Want to Improve My Reception - Page 2

14-Apr-2014, 5:08 PM

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Will the Guy Wire Ring fit over the swedged end of the pole??

freetvplease · 14-Apr-2014, 7:24 PM

Tele, yes but that will leave about 21' from the eve bracket to the guy wire ring. I found a 40' telescopic pole today locally for $114 that I'm really considering buying. It has the guy rings already built in.

freetvplease · 17-Apr-2014, 8:40 PM

I purchased the 40' telescopic pole (at the insistence of my wife) but no one in my neck of the woods has a wall/eve mount that would fit the 2" part of the pole. I purchased one online from Home Depot because their price + free shipping was the least expensive, so now we have to wait. Aaarrrrrgggg!!!

freetvplease · 18-Apr-2014, 10:08 PM

I'm curious, I really do want to put a DB8e with a Y10-7-13 on this pole in the future. Reason is I have a smaller version of this (DB4e + Y5-7-13) that picks up everything better than the HBU44 at the previous height of 25ft. So I was wondering if instead of purchasing a Y10, could I use the HBU as my VHF antenna and just add the DB8e using a UVSJ or should I just gang them using a combiner?

ADTech · 19-Apr-2014, 1:37 AM

Quote:

could I use the HBU as my VHF antenna and just add the DB8e using a UVSJ

Yes, you can do that.

prion · 19-Apr-2014, 2:28 AM

If you don't have a powered way to rotate your antenna, in my case I had a surprisingly narrow "window" to get all the channels available in my area. I called my wife on the phone, went up on the roof and very slowly started to
rotate the antenna until I could get all the available channels in my area.
It was just a very small turn between getting everything I could, and dropping
2 channels. Just turn quite slowly. I would not have imagined that such a small
change could make that much an effect. I get everything in my area rock solid
now for 2 years, except recently I lost one channel, spent hours trying to get it back, only to find it was on their end shheeesh.

prion · 19-Apr-2014, 2:43 AM

I have an HD Stacker antenna that a place called Denny's TV makes. I think the website owner designed it. I got it a couple years ago, so I'd have to look up the details, but it allowed me to get every channel that AntennaWeb said I should get in my area. I tried a couple others and could never get everything
without moving the antenna this "stacker" although sort of difficult to hit "that spot" pointing it did get me all channels AntennaWeb said I should get.

freetvplease · 19-Apr-2014, 2:58 AM

Thanks ADT, I wasn't sure but in my mind, why replace the HBU44 when I could re-purpose it and I'm sure it would do the same thing as the Y10-7-13.

Prion, while I do appreciate your input, pointing the antenna is not a problem for me. The HBU simply doesn't have enough gain even with the preamp I have to be able to split the signal anymore. I've proven to myself that if the DB4e with the Y5-7-13 could pick up all the stations with better overall signal even though it is no higher than the HBU and a tree is in the path across the street, then obviously the DB8e/Y10 combo would have even better gain, thus more ability to split. Even at a total of 35-36' with the new pole all my stations are still going to be 2-edge pathways so the bigger and slightly higher setup should help to overcome all that. I think the DB?e's being oriented vertically gives more surface area to catch signals than does the horizontal orientation of the HBU.

While the HBU has done a decent job, I know for a fact the changes I'm making will improve upon it.

prion · 19-Apr-2014, 3:14 AM

freetvplease,
This whole OTA thing had so many illogical things for me to do that finally got all the channels I was supposed to get. I actually lowered my antenna about 10ft. to get everything. I know it makes no common sense but when I first put it up I purchased
a 17ft mast that was 10ft. plus another 7-8 you could telescope out. At full length I would miss two channels no matter where I pointed. I lowered to 10 ft. and got everything.
Don't be hesitant to just methodically start trying things even if the aren't logical. It worked for me.

freetvplease · 19-Apr-2014, 3:26 AM

Prion, on top of the extra gain I'm seeking I'm actually having fun learning and trying new things. I have 5 Desktop PC's, 2 Laptop's and a Tablet (used to have 2) and 6 TV's and I'm constantly tinkering with them. I'm always fixing and improving my house and vehicles plus boat and travel trailer. You should see all the tools I have man, It's an obsession. Anyway, I understand the illogical things working even though you sit there and go "how in the ?ell".

prion · 19-Apr-2014, 3:43 AM

Yeah sounds like we do many of the same things. I restore cars and before I retired I was a sysadmin for a big group of doctors. 200 computers a couple off site offices in
a nearby town, 10 servers, Citrix etc. I got in the habit of always trying stuff no matter how illogical if I hit a wall on a problem. Didn't always help, but enough times to solve the problem or create another bunch of options. I have a home network that streams TV, a WMC box, wireless TV feeds to 4 laptops. I'm always fooling around with something now that I don't work. I'm glad I dumped cable. I get all the TV I need now OTA, YouTube, or PB ( neighborhood kids taught me that one,heh )

freetvplease · 21-Apr-2014, 1:56 PM

ADTech, will this item be restocked or is it discontinued? http://www.antennasdirect.com/store/..._combiner.html

ADTech · 21-Apr-2014, 2:16 PM

Thanks for your interest.

The EU385CF-1S should be back in stock around Mother's Day, give or take a week.

freetvplease · 21-Apr-2014, 3:04 PM

ADT, thanks

freetvplease · 24-Apr-2014, 12:12 AM

I'm confused with this hbu44. Half the elements aren't connected to the balun. This is a large antenna why would half the elements not be connected to the balun?

ADTech · 24-Apr-2014, 1:03 AM

Those are directors or reflectors. They are not supposed to be mechanically attached to the phasing lines (or the balun), only driven elements get that connection.

Your observation is typical. To understand it would require a substantial amount of advanced mathematics and antenna theory.

freetvplease · 24-Apr-2014, 1:11 AM

I'm still waiting on my db8e and the wall mount to show up.

24-Apr-2014, 1:13 AM

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Directors and Reflectors.

The functions are to concentrate more signal on to the elements that are connected to the matching transformer (balun).

The elements are electromagneticly coupled.

freetvplease · 18-May-2014, 8:10 PM

Update: So after having received the DB8e, the Y10-7-13, the RCA TVPRAMP1R and the wall mount, I installed everything and was surprised at the outcome. I lost several stations and the ones I had were not doing very well even though the antenna setup was done properly. Being exhausted I left everything alone for a couple weeks till I could diagnose the problem.

Then yesterday I lowered the antenna and hooked up the down lead straight to the DB using a test tv at the base of the pole and was pleasantly surprised at the reception it had. Then I took the lead and attached it to the Y10 and again was pleased with the signals it was receiving. Then as I had surmised the culprit was the RCA Amp. I took it off and put my old HDP269 on and HOLY SIGNAL BATMAN! Needless to say I am extremely happy now. All my tv's have more than ample signal to enjoy trouble free reception.

Now instead of putting the Y10 on top I elected to put the DB on top and the Y10 below it. The DB's top is about 38' and the Y10 is about 31'. The one sin I probably made was I didn't have another UVSJ so I used a combiner to join the UHF and VHF antennas before running them into the preamp. So far I can't see any reason to pull it down and fix that.

I just wanted to thank everyone who made the suggestions and helped me out.

John