From Toronto, please help with antenna selection
 

Hi,
I need help selecting an antenna for my location.
My TV Fool is: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...cc4959db5227cd
I live in a 2-storey house, in an area with lots of mature trees, but no tall buildings in sight.
I have two estimates for a chimney mounted antenna. One of the installers recommends a CM4228Hd antenna with a pre-amp. The other recommends a CM4221, or DB4e,or DB8 or CM4228HD, without a pre-amp which he says it is not necessary.
My main interest is to be able to obtain good reception of Buffalo channels such as 2,4,17 (-1 and -3) ,29,51 (-1 to -3) and a few others.
Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

The radar plot report link is not working.

Ooooops!!!. Thank you Teleview for letting me know.
My TV Fool report is http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...cc494cc9a70e92

I hope it works now.

The installer that advised against a preamp wins my trust far more than one who wants to sell you a preamplifier that may make your reception worse.

Go with the Antennas Direct DB4e, that gives you a wide reception pattern of the UHF signals. If you add an Antennacraft Y10713 or the competing Winegard YA1713 you can expect to see WBBZ which caries Independent programming as well as 'THIS' and 'ME TV' networks.

The two antennas can be combined into a single coax using a UVSJ (UHF/VHF Signal Joiner).

Install a Antennas Direct DB4e UHF Antenna aimed at about 185 degree magnetic compass direction.

The DB4e is recommended because it has a Wide forward reception pattern , the Tv stations are Widely spaced , south west , south , south east.

The DB4e is not recommended because it is small.

During this time period on this planet , small is a key word , small , smaller , and then so small you can't see it.

Install a Winegard YA1713 VHF antenna aimed at about 166 degree magnetic compass direction. The YA1713 is VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 antenna for reception of WBBZ.

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

____________________________________________________________________________

Use a UVSJ = UHF/VHF Separator/Joiner to connect the 2 antennas together to 1 coax.

Type these letters in the Google search box -> uvsj . Type these letters in the http://www.solidsignal.com , in search box -> uvsj .

____________________________________________________________________________

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter.

For 2 Tv's connected use a common simple 2 way splitter.

Some roof top antenna mounts are , tripod antenna mounts , eave antenna mounts , chimney antenna mounts.

Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.saveandreplay.com , http://www.trentondistributors.com , http://www.canadapost.ca/shopper , http://www.antennasdirect.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.solidsignal.com.

As always trees and tree leaves do a real fine job of reducing or blocking Tv reception and so do buildings and other obstructions.

It is best install the antenna/s at a location that has the least amount to no amount of obstructions of any type or kind in the directions of reception.

The Tv/s Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , sometimes named the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv setup menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels.

Thanks
 

Thank you teleview and GroundUrMast for your replies. It seems that an 8-bay antenna would not do much for my location. I'm glad about that because the DB4e is smaller and it was my first choice.

The DB4e is not recommend because it is smaller.

It is recommend because the DB4e has a wide forward reception angle.

DB4e is an excellent choice. Please do post back your results.

Good luck....