Quote:
Originally Posted by Buffaloed in Montana
Now that we have narrowed down our reception problems (bad TV tuner, splitter bad) we wonder if it would be wise to buy a bigger, better antenna.
What would be appropriate for our situation to ensure good reception for all the main channels available closest to us?
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Thanks so much for all your help! We would still be in the dark without it. |
If you were satisfied with the reception until the problem(s) developed, it's hard to suggest that you spend money on a larger antenna. That your friend / neighbor is using a larger antenna and an amplifier is not proof that you'll need too. Signal condition change a great deal from one lot to another in hilly and mountainous terrain. Your TVFR shows line of sight to most of the available stations. Someone not far from your location could be blocked by more terrain and thus need a much larger antenna than you.
Many of the new TVs and converter boxes have some sort of signal meter built in. If you purchase a new set or converter, be sure it has a signal meter. As a next step, I'd like to know if the existing antenna is producing a good signal. The steps outlined in earlier posts in this thread already explain how to use a process of elimination to determine whether the antenna is too small or defective. That trouble shooting process depends on a working TV. A TV with a signal meter included helps to judge the strength/quality of the signal.
Having said all that, if I was staring from scratch, I'd use a Winegard HD7694P pointed north, at about 5° compass. If the cable run was less than 100', and I was connecting a single tuner, I would not use an amplifier of any sort. I would ground the mast. And separately, I would ground the coax. (I would want to take reasonable steps to protect my TV tuner from damage due to static electricity.)
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