Choice of antenna and amplifier

[DenMike99]

Hello.
Thanks for giving me access to this forum!

As many of you guys have done, I have cut the cord as well.
We have subscribed to Sling and have Amazon Prime, but I still miss local channels.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e6a422d53eb66a

I hope I will be able to receive a good signal from the whole group of towers at 329, 330 and 331 degrees. I believe they all are UHF except for NBC which I also would like to get even though I don't really want two antennas.

I'm in a typical Florida residential area with my house surrounded by tall pine trees on neighbor lots and mostly 1 story buildings in the area. Main part of the distance between me and the towers is flat swamp land.



I would prefer to have the antenna in the attic, but I will hang it outside if needed.

I have spent a lot of time reading and looking at antennas, but there are so many out there so it can be quite confusing with all the info and reviews.

There is a few antennas I have noticed keep popping up:

Stellar Labs 30-2430 (looks like a lot of value for the money)
DB8E
ClearStream 4

although I'm not even sure these are the type of antennas best for my situation.

Also, what kind of amplifier will I need?

Hope you guys can help me out and give me your suggestions.

Thanks
Mike

[ADTech]

Since WESH is on VHF, you need an antenna that includes reliable, predictable VHF reception. All three of the antennas you cited are UHF antenna designs.

Since you don't want two antennas, that leaves a medium-large combo antenna as the most logical choice.

[rabbit73]

Welcome to the forum, Mike

It is the real channel number that determines what antenna is needed.

VHF-Low, real channels 2-6
VHF-High, real channels 7-13
UHF, real channels 14-51

The virtual channel number (like 5.1) is a holdover from the analog TV days to maintain the identity of the station, and is what the TV displays.

One VHF-High/UHF combo antenna to consider is the Winegard HD7694P.
http://www.winegard.com/kbase/uploads/HD7694P.pdf

It would be suitable outside, but the signal loss from the trees and the attic location is difficult to predict. I suggest you try it in the attic in a temporary setup before drilling any holes. If the signals are too weak, try adding a preamp like the Antennas Direct Juice, which has an LTE filter.

The next model up is the Winegard HD7698P. It is much larger because Winegard discontinued several models in between.

Do you have an aluminum foil thermal barrier in your roof?

Do you have solar panels?

[DenMike99]

Thank you for the information.
No, I do not have any aluminum foil on my roof.
It's just strand board, tar paper and asphalt shingles.

What is the difference on the type of Winegard antennas you suggested and the flat types I mentioned in my first post like the DB8E? Assuming I find a flat one with UHF/VHF, are any of the two types better or worse for my situation?

[ADTech]

The antennas you chose are all UHF designs, they will not be expected to receive WESH. If you go that route, you'd need to add a second antenna just for WESH, one like our ClearStream 5. It can certainly be done, we've done it that way for years. The C5 is a compact antenna but the alternative, performance-wise, would be the traditional stick-style antenna that is long. These are the constraints that the physics of the VHF operating channel place on the size of the VHF antenna.

[JoeAZ]

Greetings,

First, I'd survey what other people in your area are using for
antennas. What direction are they pointing? You can do that
on your daily errands and driving routine.

Second, If your television does not have a signal meter, beg or
borrow another set from someone that does. You can purchase
a stand alone meter from Winegard, which is intended for their
amplified antennas but can be easily modified for your situation.
Without a signal meter, you have no idea how much signal you
are actually receiving. Are you "marginal" on many channels,
which means you're likely to lose them during storms or do you
have a good, strong, reliable signal? If you intend to cut the cord,
forget about the attic.... indoor or attic antennas are rarely
reliable. A "J" pole mount, similar to the ones used by Dish and
Directv work well and are inexpensive.

Third, You have a large group of stations near Orlando and several
others placed throughout the area. No single antenna is capable
of receiving all of them well, if at all. You may have no option but
to install two antennas and use two separate downleads and an
A/B switch. Forget about amplifiers and preamps and the like
until you've ascertained that you absolutely need one. Keep your
antennas separated by at least 5 feet and away from trees, metal
and wires.

Finally, consider your weather. Very large, long antennas won't
last in hurricane conditions. UHF only antennas won't help with
NBC, WESH. I'd suggest the Winegards 7694p pointing toward
Orlando's main antenna farm and possibly a 2 or 4 bay UHF only
antenna pointing in a southerly direction towards Port St. Lucie.