Need New Antenna System Advice

rwilson1206 · 19-Jul-2010, 4:45 PM

I am helping my friend install a new antenna system on his roof. In the past tvfool has helped me get my system and I have a HBU33 (330 degrees) and CM4221 (approx 90 degrees). My friend lives near me, canal fulton, oh and I live in north canton, oh. The broadcasting signals between cleveland and youngstown are about 90 degrees apart. My setup works good, so I was just going to have him get the same thing. I have an outdoor amplifier right after I combine the antennas at the top of my tower, then I go into a 4 way splitter. He is just going to one tv so no splitter needed. Are these antennas still adequate, or is there something else you recommend. Also, he lives in a townhouse, and he does not have a chimney. Can you recommend a roof mount. I wanted to avoid penetrating the roof, but if thats what has to be done, please suggest a good roof mounted option for these two antennas, or whatever antennas you recommend. Here is a link to his signals....

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9fbe371b8cd06f

Thanks for the help!

mtownsend · 19-Jul-2010, 11:34 PM

The channels coming from the east do not seem to be that strong. It makes me wonder if it's really worth it to add an antenna pointed east to try and pick up a small number of extra stations. WNEO seems OK, but WKBN, WFMJ, and WYTV are marginal and might not be reliable.

With just a single antenna pointed north, you should be able to get all the major networks cleanly and reliably. If those stations to the east are not must-have stations, then I think it would be better to go with the simpler one-antenna setup.

It's probably best to avoid using a pre-amp. WVPX is strong enough to put some pre-amps into overload at this range. An overloaded amp can make things worse rather than better. The northern stations are pretty strong and probably do not need any amplification to be received perfectly.

If you want to provide a little bit more signal strength for safety's sake, you are better off going up one antenna size (HBU-44) rather than spending the money on the amp.

You might want to consider using an eave or wall mount (e.g., CM-9030 or CM-9023) to avoid putting holes in the roof. The bolts go into the side of the building rather than from the top, so the risk of leaks or problems is much less. However, in some situations it might be difficult to reach the mount either from below using a tall ladder or from above reaching over the edge of the roof.

It's best to extend the top of the mast (and the antenna) a few feet above the roof so that the roof itself does not interfere with the antenna's performance.

For buildings that have a flat roof, it's also possible to use a sled mount. These are basically just a frame held in place by some heavy weights (e.g., cinder blocks, water, sand, etc.).

rwilson1206 · 20-Jul-2010, 12:32 PM

Thanks for the reply. Could you also recommend a roof mount, just in case we go that route, eave mounts are def a possibility though. I looked at roof mounts, but there are a slew of them, I figure any one might work, but you may know something I dont. He has a gable roof. Also, the thing I like about my setup is, I get ABC Youngstown and Cleveland (similar to all the other major networks) So at 10pm on a Thursday night, ABC youngstown may be playing Two and a Half Men, and ABC Cleveland may be playing Everybody Loves Raymond. So Its nice to have those extra stations, but if you really think the stations from the east are a no go, thats fine. But if there is a way to pick up East and North, that would be prefered.

Here is a link to my signals at my house. Would you have said the same thing about the stations to the east at this location?

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9fbe35a804386f

Thanks Again

Dave Loudin · 20-Jul-2010, 7:33 PM

Welcome back! I'm glad your set up is working for you. I was concerned that it did not turn out like you hoped.

To answer your question, look at the NM data. At your place, the Youngstown stations are 20 to 40 dB stronger (that's a LOT), and are the equal of the Cleveland stations. At your friend's place, he will need the highest-gain UHF antenna models to get Youngstown, and even then reliability won't be 100%.

Now you see the utility of TVFool's predictions.

mtownsend · 20-Jul-2010, 10:12 PM

As Dave Loudin says, the Youngstown stations are pretty strong at your house, but barely receivable at your friend's house.

If your friend tries to add a second antenna pointed at Youngstown, they will probably get WNEO, but WKBN and WFMJ are probably going to be very flaky. WYTV is probably not going to come in at all. In other words, the added antenna is only going to get them 1 more channel reliably, and another 1 or 2 channels might appear from time-to-time. Is it worth it? There are occasional differences in local programming, but most of the time, the network shows will be the same between markets.

For flat roofs, you can use a sled mount (like this). These use cinder blocks or similar heavy objects to hold the sled and mast in place. You should use rubber mats underneath the sled to avoid damaging the roofing material underneath.

For sloped roofs, you can install a tripod (many types and sizes to choose from). The feet of the tripod get bolted directly into the studs in your roof. The tripods are usually positioned somewhere along the apex of the roof so that the mast can stand vertically. Weatherproof sealant should be used around the areas of roof penetration to minimize the chance of leaks.