Trying to figure out my best options - Page 4

samve33 · 6-May-2012, 3:21 AM

I agree, height is what I need. I've got 50-60 foot pines around me and a tower is exactly what I need. You're going to set your satchel down for one. I think it would be difficult to get the heigth I need with a roofmount, still need about a 50 foot mast. Had a hard enough time with what I've got. I'm going to have to study this closer. For the moment shoting through the trees is my most practical option. Bet my reception will be great in the winter!

samve33 · 6-May-2012, 3:25 AM

What kind of restrictions would there be for somone about 1/4 mile from airport property?

GroundUrMast · 6-May-2012, 4:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samve33

What kind of restrictions would there be for somone about 1/4 mile from airport property?

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/portal.jsp

Electron · 6-May-2012, 9:52 AM

Amateur radio operators and places that sell amateur radio equipment can put you in contact with a operator and or tower installer that will have answers and will most likley come to your place and you and him/her can size up the situation.

samve33 · 6-May-2012, 2:51 PM

I've been studying the situation this morning and I think I can clear-up WAGA and some other Atlanta stations by taking out a few small trees and some limbs. Chattanooga is going to be a little different. I see a good bit of sky under some pines in that direction but I'll need to go lower to get under them which then gets me into some smaller trees closer to the house. I have no problem taking those out but I've got to get with the people next door first as they are very close to the property line. Not sure whose side their on. Think ours. Barring that I might be able to relocate one of the antennas to get around them. Let me work with this before I consider spending a couple thousand bucks to get over the trees.

Electron · 6-May-2012, 8:20 PM

WAGA-DT Real UHF Channel 27 FOX is Very Weak at minus -15.7 NM(dB).

Yes sometimes shooting under the trees can work. You are thinking fast and catching on quick , it gets ya to thinking about angles of reception , how strong the station is and etc.
So if it does or does not work , it is the fun of trying and learning . Also contact a Tv DXer , Tv Dxing is a popular hobby and a DXer can help you with the tower and antenna height situations.

samve33 · 22-May-2012, 12:22 AM

I'e been busting my buns lately and haven't had time for the antenna situation. I took some time off today and cleared out the smaller trees. Those limbs I was looking at are a good bit higher than they looked from the sundeck. I decided I'll take that whole tree down. Got to get another saw first. My rinky-dink saw won't handle that big mama. BUT, what I did clear out today has been a big improvement. I think WAGA will be a reliable channel when I get done. Got a good signal now til the wind blows and then it breaks up. I'm shooting through a small hole in the limbs of that big tree. Never realized how much of a pain those leaves could be. Still on hold for the northern direction. Waiting to see what the people next door have to say. Thinking about relocating an anteena on that one. SLOWLY making progress.

samve33 · 22-May-2012, 2:25 PM

There was a station I picked up one day and one day only that had 10 channels which some of them looked good. Since that day I haven't got a hint of it. I don't know where this station came from as the list doesn't show it. Channel 26.1 is labeled News 24. Is this something that skipped in and back out or is there any chance of getting it on a reliable basis? If I can get it where should I look for it?

samve33 · 22-May-2012, 3:59 PM

It took me some digging but I found it. It's WTBS out of Atlanta. Looks pretty weak at 15kw. Doubt I'll be able to get that reliably. I did try it as an analog channel too with no luck. Too bad, I had hoped to get TBS.

samve33 · 22-May-2012, 6:09 PM

I think I've got a pretty good idea of what I've got now. I have or have picked up a total of 73 channels and except for the 10 TBS channels the rest are reliable except for a handful and I expect to have those handful reliable once I get the trees or relocation done. I've had the others reliable at one point or another but by trying to get other channels those few became unreliable. So, I should end up with 63 reliable channels. After blocking out channels that we have no interest in and duplicate channels and spanish and so forth that left me with about 35 channels. Of these 35 I expect to use about 23 of them often. Probably as much or more than I used on cable. My job now is to get those last few reliable. Don't think I could had done this well without your help. Thanks for all of your advice.