Antenna selection and aiming, Indianapolis
 

Building a new house on the NW side of Indianapolis, and planning to put TV antenna(s) in the attic above the garage. I'll be using a couple of HDHomeRun OTA tuners in the basement to receive the signal.

Here's the plotter map: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda8068cd6350

I'm not really concerned about receiving signal further out than WIPB, but I want to ensure I get an appropriately sized antenna and understand how to point it correctly. I lived in this area about 8-10 years ago, and had an older omnidirectional antenna in the attic and frequently experienced signal degradation on the (then-new) digital channels.

Do I need more than one antenna since the various channels form about a 90° swath to the southwest? Any direction would be greatly appreciated, this website and forum are pretty much the coolest.

Signal attenuation and signal reflections bouncing around (multipath) make attics a Non friendly reception environment.

The Tv transmissions at your location are Very Strong Signal Strength.

Install a ANT751 in the attic aimed at about 110 degree magnetic compass direction.

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

No amplifier will be required.

If there are reception problems that are not resolvable buy moving or aiming the antenna in the attic , then move the antenna to above the roof.

If you ave difficulty in the attic, can you consider mounting outside in the clear? Also, if you don't succeed in getting adequate reception with a single antenna, you can feed each HDHR from a different antenna.

I like my HDHR tuners, both the new HDHR3-US and the older HDHR-US... http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=820 Use the configuration utility to manually tune to the real channels and see signal strength and quality in real time, a great antenna aiming aid, no tuner rescan needed between adjustments to the antenna aim.

Thanks for the recommendations! The direction the antenna would point would make an outdoor mount be on the front of the house, which is a no-go.

I hadn't previously considered purchasing the HDHRs until the house was finished, but that raw signal meter actually makes a lot of sense, and I wouldn't have to drag a TV out to a building site.

Also, do I need to ground the antenna since it will be indoors? Or is that just for lightning strikes?

By recommending the antenna in the attic , I am not providing the best advice , I am providing bad advice.

The Federal Antenna Law says Yes you can install a antenna outside at the front of the house.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html.

Many systems run for years ungrounded. Still, I suggest you ground the coax shield. The couple of extra dollars spent, reduces an already low probability of static buildup that could cause damage to a tuner and also protects from the unlikely event of a nail or screw driven though the coax and a power line.

A J-pole, chimney mount or gable mount would be possible options that would permit install on the 'back side' while still letting the antenna 'see' over the roof. Outdoor reception is better than attic in virtually every case.