I need some help making equipment decisions

garyw · 9-Jul-2012, 2:31 AM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...990097bd066d13

I shut down my dish network account in april and have been traveling. I am home now and want to go ota. a neighbor has a 2 year old antennacraft hbu
33 I figured I would buy it but I have stations 40 miles south of me and 70 miles north of me. Would I be better off buying an additional antenna to point north and point this one south? Also would I benefit from having a booster? I will be splitting to 3 tv's and intend to use the dish network cable already installed. Do I need to use a different splitter or use theirs? Should I use one or two antennas or a rotor. I am thinking a rotor may not work well as some one may want to point it south and one point it north at the same time. Also Is this antenna large enough?

GroundUrMast · 9-Jul-2012, 3:36 AM

Why not start with a fixed aim solution. An Antennas Direct DB4e will outperform the UHF functionality of all the HBU series antennas. Facing about 150° compass you'll do very well receiving the available UHF signals. An Antennacraft Y5713 pointed toward 167° would receive the two High-VHF signals on real channels 9 & 13... you might get lucky and see the signal from real channel 7 from the west. Combine the two antennas with a UVSJ followed by an Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamp.

If you want to pursue the Portland signals, I'd suggest a Winegard HD7698P. You could add a rotator to provide full use of that antenna. Regardless, I'd equip it with a CPA-19 as well. This antenna would need to be cables separately from the first array.

There are several ways to connect a multi-antenna system:
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=2882
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=820

Satellite system splitters which pass 5 to 2000 MHz on all ports are useable in OTA installs. Diplexers look quite similar but will block OTA frequencies on one or more ports. Matrix switches need to be removed.

garyw · 9-Jul-2012, 3:51 AM

What is a uvsj a splitter? Are antenna boosters to be mounted outside or inside? So you would suggest the other antenna to point to the 70 mile away north channels? and the used one toward the south?

GroundUrMast · 9-Jul-2012, 4:49 AM

UVSJ = UHF-VHF-Signal-Joiner
http://www.antennasdirect.com/store/...Combiners.html
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp...nna-%28UVSJ%29
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2103923
http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direc...&keywords=UVSJ

The best place for an amplifier is at the antenna were the signal has not been attenuated by a long cable run. 100 feet of coax has roughly 6 dB of loss. An amplifier at the far end would be working with a signal 6 dB lower in strength... that much closer to being 'buried' in noise. Because some of the signals to the south are fairly weak, you'll want to do what you can to preserve their quality. Another way to think of this is, Amplifiers can not 'pull' signal from the antenna, they only 'push' the signal through the losses in the cable and splitter connected to the output of the amplifier.

Yes, I am recommending two separate solutions. One for local easy to receive signals south of you. This antenna system does not require a rotator which makes it easier to use as the 'whole house' antenna, no one will argue over which way to aim.

The second system , if you choose to install it, is a high performance deep fringe system that gives you a shot at the much weaker signals from Portland. If you include a rotator in the design, you can fine tune the aim and turn it west and south west if you choose.

Electron · 9-Jul-2012, 4:50 AM

Your location has receivable Tv stations/channels in both the VHF high band of channels 7 thru 13 and the UHF band channels 14 thru 51.

For reception of the Eugene OR. Digital Tv stations /channels.

Install a Winegard HD7696P antenna that is designed to receive the Tv channels 7 thru 13 and 14 thru 51 , above the roof.

Aim the HD7696P antenna at about 160 degree magnetic compass.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

For one Tv connected no splitter or amplifier is used.

For 2 Tv's connected use a Channel Master CM3412 distribution amplifier.

For 3 or 4 Tv's connected use a CM3414 distribution amplifier.

Here are some above the roof antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.

Here are places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.channelmasterstore.com , http://www.amazon.com.

To avoid signal overload resulting in bad reception I am not recommending a preamplifier.

KOAC-DT 7 PBS is a Very Strong signal and will over load a preamplifier causing bad reception on more then one Tv channel.

