20th floor apartment help with OTA

[spazzdance]

I live on the outskirts of Memphis ,TN .. I live in a highrise on the Mississippi River but I face Arkansas... I can get a few stations now.. but mostly from Arkansas.... Right now I'm using a cheaper set of amplified rabbit ears inside (I get more local channels this way but not great reception) and outside I have an indoor RCA smart antenna (to get the Arkansas channels)...Any outdoor antenna suggestions?... I'm about 200 ft up... and there is one building to my left as I stand on my balcony

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...3cf4c333be76b8

I'm really not getting alot of stations very consistantly.. From my outdoor antenna I'm getting PBS stations KTEJ 19.1/19.2/19.3 out of Jonesboro Arkansas.. Also KAIT 8.1/8.2/8.3 out of Jonesboro... with not very good reception at times... and WWTW 34.1 out of Senetobia,Mississippi...

On my indoor antenna (as close to my front door as possible) I get ``
local CBS 3.1/3.2
local NBC 5.1/5.2
This TV 5.3
Local PBS WKNO 10.1/10.2
Local WPTY 24.1
Local WLMT 30.1
local RetroTV 30.2
TBN 40.1 christian
Church 40.2 christian
JCTV 40.3 christian
SOAC 40.5 christian
W50EA-D 42.1 christian
3ABN-PR 42.2 christian
VTN 48.1 christian
ION 50.1
qubo 50.2
ionlife 50.3
worship 50.4
WDNM 59.1 christian

None really come in consistantly

[spazzdance]

sorry.. here is the correct link
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...3cf4688c5eabff

[John Candle]

As you can see the Tv stations you will like to watch are to the east. I will ask the obvious questions. Does the unit you have , have a window the faces north east , east or south east?? A balcony that is north , north east , east , south east , south??

[spazzdance]

I face the West... no windows on the East side

[John Candle]

Is 20 th floor the top floor?? What is the top floor?? What about windows on the north or south. What about the balconys?? Is there a hall way that outside your door that goes the length of the building from west to east??

[spazzdance]

there are 25 floors.... hallway goes north to south with other apartments across the hall from me.. no windows at all.. i only have my balcony door and a 8 X 15 foot balcony facing West

[John Candle]

So , standing out on the west facing balcony are there any tall buildings to the south or north that are more to the west then your building that would reflect signals of the transmitters from the east. In other words , the transmitters to the east of your location transmit signals in all directions outward from the transmitting antenna , the signals going out to the north west and south west would bounce off a building reflecting back to you on the west side of your building. A highly directional UHF antenna on your balcony would be aimed at the building to pickup the reflection. Most of the channels are UHF channels. The Tv signals from the east transmitters are Very Strong Transmissions so this makes it likley to work. . So what about those tall buildings off in the directions off north west and south west from your location?? The buildings or building will need to be fairly close and at least as tall as 20 floors , and a few blocks away , not miles away.

[spazzdance]

If I go out on my balcony .. There is a taller building right next door to the south and it does stick out to the west farther than our building... But if i look directly to the south there is a gap between the buildings that I can see further south... it is the only building that might be a problem... If I knew how to post pics on a website ... you could see what i'm talking about .. Do you know a site I can post pics on for free?

[John Candle]

Another way to do it is move to the east side. Or if you can run a coax cable from your unit to the east side unit across the hall, and have the antenna over there.

[spazzdance]

i just moved back to this side.. Just my luck huh? The rabbit ears I have on the east side of my apartment actually pics up several channels but not consistantly.. Do you recommend me getting a new antenna and pointing it at the building next door?

[John Candle]

Type in the google search box ' free image posting'. The building being used as a reflector will be best if it is a few blocks away. And the building sounds very close , closer then a few blocks. It is important to understand that you are not just simply pointing a antenna at a building -- you are thinking about angles and reflected angles and distance to receive a Tv transmission. The antenna I suggest is the Antennas Direct 42XG. You will need a length of coax to go from the balcony to the Tv. The Tv transmissions at your location are VERY STRONG -- OVER THE TOP STRONG. DO NOT use a antenna that has any type or kind of amplifier. No built in amplifiers No add on amplifiers, NO means NO. The amplifier Will Over Load from the strong transmissions and bee the cause of bad reception. Read and understand this about indoor antennas , http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=233 . You can also point the 42XG at door of your apt. . The transmissions are so strong at your location that I recommend a variable attenuator part # 1296F. You can buy the antenna and attenuator and a length of coax at http://www.solidsignal.com

[spazzdance]

Thanks for your time and patience John.. I'll get that antenna and give it a whirl.. I'll let you know how it goes... Thanks again