Which antenna should I get to receive the most channels?

[wow4god@geneseo.net]

Here is where we are located: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...67d930d820fe8f.
We got a DYNEX (DX-42E250A12) HD TV for Christmas and hooked it up to the cheap indoor antenna that worked for our analog Toshiba and could not get good reception. The old antenna would not pick up CBS (WHBF in our area) even after buying a roof antenna (which I then returned) so I am trying to solve both problems at once. I am currently using a home-made antenna with coat hangers screwed onto a piece of 2 x 6 to get good reception and it works amazingly well for the UHF channels, but still no VHF ones. Looking at this site, I see that I need to get a roof antenna that will reach at least 45 miles. When I got my signal analysis, I see that there are several other channels we should be able to get with the right antenna. I need help finding the best one for our situation. (Or is it possible to make my own roof antenna to accomplish this as well?) We live in the country away from tall buildings, but do have some trees that are getting pretty tall.
I am also interested in knowing if it's possible to hook the new antenna up to the coax cable that is left from our old DISH TV since it already has cables running into 4 rooms in the house. (DIY sites on the internet said it was possible). We have at least 6 analog TVs that we have hooked up to individual converter boxes and cheap room antennas for now, but hope to be able to get them all hooked up to a roof antenna. Is it possible to hook a cable from the new antenna into their converter boxes to get it to work or will that antenna only work with a the new HD TV?

[GroundUrMast]

The coax used for satellite systems is often reused for OTA systems. It has more shielding than absolutely needed, but that will not cause any harm to the OTA signal. You'll need to be sure that water has not been allowed to get into the cable. You'll also need to be sure any other components designed for satellite systems only, are removed and replaced with OTA capable parts. For example, satellite system matrix switches, diplexers and splitters are often not able to pass OTA frequencies.

You certainly can build effective antennas. A great deal of the focus in the DIY antenna development community is on UHF and high-VHF antennas. You'll find a wealth of competent and capable design and build work at http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=186

You'll be a bit hard pressed to find as much interest in low-VHF antenna design, due to the small number of stations using real channels 2 through 6. Still, construction of an effective low-VHF antenna is no more a technical challenge than one for the high-VHF band. If you have an understanding of the underlying theory and some skill with the tools, I'd encourage you to look at the DIY option further.

If you decide to use store bought antennas, I'd suggest a Winegard HD7015 aimed between 250° and 265°, roof mounted in the best location to avoid trees. This would give you access to KWQC, WQAD, KLJB, WHBF, real CH-4, WQPT, KQIN and if on the air, K61HD.

If you'd like to receive WWTO, real CH-10 which carries five channels of various Christian programming, use an Antennacraft Y10713 aimed at 102° compass. A Channel Master Jointenna model CM-0580 (CH-10) from Warren Electronics would allow you to combine the signals into a common coax down lead. (It would appear that Channel Master no longer lists Jointenna product on their website.)

Use a CM-3418 eight-port distribution amplifier. Terminate unused ports with 75Ω F-terminators.

[wow4god@geneseo.net]

I have 2 questions: One is updating this question from this thread and the other is for my friend who just moved into a new home located here:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...073b095b150248

She wants to use only antenna & services like Netflix. There is an antenna laying down in the attic above the new 2nd floor addition that didn't have a brand on it, but from googling pix of them, I thought it looked like a Wineguard, then decided it looks like a Channel Master #3671 or 3679. It is not hooked up to anything. The roof is too low for the antenna to stand upright. She has an old walk-in attic above the original part of the home that would be high enough, but wonders if its best to put this on the roof?

The other question is one I have researched for my own antenna & was posted under this thread in January -

I have researched off and on for a year for a way I could unhook my Dish Coax Cable and attach it instead to an antenna so the existing cables that are installed to 4 rooms in our house could be utilized. I found that this was possible so I took the small indoor home-made antenna I made and attached it to my Dish coax and it actually worked. I wonder if anyone has any suggestions/tips on doing this (I did find out that I needed to remove the sattellite splicers and if needed, replace with regular ones).

I have 2 Dynex HD TVs; one is DX-42E250A12, the other is a 24" one. I live out in the country away from tall buildings, but we have several trees surrounding our home. It is a 2 story home, so I estimate the antenna would be placed at about 20-25' High. I am currently receiving good reception on UHF channels, but no VHF ones so I will be needing to purchase a far-reaching antenna (like the ones already recommended - or maybe there is something better out there now - like smaller units that aren't an eye-sore on our home??)

I am re-asking this question as my friend wants to do the same with her antenna & Dish cable. She lives in the middle of a small town, away from tall buildings, but has tall trees around her home. It is a 2 story home so again, probably will be 20-25' High. She has an Hitcha Ultravision 37HLX99; V6K001 and a VIZIO M260VA; LJLNGGAL3418622 (I think - letters were so very small!!)

Thanks for any and all suggestions! Lori

[Electron]

This is for WOWforgod.
Install a Winegard HD7082P antenna above the roof aimed at about 265 degree magnetic compass.
Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

The HD7082P antenna is a ALL channel antenna , All channel antennas receive , VHF low band channels 2 thru 6 , VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 , UHF channels 14 thru 69.

Here are some antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com.
Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box or buy from ronard.

Install a Channel Master CM3418 - 8 way distribution amplifier. Put the CM3418 at a location that makes it easy to run a coax out to each Tv location. And at a location that also has electric power.
Do not put the CM3418 out in the weather.
A coax will go from the antenna to the input of CM3418.

Here are places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.channelmasterstore.com , http://www.amazon.com.

