Newbie question about a 4db antenna
 

Hi,

New to the forum and learning allot.

First here is my TVfool results:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1349d4aa50fe0c

As it looks like I will only be able to get UHF channels I was going to use a DB4 antenna. To save money and because I just think it is cool I would like to build it myself.
I am building a DB4 antenna using 7 inch whiskers on 5.25 inch centers (plans off the internet).
I live in a 2 story wood framed house with vinyl siding.
There are tall trees directly North of my house.
The TV is located in the downstairs South West corner of the house.
Will I be able to mount my antenna in the living room, or in the attic?

If I have to I can mount it on my chimney and have only a 30 or 40 foot run to the boob tube. If so how high above the roof line should I mount it?

Should I use a reflector and point this North East?

Thanks for any help or advice I can get.

Rob

That's actually a very poor design. Locate the plans for the 4-bay by MClapp instead if you want to "roll your own".

Ultimately, you will have to experiment with the mounting location. Getting the antenna to a spot where the signals can best get to it is the key. There is no specific height that we can say is best - you'll have to discover that with the antenna in hand. Generally, look for a mounting location that offers the best combination of a clear line of sight with height. Sometimes it's simply impossible due to conditions beyond your control.

Good luck with your project!

ALL questions and answers about Broadcast Tv Reception and More.
 

This recommendation is based on the tvfool Digital Broadcast Tv Channels Current and Pending Applications Included.

Your location has receivable digital broadcast Tv channels in the UHF channel band of 14 thru 51 and the VHF high channel band of 7 thru 13.

Above the roof .

Install a Antennas Direct CS2 Complete VHF/UHF antenna , http://www.antennasdirect.com/store/...VHF-Combo.html , aimed at about 320 degree magnetic compass.

Remove the reflector screen from the CS2 Complete and the antenna will receive at the front of the antenna and back of the antenna.

With the reflector screen removed the CS2 Complete will receive the groups of Tv stations/channels to the north and east.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

Here are some antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.

Here are places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.antennasdirect.com , http://www.amazon.com.

ALL questions and answers about Broadcast Tv Reception and More.
 

The Tv/s Must scan for the broadcast Tv channels sometimes named the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv setup menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

DO NOT scan for cable tv channels.

If you're in the mood to build you own antenna, the details for the M4 mentioned by ADTech are here: http://m4antenna.eastmasonvilleweather.com/index.html

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I had already cut the wires and drilled the holes in a scrap piece of 2 x 4, so 5 minutes of wiring and I got to try it out. Wow! I had bought a rabbit ear with a booster for $49 that picked up 10 channels only 5 were viewable. I took this back to the store and bought a signal transformer for $5. With the antenna I built I picked up 18 channels and all but one is viewable. This is without a reflector just sitting on my book shelf next to the TV. Today I will build a 9.5" whisker with 9" spacing and get a long enough piece of coax so I can temporarily mount it on the roof. I could not believe how easy this was to build and how well it worked. If anyone is on the fence please give it a try, all you need is some scrap wood, 6 coat hangers or some copper wire and some dry wall screws. Took me 30 minutes total but this included 10 minutes spent getting my stupid dog unstuck from under the shed. I will post the results of the bigger antenna tomorrow.

Follow Up:
Yesterday I build another 4 bay cat wisker type antenna based on ADTech's suggestion. Thanks by the way. I made this one a 9.5 inch on 9 inch centers. Surprisingly it was not quite as good as the 7 inch. Then I build a Gray Hoverman and it was not as good as the first two. BTW here is a great site if you want to build one: http://www.diytvantennas.com/sbgh.html I do not think it will work as a link so you might have to copy it to your browser. In all cases I did not use a reflector. I tried to today on the 7 inch and had the worst results so far. I think the problem is that my signals are just about exactly 90° apart. Today we will try a reflector and twisting the antenna using the SBGH. By the way the coolest part about all of this, other than free TV is that I am working with my daughters ages 8 and 11. They love building the stuff and are learning all about physics in a fun practical way. And so far it has only cost me $8 for two 300 ohm signal transformers. Thanks for the help and suggestions, keep them coming.

A spread of 90° poses a significant challenge for most antenna system designs.

Delighted to hear of your kids interest in building 'stuff'.

This is not surprising. My cocoaNEC model of the Gray-Hoverman antenna's gain profile is greatest in lobes off-axis. I find that it has a null where experience with other antenna designs lead me to expect the greatest gain. You might try rotating it radically off-boresight to see if the reception is better.

Choosing to omit the reflector is a very significant modification of the original design...

A successful antenna build requires some degree of precision. In some cases, modifying a dimension by a milliliter is significant. Omission of a reflector can drastically alter the resonant frequency of the driven element(s) and also radically change the impedance of the entire antenna.

I'd recommend http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=121956 and http://clients.teksavvy.com/~nickm/index.html as a starting point for reliable information re. the current development of the GH series of antennas.

Hey GroundUrMast, Well in full disclosure I did not really Omit as much as not put it on yet. I finally mounted all three on stands and have a lazy Susan so I can play with directions. I took the GH up the second floor and tweaked in the angle until I got all my North bound stations and all the East ones. Then I took it back down stairs and mounted it about 6 feet off the ground. I get at least a 50% signal on all channels now. And by rotating it just a little I get 75 to 100% My signal strength indicator on my TV sucks, it goes in 25% steps. Anyhow I will try installing a reflector tonight or this afternoon. I am thrilled with the results so far but if I can get a little stronger signal without mounting this bad Larry in the attic or on the roof I will be much happier.