Hello,
I live in a rented house in Northern California and am hoping to try to get TV OTA. Here's my signal analysis:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...cc493a6f7f4e7d
I suppose I'd be quite happy to get only the first 19 channels in that list (ie down to Channel 43 KCSM-TV). My house is wood frame and it has fiber cement (like "hardy board") siding and a composition roof.
- I'm wondering if I should try a "set top" antenna first since I live in a rented house. What are the Pro's and Con's of this? Doesn't it often happen that people buy these "set top" units and later realize that it was a waste of money?
- The folks at Solid Signal mentioned the Winegard MS-2002 for my situation (Outdoor mount ideally, though I may have to put it into the attic). I'm considering going with that one especially because if its appearance. In this location I definitely need an unobtrusive antenna like this MS-2002. Some questions:
a. I notice that this antenna seems to require power ...right? So if it's mounted on my roof, I need to run 110 volt power all the way up to my roof mount and have it powered-up all the time? I realize that the power draw is minimal but the wiring would seem like a nuisance and technically there are safety issues with 110v wiring outdoors (even if it's low-wattage). What do people normally do to get the 110v to the antenna location on the roof? Are there other non-powered antennas that might be an option for me (with an unobtrusive appearance)?
b. If I run the coax cable all the way from my roof mount to the point where the current (Comcast) cable enters the house, I'd end up with an unbroken 55' run, then go (thru a splitter) for another 18' to the TV (about 70' total). Is it okay to run the coax that far (this way I could feed the bedroom and living room off of one antenna)? The alternative is to try to run the cable directly to the living room TV location only (not sure if I'd be able to do this) which would cut the cable length down to about 35'. Are these distances long enough to become an issue or is 70' entirely within reason?
This is an amazing site; thanks for the advice!
-Patrick