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Old 27-Jan-2015, 11:49 AM   #26
ADTech
Antennas Direct Tech Supp
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,942
Several tips:

1. You have no receivable low-VHF in or anywhere near Dallas. Those listings for channels 2 & 4 are for licenses that are not on the air. Even if they were, they would be unreceivable at your location 95+% of the time no matter what you install. There is no useful point in considering one of the all-channel antennas at this time, that wasted aluminum could be put to use for something more useful than a bird perch, like beer cans!

2. I tested a number of retail store (Lowes, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Walmart, etc) coaxial cable products several years ago when we we qualifying a new vendor for our "basic" low-loss cable. There wasn't but a hairsbreadth of difference between any of them except the RG6 Quad Shield was slightly more lossy as expected. Avoid the temptation to "upgrade" to RG11 unless its use is specifically indicated. Its only advantage is that it is less lossy than the RG6 which is useful if you have to be ultraconservative with coaxial cable insertion loss. Such situations usually come only with either extraordinarily long runs or in runs where amplification cannot be done. The drawback of RG11 is that its much thicker, is much harder to work with, and requires tools that are cost several times what RG6 tools would cost. Since your location REQUIRES a preamp, the consideration of RG11 is moot as the amp if properly selected, will cover all your cabling losses.

3. Any of the larger UHF antennas already suggested will likely do adequately. The DB8e probably has the highest gain across the band of channels that you have on hand.

4. The AntennaCraft 10-element Yagi is probably your best shot at WFAA.

5. Regarding your test with the CM4228, it would suggest that *something* was defective. Balun, coaxial cable (especially if not new), cabling configuration perhaps, or something along that line.

Time to quit hemming and hawing and get some new metal up in the air!
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