help deciding on new setup for better reception
 

**http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b940b56650f88

This is my tv fool report...I currently have a channelmaster 3020 with a channelmaster 7777 pre amp with a rotator on a 40 ft tower...im not happy with the performance of my setup...I would like to get more channels...right now I can get down to watm at -19 db...would like to improve this for more channels...my question is what is the best antenna , pre amp, and rotator to use in my new setup...there are fm stataions not too far away so that might be a problem...

The 3020 is already at the upper end of performance for an All channel antenna. You may get bit more performance out of a Winegard HD7084... But I don't see any Low_VHF (real CH-2 through CH-6) signals on your report. Rather than going to a nearly identical all channel antenna, I'd consider using separate UHF and High VHF antennas. Example, the Antennas Direct 91XG or DB8E for UHF and an Antennacraft Y10713 for High-VHF (real CH-7 through CH-13).

Given the FM in the area, dropping the L-VHF capability would be a first step to reduce the amount of FM power received. You can also add an FM trap (filter) between the antenna and preamp.

An RCA TVPRAMP1R will be far less inclined to mix strong signals than the CM-7777. (The CM-7777 would be a good choice if there where no strong TV signals present.)

That said, if you are already seeing WATM reliably, you're doing very well. I'm not sure I would change anything. :)

Well here's the thing I already need someone to come out and go up there and fix my rotator cause the high wind screwed it up and because the antenna spun around with such force it ripped the coax connected to the antenna out of the antenna...so I was thinking of also changing my set up I might go with what you said the 91xg and the y10713...one last question I need advice on what rotator to get it has to be vary heavy duty and can with stand 60 + mph wind cause I live on the side of a mountian that gets high wind.

Take a look at the HyGain AR-40. The price reflects the difference in strength and quality compared to any consumer grade rotator.

Given that the H-VHF signals come from the same general direction, you may find that the Y10713 can be setup as a fixed aim antenna. If so, that will take some of the load off of the rotator.

So just an update i ended up going with the antennasdirect 91xg antenna on my 40 ft tower with a rotator and are currently using a rca tvpramp1r pre amp... my question now is i am looking for a better pre amp for my situation so i can pick up more distant stations...im looking for any suggestions on a high quality made pre amp.

Why do you believe that a "better preamp" will allow you to "pick up more distant stations"?

I agree with ADTech. You seem to be doing as well as can be expected based on your old tvfool report. Changing to a different preamp might not do any better.

The fact that you were able to pick up WATM doesn't mean that your system is sensitive enough to receive signals weaker than NM -15 dB. The Thermal Noise Floor is at NM -15 dB/-106 dBm, so it isn't likely that you would have received that signal buried in the noise. Antenna gain can not "pull a signal out of the noise," but it can make the NM more positive and improve its SNR.

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/r...psngrbviyw.png

Your antenna gain is less than 18 dBd and your preamp NF is more than 1 dB, so an actual -15 dB NM signal is beyond your reach.

It is more likely that the WATM signal was much stronger than NM -15 dB, which is common for Tropo signals. Without Tropo or refraction enhancement, there is no WATM signal at your location:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...ALLTV%26n%3d20

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.p...0&d=1454171756

Please do a new exact address tvfool and fmfool report so that we can try to help you "tweak" your system.

Here is a new tvfool report I did based on an estimate of your location:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5134a4e30af4b0

And one for FM signals:
http://www.fmfool.com/modeling/tmp/a...0/Radar-FM.png

FM WAYZ at -16.7 dBm might be strong enough to interfere with weak TV signal reception.

How close did I come?

The only improvements I can see are an antenna with more gain, and a preamp with a lower NF. But the preamp must be resistant to overload because there is a great difference in signal strength between your strongest and weakest desired signals, which is called the dynamic range. The strong signals can cause partial overload that will create spurious signals from IMD (Intermodulation Distortion) that will damage your weak signals.