Antenna Selection Help

hunt4dealz · 19-Jun-2012, 6:12 AM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1349d778aae5c8

Any suggestions for my location in Tucson, AZ 85745. I currently have a yard sale antenna in the attic and receive everything but KVOA. I am just a few miles from Tucson Mountain transmitters, but most of the stations are on Mt Bigelow. Thank You for your help.

signals unlimited · 19-Jun-2012, 10:27 AM

In what dirrection are you aimed. Your yard sale antenna may have a narrow beamwidth and need to be aimed toward KVOA.

GroundUrMast · 19-Jun-2012, 5:22 PM

No attic mounted antenna should be expected to offer reliable reception of the weak signals to the NE (highlighted in red on your report).

I would expect you would need to mount outside, high if practical.

If starting from scratch, a combination antenna such as the Winegard HD7698P and Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamp would be one of a few solutions.

hunt4dealz · 19-Jun-2012, 5:24 PM

It's currently aimed a bit northeast. Basically, in the direction of the towers on Mt. Bigelow. I'm not partial to this antenna, so I'd be up for suggestions on hardware/installation ideas.

ADTech · 19-Jun-2012, 5:27 PM

Mt Kimball is in the way of the signals. KVOA is one of the Tuscon stations without an alternate (translator) site. Consequently, there are many areas to the north and northeast of Tuscon that cannot pick it up due to this terrain shielding.

A calculated coverage map is here: http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.p...=1218610&map=Y

hunt4dealz · 19-Jun-2012, 5:45 PM

Thanks for the link. Amazing how much Mt. Kimball interferes. My location borders the red/orange signal strength on the link map (Between Wasson Peak and Casas Adobes on the link map). Am I wasting my time attempting to get KVOA, or would an outside mount and a better antenna be worth a shot.

ADTech · 19-Jun-2012, 6:04 PM

Signals coming around the side of a mountain will likely vary tremendously from the forecasts in the various simulators. They're just the result of mathematical models and there are practical limits to their precision.

Moving the antenna by as little as a few yards can make a difference on VHF.

Electron · 19-Jun-2012, 9:59 PM

The 2 antennas listed below are installed above the roof.

For reception of:
K04QP-D Real channel 04 KVOA NBC.
And KOLD-TV Real channel 13 CBS.
Aim a Antenna Craft CS600 at about 167 degree magnetic compass.

For reception of:
KHRR-DT 40 TEL.
KUSA-DT 28 PBS.
KUVE-CA 42 UNI.
KUVE-DT 46 UNI.
K16EO 16 ABC KUGN.
KWBA-DT 44 CW.
KTTU-DT 19 MYN.
KMSB-DT 25 FOX.
Install a Antenna Craft U4000 aimed at about 30 degree magnetic compass.

So that the U4000 will receive at the front and back of the antenna , Lift the clips on the reflector rods and turn the reflector rods from the horizontal position to the vertical position , This gets the reflector rods out of the way so the U4000 can receive at the front of the antenna and back of the antenna.

The 2 antennas are combined on to one coax with a UVSJ = UHF/VHF Seperator/Combiner.

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

hunt4dealz · 20-Jun-2012, 1:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADTech

Signals coming around the side of a mountain will likely vary tremendously from the forecasts in the various simulators. They're just the result of mathematical models and there are practical limits to their precision.

Moving the antenna by as little as a few yards can make a difference on VHF.

I will try relocation above the roof first and see what happens. A friend works at KOLD and he showed me how they are also blocked by Mt. Kimball (Worse off than my situation per the map data.), yet are still able to get signals by trial and error.

I will start here and progress to hardware if need be. Thank you for your help everyone. I'll let you know the results when I get a chance to work things out.