Antenna Advice in Suburban Atlanta
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I’m planning on dropping basic cable service in favor of OTA for our two TVs, so began researching antennas and wandered into TVFool a few days ago. You are really providing a great service. I have been reading through the forums and have learned a lot, but still have some questions about how to proceed. I’m only interested in receiving the local Atlanta channels, primarily the 4 major networks plus the 2 PBS stations (all within the first 10 channels on the list). The transmitters are all within 25 miles. Am I a good candidate for an attic installation? We have a single story house with asphalt shingles. No tall buildings around. There are several fairly large trees next to my house, but the antenna will be below the canopy and aimed between the trunks. There is a grove of large hardwood trees on the same general azimuth but approx. 200 yards away. If I understand the difference between the “real” and “virtual” channels, our ABC and FOX channels were VHF when broadcasting in analog (channels 2 & 5) but switched to UHF channels for the digital changeover (39 & 27 respectively). That leaves 2 of my desired channels in the VHF band (8 & 10), so I guess that means I need a combination VHF/UHF antenna. All of my desired channels are within 8 degrees of azimuth (301 - 309 magnetic), except channel 8 (336 degrees), but that is also the closest transmitter at 16 miles. I’m guessing I would not need a rotor, but how best to aim the antenna? All of my desired channels show a line-of-sight path, which is self-explanatory, except channel 8 which is listed as single edge diffraction. I have no idea what that means or how it might affect reception. Please explain, as this is our most-watched channel. My inclination is to buy an antenna and try it in the attic first. This would have the advantage of being almost directly above both TVs, resulting in very short coax runs. If reception is unacceptable, I would consider moving the antenna outside using a ground-mounted mast and installing it where the existing cable enters the house. This would allow me to use the existing building cables and grounding wire. It would also keep me off the roof which would make my wife happy! So that’s my situation. Any advice on which antenna to buy and how to proceed would be greatly appreciated. |
Hello and welcome!
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In any case, single edge diffraction means that the signal must "bend" over the top of one terrain obstruction. All radio waves can bend, or diffract over obstacles to a certain degree. If you are just barely within the "shadow" of a terrain obstruction, there's still a good chance of getting very strong signals. The "deeper" you get into the shadow, the less signal you will see. The signal analysis tools take this into account, so if it's still saying that you are getting strong signals, then the terrain obstruction must not be that bad. In most cases, it doesn't make that much difference if the signal is getting to you via LOS or via diffraction, as long as it's strong enough to be picked up. There are some situations where diffraction can make things more difficult. This might happen if there are lots of trees or tall buildings along the ridge-line where the diffraction is taking place. This might make your signal pick up more multipath interference than the LOS case. Quote:
The antennas are designed to clamp onto some kind of mast (any kind of vertical pipe up to 1.5 inches in diameter). In most attics, you can hang a short section of mast from one of the joists overhead using some simple brackets. Try to keep the antenna away from other objects, especially conductive materials like metal bracing, ducts, foil-backed insulation, etc. I also recommend that you DO NOT install any amplifiers in your situation. Your signals are too strong to be handled by most amps, so adding one will probably make things worse rather than better. At these distances, an amp simply isn't required. Good luck! |
Thanks! I ordered the Winegard antenna yesterday. Will let you know the results after I get it installed.
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The antenna arrived yesterday afternoon. I had already hung a mast section in the attic, so installation took less than a half hour. Reception quality is excellent! This morning I added a splitter and connected my FM receiver. My wife will not miss the indoor antenna that was thumb-tacked to the wall. All that remains is to buy a digital converter for the analog set in the bedroom, and it's "Good bye Comcast!". Thanks so much. I'm a happy camper.
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Glad to hear it! Congrats!
Did you have any HD content through Comcast? It might be interesting to do a comparison of OTA HD quality vs. cable before you turn it off. |
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