[Electron]

For your friend it will be all the same except , depends on how many Tv's connected.

One Tv connected the coax goes direct to the Tv.

2 Tv's connected use a CM3412.

3 or 4 Tv's connected use a CM3414.

More then 4 Tv's connected use a CM3418.

[wow4god@geneseo.net]

I AM POSTING THIS ON MY THREAD FOR MY DAUGHTER WHO LIVES IN GEORGIA:
Which antenna should I get to receive the most channels and best reception?
Here is where we are located: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e7791184f626ad
We recently purchased a SAYNO FVM3982 1080p HTTC LCD 39” TV and EVERYONE in our neighborhood has trouble with reception unless they have cable or a dish. We live in a wooded subdivision area, but our home is up on a hill and we have 2 stories so it would be pretty high up. (If you need the exact info, is there a way I can locate that for you?). This TV is on the first level and is NOT currently hooked up to any antenna because we cancelled our DISH and want to use only the antenna for local services as we mainly watch TV through services like Netflix & Hulu Plus.
Side note: My Mom is visiting and she made a simple “Coat Hanger” antenna like this one: : http://www.repeater-builder.com/ante...er-antenna.pdf
and it works pretty good for her in Illinois. So we made one and tried it, but this TV wouldn’t pick up ANY signals!
We tried it on the TV upstairs, which is a Sylvania Model #6432TD (A REAL oldie!). It had been hooked up to a converter box and cheap room antenna and got “4” stations – but basically only ABC. When we tried the ‘home made’ antenna & did a channel search, it still only picked up 4 stations, but they came in clearer. – I tell you this to let you know that the antenna actually functioned! We might try moving it to another window or in the attic to see if that would help us get any more channels??)
I’d LOVE help with what we should purchase and what direction to have it and see what stations we might be able to get with the new HDTV, and would welcome any other advice for the “Old” analog TV as well!
Thanks, and have a great day!

The following is a Teleview - Recommendation for Digital Broadcast Tv Reception..

The tvfool report plot is , 0 feet antenna height , the signals are very weak at 0 feet antenna height.

Please make 2 more tvfool reports , 25 and 40 feet antenna heights.

Use the Exact address of the house.

How many Tv's are/will be connected??

[wow4god@geneseo.net]

I did use the exact address and this height would probably be on the roof.
Here is the new information for 25 feet:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e7790815906002


Here is the information for 40 feet: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e77955ed0c76f9

There would probably only be 1 TV hooked up to this. At the most - the 2 that I mentioned in the earlier post.

Thanks for your help!

The following is a Teleview , Recommendation for Digital Broadcast Tv Reception.

Above the roof install a Winegard HD7698P antenna with a KitzTech , KT-200-COAX TV Antenna Booster - Remote Power -Coax Fed preamp and antenna aimed at about 25 degree magnetic compass direction.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter.

For 2 Tv's connected use a , HFS-2D , 2 way splitter.

Buy the HFS splitter at , http://www.hollandelectronics.com , or , http://www.solidsignal.com.

Here are some above the roof antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.com , http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.

Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.kitztech.com.

As always , trees and tree leaves do a real fine job of reducing or blocking Tv reception and so do buildings and other obstructions.

It is best to mount the antenna in such a manner that there are little to no obstructions in the direction of reception.

The Tv/s Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , sometimes named the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv setup menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels.

The following is a Teleview - Recommendation for Digital Broadcast Tv Reception.

Walmart has a simple Digital to Analog converter box , RCA DTA800B1 for about 50 dollars.

How ever as you are aware , New Digital Tv prices are low and are going down.

[wow4god@geneseo.net]

Teleview - Thank you so much for your time and advice!! I'm not sure how to read the TVfool plot report, but I thought it looked like we wouldn't be able to get any reception at all. If we follow your advice on the antenna, what stations/channels do you know we would be able to get for sure? That's a lot of time & money to invest in something we don't know how many and which stations we will receive or how well it will work at all. Any further help would be appreciated! THANKS!

The following is a Teleview - recommendation for broadcast Tv reception.

The Digital Tv stations/channels to the north east are Weak signal strength and are far away , 87 + miles.

WHNS UHF channel 21 FOX.

WYFF-DT UHF channel 36 NBC and This Tv.

WLOS VHF channel 13 ABC and MyNetwork.

WYCW-DT UHF channel 45 CW and CBS.

WNTV-DT VHF channel 09 PBS.

The only way to find out if the Tv stations are reliably received is install the HD7698P antenna and etc.
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Also there are 3 closer Digital Tv stations/channels.

WUGA-TV UHF channel 24 PBS.

WUVG-DT UHF channel 17 Univision and Telefutura.

And the ABC Tv station you are receiving now , WSB-TV UHF channel 31 ABC and Me-Tv.

For reliable reception of the 3 Tv stations I recommend a Antennas Direct DB4e UHF antenna with no preamp.

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter.

For 2 Tv's connected use a common simple 2 way splitter.

Aim the DB4e at about 290 degree magnetic compass direction.

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These are 2 separate antenna systems and will not be connected together on to one coax.

The coaxes will go to the locations of the Tv's and connect to a Remote control A/B coax antenna switch at each location. http://www.mcmelectronics.com , #32-4425 , or , http://www.radioshack.com , #15-1968 .

A/B switches are channel surfing friendly , press the button on the hand held remote control , change antennas and keep on channel surfing.
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Another way to do it is , put the HD7698P antenna on a Channel Master CM9521A antenna rotator and rotate the HD7698P antenna to the 2 different directions. http://www.channelmasterstore.com