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Old 10-Sep-2014, 12:56 AM   #1
McInRantz
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 5
Antenna and Mounting Suggestions in Ohio

Hi All. Again, I am contemplating mounting an OTA outdoor antenna. I have DirecTV, but, recently, they were in dispute with one of my local stations and I ended up getting a cheap rabbit ears in order to get my station back. Right now I am getting all of the local OTA channels (I think), but I'd like to get more. I generated a report, the address of which is:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...d24399e9ca1278

As I said, I'm picking up all of the stations that are in green with my cheap rabbit ears ($10). I'd like to install a tower, but that's not really going to be in my budget right now. I live in a 1 1/2 story house. I'm not sure how tall it is. I'll have to measure it. Id say it has to be around 25 feet tall to the peak. Does that sound right? I have a chimney on which I could install an antenna. I'd like to put a rotor on it, too. I think the people who owned the house before me had an antenna on the roof at some point in time.

I guess my questions are which antenna do I need to be able to pick up the stations in the yellow and red area of my report (Detroit area stations)? How tall of a mast can I install to my chimney? Do I have to guy wire (I assume I do) the mast? Will I be able to receive these Detroit area stations (stations in grey) with a chimney mounted antenna? Is mounting an antenna and mast OK for a chimney? Will the added wind strain be damaging to my chimney which could cause its collapse? I'm guessing that the top of my chimney is maybe 4 or 5 feet above the peak of my roof. I saw some cheap masts being sold at a local Menard's. They look and feel cheap. I really don't want to use those. What all do I need for this job?

As an added "bonus", I'd like to be able to use this antenna for FM signal also? Is that possible? There is a Detroit area FM station (90.9) that I'd like to get better reception for. I can pick it up in my car, but not on my home stereo. Is this possible? Here's my FMFool Report:

http://www.fmfool.com/index.php?opti...pper&Itemid=29

Also, assuming that I can receive the stations in the grey area of my report with a proper setup, am I really gaining anything? Are they just duplicates of what I am getting now from my local Toledo, Ohio stations? Is the cost worth it to gain these stations.

Also, I went to the AntennaWeb website and I couldn't get their analysis to work. All that loaded was a Google map; no antenna recommendations, no available channels in my area, or anything else. Just a Google street map.

Thanks for any help. If any other information is needed from my end, please ask and I will provide.

Mac
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Old 10-Sep-2014, 2:55 PM   #2
stvcmty
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 135
McInRantz,

Do you want WLMB-DT real CH5, virtual channel 40.1? Rabbitears says it is a religious station. http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...&callsign=wlmb

You said you want to use a rotor, so I would suggest you get the biggest antenna you can afford; sometimes you may get channels no model would predict you would get.

If you want to get WLMB, you need an all channel antenna. They are big, heavy, and have quite a wind/ice load. If you want WLMB, get either a winegard HD7084P or an antenna craft HD1800. An advantage an all channel antenna will have is it will work for FM. (It will also have the advantage that if any stations move to VHF low after the incentive/reverse auction/repack, you will be covered. VHF-low is not suited to digital TV, so I don’t think many full power stations will move there, but low power stations will probably get squeezed there after the repack). With a HD7084P or a HD1800 on a rotator you will be able to aim your antenna for any TV/FM station. Because you want to get FM, if you go with an all channel antenna, you want a high signal tolerant preamp that does not have an FM trap. Unless winegard had added an FM trap to the HDP 269 (limited quantity available from amazon), that would be my recommendation for an all channel antenna.

If you do not want WLMB-DT real CH5, I suggest a separate channel 7-69(51) antenna and FM antenna. I would say either a winegard HD7698P or an antenna craft HBU55 for TV, with a RCA TVPRAMP1R for TV (with the FM trap on), and an antenna craft FM6 with no preamp for FM. The HD7698P/HBU55 and the FM6 could be on the same mast above the rotor, but you may need a thrust bearing for the length of mast required to accommodate two antennas above the rotor.

If you want to go all out, put a dB8e or 91xg, Y10-7-13, and FM6 on a length of mast above a rotor with a thrust bearing, and if it is possible to get you will have the metal in the air to get it.

I hate to even say it, but the HD stacker may work in your situation. Its gain is probably similar to a HD7697P or HBU 55 and it has a few longer elements for FM reception. The only reason I mention it is because if you don’t want WLMB, you don’t want an all channel antenna, and you don’t want a separate TV and FM antenna, the stacker sort of fits the bill. I would recommend you consider a HD7084P or a HD1800 or a HD7698P+FM6 or a HBU55 + FM6 before considering the stacker, but the stacker may (I use "may" very loosely) fit your situation.

There is no way to link to a FM fool plot without attaching it as an image. So if you want us to see your FM fool plot, you need to generate it again, save it as an image, and attach it to a post.
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Old 10-Sep-2014, 4:08 PM   #3
McInRantz
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 5
Thanks for the advice stvcmty. No, I'm not interested in WLMB-DT.

If I mount an antenna on my chimney, can I use, say, a 15 foot mast? I think that would put me near 40 foot in the air. Also, who makes a strong mast? The ones I have seen at my local home improvement stores are thin metal and I think not very strong. And I would have to guy wire it?

If I did go with 2 separate antennas, the HD7698P/HBU55 and the FM6, is there a rule as to how far apart on the same mast they would need to be?

I'm going to check out all the options you presented more thoroughly.

As for the FMfool report, I attached it as an image.

Thanks
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Radar-FM.jpg (241.6 KB, 593 views)
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Old 10-Sep-2014, 4:52 PM   #4
stvcmty
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 135
The bare minimum between a HD7698P/HBU55 and a FM6 would be 5’ (That roughly puts the HD7698P/HBU55 at the edge of the FM6’s capture area. Ideally it would be 10’ (That roughly keeps the capture area for the HD7698P/HBU55 separate from the capture area for the FM6).

A HD7698P or HBU55 will be better on FM than no antenna at all, so you may not need a FM6. At the moment the FM6 is the only commercial off the shelf mass produced directional FM antenna I know of (with the exception of a channel master model that I think is overpriced).

In general chimneys are not designed to hold antennas. The wind load from antennas combined with the lever-arm effect from a long mast can be enough to damage chimneys. I have no experience with chimney mounts. I believe the rule of thumb is anything 10’ above the last point of support needs to be guyed. Chain link fence top rail makes a good mast. It is inexpensive and quite strong. When in doubt, call in a professional. A good antenna installer will do engineering calculations for wind load to get the mount and mast right, and offer a no-leak guarantee for anywhere they need to penetrate the roof.
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