Actually, the local stations are pretty close to you and come in very strong. In fact, they are so strong, that you should NOT use an antenna with an amp. This much power would overload most amps (causing distortion in the signal) and would make things worse rather than better.
The stations are generally in two different directions. The main Little Rock transmitter cluster is north of you and three stations (KETS, KVTN, and KASN) are coming from the east. These stations are spread apart be about 90ยบ, and that's wider than the beam-width of most directional antennas. On the other hand, all of the signals are so strong that you will probably still pick up the stations even when the antenna is not pointed directly at it.
I'm thinking that a good antenna for your situation is an omni-directional antenna like the Winegard MS-1000. This antenna does not include an amp (the MS-2000 does include an amp), and you want to make sure you stay away from amplified antennas. I would install this antenna on the roof (on a mast about 5 feet above your roof) to minimize the risk of multipath.
Multipath is a condition where signals bounce around (due to buildings, walls, trees, hills, etc.) before they get to your antenna. These multiple signal "echoes" make it more difficult for your receiver to stay locked on to channels. Most indoor and attic antenna installations are more prone to suffer multipath interference due to all the nearby objects that might reflect signals. Putting the antenna on the roof in an open space will minimize the risk of multipath problems.
Using the omni-directional antenna will let you pick up the northern and eastern channels at the same time without ever having to move the antenna. Omni antennas no not have a lot of gain like directional antennas, but that shouldn't matter because your signals are so strong.
You should be able to get most of the stations in the "green zone" on your list.
|