Just Dumped Comcast in Chicago
 

Looking to put an antenna up, here is my report:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...46aebb6b6807cf

Talked with some friends who have antennas, here's what they have and recommend:

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

My setup:

1. RG6 to every room in the house all terminating at a coax patch panel in the basement.

2. 3.5db drop splitter will go in at antenna to split off to my garage, other line will go to patch panel.

3. Antenna will be in attic (stick built with asphalt shingles).

4. At patch panel 4-way splitter to go to 4 TVs 7.5db drop.

5. Approx 75ft of cable from antenna to patch panel and 50ft from patch panel to farthest TV. All cable is quad shield rg6.

Questions:
Is this antenna good enough?
Will I need an amp?

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The Current Broadcast Tv Channels the are Transmitted and Received in the , USA , Canada , Mexico , are ,

VHF low band channels 2 thru 6

VHF high band channels 7 thru 13

UHF band channels 14 thru 51 .

Your location has receivable Digital Broadcast Tv stations/channels in all 3 Tv channel bands .


Recommend install a All Channel Antenna .

Install a Channel Master , CM5016 All channel antenna aimed at about , 354 degree magnetic compass direction.

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

Use a Real and Actual magnetic compass to aim antenna .


Yes you can start with the CM5016 in the attic .

Install a Winegard , LNA-100 'Boost' antenna system amplifier before any splitter/s .

If reception situations happen in the attic that are not resolvable with location and aim adjustments in the attic .

Then move the CM5016 All channel antenna to above the Peak of the Roof in such a manner that the roof and attic and building are not , obstructing , impeding , blocking , reception in the directions of , north west , north , north east , east , south east .

Install the LNA-100 'Boost' amplifier before any splitter/s .

For 1 Tv connected use No splitter.

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

For 3 Tv's connected use a simple common 3 way splitter.

For 4 Tv's connected use a simple common 4 way splitter.

A Winegard DS3000 J pole type antenna mount works Ok with the CM5016 antenna .

Here are some more above the Peak of the Roof antenna mounts .

www.ronard.com/909911.html
Use the , ronard(911) , 5 foot tripod antenna mount.

www.ronard.com/34424560.html
Use the , ronard(4560) , eave antenna mount.

www.ronard.com/ychim.html
Measure around the chimney and use a , ronard(2212) , ronard(2218) , ronard(2224) .

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at , www.solidsignal.com , by typing , ronard(x) , in the solidsignal search box or buy from , www.ronard.com .

Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. .

www.solidsignal.com

www.amazon.com

www.winegarddirect.com

www.ronard.com

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The Tv/s Must Channel Scan for the , OTA=Over The Air , Digital Broadcast Tv stations/channels , often named the ~ DTV Channels ~ Air Channels ~ Antenna Channels ~ in the Tv Setup Menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the Air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna .

Some Digital Tv,s will Automatic channel scan for cable Tv channels .

DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels .

Go into the Tv Setup Menu and select ~ DTV Channels ~ Air Channels ~ Antenna Channels .

Scan for channels .

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As Always , trees and tree leaves , plants and plant leaves , have a Negative Effect on Broadcast Tv Reception

Here are some and not all Negative Effects

Absorbing , Blocking , Reception

Multi-Path Reflecting Tv signals bouncing all around

And buildings and other obstructions also have a Negative Effect on Broadcast Tv Reception in the directions of reception , including your own , roof , attic , building .

The Best Practice is to install the CM5016 antenna at a location that has the least amount to no amount of obstructions of any type or kind in the directions of reception including your own roof and building .

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If you have any type or kind of active Cable Tv service be it , cable Tv , cable Internet , cable phone , services
The active cable delivered services Must Be on a Seperate coax that is not connected to any part of the antenna system.

Unless you actually want WOCK-CD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOCK-CD) or "Franken-FM" WKQX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKQX-LP), skip the large, all channel antenna.

The math says that the C2V will work at your location, however, an attic location always introduces a large amount of error into the forecasts because of the attic environment. Your attic might do fine or it might not. Being prepared to placing the antenna outside so that it has a good, clear view towards downtown Chicago will go a long way towards improving your odds.

Survey your location for any spots that are free from common obstructions such as trees or neighboring buildings in the direction of Chicago. Give consideration for those locations when installing the antenna.

Everything is separate I can separate them in the house.

Hopefully the antenna works, it is the one recommended by AntennasDirect tech support over the phone. ADTech, did I make a mistake?

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Tv stations such as and Not Limited To , WOCK channel 4 , on the VHF low band channels of 2 thru 6 , the channels the all channel antenna can receive , can change Network Programing as time goes buy , so the programing that might not be of interest now , can change to programing that is of interest in the future.

The other Tv Stations / channel bands , the VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 and UHF band
and channels 14 thru 51 , also can change Network Programing.

It is interesting and easy to research.

In the search boxes of google and yahoo , type in variations of the Tv stations call sign , as an example , wock tv , wock-tv , wock dt , wock-dt , and etc . .

The 2 information web sites that will be found that have a lot of information are , wikipedia and www.rabbitears.info. .

Any time you place an antenna of any type in an attic, you are venturing into the unknown. The differences between one attic and another is often quite surprising. It's not reasonable for any of us to predict how your attic will serve as an antenna site. Also, consider the effect weather will have... A wet roof will impact your reception, and a load of wet snow will be even more troublesome.

If you go with the C2-V outdoors, it should do quite well, with the exception of WOCK http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...n=WOCK#station & WKQX (which is now available on UHF, real CH-33).

If there is any possibility that you will mount outside, I would strongly advise against the LNA-100... It's not designed for exposure to the weather.

If you need any amplification (http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=13646), a traditional distribution amplifier such as the Channel Master CM-3410 (AKA, PCT-MA2-M) would be my choice. It too should be mounted in a protected location, but it is about half the cost of the LNA-100 and has a proven ability to handle a mix of strong and weak signals without overloading. If you need an amplifier, it will be most effective when located as close as possible to the antenna. The CM-3410 can be powered remotely if needed, with the addition of a power inserter, PCT-MPI-1G

Given your TVFool plot, it's what I'd have recommended keeping the rest of my advise in consideration.

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Yes is True

The LNA-100 'Boost' amplifier is not designed for outdoors , install the LNA-100 indoors , before any splitters.

Or can install a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT antenna system amplifier that is designed for outdoor mounting close to the antenna.

C2-V in the attic with 11dB reverse powered amplifier. 45 stations from Chicago!!!!!!

That is good news! Thanks for coming back and reporting.

Just out of curiosity, did WOCK come in?