Please help with antenna for alabama ?

twintankhank · 20-Sep-2014, 9:52 PM

Here is my TVFOOL report http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...d243cae0ee2272 Thank you. could not get it posted before. I want to get a good antenna for all I have now is a LAVA 2605 ultra just to see if could pick up anything at all. thanks again for any help.

StephanieS · 22-Sep-2014, 9:41 AM

Hello Hank,

Map post successful! At your elevation of 23' above ground, your results though aren't the most encouraging. As it stands, the only stations according to this map you have a reasonable chance at are ION and the two PBSs. The remainder of signals stand a greater likelyhood of being unreliable or not viewable at all.

Can you repost additional TV fool reception plots at 50' and 100' above ground.

If you want to try for Huntsville, you may find yourself requiring a bit of investment and work. The signals at magnetic heading 309, you'll need to see them increase to 10 (nm)db or greater signal strength to really put yourself shape for reliable reception. They are approaching 80 miles so you are on the extreme fringe of them. This likely means height and a lot of it for the antenna.

Cheers.

twintankhank · 22-Sep-2014, 10:44 AM

Hi, thanks for your help. Here's whats going on we are picking up some good channels from huntsville, like fox 54.1 -metv abc 31.1 whnt-dt 19.1, 19.2 and ion with a reception of about 67 max its a good picture. And were doing this with a little LAVA HD 2605 antenna and its not much of a antenna at all. Like i said before were out in open fields. Gould this be the reason were getting reception ? Anyway my no.# 1 ? is what antenna would be better for us? IF LAVA works. would a good antenna do even better ? Thank you so much for your help. hank.

timgr · 22-Sep-2014, 1:40 PM

I believe that StephanieS asked for the higher elevations to help with the analysis. It's up to you if you want to mount your antenna that high.

It's interesting that you get a few channels under what the data says should be difficult conditions. Sometimes you just get lucky... Certainly a larger antenna will work better than a smaller antenna, should you choose to do that. It would also help to move the antenna as high as possible - which typically means roof mounting, on a mast.

Look at the REAL channels, not the virtual channels. The real channels tell you what frequency each channel broadcasts on, and that is important in choosing an antenna.

I suggest you search old posts for "LAVA 2605" and read about others evaluations and experience.

Tower Guy · 22-Sep-2014, 2:56 PM

I'd consider a DB8e antenna with a TVPRAMP-1R. That should get all the UHF stations from Huntsville. If you'd like a second PBS, add a VHF only antenna (Y10-7-13) using the U/V combiner option in the preamp.

twintankhank · 22-Sep-2014, 5:02 PM

Thank you, Tower Guy that's what i have been trying for week to find out what antenna would work. I knew if the cheep lava would pickup most of the channels at huntsville there had to be something that would work better. THANK YOU AGAIN. HANK,

StephanieS · 22-Sep-2014, 7:04 PM

Hello Hank,

I didn't give a antenna recommendation because your 23' above ground plot really wasn't favorable. I wanted to see if there was any improvement with additional height.

Any antenna recommendation based on your 23' above ground plot has to be proposed with the caveat that after your installation is done, your reception may not be satisfactory. I like to have a better picture of reception situations and likely outcomes in cases like this, hence why I asked for additional TVfool plots of 50' and 100' so my antenna recommendation could be finely tuned.

Recommending antennas when the reception has a good chance of being unsatisfactory is something I am hesitant to do.

I have something in mind for your situation, but want to see confirmation (IE improvement in Huntsville signals at additional heights) that it'd be worth the work of the installation.

Cheers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by twintankhank

Hi, thanks for your help. Here's whats going on we are picking up some good channels from huntsville, like fox 54.1 -metv abc 31.1 whnt-dt 19.1, 19.2 and ion with a reception of about 67 max its a good picture. And were doing this with a little LAVA HD 2605 antenna and its not much of a antenna at all. Like i said before were out in open fields. Gould this be the reason were getting reception ? Anyway my no.# 1 ? is what antenna would be better for us? IF LAVA works. would a good antenna do even better ? Thank you so much for your help. hank.

twintankhank · 23-Sep-2014, 3:23 AM

Thank you StephanieS, Heres the tvfool reports you ask for. And thanks again for your help. Hank.http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...d2433e58960109 http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...d243ff5810ea73

StephanieS · 24-Sep-2014, 9:52 PM

Thank you Hank,

Ugh. Still a complicated and extremely difficult TVfool plot. I'm operating off the 100' plot. Looking at it, you have multiple headings, weak to very, very weak signals - it's not very optimistic.

With a 100' tower and Antennacraft Super G 1483 for UHF and Y10713 for VHF, I still can't see 100% reliable reception based on this plot. The signal access simply is poor when it comes to giving you the "big 5."

If you want to *try* - which your mileage may vary. You might do better than this map, or you might get all that is predicted with ION and one or both PBSs. Some have reported in the past, they do better on the very weak signals than their TV fool map suggests. Make no mistake though, this is by no means a "slam dunk" on Huntsville's main UHF commerical stations.

Install at your original 23' above ground plot an Antennacraft Super G 1483 and Antennacraft Y10713. Orientate Super G to magnetic heading 309. Orientate Y10713 to heading 212. Combine signals via Antennas Direct EU385CF combiner. The Super G will connect to the UHF input, the Y10713 will connect to VHF input. Run single lead from combiner down into your home.

Run coax to ONE TV. Perform channel scan.

Also, if you do embark on this test, because that what it is, a test, you are in deep, deep fringe with geographical obstructions - make sure you buy from a business that has a reasonable return policy if possible.

Best of luck in your next move,
SS

twintankhank · 22-Oct-2014, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tower Guy

I'd consider a DB8e antenna with a TVPRAMP-1R. That should get all the UHF stations from Huntsville. If you'd like a second PBS, add a VHF only antenna (Y10-7-13) using the U/V combiner option in the preamp.

Thanks TOWER GUY. I used the DB8E & Y10-7-13 as you said & preamp also added a rotator and i am a happy camper. I get all of Huntsville channels and i can move and and pick up Birmingham tower on a compass heading 241. From 31 to 61 channels . So thanks to you and all at this site.