KEPB-DT 29 PBS to the south is the same as KOAC. http://en.wikipedia.org/Oregon_Public_Broadcasting.

And K14GW-D 14 is the same as KSLR-DT 31 to the south.

So no requirement to aim any antenna to the west.

Electron · 9-Jul-2012, 5:33 AM

A separate antenna system is for the Portland OR. Digital Tv Stations/channels.

Install a Winegard HD7696P antenna aimed at about 350 degree magnetic compass.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

For one Tv connected no amplifier or splitter is used.

For 2 Tv's connected use a CM3412 distribution amplifier.

For 3 or 4 Tv's connected use a CM3414 distribution amplifier.

The 2 Separate antenna systems will not be connect together on to one coax.

The 2 separate antenna systems will be separate all the way to the Tv locations where a remote control A/B antenna switch will be at each Tv location. http://www.radioshack.com #15-1968 -or - http://www.mcmelectronics.com # 32-4425

GroundUrMast · 9-Jul-2012, 5:47 AM

Regarding the antenna(s) aimed southward,

A reason to consider using separate UHF and High-VHF antennas is that each can be aimed independently. This gives the best chance at maximizing UHF reception and possibly finding an aim point that will yield reliable reception of 9, 13 and 7.

A reason to consider the single 769X combo antenna would be cost and ease of installation.

Electron · 9-Jul-2012, 8:59 AM

For the reception of Tv stations/channels , Eugene OR.

There is no requirement to aim a antenna at KOAC-DT 7 PBS to the west.

KVAL-DT channel 13 is at 167 degree magnetic compass.

KEZI-DT channel 9 is at 158 degree magnetic compass.

Thats a difference of 9 degrees.
There is no advantage to using a separate VHF antenna , for 9 degrees.

The Tv stations/channels.
K48MP-D UHF channel 48 at 132 degree magnetic compass.
K20DD-D UHF channel 20 at 132 degree magnetic compass.
K38KU-D UHF channel 38 at 133 degree magnetic compass.
Are strong signal strength.

The other UHF Tv stations channels are at , 167 , 166 , 158 , 156 , degree magnetic compass.
Thats a difference of 9 degrees.

The total directional spread of Tv stations is 35 degree magnetic compass.

One antenna will receive these differences of directions. Install the HD7696P antenna aimed at about 160 degrees magnetic compass.

signals unlimited · 9-Jul-2012, 10:12 AM

Yes either one very long all channel antenna or combined seperate UHF & VHF antennas will receive the channels to your South.

What about the stations to your North?

The ideal antenna system for you ( and most others wanting OTA) is simple.

Install a good 2 bay UHF antenna and an Antennacraft Y5713 on one mast 12" apart is OK. Combind these antennas into a Winegard AP2870 amplifier and mount in an Eagel Aspen roto100. This setup will deliver the channels in all directions and the installation is simple. One coax will deliver all of the signals and even run the rotor.

I use this configuration in all of my installations and most stations in my region are 2 edge 70+ miles out purple, and signals as low as -105. I have hundreds of these out and 100% satisfaction.

For this forum I recommend an Antennas Direct DB2e for the two bay, but I use my own antenna. Antenna www.tripleplayantenna.com. My 2bay Tripleplay antenna is designed for great UHF reception and can receive cell phone signals including 4G and the higher frequencies used for IEEE 802.11b/g (wifi).

I build these in small quanity for my own installations, but I can build and ship to anyone who would like to try this new technology.

garyw · 9-Jul-2012, 1:29 PM

Thank you all for your suggestions. I guess I will not buy the neighbors antenna and go with what you are suggesting. I am very interested in the triple play as well as I use a verizon air card at home with a cradlepoint 35 router on 3 computers. Soon to switch to 4G. It looks like I will have some research to do before my set up I will have a roof that looks like it belongs to a Ham operator lol. Thanks again. Gary