In Need of Some Advice Going OTA
 

Greetings to all!

I am working on completion of a Media Center system to use with my TV. The area where I need the help and advice is in setting up my OTA TV reception. It is relevant to state that I live on a disability pension so my budget has extremely little in the way of discretionary spending money in it.

Here is a link to my signal analysis report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...b97dd2934e6e14

Currently, I'm using a RCA 1450BF multi-directional antenna hung on the northwest wall of my apartment at approximately 327 degrees (magnetic). This provides a barely adequate signal in good weather, degrading to an almost completely unreadable signal if the sun is not shining. This antenna is being used in conjunction with a generic U1620A USB TV tuner dongle.

What I have planned is to acquire a Monoprice HDA-5700 Indoor/Outdoor antenna and mount it to the ceiling in my living room with the antenna oriented toward the strongest signal (by my reckoning, about 341 degrees (magnetic)), connect the antenna to the low noise pre-amplifier that comes with the antenna, thence to a Monoprice model 106456 USB TV Tuner dongle that will be connected to the Media Center system. My estimated costs for the hardware is around 65.00.

My questions to all of you are: 1) Does the plan that I have outlined seem like a reasonable proposition that will work? And 2) Can I achieve a similar or an even better response with different hardware for the same or maybe even less money?

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and I look forward to reading your responses!:D

Don't. Lousy antenna with a lousy amp. There are way better options out there.

Wrong direction. The majority of your signals come from near Ankenny which is NNE of you. WOI operates a UHF translator from your ESE. Do you have a window that faces the requisite direction? If so, that's going to be your "best option" for reliable reception.

Did your RCA antenna come with an amp? Is it in use?

Have you tried the RCA oriented in both the horizontal and the vertical orientations, rotating it in various directions as needed?

Thanks for the Insights!
 

Thanks for your guidance AD Tech! Sounds like you may have saved me from some serious frustration!

Since the Monoprice HDA-5700 Indoor/Outdoor antenna isn't your idea of what a decent indoor antenna is, what would you recommend in the same price range? :confused:

The only window in my apartment's living room is a southern exposure at about 176 degrees (magnetic). I did have the RCA antenna stuck in this window for some time, but the same lousy reception issues I've already described happened when the antenna was there as they are with the antenna secured to the adjacent wall (its current location). In both cases the antenna is/was oriented in the vertical plane. I have not ever tried orienting it in the horizontal plane. Do you think that might work better? As the RCA antenna that I have is a flat panel that came with its own small amp (which I have always used as it doesn't seem to work at all without it), I'm uncertain at this point about how to build a rig to suspend it from the ceiling in either a vertical OR a horizontal orientation AND provide it with some rotational freedom to really 'zero' in on the strongest signal and then lock it down at that point. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention though, so I reckon I'll sit down with a sketch pad and try to come up with some Rube Goldberg contraption. ;-) I am supposing that drilling through the corners of the antenna's plastic shell would generally be regarded as a knucklehead play, right? :eek:

I'm eager to hear back from you AD Tech. I THINK I answered all the questions you had for right now!

Best regards,:cool:

Welcome, DarkStar:

I agree with ADTech on the Monoprice and the direction. I found links for the RCA antenna but I couldn't find a link for the USB tuner.
http://www.rcaantennas.net/indoor-hd...?sku=ANT1450BF
http://www.rcaantennas.net/docs/comm...T1450BF_OM.pdf

You will need to try it in different locations and different positions.
Not unless you know what is inside. Maybe you can construct a plastic cradle and clamp for it that wouldn't block the signals.

Since I don't know the specs of the amp, it is possible that it might be overloaded, if not by your strong TV signals, then maybe by your even stronger local FM signals:
http://www.fmfool.com/modeling/tmp/0...3/Radar-FM.png
Is your apartment on the ground floor or the second floor? Does the window have a metal screen or low-E glass?

If you are not able to receive WOI for ABC on real channel 50, it might be possible to construct a simple antenna for WOI on real channel 5 and integrate it with your UHF/VHF antenna.

I see a lot of trees in your area. Trees and buildings block signals.

The RCA antenna is a very simple low gain antenna coupled with an amp that tries to make up for its low efficiency. If we can't help you get the RCA going, it will be necessary to upgrade to an antenna that has more gain before the amp.

