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Old 8-Jul-2015, 3:27 PM   #5
brian72
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by ADTech View Post
HOA rules regarding outdoor mounting of antennas were largely preempted by federal law almost 20 years ago. See https://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-...n-devices-rule.

San Diego area antenna users have a complicated setup due to the three primary transmitters sites: Mt San Miguel, La Jolla, and Tijuana.

There's no need for either the DB8 or the DB8e. The ClearStream 2V is the ideal option for much of San Diego but you will need to make an adaptation as follows:

You will probably need a longer mast. If you're in an attic, then almost anything from an old broom handle, a piece of plastic pipe, or anything similar may be used.

Assemble the basic antenna WITHOUT the reflector screen. Mount it to the pole and situate is so that it's oriented with the loop openings facing generally north/south and adjust for best reception of your UHF stations.

Add the VHF module to the system attached separately to the mast but rotated so it is perpendicular to the direction of La Jolla. Adjust as needed. See below.

What this does is create a UHF antenna that is bi-directional north/south and a bidirectional VHF antenna that is NW/SE, both with an effective beamwidth of 65-70°.

You do not need nor should you use any amplifiers, they are unlikely to help and are far more likely to cause new problems.

One complication that I do see is related to your desire to provide Mexican programming for your wife's viewing. Estrella TV is carried in the SD area on KSDX-LD, a low power channel 9 signal from Mt San Miguel. Because of this, you'll probably need to see if you can readjust the VHF dipole so it's facing more towards the north or even more easterly to see if you can cover both VHF transmitter sites.

If you have problems with reception of VHF channels, the first thing to do would be to install an FM filter.
Nice to know I can tell a concerned HOA to shove it. Thanks for the education on that subject. I had no idea. That said, if I do end up outside I would like to have a clean looking install, so I'm a bit concerned about installing without the reflector screen. Based on my distance would you say the chances of success in the attic are pretty high? I have tile roofing on my house as do most here in SD. If it will work in the attic then I won't care how clean it looks. Also it appears the 2V already comes with the VHF kit, but there's an option to add it on the website. What am I missing there?

I could certainly try it out fairly quickly to test before installing and running all the coax. Thanks again for the feedback.

Last edited by brian72; 8-Jul-2015 at 3:48 PM.
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