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Originally Posted by Gillez
I'll be using an Apex DT250 converter box since my TV doesn't have an atsc tuner. I think it has an analog pass-through, will that make it possible to view both the digital and analog channels?
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Hello and welcome!
Yes, if your converter box has analog pass-through, it means that it will directly connect the RF input to the RF output when the converter box is powered off. This will allow you to use your TV's built-in tuner to watch analog stations when the converter box is off.
When the converter box is on, you have the option of watching the digital stations via RF channel 3 (or 4), or via the composite video / S-Video connections.
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I'm looking at making a DIY antenna. My roof is high and quite steep so a roof mount isn't good for me. It will be installed in the attic which is quite high so I can install a large antenna there (a 2 bay Gray-Hoverman or 8 bow-tie antenna will easily fit).
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Most DIY antennas are really UHF-only antennas. Some of them work a little bit in VHF, but that's only good enough if you have some pretty strong local VHF stations. Even the SBGH or DBGH antennas that have been modified for some high-VHF gain will not perform as well as an antenna specifically designed to cover VHF frequencies.
In your case, you have some strong local VHF channels and also some weaker ones further away. If you go with a DIY antenna, you will probably not be able to pick up the more distant VHF stations. If you are serious about picking up the weaker VHF stations, you are better off getting a true VHF capable antenna.
Some of the weaker US digital stations are pretty weak (NM in the single digit range). There will be some signal loss going through the building if you install the antenna in the attic (typically between 3-10 dB, depending on roof construction). You will want to get as much gain as you can muster to maximize signal robustness (fewer dropouts). You will also need an antenna rotator to pick out the different Canadian and US transmitter clusters. And finally, I'd recommend NOT using any kind of amp. The Canadian analog stations are too strong for most amps to handle, so you're better off not using one.
If you want a good full-band (low-VHF, high-VHF, and UHF) antenna, I'd recommend something like the Winegard HD8200U. It occupies a lot of horizontal space (unlike stacked 8-bay bowties or a DBGH) so you'll have to check if it will fit in the space you have. Most antennas with good VHF gain end up being quite large due to the long wavelengths involved.
If you don't care so much about VHF, then the DIY options will work well. You just need to decide if that's acceptable or not.
If you want to make your own UHF antenna, you can also add a VHF-only antenna like the Winegard HD5030, and join the two with a UVSJ.