In my experience, if you are on the "wrong" side of a building, you're often out of luck as the only signals that can get to any ill-located antenna either are going to be hopelessly attenuated by the penetration losses from passing through the building, reflected off external objects in haphazard ways, or they simply get shredded from the unfortunate combination of whatever signal finally makes it to the antenna's location. In all, it's simply potluck for reception when you're under those type of conditions and I consider it to be impossible to predict reception reliably.

My favorite "indoor" antenna is an outdoor antenna that is used indoors. Sometimes, size does matter! ;) Our ClearStream 2V is my overwhelming favorite but it's not right for everyone due to its size and it doesn't meet your price point objectives.

In the inexpensive indoor antenna realm that I've tested, and I have tested most of them, there's a lot of junk and a few unrecognized gems. For the "thin" antennas, the best overall UHF performance is provided by our Eclipse, but its design isn't optimal for VHF and you do need VHF in Des Moines. Runner-up compromise candidates would not be the flat thin antennas available from any of the brands found in retail stores, you'd have to order it. You can keep your existing amp, it's likely good enough for general purpose use. I'll send you a private message with my suggestion, please keep its identity private. If you go that route, let us know how it turns out.

I do. ;) He won't overload it. It one of the very few amps that actually passed my CEA-2032A and CEA-774B tests and it has a decent enough FM filter.

Good; maybe he can use it with another antenna like the C2V.

Thanks for the welcome Rabbit73 and the advice is always welcome especially considering I hardly have a clue. Actually, my apartment is on the 3rd (top) floor of the building and so, thankfully, puts me above most of the obstructions I am able to see (Windsor Heights is primarily residential). As far as selction of the antenna goes and deciding whether or not I going to spring for a more powerful preamp is pretty much on hold right now. I want to see what youse guys decide would be the best indoor type antenna in my price range and/or what kind of a Rube Goldberg gizmo I can gin up to mount my 1450BF to the ceiling and make it so it can be adjusted in a wide an arc as possible. But before I get too carried away with THAT notion, I'm going to have to try orienting the antenna horizontally to determine if that does anything significant to improve its performance. TRUST ME on this: Youse guys will be VERY MUCH in the loop all the way through this grand adventure we're about to embark on!

Hey AD Tech!

Just had a look-see at the Clear Stream 2V antenna you think so highly of. It is a little on the pricey side for my budget especially since upgrading the antenna and/or preamp is sort of a crap shoot proposition at best. Still, I want to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of the best OTA signal I can reasonably get! I'm looking forward to your PM containing you thoughts, but I absolutely got it that mum's the word! If you'd 'druther, you are also welcome to email me at lorddarkstarx (at) gmail (dot),,,well you know the rest! ;-)

Good morning gentlemen!

Was just snooping around EBay when I came across a more powerful pre-amplifier than the one I have currently. It is an RCA AMP1450R for 14.00. Was just curious to know what your thoughts were on this as my pre-amp?

Also: Took my RCA 1450BF off the wall and laid it horizontally on the back of my TV stand, immediately behind my TV. I was somewhat surprised by the increased clarity of the signal I began receiving! Whoda thunk something so simple could yield such a marked improvement? Will wait for a spate of bad weather now to ascertain if the performance improvement will persist or not.

It's the same amp as you already have which should be adequate for your purposes. There is no need for you to replace it.

Oh. OK, thanks. No need going over the same old ground!

Translation please. It's been a long time since high school Latin.

Loosely translates into something like: "those who think evil, are evil".

Not bad Mike! Kudos for remembering your Latin!

Actually it's: Evil to him that thinks evil (thoughts), but more evil to him that does evil (things). It is an Anglo-Norman maxim translated from the Old French: Honi soit qui mal y pense. THAT may look more familiar to any true anglophiles among us!

Sorry, my family was Saxon! Not Anglo-Saxon, and earlier than Anglo-Norman. My mother was from Transylvania, specifically, Siebenburgen.

How Kewl! I know my mother's family was French Huguenot that finally settled in Louisiana after getting kicked out of Canada, but know little of my father's family. Do you get to claim any kinship to Vlad Tepes?

My folks are from Virginia, and I don't have a clue what ya'll be talking 'bout.

To be honest Rick, what we're talking about is family history, which is way off topic for this forum. Sorry! We old guys sometimes get carried away on clouds of nostalgia.

No, though I work nights, and live my life at night, lol.