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-   -   Help with reception and new antenna (http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=16835)

Caveman007 24-May-2021 12:46 PM

Help with reception and new antenna
 
Hi all I am looking to replace my antenna and the distribution amplifier, my current antenna is really old. the mast height is about 35 feet with about 30 feet of cable to the distribution point for the tv's .
I am looking to purchase the channel master CM-3414 4-Port Distribution Amplifier for Cable and Antenna Signal. for the distribution amp.

I will need a new antenna Bi directional would be nice ( I think ) I will try to post my tv fool report here.
Could someone please help me with which antenna or other equipment would be the best for my situation?

Thanks

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9038d40948c99c

Tower Guy 26-May-2021 5:11 PM

A bidirectional antenna is a good choice for you. Take a look at the 2-MAX.

Caveman007 30-May-2021 1:30 PM

Could you direct me to where I could get more info on the 2-MAX I searched for it but couldn't find it. Thanks

What's your thought's on the DB8-E

Tower Guy 30-May-2021 2:49 PM

https://store.antennasdirect.com/Cle...V-Antenna.html

I like the DB-8e, but it’s not a good antenna in your situation.

Caveman007 31-May-2021 4:28 PM

Is this good for distant stations and do I need any boosters with it. And also is it going to last me for some time. I'm 70 and I really don't want to replace it after a few years.

And Thanks for the quick reply and your time.

Tower Guy 31-May-2021 6:42 PM

11 years ago I installed a pair of Antennas Direct C-2 antennas (a predecessor to the 2MAX) on a tower located on a hilltop. Those antennas are still in use.

The channel master distribution amplifier that you mentioned would help the reception of a few of the weaker and off-axis stations. I would suggest that you keep the length of the RG-6 between the antenna and the amplifier as short as possible.

Caveman007 31-May-2021 7:39 PM

Thanks a lot for the help
I will look into that antenna. ::D

P.S. do I need the reflector that comes with it? And what's the chances of picking up channel 10 London when pointed towards the Detroit area. sorry for being a pain.

rabbit73 31-May-2021 10:57 PM

3 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Caveman007 (Post 63655)
Thanks a lot for the help
I will look into that antenna. ::D

P.S. do I need the reflector that comes with it? And what's the chances of picking up channel 10 London when pointed towards the Detroit area. sorry for being a pain.

Hello, Caveman007

The C2V comes with a reflector. You will need to remove it to make the antenna bi-directional. The newer C2MAX doesn't come with a reflector, but one is available as an accessory.

Receiving channel 10 from London will be difficult. You might need a separate VHF-High antenna for it if that channel is important.

The TVFool reports are not as accurate as they used to be; the database is out of date. I did a rabbitears.info signal report based on an estimate of your location:
https://www.rabbitears.info/searchma...tudy_id=270196

You can do your own report here (I use coordinates from Google maps):
https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....4&d=1622501819

You are outside the area of coverage for CFPL:

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....2&d=1622501145

and there is terrain blocking the direct signal:

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....3&d=1622501168

Caveman007 1-Jun-2021 11:27 AM

Okay but I am going to be a pain again, but this confuses me when you say it would be hard to pickup channel 10. I had a different antenna and amp on an tower at another house. I even picked up Toledo once in awhile faint but it was there. Have they changed the signal strength or any thing that I wouldn't pick up 10 or is there a different option.

Thanks

rabbit73 1-Jun-2021 5:14 PM

4 Attachment(s)
Quote:

Originally Posted by Caveman007 (Post 63658)
Okay but I am going to be a pain again, but this confuses me when you say it would be hard to pickup channel 10. I had a different antenna and amp on an tower at another house. I even picked up Toledo once in awhile faint but it was there. Have they changed the signal strength or any thing that I wouldn't pick up 10 or is there a different option.

Thanks

I certainly don't want to confuse you, I'm just going by what the rabbit ears.info signal report says. The report is only a computer simulation. It tells me that your location is outside the area of coverage for CFPL on RF channel 10, the direct signal is blocked by terrain, and it is listed as a Bad quality Tropo signal.

This coverage map is by rabbitears.info:

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....5&d=1622593477

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....6&d=1622594791

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....7&d=1622595647

https://forum.tvfool.com/attachment....8&d=1622596177

Signal reports for weak signals can be wrong. I consider reception of CFPL difficult, but not impossible at your location. CFPL is about 55 dB weaker than your strongest channel.

CFPL is transmitted on a VHF-High channel. The antenna you are considering only has a dipole (the single horizontal element sticking out of each side) for that band; the loops are for UHF channels, not CFPL.

The report I did was based on my guess of your location in the NW section of Wallaceburg. Please do a rabbitears.info report for your location using coordinates. Also do a report for the other house you mentioned so that I can see the difference. A different location can have very different signal strengths. You can do the reports at this site:
https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php

OTA reception is hard to predict; I can't give you a guarantee. You haven't even told us what your present antenna is or shown us a picture of it. You haven't told us what direction it is aimed at. You haven't told us what channels you get with your present antenna. You also didn't tell us about the antenna at the other house. We are having to do a lot of guessing.

Wanting your antenna to be bi-directional makes the UHF signals a little weaker when you remove the reflector.

I have been giving reception advice for about 12 years. I started doing antenna experiments when I was 8; I'm now 88 and still doing antenna experiments.

You will just have to try another antenna to see if it works better.

Why don't you put up the antenna that Tower Guy recommended, see how it works, and let us know.

You asked for an alternative. It would be two antennas, one for each direction.

The only other alternative is to stick with what you have now.

It's your antenna system and your money; you get to decide what you want to do.

Caveman007 2-Jun-2021 1:06 PM

thanks for your reply hope I didn't step on an toes.

rabbit73 2-Jun-2021 2:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caveman007 (Post 63660)
thanks for your reply hope I didn't step on an toes.

No problem.

I wanted to give you a complete description of why I thought reception of CFPL might be difficult, so that you would know what to expect.

Your other desired channels should be OK.

Best regards,
rabbit


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