Antenna help best suited to my area tvfool report

[Cheeva316]

Here is the report , my father is looking for an outdoor antenna and he has 1 lcd tv and just bought a brand new led tv so he wants to get rid of his walmart indoor antenna that only gets maybe 6-7 channels... he would be happy if he could get at least 20-30+ channels... he wants something that is good qaulity and from my idea im thinking the least amount of plastic hardware the better??

I did find the clear steam 5 but again im not too knowledgeable to this type pf technology... please help..thanks

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9900a303e3c48a

[Cheeva316]

please someone help as I am trying to order a antenna tomorrow

A simple reception situation.

Many , many , many , many , Digital Tv stations/channels will be received.

Above the roof install and aim a Winegard HD7696P antenna with No amplifier at about 180 degree magnetic compass direction.

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

Here are some above the roof 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.

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

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter.

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

[Cheeva316]

thank you very much I will order that Antenna tonight.

[Cheeva316]

Sorry I actually found this one by mistake actually so would this one suit better and possibly get more channels or better over all?? >> Winegard HD7697P

Thanks in advance

[thom]

here's some useful info

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD7697P.pdf

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD7696P.pdf

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD7694P.pdf

the 7P is almost 11 feet long.

[GroundUrMast]

The wider beam-width of the 7696 in the high-VHF band has been useful in a few situations like yours. Pointing at 180° in an effort to receive real CH-48 while still seeing the main group of signals at 150° calls for the wider beam-width of the 7696 rather than the 7697 or 7698.

It's nice to see that Winegard has kept all of the 769X series antennas in production.

[thom]

Just to throw another log on the fire, you might consider the DB4e from Antennas Direct

http://www.antennasdirect.com/cmss_f...y/DB4E-TDS.pdf

Substantial gain in a small package, and it has a fat beam (see the link). The one wrinkle is the single VHF station, but the DB4e will act like a VHF antenna off the boresight (not guaranteed to work here, but it's working for me). Even if it doesn't, you can add a dipole add-on for $20 that should suffice.

You can get the DB4e delivered from SolidSignal for $50.

Your location has receivable Digital Tv stations/channels in the VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 and UHF band channels 14 thru 51.
_________________

The HD7696P antenna designed to receive VHF high band.

WTSP , VHF channel 10 CBS.

WFLA-DT , VHF channel 7 NBC.

WTVT-DT , VHF channel 12 FOX.

WEDU-DT , VHF channel 13 PBS.

The rest of the receivable digital Tv channels are UHF digital channels.

The HD7696P antenna is also designed to receive the UHF band.

_____________________________

The DB4e is designed to receive the UHF band channels 14 thru 51.

The DB4e Is Not Designed to receive the VHF high band channels.

[thom]

Originally Posted by teleview

The DB4e is designed to receive the UHF band channels 14 thru 51.

The DB4e Is Not Designed to receive the VHF high band channels.

The one on my roof is consistently receiving a 2Edge VHF 8 and 10 from 20 miles out, 90 degrees off axis. ADTech also indicated they saw similar behavior in field tests, just not something they are going to advertise. Yes, everyone's mileage may vary, but as I noted, failing that, a $20 add on (all necessary cables and joiner included) will resolve it. Even with that, you still come out cheaper than the Winegard. All of Cheeva's reasonable VHF channels are LOS and have enough power to be pulled with the dipole if not the base DB4e.

Even after accounting for the dBd/dBi normalization between the 6P and DB4e, the UHF gain between the two is comparable. The DB4e, however, has a much wider beam, which is well-suited to his Southern spread.

Something you're not considering is the practical aspect of getting it and keeping it installed. You're sending Cheeva up a ladder and onto the roof with a 10 pound, 10 foot long package with the Winegard versus a 4 pound, 3 foot long package with the DB4e (not to mention that when extended the Winegard is like a giant spiny crustacean). Maybe you can handle the Winegard on the roof with your eyes closed, but it's a pretty good guess that people posting for help in this forum are not going to be all that adept wielding that kind of object on the ladder or roof.

Likewise, once it's on the mast, you've got more than twice the weight on the end of the pole, and much of that weight is away from the center of the mast instead of directly on the mast like a bay antenna. Again, an experienced installer can compensate for the mass and wind loading, but that's not who's asking questions here.

I've done both the Winegard and DB4e. For my money, the DB4e is cheaper, just as effective, and much easier to install. It also wins aesthetically; most people don't even notice it on the roof. As an added bonus, birds won't perch on the DB4e and make a mess of my roof, either.

Those antenna haters are something when their true feelings come out.


The HD7696P antenna is correct.

[GroundUrMast]

If this was my circumstance, I'd opt for the HD7696P also.

I have confidence in the DB4e as a UHF antenna, but would expect to need a five or even ten element Yagi (Y5713, Y10713 or YA1713) high-VHF antenna to make the four real VHF signals reliable.

The HD7696P antenna is a antenna that receives all the receivable channels. , UHF and VHF.

No requirement to install a DB4e UHF antenna and then a second antenna to receive VHF channels.

[thom]

Originally Posted by teleview

Those antenna haters are something when their true feelings come out..

haha, perhaps you mistake passion for hate.

I love antennas. The fact that you can pull a signal out of thin air with an aluminum stick is one of the more fascinating aspects of electronics.

However, as an engineer, I'm looking for a solution. I suppose if there is something I do hate, it's an unnecessarily expensive, heavy, large, and complicated solution. If you can meet your db gain requirements with less, why invite the complications of more (and yes, there are always complications).

I understand the reticence over a VHF add-on dipole, but consider this.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...990027c93c8ecd

and the associated image below.

That's a 2Edge, 97 mile, 3.2NM signal which is entirely watchable with the dipole The original poster's toughest VHF station is LOS, 42 mile, 27.7NM. I think there's ample room for friendly disagreement on this one.