the "crimp-on" style of connectors.

The cable already has the F connectors on either end. I don't think the crimper tool is something I'd use enough to make the investment worthwhile. However you're right I do need to add another length of cable to connect from the antenna to the splitter. Kind of an important piece of the puzzle! I am planning to have the splitter pretty close to the antenna itself as I thought I read somewhere it was best to place the splitter as close to the antenna as possible.

I will have to buy another length of cable for the 2nd TV but we haven't bought the TV itself yet and I'm not sure when we're going to. A lot of that depends on what else my wife want to spend money on for the new house. For now it'll just go to the one TV in the basement and I can add more cables when I need them.

tv reception
 

Always look in the connector ends of the cables , make sure the outer shield and shield wires are not close to or touching the center signal carrying center conductor wire. Push the outer shield and shield wires away from the center conductor wire.