Cabin in rural area - 50+ miles

[v99]

Need some help with an antenna for this rural Georgia location.

Here is my report

This is a weekend cabin. It sits about 4 feet up and has a metal roof. I'd like to mount the antenna on the gable so I would say the antenna will be 28-30 feet up (4ft crawl space, 20ft to peak, 5ft above metal roof. Ish). It's in the woods so there are a good many pines, especially in the direction of the channels. No major wind issues. There is currently no cable and won't get it, so we'd be willing to spend a few hundred on getting a decent antenna set up. The purpose is to watch football on the weekends when we are up there. There will be only 1 TV.

I guess I need a pretty strong antenna to be able to reach the channels around the 328 mark - we definitely want the basics: pbs, abc, cbs, and fox which are all around 57 miles away. Is the Winegard HD8200U strong enough? Would I need a pre-amp? Please recommend the best antenna. There are no physical size restrictions - we just want something that works!

If I wanted to try for nbc, any chance I could get it? It appears to be a very, very weak signal for my location (-1.9 boooooo. Is that - even a signal? LOL).

Anyway, I found some great info on here, particularly anything teleview posts. Also, this post on how to read the tvfool chart. Elmo wrote this in response to another poster and it's pure gold for a newbie!! Thanks to Elmo for this...

Originally Posted by elmo

Well, I'll tell you what you need to look at. First, check your chart, identify the channels you want. Make sure each has a positive value for the Signal NM - the higher the better your odds of tuning. Then you lump together the general directions of them all, which in your case, south pretty much covers it, with the exception of 24. Being that 24 is your best signal, I wouldn't work too hard to get it. The hope is that your antenna will be able to still pick it up even if you don't aim right at it. Now you look at the bottom tables that show if the signal is UHF, VHF-Hi or VHF-Lo. ...Not all antennas are designed for all frequencies, so you'll need to make sure yours will get UHF & VHF-Hi (down to Ch 7). Then you have to consider your installation site - trees being the biggest hurdle. You'll want to have as clear of a line of sight to the south. Unlike satellite which needs open sky above, horizon is the best for an antenna.

...Going beyond that, you'll start to see A/C indicators. So if you try to pull those signals beyond, you may get interference from the closer signals that are close or sharing the same Real channel. If you want to go a little bigger, maybe look at the Winegard HD7694p. The bigger the antenna, the better the range. You'll want to avoid too much range as you'll miss your sweet spot and start picking up stuff further south that could impact your closer signals. Again, that's where the A/C indicators on the left of the chart come into play. Think of it as you want to hear the conversation at your table in a noisy restaurant....not all the other chatter.

I appreciate all of your advice. Thanks!

[GroundUrMast]

I don't see any L-VHF (real CH-2 through CH-6) signals on your report that would suggest using the Winegard HD8200U.

I would use the HD7698P or the 'big guns', an Antennas Direct 91XG and an Antennacraft Y10713.

I would also be looking for a reasonable way to mount clear of trees. This may prove the most valuable 'investment' in your system.

[v99]

Originally Posted by GroundUrMast

I don't see any L-VHF (real CH-2 through CH-6) signals on your report that would suggest using the Winegard HD8200U.

I would use the HD7698P or the 'big guns', an Antennas Direct 91XG and an Antennacraft Y10713.

I would also be looking for a reasonable way to mount clear of trees. This may prove the most valuable 'investment' in your system.

Thanks for the response.

The pines in the area are very high. So going up would be impossible/cost-prohibitive.

But about 30 yards away from the cabin is a field. It isn't ours but a family friend's. I would think he would allow us to use a spot off to the side. But how far do you have to go into the field to get signal clearance from the trees? The direction of the signals would unfortunately be coming from the direction of the cabin (read: trees). Do people run 100 yards of cable in order to get a decent signal?

The Current Broadcast Tv stations/channels that are transmitted and received in,

USA , Canada , Mexico , are ,

VHF low band channels 2 thru 6.

VHF high band channels 7 thru 13.

UHF band channels 14 thru 51.

________________

WCES-DT Real VHF low band channel 06 , virtual number (20.1) PBS .

Is a Very Weak Signal of minus -2.0 NM(dB) and is 89.1 miles distant and 2 edge path obstructions of hills and mountains.

The low band Digital Tv channels 2 thru 6 are at a disadvantage for reception when the signals are very low signal strength because of natural and human made interference.

WCES channel 6 will most likely not be received reliably.

If you will like to inclued the reception of channel 6 , reliable or not.

Then I recommend use a Winegard HD7084P All channel antenna.

And a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier.

The HD7084P receives better then the HD8200U antenna.



