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Old 8-Dec-2016, 4:12 PM   #1
dlwharleyman
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Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Grass Valley
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Antenna for foothill/mountain area

Have looked at many digital OTA antennas, but not sure what to buy. Right now we use the Winegard flat plasstic interior antennas, which we have outside. Sometimes we get great reception for quite awhile and other times nothing, or channels going on and off. Here's the TVFool analysis I ran. Located in Grass Valley CA, on a South facing hill with an elevation around 2,500 ft.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfaf16c140d97e
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Old 8-Dec-2016, 11:15 PM   #2
WIRELESS ENGINEER
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Location: Eastern Ohio
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Looks like you can get everything from rf channel 2 thru high UHF so the easiest thing to use would be a small vhf/UHF combo antenna

Warren electronics has a Winegard hd7078 antenna that should work well
Without needing a rotator

If you find you need a preamp, I would stay with the channel master 7778 preamp to avoid overload
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Old 9-Dec-2016, 12:06 AM   #3
dlwharleyman
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Thank you very much for taking the time to look at my analysis report and for your recommendations.
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Old 9-Dec-2016, 11:36 AM   #4
ADTech
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The suggested HD7078P may be undersized due to non-obvious reasons. Also, the need for low-VHF may not exist.

While there are several low-VHF stations listed on the report, their fare may or may not be of interest. Suggest visiting http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...rting=physical and then clicking on each channel call sign to expand the listing. This will show what is being carried on each station in the listing.

Several of the UHF stations, while on 2000' towers, utilize ultra-high gain transmitting antenna with added down tilt to their patterns. Consequently, their coverage up in the foothills is going to be substantially less than the TVFool simulator predicts as the simulator does not take this transmitter characteristic into account.

This location is truly one where the maxim of "go big or don't bother going" applies. You're going to need the maximum gain available from any antenna which should be selected. Therefore, my suggestion for the "easiest" solution is to get the biggest combo antenna you can find. It's going to be 12-14' long and either 10' wide (includes low-VHF) or 3' wide (doesn't include low-VHF). You could, if you were to build a maximized system, use separates which would allow you to fine-tune the system for your deep-fringe system.

Be sure that any preamp selected has an internal FM filter or that you add an external filter. There are several powerful FM stations nearby and they can wreck havoc on reception if they're not addressed.
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Last edited by ADTech; 9-Dec-2016 at 11:40 AM.
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Old 10-Dec-2016, 3:14 AM   #5
WIRELESS ENGINEER
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Location: Eastern Ohio
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I like ADs go big or go home approach if you have the funds

I would use a DB8e for the UHF stations and buy a long boom VHF antenna to cover the vhf rf stations

You will then need a rotator because those large gain antennas are too directional to go without one

With preamp, combiner, coax, connectors, rotor wire etc you will be $350 to 400 dollars minor minimum

Last edited by WIRELESS ENGINEER; 10-Dec-2016 at 2:10 PM.
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