Suggestions/advice on my report

[Blktre]

Hello,

I'm new to OTA antenna's and I'm trying to understand all this neat new info. If anyone has suggestions for an antenna it would be appreciated. I should have about a 50-70ft run or less and have a single splitter feeding two different TV's. The antenna will be mounted 25-30ft outside. I'm also not sure about the need for a preamp.

Just looking around the HD Stacker seems like a good fit but not entirely sure.
Thanks in advance.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...f1f0120dc23207

[Tim]

Are you looking to mainly get the Kansas City stations shown in green and yellow on your report in the 71 to 81 degree range? If so, all of those are UHF stations and you don't need the VHF coverage of the HD Stacker. Something like the Antennas Direct DB4e should be more than adequate but the expects on the forum will weigh in with some good suggestions for you.
Will you be mounting the antenna on the roof? Are there any trees or buildings obstructing the signal path in the direction of Kansas City?

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by Tim

Are you looking to mainly get the Kansas City stations shown in green and yellow on your report in the 71 to 81 degree range? If so, all of those are UHF stations and you don't need the VHF coverage of the HD Stacker. Something like the Antennas Direct DB4e should be more than adequate but the expects on the forum will weigh in with some good suggestions for you.
Will you be mounting the antenna on the roof? Are there any trees or buildings obstructing the signal path in the direction of Kansas City?

Id like to catch some of the stations to the west of me If I could. I'm not sure I will need them or not but would like to keep my options open. There is no trees or buildings around me but those stations to the west there is a hill so its entirely possible not to be able to get those anyway. I plan on mounting the antenna on the outside eave on the north side of my home which would put it 25-30ft off the ground.

Thanks for your suggestion. I will take a look at the DB4e.

[ADTech]

The stacker is ill-suited for your location since the entire bottom half is useless for your purposes. Skip it.

You have a small TV station showing on your report on the hill just west of your house, KCKS-LD. Can you determine if it's on the air? Virtual channel 26, real channel 25.

A small UHF Yagi would be fine, no preamp needed as you should have plenty of signal.

[rabbit73]

rabbitears.info shows it on the air; it's the MiCasa Broadcast Network.
http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...&callsign=kcks

According to your tvfool report, the stations to the east are much stronger than the stations to the west.

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by ADTech

The stacker is ill-suited for your location since the entire bottom half is useless for your purposes. Skip it.

You have a small TV station showing on your report on the hill just west of your house, KCKS-LD. Can you determine if it's on the air? Virtual channel 26, real channel 25.

A small UHF Yagi would be fine, no preamp needed as you should have plenty of signal.

That's interesting. The tower is an old FM radio tower. There are various other business sub leasing off that tower now. I did not know there was a TV station transmitting off of it. Even if there was I sure cant think its that important.

Would I get any of the stations west of me? I guess I would have to point the antenna away from the stations east of to try and pick those up I'm guessing?

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look for a UHF antenna.

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by rabbit73

rabbitears.info shows it on the air; it's the MiCasa Broadcast Network.
http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...&callsign=kcks

I dont even know what that station is. Guess a little more research on that.

Sorry I had my east, west mixed up. Yes the stations to the east are the strongest.

[ADTech]

Even if there was I sure cant think its that important.

It's only important if it's actually on the air.

Try a paper clip as an antenna and run a channel scan. If the station is on the air, a piece of wire should get it.

[Blktre]

Would the 91XG or the Winguard HD9032 or 95 be to much for what I need?

[Tim]

Before an antenna recommendation, I think it is important to answer ADTech's question about the close by station on channel 25. If it is on the air and as strong as your report shows it would affect the recommendations that are made. See if you can receive that station at all on a short wire or something.

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by Tim

Before an antenna recommendation, I think it is important to answer ADTech's question about the close by station on channel 25. If it is on the air and as strong as your report shows it would affect the recommendations that are made. See if you can receive that station at all on a short wire or something.

Did the paperclip trick. I'm NOT receiving the close station channel 25 on the hill behind me. I am however shocked to get over 30 channels with the paperclip though. Including virtual channels 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, and 9.1. I didn't think channels listed below channels 16 I could get. I might be confusing regular channels and virtual. So it sounds like I'm glad that channel 25 I cannot get.

I appreciate the comments so far. I'm guessing with a better antenna I can receive more channels. What I need to do is write down all the channels Im getting with the paperclip and compare them to my report.

[Tim]

Originally Posted by Blktre

Did the paperclip trick. I'm NOT receiving the close station channel 25 on the hill behind me. I am however shocked to get over 30 channels with the paperclip though. Including virtual channels 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, and 9.1. I didn't think channels listed below channels 16 I could get. I might be confusing regular channels and virtual. So it sounds like I'm glad that channel 25 I cannot get.

I appreciate the comments so far. I'm guessing with a better antenna I can receive more channels. What I need to do is write down all the channels Im getting with the paperclip and compare them to my report.

The 'real' channel 25 near you would show up on your TV set as virtual channel 26.1 or 26.2.

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by Tim

The 'real' channel 25 near you would show up on your TV set as virtual channel 26.1 or 26.2.

Nope. I'm not receiving it.

