Help with reception

drjay9051 · 8-Jan-2011, 1:58 PM

Here is my TV Fool plot:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...3cf484d64f350b
I have a couple of questions: My antenna is an antennacraft HBU 55. It is mounted on a pole about 20 feet AGL. No amplifier or rotator.It runs to one TV just below its mounting locatiuon (about 25-30 feet of cable). I have it pointed at 355 degrees. I have tried pointing in various directions and this seems to be the best. I do pick up 5.11, 51.1, 20.1, 9.1 and 28.1 quite well. Depending on time of day I may get 10.1 and/or 12.1. Any thoughts on how to pick up more stations without getting other antenna or adding equipment. Actually I have tried pointing due east and I get same stations. This is new to me so of course the big question is am I pointing the front of the antenna. There are two elements that are oriented vertically to form a V shape I have the open end of this V pointed in the northerly direction. Is this correct??

Tall tree line (40 feet about 100 yards due north. Area to Ne and E is wide open

According to TV Fool maps I should be able to get "red" stations with a roof mounted antenna but I am limited.

Lastly, the TV Fool plot gives a different coordinate than my GPS.. My GPS places me about 10 miles south of the TVFool location. My GPS reads
29.18494 -82.31431 at my location. Any help is appreciated.

Tower Guy · 8-Jan-2011, 2:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjay9051

Any thoughts on how to pick up more stations without getting other antenna or adding equipment. .

Nope.

The antenna that you have is very directional. The UHF stations vary more than the beamwidth of the HBU-55 and the VHF stations are in a vastly different direction.

You would have been better off with a 4 bay UHF and a 10 element yagi for VHF.

To figure out the proper report for your location, go here: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=90 and move the pushpin until it is sitting on top of your house.

drjay9051 · 8-Jan-2011, 2:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tower Guy

Nope.

The antenna that you have is very directional. The UHF stations vary more than the beamwidth of the HBU-55 and the VHF stations are in a vastly different direction.

You would have been better off with a 4 bay UHF and a 10 element yagi for VHF.

To figure out the proper report for your location, go here: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=90 and move the pushpin until it is sitting on top of your house.

What if I replace my antenna with a 4 bay or 8 bay UHF?? Are you suggesting I will receive more channels? What will I miss as far as VHF? Any reason I cannot add a 4 or 8 bay to my current antenna?? How do I acomplish this??

Thank you

Tigerbangs · 8-Jan-2011, 4:11 PM

While Tower Guy may be right about using 2 antenna, since you already own the HBU-55, we should probably work with that. Since it is a very large, directional antenna, I suggest that you consider adding a rotator to the antenna, which will allow you to turn the antenna towards the various transmitters. Additional antenna height might also help, as well, but the rotator will allow you to use your existing antenna much more successfully.

I know Tower Guy's disdain for rotators, and I understand why he feels that way, but in a situation such as yours, I believe that using a rotator is warranted. Decent rotators include the Channel Master 9521a and the AntennaCraft TDP-2.