Cutting Cable - Need Help with Antennas

[GoodbyeCable]

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]Here's my tvfool report - http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c65b02e3c09f

Very close to cutting Comcast cable but am having trouble getting WPVI (6ABC) and I absolutely have to have that channel for this all to work!

I bought two different types of antennas; old school style rabbit ears and a Mohu Leaf flat antenna. The rabbit ears are on the livingroom hdtv and I've managed to get all the free channels in my area on it but again, ABC is hit or miss. The Mohu Leaf is on the upstairs bedroom hdtv and the only way ABC comes in is if I'm holding it up in the air in the middle of the room! (Also, bought a dedicated laptop to hook to hdtv in livingroom to watch free online tv and Chromecast on bedroom hdtv so that is all worked out.)

Was outside gardening and looked up at the roof and realized that I have another option! I have a huge antenna on my chimney that I was going to take down and scrap but now realize that it may well be the answer to my unreliable reception of ABC. I see wiring running down the side of the house going into the basement. In the attic I found a second antenna (at least I don't think it's attached to the chimney antenna) with a flat cable running down to I don't know where yet. I haven't tried tracing where the cables are going yet because I think I need more info before I try.

My questions:

1. Is it possible to use the cable wire that is already wired throughout my house using the wires that are going into the basement from the roof antenna? I did buy a matching transformer from Radio Shack that leads me to believe that it would be possible but I'm not sure how to get it all up and working.

2. Can a splitter be put on the wiring coming from the antenna?

3. If I go through all this trouble will I ultimately get the desired outcome - reliable reception of ABC?

4. What's the best way to trace the wires coming/going from the antennas? What should I be looking for?

I really appreciate any guidance you could give me.

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[Tower Guy]

The old antenna is likely to break when you try to replace the twin lead with a new balun. I'd take a look at the HD7015 from Summit Source. It's smart to use new coax for your distribution system.

[tomfoolery]

The antenna in your attic reminds me of this style, popular in the 50's when TV was exploding in suburbia.



If it were me, I'd focus on the Philly stations, and since they transmit on all bands, all the way down to real channel 2, I'd just use a (new) full-range antenna pointed at about magnetic 30 degrees, mounted in place of the old one. I don't see anything in the Atlantic City market that you can't get from the Philly stations.

I'd also run new cable outdoors, at least to one TV for initial setup, and look into reusing some of the old stuff once it's working to your satisfaction. I would not wire up the whole network, especially with old cable and splitters, before establishing what the system can do in its cleanest configuration.

[GoodbyeCable]

I know these antennas were working right before we moved into our house in 2012. (The whole house had to be wired for cable/internet - took Comcast 6 hours to do it!) I feel reasonalbly sure that we could use the existed wiring to the antenna's.