Add a second bay to my Gray-Hoverman? (York, PA)

[MarkSB]

Originally Posted by rabbit73

Thank you for the new more accurate report and the equipment details.

If you just focus on Baltimore you can use your SBGH for the UHF channels and add an antenna for your VHF channels, using the separate VHF and UHF inputs on your RCA TVPRAMP1R. You need to be aware that the RCA preamp has a history of problems with the combined/separate switch. Sometimes it doesn't make good contact with the VHF antenna in the separate position. The workaround is to put the switch in the combined position and use a UVSJ.

Unfortunately, the supply of separate VHF-Hi antennas is much smaller now. You can use a VHF/UHF combo antenna for Baltimore, but that type of antenna might be too long for your location and would stick out too far from the deck. I'm thinking of the Winegard HD7697P or 7698P.

If you need antennas that are flatter, use your SBGH for UHF and an Antennas Direct C5 for VHF, which comes with a diplexer.

If you are into DIY antennas, you could build a 2-bay bowtie antenna with reflector for VHF. It would be big, but it wouldn't stick out like a combo.

What antenna is your Omni?

If you also want the channels from the NNW, I suggest a separate antenna with an A/B switch to select which antenna you want. Your TV should be able to add a channel after scan, or you will need to rescan after every change. An alternative would be a separate tuner for the second antenna, with its output going to the A/V or HDMI input of the TV.

You have some strong local FM signals that might cause interference to TV reception. The FM filter in the preamp should take care of it. If not, you can add an FM filter. See attachment.

My Omni is an RCA ANT806:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882125339

About the FM trap - I actually have the one on the preamp shut off, and I have an FM trap/splitter closer to my TV, because I split the signal and use the same antenna to get FM radio on my stereo. Its not optimal, but works for me - and is better than hiding another set of wires for a dedicated FM antenna, imo.

Also, could you recommend any DIY bowtie designs?

Thanks for all the replies.

[MarkSB]

Here's my SBGH and the view from the deck:

[MarkSB]

Originally Posted by stvcmty

You are in a multipath hell, between you and Baltimore are so many hills and there are hills all around you so that is working against you. But all hope is not lost.

For football you need:
Any NBC station
WPMT Fox Real 47
WHP CBS Real 21
WJZ CBS Real 13
WBFF Fox Real 46

There is something really sucky about needing Real 46 for Fox from Baltimore; you are practically next to real 47, so selectivity of your receiver becomes important. It also means combining signals from WMPT and WBFF passively is going to be very difficult.

VHF should take care of itself with a VHF antenna pointed at Baltimore to get WJZ. WGAL has a STA to run way more power than TV fool is predicting them using so a paper clip in the back of your TV would probably get WGAL. A VHF antenna pointed at Baltimore will be very likely to get WGAL just from the large amount of signal you have.

UHF either needs 2 separate antennas, one to get WPMT and one to get WBFF, or it needs 1 antenna that can be rotated to get either. You cannot combine the two antenna leads, with WBFF and WPMT being adjacent channels and WPMT being nearly 50dB stronger anything you do to combine them will result in WBFF being lost. Whatever antenna you use to get WBFF ideally will null out WPMT. I don’t know what to tell you about WHP, it is on the other side of your building. Last season when I checked WHP and WJZ had the same games.

If you use a rotor, you need a way to control the rotor. Or,
You can use a UVSJ to combine the VHF antenna pointed at WJZ with one of your UHF antennas. If you use 2 UHF antennas, you could even split your VHF antenna and feed 2 UVSJ’s, one for the WPMT antenna and one for the WBFF antenna. At your TV you will either need an AB switch or a 2nd tuner connected to one of the TV’s inputs.

I focused on the football stations above. Antennas from one system or the other will pick up most other networks. The one place you may have problems is WHTM Real 10, your local ABC. My gut feel is it will be easier for you to get WMAR than to get WHTM.

Again, thanks for the advice. I'm hoping that if I add a second bay to the gray-hoverman, I'll get Fox 46 from Baltimore, since I haven't been able to get it with the SBGH. Then, like you say, point a VHF antenna at Baltimore to get WJZ. If I want to get Fox 47 I'll just have to rotate the gray-hoverman. I'm hoping co-channel between 46/47 won't be an issue, because at the moment I can't get Fox 47 unless I rotate the antenna about 90 degrees (pointed toward the east, instead of toward the south/Baltimore). Hopefully that doesn't change after adding the second bay.

I believe you're correct about WHP. I haven't been able to get it with any kind of consistency. I haven't tried placing an antenna on that side of the building yet. I might be able to, but it wouldn't be the best spot for running cables and all. And I'm looking up a hill on that side of the building.. and a pretty steep hill at that.

[MarkSB]

Well, the power inserter must have just needed to dry out more, because everything works now. Either that or something else was afoul that I'm not aware of. That'll save me a few extra dollars, at least.