Help with selection of ant. and aim

sdvickery · 5-Oct-2011, 2:24 AM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...60b5caff4806a1

Hello

Iam thinking about stopping my Comcast service and using an antenna instead. Haven't had one since 1972 so Iam a little rusty...

1. My only antenna location is the attic (Large attic)
2. As the map (link) shows, there's a group of channels located South-East and South-West that we'd like to watch...the pref group would be the South-West.
3.Please recommend an antenna that would be the best in this location and the Mag Azimuth to aim it...Do I go due South to split the two groups or cheat it towards the South-West since the South-East group NM is stronger?

Thx, Steve

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 4:31 AM

How many tv's are/will be connected??

John Candle · 5-Oct-2011, 4:49 AM

For the south west group of digital tv stations , I recommend a Winegard HD7698P antenna aimed at about 239 degree magnetic compass. However before I can recommend more. Like aditional antennas or amps and tv stations. How Many Tv's are/will be connected??

sdvickery · 11-Oct-2011, 2:00 AM

Thanks John for the questions about my config etc

I've stepped back and did a re-eval on where I'd like to go:

Instead of mounting the antenna in the attic as before I'd like to change its location, I'd like to mount an antenna on the large gable-end area on my home that looks directly South.

My station group’s directions are to the Southeast and Southwest, so hopefully a 23' high wall mounted/below the roof line on the wall antenna would work (Maybe the ClearStream4 antenna? It has a small footprint to fit my avail location and I could tilt it towards the Southwest channel group).

I currently have Comcast TV service ($105/mo) and Internet service ($48/mo). My goal is to drop the TV service and keep the Internet service. The internet will go into a Tivo unit and the antenna would supply the HDTV.

Our main TV and the Tivo unit will be together...and then another (6) TVs are located elsewhere around the house (All TVs have a good RG6 single run going to them from a single location where Comcast comes in now).

Can you suggest the best setup (ie? Gabel mounted Antenna>indoors 8 Way Splitter with built in Amp>runs to Tivo and all other TVs from the splitter) or a better/best way to do it.

Thanks Steve
PS.. Can the two channel groups that I'd like to see (Southwest and Southeast) be seen by one antenna at the same time or by any other manner?

John Candle · 11-Oct-2011, 4:38 AM

Because you have 6 plus tv locations. It's time to step back and re evaluate again. #1 the receivable tv transmissions at your location are Very Weak. #2 the diverse directions of the receivable stations will not permit reception of all directions , south west , south east and east with one antenna. #3 the combining of say 2 antennas on to one coax is not possible due to the diverse channels involved , well it is possible with equipment like the cable company uses , however the price will go over 5,000.00 dollars and keep on climbing. There are some profesional consumer grade channel inserters / combiners , how ever the price will easely go to 2,000.00 plus dollars. #4 the 6 plus locations of tv's will not permit the use of a antenna and rotor because conflict will develop about what direction the antenna is pointed. . . . ->To Make It Easy <-> To get you going with broadcast digital tv reception I recommend one HD7698P antenna aimed at about 245 degree magnetic compass for the USA stations , the antenna Will Need to be mounted up high above the roof , not snuggled to a wall of the house. I also recommend a 8 way Channel Master CM 3418 distribution amplifier. Here are some antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html. Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.starkelectronic.com , http://www.3starinc.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.channelmasterstore.com

John Candle · 11-Oct-2011, 4:51 AM

If you continue to have any type or kind of cable tv service , be it , cable tv , cable internet , cable phone service or any other type or kind of cable delivered service , Do Not connect the tv antenna to a active cable line , Yes you can use the coax cables that are in or on your home to get the tv antenna signals from point A to point B , but do not connect the tv antenna to any coax that has any type or kind of active cable service.

John Candle · 11-Oct-2011, 5:03 AM

The stations and channels that you will be receiving ~via~ the HD7698P tv antenna will be , Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , not analog broadcast tv channels , not analog cable channels , not digital cable channels. The tv's and etc. will need to have Digital Broadcast Tv Tuners or a converter box will need to be used , http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=380

John Candle · 11-Oct-2011, 5:07 AM

You will be Very Impressed with Digital Broadcast Tv. No more bad pictures like remember from 1972. The broadcast digital tv channels are Crystal Clear.

Tower Guy · 11-Oct-2011, 3:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdvickery

3.Please recommend an antenna that would be the best in this location and the Mag Azimuth to aim it...Do I go due South to split the two groups or cheat it towards the South-West since the South-East group NM is stronger?

That's the crux of the issue for you. The Detroit stations would do better with a larger antenna, but that same antenna will not pick up the Windsor stations as well. There is no perfect solution.

A smaller antenna than the HD7698P (Maybe the HD7694P) will barely work if a good preamp is mounted at the antenna.