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sledge 18-Jan-2010 11:25 PM

Help with antenna choice
 
Hi, I am at the following location

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...c572b6ecadc3bd

I just need something inside to get the major networks. I am a little confused about the directional, etc. I see the azimuth is very different for some of the stations and wonder which one could pick up all 4 major networks? I bought a cheap philips sdv2210/17 from cvs pharmacy. I can pick up most of the channels, but not abc. Others are on off, but some have a very strong signal. Is this an azimuth problem with this antenna? Any recommendations?
Thanks

mtownsend 19-Jan-2010 12:33 AM

Hello and welcome!

All of your major network channels are coming from two rough groupings. About half are west of you and the other half are south-east of you.

All of the channels are UHF (14-69) except for WTVI (ch 11). All of the UHF stations are handled by the "loop" portion of your antenna. WTVI needs be handled by the "rabbit ears" portion of your antenna. If you are having any difficulty with WTVI, I suggest that you extend the rabbit ears elements out about half way and then spread them apart (you can even lay them out horizontally if you have the space).

For optimum aim of loop+rabbit ears, you want the "face" of the antenna to be facing the direction of the transmitters (either west or south-east in your case). In other words, the signal coming from the transmitters should be coming in perpendicular to the plane of the loop + rabbit ears antenna elements.



Indoor reception can sometimes be tricky due to signals being blocked or reflected by walls and other (sometimes hidden) objects. You can try moving your antenna higher (second floor or attic?) or you might be better off with a more directional antenna like the Philips SDV2790/27 (also sold as the PHDTV3) or the Terk HDTVi.

These antennas are more directional, so they can sometimes clean up a signal that is prone to indoor "echoes" or "ghosts" that cause trouble for some digital receivers.

OTAMAN2010 19-Jan-2010 3:20 AM

4228 Multi-Directional
 
Mtown I think the 4228 is a great multi-directional antenna for Sledge. His stations are from many directions. Rabbit ears need to much adjustment to pick up channel in different directions. It.s rated at 60 miles. Also it's not very expensive.

mtownsend 19-Jan-2010 3:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTAMAN2010 (Post 305)
I think the 4228 is a great multi-directional antenna for Sledge.

Unfortunately, the 4228 is not a "multi-directional" antenna. It is an 8 bay bowtie (much too big for indoor use) that has a lot of gain and is highly directional. I don't think that fits with the OP's intent.

sledge 21-Jan-2010 12:24 AM

Thanks for the quick responses!! I am going to try the Terk HDTVi and see how that works. I ordered one and will let you know how it works. I am getting cbs, fox nbc and a couple of locals. If this will let me add abc, I will be very happy.

Thanks again, this is a really great site!!

sledge 24-Jan-2010 11:25 PM

It is raining, so that could be the problem, but I am not able to get more than 5 seconds of reception tonight. I am trying to watch the game on fox. Can weather be the problem? It was working great on the channels I had been watching. It pulled in all 4 major networks I wanted, but now it is really not functional. Any ideas? Thanks

mtownsend 25-Jan-2010 3:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sledge (Post 401)
Can weather be the problem? It was working great on the channels I had been watching. It pulled in all 4 major networks I wanted, but now it is really not functional. Any ideas?

Water in the air (e.g., falling rain, fog, etc.) can reduce the signal strength a little, but for big signal fluctuations, the more common culprit is rain wetting the bushes and trees that are in the signal path. If your signal needs to pass through a bunch of trees, you will get more signal through them when they are dry than when they are soaked. Water on buildings and walls can also contribute to the signal loss.

This can be another advantage for attic or rooftop mounted antennas because they tend to be higher than the majority of signal-blocking objects. When the rain starts, the higher antennas may be affected to a lesser degree.

sledge 15-Feb-2010 2:51 PM

Thanks for the response. It was pointed right at a large bush. I have moved it and not had signal loss yet. I am using a HD Tivo now and it works great. The OTA even populates the guide for recording HD and guide information.

sledge 9-Mar-2010 4:48 PM

I have another tv I would like to hook up and saw some good reviews on a db2. Does anyone have experience with the indoor db2?

mtownsend 9-Mar-2010 4:57 PM

The DB2 is a fine UHF-only antenna.

WTVI is on channel 11, so you may or may not get it depending on how much luck you have picking up a very strong VHF channel through this UHF antenna. All your other channels are on UHF, so they should be fine.

The DB2 does not come with a stand, so you'll need to rig something if you plan to mount this inside somewhere.

sledge 12-Mar-2010 2:20 AM

Thanks for the information. I could put an outdoor antenna up, it would not be on the roof, but just outside the window from the tv. Could I gain anything, ie picking up another market? The inside terk is working great for local, no problems, just curious.

mtownsend 13-Mar-2010 8:42 AM

Sure. There are some decent signals coming from other markets that could be reached with a rooftop antenna. The antenna would need to be on the roof (not just the side of the house) and you would probably need an antenna rotator to get the antenna pointed in the different directions for each group of stations.

sledge 4-Apr-2011 8:36 PM

Is there an outdoor antenna I could use to supply signal to two tv's for locals? I would like to find a good quality antenna and will not be able to put it on the roof. Probably the side of the house, on a fence, or on a satellite dish that is not being used. I already have the cables in place. The cable is about 40 feet. It may need to be amplified?

GroundUrMast 4-Apr-2011 9:00 PM

The date code on your original TV Fool report is over a year old. To be safe, can you run a new TVF Report and post the link to it?

sledge 4-Apr-2011 9:09 PM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...8d176ac9f6fe24

I didn't realize it had been that long. If you need other information, please let me know.

Thanks

GroundUrMast 4-Apr-2011 9:28 PM

mtownsend's original advise is still true. If your rabbit-ears or other indoor antenna is unreliable, you will need to consider at least two options.

1. A two antenna system - An Antennas Direct DB-2 facing 263° per your compass and an RCA ANT-751 pointing toward 135°. Neither antenna should need any amplification, you have plenty of signal available. Each antenna would be cabled to an A/B selector switch at the TV set so that you can connect the appropriate antenna. Each antenna needs to be outdoors with a clear view in the direction indicated.

2. The RCA ANT-751 mounted on a rotator in a location with a view in the directions cited in option one.


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