Antenna Help

Snogoers · 4-Oct-2011, 1:58 AM

Hello. I'm trying to find out if it would be worthwhile to install an antenna at our cabin in N Minnesota. I've attached the report I received for my specific address. As we are only up to our place one weekend every 4 -5 weeks, it makes subscribing to dish service quite expensive. We are located in the woods so have to deal with that issue.

Thanks!

John Candle · 4-Oct-2011, 2:54 AM

Like the other question askers do , Do This->http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=4. Post a live radar report. The picture you took of the radar report is DEAD and we can not do any thing with it.

John Candle · 4-Oct-2011, 3:02 AM

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

Snogoers · 4-Oct-2011, 7:02 PM

Sorry John.....I'm new to this site so didn't follow instructions as I should have. I hope this is the link you need: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...60b58e397b29b5

I'm probably going to have 2 TV's there. One in the cabin and one in room above garage.

Thanks!

Ray

GroundUrMast · 4-Oct-2011, 7:44 PM

One fixed aim antenna will not be able to provide full coverage of the available stations.

If you plan to watch different stations simultaneously you may want to consider installation of a separate rotatable antenna for each TV.

I would suggest you use a Winegard HD7698P and an Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamp. The 7698 lacks coverage of real channel 5 but K05IV appears to be an analog repeater for a FOX affiliate. Other stations such as K21HX also carry FOX programming. If you want to, you can add a single fixed aim low-VHF antenna. The signal would be easy to 'insert' into the rotating antenna feed (if you install an antenna for each TV, only one low-VHF would be needed, not one for each TV).

The 7698 is a large antenna, in addition to a rotator, I would suggest using a thrust bearing to take the strain off of the rotator. http://www.3starinc.com/antenna_rotors.html is a source for the NTE U-106 rotor kit and the TB-105 thrust bearing.

To minimize the signal absorbing effect of nearby trees, mounting on the roof, at the peak preferably, would be worth the effort. Attic mounting will limit the available signals.

Snogoers · 4-Oct-2011, 11:33 PM

Thanks for the feedback! A couple of questions....1) Am I likely to get good reception on the 4 major networks with this setup? I'm sure there are a lot of variables but hate to invest the money if it doesn't work out. I ask because I see on the FCC website that a CBS station is the only one listed as fair signal. Two PBS are weak and two FOX are "no signal".

2) As I've never installed an antenna, can it be mounted on the rear of the house roof at the peak? The chimney is at the rear by the back edge. I've attached a picture to show both the cabin and garage.

Thanks!

Ray

Tower Guy · 4-Oct-2011, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snogoers

As I've never installed an antenna, can it be mounted on the rear of the house roof at the peak?

I prefer an eave mount to a chimney mount. I like to remain on the ladder instead of climbing on the shingles.

http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1476678.html

You can also do wall mounts below the eave with the mast above the roof, but your large eave overhang makes that harder.

http://www.channelmaster.com/TV_Ante..._9036_s/70.htm

GroundUrMast · 5-Oct-2011, 12:12 AM

According to http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...=K21HX#station yes, FOX, ABC. NBC and local weather are all carried. It would be reasonable to hope to see stations as weak as KFTC - MyN (At that level, 100% reliability may or may not happen, especially if there are trees to shoot through.) The stations higher on the list are within your reach.

Your roof looks like it would lend itself to using an Eave Mount. http://www.3starinc.com/adjustable_e...t_bracket.html

Your steep roof is not very inviting but he chimney itself looks like a good choice if you can access it safely. http://www.3starinc.com/ez29-36s_y_c...a_bracket.html or http://www.3starinc.com/ez30-6_tv_an..._standoff.html are potential solutions based on your photo.

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 2:29 AM

I recommend a one antenna solution. A Antennas Direct C2V , UHF - VHf high band antenna , aimed at about 70 degree magnetic compass. Also a Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamp. http://www.antennasdirect.com. http://www.antennasdirect.com/store/...VHF-Combo.html Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html. By googling the tv stations call letters as an example , like this -> k21hx tv , I found that k21hx tv has these digital sub channels , ABC , NBC , FOX. k51ke tv has weather and two local channels. k49cu tv has , FOX and My Network. kccw tv is CBS. kawe tv is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAWE . k27jf tv is NBC and a weather channel , This is a tv translator licensed to the city of Walker , the programing is KARE NBC , http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/m...anslators.html

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 2:43 AM

Here are some more mounts , I recommend mount the antenna as high as you can safely mount it above the roof. http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.comychim.html. Here are places to buy mounts and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.starkelectronic.com , http://www.3starinc.com

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 4:23 AM

Read and understand about , REAL Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , Virtual Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , Analog Broadcast Tv Channels , http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=695. Here are some tv guides , http://www.zap2it.com , http://tv.yahoo.com , http://tv.entertainment.excite.com , http://television.aol.com , http://www.tvzap.com. Most tv guides list the tv channels as virtual channels.

