You're right, it can take a bit of digging to find information about the outlying translator stations.
You're assessment "The simpler the set up the better for me" is far more relevant than any other opinion.
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If the well is dry and you don't see rain on the horizon, you'll need to dig the hole deeper. (If the antenna can't get the job done, an amp won't fix it.)
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Hello. I ended up doing a DIY antenns that was suggested to me. It consists of a 36" x 36" frame with wire mesh for a reflector (2 x 3 rectangle mesh). It is a 4 bay unit with 9 1/2" long whisker elements spaced 9" apart. For convenience, I picked up a preamp from Radio Shack here in town. My trial consisted of attaching the antenna to the existing 5 foot post used for the old satellite dish. This is located on the front side (east side) of the cabin. I pulled in CBS HD - WCCO - very clear. There were a couple of other channels but snowy. I had the aim at about 70 degrees. Next I placed it on the ladder against the front of the house at about 10 feet. It was aiming fairly close to the prior setting. I pulled in WCCO and channel 21 which consisted of the 4 stations carry ABC, FOX, NBC, and local weather. These were all very clear. That is where my trial ended. The roof was way too steep for my liking and wasn't prepared to mount it on the eave. My wife wasn't crazy about mounting it in the front either. I just need to figure out how and where to mount. Not sure if I should keep it at tne10 foot level and be satisified or shoot for higher elevation for possibly more channels??
I'm no pro but I did a lot of research before buying a preamp. Radio Shack preamps have a very poor reputation. You'll get much better results with a higher quality preamp. Look for one with a noise figure of 3 dB or less. A poor preamp can be worse than none at all.
IMHO, a home made antenna is a fun thing to try but if you really want the best reception you can get in a wooded area, why not splurge on a factory antenna and mount it in the best position possible? Receiving TV signals begins with the antenna, right? I wouldn't want the weak link in my signal chain to be the antenna itself.
Thanks for the feedback. I used the RS preamp because it was readily available. I may order the Winegard 8700 before my next trip up and return the RS one. It had good reviews on the web though. But I've been told by a couple of others on forums to look for something better.
As far as the antenna, it was a recommended option and the opinion was that this type is much better than many you can buy currently. I did go off of instructions on building so it wasn't something I randomly put together. I would say that it has done a really good job at this point. The conservative estimate from different web sites was to pull in one maybe two channels. I'm getting the 4 major networks plus a local weather station in digital format so I feel quite good about that not having it mounted on the roof.
Just need to figure out the best way to mount it now. If it fails me, I can always try a different antenna.
