[rabbit73]

Originally Posted by NashNet

I know the FCC allows me to place an antenna outside but I'm not willing to fight the HOA nazis. So, I've decided on placing it in the attic.

The FCC probally would not help in your case because the roof is usually considered a common area. However, if you have an "exclusive use" area like a balcony, you are covered.

So, I've decided on placing it in the attic.

The signal loss for an attic location is difficult to predict because of differences in construction. You need to be prepared to make some tests with a temporary setup.

Thanks for the attic photo. I see the foil clad duct. See attachment 1 for my questions.

- Do I need to ground the antenna if it's placed in the attic?

The NEC does not require a ground for an attic antenna, but I have found that it is a good idea to ground the coax with a grounding block connected to the house electrical system ground for personal electrical safety. I have had several close calls with electrical shock.

My budget is $150-$200

I will try to keep that in mind. Start simple and build on it.

The channels I need are PBS (ch 8 VHF), NBC (ch 10 VHF), ABC and CBS (on UHF).

- My roof juts out 6 feet beyond the neighbor’s roof. Luckily, that clearance/gap between his roof-edge and the tree is exactly in the direction of the transmitter. Narrow, yes, but I think I'm clear.

Have you used the green signal lines in the tvfool interactive map browser? See attachment 2 for an example.
http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?opti...pper&Itemid=90

Is it worth it to get a separate antenna such as ClearStream 5 just for one H-VHF channel (the important PBS?) or could I use an antenna than can do H-VHF well and UHF.

Because your signals are in the same general direction, you can use separate VHF and UHF antennas or a combo antenna.

To meet your requirements you will need WTVF CBS on real channel 25, because CBS on real channel 5 is VHF-Low that would require a very large antenna. Your CBS channel is much weaker than your strongest channels, there is the attic loss to consider, and there is a hill and other buildings in the signal path, all of which indicate a need for extra UHF gain in the antenna. Your tvfool report is a computer simulation that assumes your antenna is outside and in the clear, with no trees or other buildings in the signal path. The hill:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dALLTV%26n%3d6

Here is another terrain profile that shows the hill is in the signal path:



See also attachment 3.

Possible choice: DB4e with VHF add-on dipole kit, but I want ADTech to double check my analysis if he has time.

The DB8e and CS 5 would give more gain, and might make it possible to receive down to ION, but would be more expensive. You would probably need to stack the CS 5 above the DB8e. The CS 5 comes with a UHF/VHF combiner AKA UVSJ.

Try it just with one TV in a temporary setup; don't drill any holes yet. If your TV has a signal strength indicator, that will help with finding the best location in the attic.

If it's OK with one TV, add a 2-way splitter. If there isn't enough signal for 2 TVs, replace the splitter with a Channel Master 3412.

Please tell us about your test results on this same thread instead of starting a new thread.

You have some strong local FM signals that might interfere with TV reception and require an FM filter in the coax line.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...-FM-88-/33-341