__________________

Without the low band channels to receive , that leaves the VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 and UHF band channels 14 thru 51.

If you will like to receive VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 and UHF channels 14 thru 51.

For reception of channels 7 thru 51 install a Winegard HD7698P antenna aimed at about 327 degree magnetic compass direction , so as to concentrate reception on WMGT-DT Real UHF channel 40 NBC and MyNetwork.

__________________

Install a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier.

For 1 Tv connected use No splitter.

__________________

If WMGT , NBC is received , you 'Test' can turn the antenna more in the direction of W35BB Real Uhf channel 35 , http://tv.35.tv , to improve reception of W35BB without losing reception of WMGT , NBC.

__________________

Here are some above the roof antenna mounts.

http://www.com/tripods%200703/4712.html.

http://www.ronard.com/909911.html.
Install the , ronard(911) , 5 foot tripod antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html.
Install the , ronard(4560) , eave antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html.
Measure around the chimney and install a , ronard(2212) , ronard(2218) , ronard(2224) , chimney antenna mount.

By the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word , ronard(x) in the solidsignal search box.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at , http://www.solidsignal.com , or buy at http://www.ronard.com.

Here are some plaqces to buy antennas.

http://www.solidsignal.com.

http://www.amazon.com.

http://www.winegarddirect.com.

http://www.ronard.com.

____________________

[v99]

Originally Posted by teleview

________________

WCES-DT Real VHF low band channel 06 , virtual number (20.1) PBS .

Is a Very Weak Signal of minus -2.0 NM(dB) and is 89.1 miles distant and 2 edge path obstructions of hills and mountains.

The low band Digital Tv channels 2 thru 6 are at a disadvantage for reception when the signals are very low signal strength because of natural and human made interference.

WCES channel 6 will most likely not be received reliably.

If you will like to inclued the reception of channel 6 , reliable or not.

Then I recommend use a Winegard HD7084P All channel antenna.

And a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier.

The HD7084P receives better then the HD8200U antenna.



__________________



For reception of channels 7 thru 51 install a Winegard HD7698P antenna aimed at about 327 degree magnetic compass direction , so as to concentrate reception on WMGT-DT Real UHF channel 40 NBC and MyNetwork.

__________________

Install a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier.

For 1 Tv connected use No splitter.

__________________

If WMGT , NBC is received , you 'Test' can turn the antenna more in the direction of W35BB Real Uhf channel 35 , http://tv.35.tv , to improve reception of W35BB without losing reception of WMGT , NBC.

Thank you. I made a booboo by saying I wanted NBC at -1.9. I would like to attempt NBC40 at -5.1 which you have answered above (I will fix my mistake above). Not interested in PBS at all, so I guess I don't need a VHF-low antenna.

Looks like the experts both recommend the 7698! So that, a LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier, a gable mount, and lots of coax cable should get me going. And since the antenna and cables will be outside, I should get some coax-seal, right? Any to recommend?

Thanks!

[v99]

Originally Posted by teleview

________________

WCES-DT Real VHF low band channel 06 , virtual number (20.1) PBS .

Is a Very Weak Signal of minus -2.0 NM(dB) and is 89.1 miles distant and 2 edge path obstructions of hills and mountains.

The low band Digital Tv channels 2 thru 6 are at a disadvantage for reception when the signals are very low signal strength because of natural and human made interference.

WCES channel 6 will most likely not be received reliably.

If you will like to inclued the reception of channel 6 , reliable or not.

Then I recommend use a Winegard HD7084P All channel antenna.

And a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier.

The HD7084P receives better then the HD8200U antenna.



__________________



For reception of channels 7 thru 51 install a Winegard HD7698P antenna aimed at about 327 degree magnetic compass direction , so as to concentrate reception on WMGT-DT Real UHF channel 40 NBC and MyNetwork.

__________________

Install a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier.

For 1 Tv connected use No splitter.

__________________

If WMGT , NBC is received , you 'Test' can turn the antenna more in the direction of W35BB Real Uhf channel 35 , http://tv.35.tv , to improve reception of W35BB without losing reception of WMGT , NBC.

Thank you. I made a booboo by saying I wanted NBC at -1.9. I would like to attempt NBC40 at -5.1 which you have answered above (I will fix my mistake above). Not interested in PBS at all, so I guess I don't need a VHF-low antenna.

Looks like the experts both recommend the 7698! So that, a LNA-200 'Boost' XT amplifier, a gable mount, and lots of coax cable should get me going. And since the antenna and cables will be outside, I should get some coax-seal, right? Any to recommend?

Thanks!