Gray-Hoverman Antenna is Excellent

[Dougjh]

I thought I would make a post for any others who are having DTV reception issues. I went through several "fringe" antennas. They would work well, but there was always an issue with the weather causing the signal to drop out. After being discouraged by all my efforts, I decided to give it one more shot. I built the Gray-Hoverman. Now it will take the better part of a weekend, or if you work fast and have all the materials, you could do it in a day. But I just wanted to let everyone know that this antenna is awesome. Signals which were 50-60% and would drop out completely are now 70-90% and they hold that signal right on through rainy weather. I think it might have to do with the antenna having both horizontal and vertical polarization. I am comparing this to a very LARGE log-periodic vhf/uhf/corner reflector deep-fringe style antenna. A booster was used on both. I built the double g-h, which phases two together. Its almost as easy to build them both as it is just one.

Also, I am still using 300 ohm foam twinlead, which, if installed properly will out-perform coax as far as DB loss. You do have to take care on how you run the twinlead,though. Note that this is for UHF only.

Anyway, if you have trouble with DTV, and are good with pvc pipe and simple tools, then you wont be disappointed.

[Uncle Ike]

http://uhfantenna.blogspot.com/2010/12/gray-hoverman-home-built-uhf-tv-antenna.html Check out some pics of my home built Gray-Hoverman, I am very pleased with the results in this tough reception area.

[John Candle]

The earths magnetic field causes the television transmission to rotate. The rotation is not much over short distance , over long distance the rotation is much more. Also some television stations transmit circular and elliptical transmissions. http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=410

[Dave Loudin]

John, teleview, or whomever you are, how in the world was that post (about rotation) relevant?

[John Candle]

The Doyt-Hoverman antenna design will receive both vertical and horizontal plane transmissions. Over distance a horizontal tv transmission will rotate through oblique angles. Reflections off of buildings mountains and etc. cause a horizontal tv transmission to change from horizontal to some other plane. The Doyt Hoverman is a early fractal antenna design , it was designed with out the aid of a computer because at that time were no computers as we know them to day and no design programs for antennas.

[John Candle]

There are reasons that television station transmitters transmit Circular and Elliptical. And there are reasons that FM Radio stations transmit Circular and Elliptical. Computer programs make fractal antenna designs now and fractal designs are more effective at receiving signals.

[John Candle]

Knowing what is happening with Tv and Radio transmissions and what to do with a receiving antenna can be receiving the signal or not receiving the signal.

[rickcain]

Impressive antenna. If the Hoverman really is a fractal antenna, has anybody ever considered changing it to a 2rd iteration by adding in some more kinks in the wire?

[Dave Loudin]

The G-H is not a fractal. However, some have experimented with fractalizing the G-H. Explore the Antenna Research & Development (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=186) sub-forum at digitalhome.ca. That's the site where the G-H design was put together.

[John Candle]

Yes I know about digitalhome. Here is another one , The Double Boom Log Periodic Television Antenna is early 1950's Fractal Antenna. The Doyt Hoverman antenna is a 1950's Fractal Antenna. The computerized expermenters are leaving out one important fact , The Self Similar Hoverman and Self Similar Double Boom Log Periodic antenna designs were not called fractal antennas back then but they are fractal antennas.