Snogoers · 5-Oct-2011, 12:17 PM

Thanks for all the feedback! I appreciate the info. I like the idea of the one antenna if it will work. Would it be OK to hook up antenna cable to existing satellite cable runs? The former owner had Direct TV set up there. The post is in the front right of the house. It has 4 cables running to the cabin which split off to the respective area. They are grounded on a block within the utility closet within the cabin. Or would it be best to run the antenna cable directly into the cabin into the utility closet and then hook up to existing cable?

As I had indicated, I will probably have 2 TV's. One is in the cabin and the other is in the room above the garage.

I believe I will look at using the eave mount on the back side of the house. I should then look for a mast that would set the antenna 5 foot or so about the peak? I'm guessing the peak is roughly 25 foot off the ground as the interior vaulted ceiling is around 23 - 24'.

I'm hopeful that this will work out as most comments from people up there are that antenna's won't give you much.

Thanks again!

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 1:56 PM

Yes the coax can be used to get the antenna reception from point A to point B

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 2:10 PM

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps , http://www.antennaweb.org. Both have conservative predictions and Tvfool is slightly optimistic. I prefer to have a optimistic reception outlook instead of a blank space with nothing in it. If you have read many of the tvfool question and answers and the reports back on the reception then you understand that people are getting very good reception results using tvfool.

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 2:26 PM

If a power passing 2way splitter is needed , Antennas Direct has a power passing 2 way splitter that can be used to get the power to the preamplifier unit that is mounted at the antenna. If a power passing a way splitter is not needed then a simple 2 way splitter will be ok. Run the antenna coax into the utility closet.

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 3:48 PM

What sides of the house are , north , east and south??

Snogoers · 5-Oct-2011, 4:53 PM

The back side is the westside and side by garage is the south side. As mentioned in earlier post, we are in the woods with a lake about 1/4 mile to the east of us.

Thanks!

Snogoers · 5-Oct-2011, 7:11 PM

Hope to not overdue it here...but thought I'd add a couple of more pictures to try to show the trees we are dealing with at our location. My wife went camera happy this past weekend up there with all the colors changing!

As this is new to me, does the radar report allow for the terrain, etc in a specific area? I'm amazed at what info you can obtain on the web!

Is the equipment best purchased over the internet or are there dealers that handle these items? I'm anxious to see if this will work out for me. I could pay a dish installer to come out to set up a Dish (which I have) as I can't find a clear LOS. I've struggled with trying to get the dish to work on several trips. I have Dish at home so took a receiver with me to try. However, it would cost at least $200 to have the local installer to come out to set it up. Then I would have the pain of dragging a receiver back and forth (very unclear if this is legal or not with Dish). I would also not have local stations and would need to watch the same programming on both TV's. I would just as soon have the major networks and be able to watch local news or programming.

Thanks!

GroundUrMast · 5-Oct-2011, 7:28 PM

The radar report takes terrain into account, but not trees or buildings.

I expect that you will have a difficult time finding a 'brick and mortar' store who stocks a full selection of antennas, rotators, mounting and installation hardware.

The antenna suggestions so far, take drastically different approaches to your situation. The large HD7698P is intended to give you access to as much as possible, including some analog and religious low power stations. The C2V does not attempt to go after 'as much as possible', JC details what to expect from it.

As JC already mentioned, you can google the call signs and use sources like rabbitears.info to help you decide if a large antenna is desired or if a small antenna will serve you satisfactorily.

Snogoers · 5-Oct-2011, 10:48 PM

Sorry to sound ignorant but the reports on Rabbit Ears or looking at the call stations don't make sense to me?? I guess I don't know what I'm looking for to know whether or not I would be satisfied with this one or the other?? Basically, if I could pick up CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and possibly PBS I would be happy. Anything else would be a bonus. The simpler the set up the better for me.

Thanks!