Humble request for some hand-holding here

[Samuelson]

Like everyone else here, I'm interested in getting rid of the cable bill and would like to set up an OTA antenna. I'd only like to install it in the attic for various reasons.

I don't really have much idea which antenna to go with, though. Here's a link to the Signal Analysis I have.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda44843fb2a6

The stations wouldn't all be coming from the same direction, although some of the most important ones to me would be (real channels 51, 12, 21, 13, 49). I put in an antenna height of roughly 20 ft. AGL. There are quite a few trees surrounding the house, except to the west. Unfortunately there are some to the north, and they're a lot higher than 20 ft. On the plus side, I am on a little bit of a hill here, about 190 ft. ASL.

Also, what should I consider when it comes to signal amplifiers, if any?

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[elmo]

Can you not do a roof mount? Trees are enough of a hurdle w/o having to deal with the signal reduction of the attic as well. Keep in mind that metallic building materials will reflect signal.

What sort of trees to the north? Tall poplars or pines with a high canopy might mean you'd be better off with an install closer to the ground. A magnolia would be natures version of a firewall, blocking virtually everything from top to bottom. What you want to see is as much horizon as possible.

You'll want a UHF/VHF antenna for sure, (at least VHF-Hi) as you have some VHF channels there. Popular selling (re: trendy) antennas are often UHF only, so be sure to verify what you're getting when you purchase.

I'd be inclined to get at least a medium antenna, as they are more directional than smaller ones. That would likely be a good tool for the job, aimed at 43 degrees, or NNE. It won't exactly help you tune channels from other directions though. I think I'd go with at least a Winegard 7696p, maybe even bigger. It would tune all of the channels you listed. The big factor is the trees to your north.

[Samuelson]

Thanks for the information. They're mostly pines with a few oaks mixed in. They're tall but don't block all of the sky; just a lot of it. I don't think there are any metallic building materials to worry about. I don't want to do a roof installation for aesthetic reasons, ease of access, etc.

What about signal amplifiers? Is that only for splitting the signal to a bunch of TVs (I might split it to 2 or 3 TVs) or should it be something I should consider regardless?

[elmo]

An amp would help push the signal strength back up if you split it to the point that reception is impacted; cable length, splitters, etc all contribute to weakening the signal. It won't help your antenna do any better than its design. In other words, a noisy signal would be amplified as a noisy signal. So the best best is to get the best antenna for the job, delivering the best signal possible. I always suggest saving an amp for later, if you need it, after you've got the antenna dialed in.

[GroundUrMast]

If you are going to choose to mount in the attic, measure carefully and use the largest antenna that will fit while allowing you to adjust the aim. I like the Winegard HD769X series for conditions such as yours. However, the Winegard antennas are very challenging to re-fold if you need to remove them from the attic. For an attic install, consider the Antennacraft HBU-44 and HBU-55.

Many folks seem to have the mistaken notion that an amplifier can improve the performance of an antenna. The reality is that amplifiers can not 'pull' a signal from the coax, antenna or air. Amplifiers can only 'push' signal through the losses connected to their output, and to a limited degree they may help overcome some to the noise generated inside a tuner. In your case, the signal levels are not extreme, so a good quality distribution amplifier would not be at risk of overloading. (An overloaded amplifier would make reception worse, not better.) Having said all that, I would try the install with no amplifier, just a passive splitter with output ports equal to the number of connected TVs.

While installing the antenna, make your initial reception check and aim adjustment with no amplifier or splitter connected, just a single cable from the antenna to one TV. To minimize cable losses, use the shortest practical cable to perform this test, you're focusing your testing and adjustments on antenna performance so you want to exclude as many other variables as you can. Once you know that the antenna is aimed well and is able to drive one TV, add the splitter and remaining TVs to the system. At this point, you'll know if an amplifier is needed or not. If all TVs are able to get reliable reception, save your money... However, if you've proven good signal at the antenna, but loose reliable reception after adding the loss of a splitter and additional coax, a Channel Master CM-3410 distribution amplifier is a good choice between the antenna and splitter.