Quote:
Originally Posted by nukeman
So now that I've ran the report, how do I actually choose an antenna? How do I know if I need additional equipment like an amplifier or rotor?
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You select an antenna that has sufficient gain that when added to the NM number in your post and subtract the preamp noise figure you have sufficient margin to pick up the signal reliably.
For instance, channels 11 and 13 could be picked up with a VHF only antenna. The YA1713 has a gain of about 10 db and the noise figure of a 7777 preamp is about 3 db. Therefore the result NM would be 9+10-3=16 db. That should work fine. The Y10-7-13 could be substituted for the YA1713.
KTKA has a NM of -9 db. The gain of a UHF only 91XG is about 15 db, the preamp noise is 3 db. The result is 15-9-3=+3 db NM, which will drop reasonably often. KSNT's margin will be 1.5 db better. The trick will be to find the perfect spot on your roof to add a few db of margin. Once you do that for KTKA, check KSNT. I predict that it will take several hours of experimentation to optimize both channels simultaneously.
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/siting.html
The two-antenna solution is most likely to work for you. I would not plan on a rotor unless you wanted to watch the LPTV stations KETM-CA or K30AL-D