[Blktre]

Using the paperclip I'm getting channels 4.1, 4.2 (WDAF FOX) 5.1 (KCTV) 9.1 and 9.2 (KMBC). That tells me those are airing on VHF low and Hi bands. So a VHF/UHF antenna is what I would need in my mind such as the Stacker.

My TVFool report is also different compared to my paperclip. I understand the report is a guesstimate. Maybe I'm still confused about the UHF vs VHF bands. I thought UHF started at channel 16 while anything below was VHF.

Comments?

Thanks again.

[ADTech]

4.1, 4.2 (WDAF FOX) 5.1 (KCTV) 9.1 and 9.2 (KMBC). That tells me those are airing on VHF low and Hi bands.

No, it doesn't. They are all (now) UHF channels, see below. Originally, they were VHF channels during their analog period.

Maybe I'm still confused about the UHF vs VHF bands.

Yes, you are.

I thought UHF started at channel 16 while anything below was VHF.

Close, but not quite.

Look in the column under the word 'Real'. That is the channel that the signal is actually being broadcast on. Look under the column labeled "(Virtual)". That is the channel that is displayed on the TV screen and corresponds to the stations original analog channel designation. Most stations broadcast on real channels that are different from the virtual channel. Some are the same. Most of the Kansas city stations have different real and virtual channels. A greater number of the Topeka stations remained on their old analog assignment and have the same real and virtual channels.

Antenna selection is governed by the real channel; the virtual or displayed channel is pretty much ignored when selecting an antenna.


Bands (real channels):

Low-VHF - 2-6
High-VHF - 7-13
UHF - 14-51 (52-69 were sold off to the wireless companies and are no longer used for TV broadcasting)

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by ADTech

No, it doesn't. They are all (now) UHF channels, see below. Originally, they were VHF channels during their analog period.



Yes, you are.



Close, but not quite.

Look in the column under the word 'Real'. That is the channel that the signal is actually being broadcast on. Look under the column labeled "(Virtual)". That is the channel that is displayed on the TV screen and corresponds to the stations original analog channel designation. Most stations broadcast on real channels that are different from the virtual channel. Some are the same. Most of the Kansas city stations have different real and virtual channels. A greater number of the Topeka stations remained on their old analog assignment and have the same real and virtual channels.

Antenna selection is governed by the real channel; the virtual or displayed channel is pretty much ignored when selecting an antenna.


Bands (real channels):

Low-VHF - 2-6
High-VHF - 7-13
UHF - 14-51 (52-69 were sold off to the wireless companies and are no longer used for TV broadcasting)

Thanks for the clarification.

So it looks like you carry the 43XG and the 91XG. Will one of these be a good choice for me? Or the DB4e?

[ADTech]

As long as you have a good line of sight back towards KC, any of our UHF antennas, from the smallest to the largest, should work just fine. No need to over think this.

I tend to prefer a narrow beamwidth antenna whenever the situation allows it. That helps keep the rate of multipath minimized. Antennas of ours in that category would be the SR15 or 42XG (if you can still find either, perhaps ebay or Amazon), 43XG, 91XG, ClearStream 4, DB8, or DB8e. The ClearStream 4 is available at most Best Buy stores if you want something same day. Otherwise, the rest may be ordered.

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by ADTech

As long as you have a good line of sight back towards KC, any of our UHF antennas, from the smallest to the largest, should work just fine. No need to over think this.

I tend to prefer a narrow beamwidth antenna whenever the situation allows it. That helps keep the rate of multipath minimized. Antennas of ours in that category would be the SR15 or 42XG (if you can still find either, perhaps ebay or Amazon), 43XG, 91XG, ClearStream 4, DB8, or DB8e. The ClearStream 4 is available at most Best Buy stores if you want something same day. Otherwise, the rest may be ordered.

Very well. I will purchase one of your antennas due to the simple fact of all your advice here.

Cheers!

[stvcmty]

The two groups of channels you want are nearly 180 degrees apart, and most of the stations to the east are fairly strong. Three of the west stations are VHF. This looks like there are two ways to go about it:
1. Point a UHF antenna east. Point a VHF antenna east. Combine them with a UVSJ (UHF VHF splitter joiner).
2. Point a moderate to low UHF gain, low gain VHF antenna east, the low VHF gain will mean it will get some of the west VHF stations off the back. (Or try pointing it west, most of the east UHF’s should come in fine off the back).

[Blktre]

Originally Posted by stvcmty

The two groups of channels you want are nearly 180 degrees apart, and most of the stations to the east are fairly strong. Three of the west stations are VHF. This looks like there are two ways to go about it:
1. Point a UHF antenna east. Point a VHF antenna east. Combine them with a UVSJ (UHF VHF splitter joiner).
2. Point a moderate to low UHF gain, low gain VHF antenna east, the low VHF gain will mean it will get some of the west VHF stations off the back. (Or try pointing it west, most of the east UHF’s should come in fine off the back).

Ive read that some of the Hi VHF signals can be caught off the back of some 8 bay UHF antenna's. So I was thinking maybe the DB8 could do this for me on those Hi VHF channels to the west. My problem is I have a hill behind my house so getting any of those Hi VHF channels to the west would be a gamble. Im just not sure.

I think to get me started ignoring the stations to the west for now and then later when money free's up going with a VHF and splitter as your #1 point. I might even try pointing a UHF antenna west and see if anything pops up. So Im really on the fence about the DB8 or 91XG.