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Old 13-May-2015, 10:23 PM   #1
markfromct
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Opinions please

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...f1f020d031033d

Hello all,

What would you guys shoot for here. I have stations in three locations, Hartford, New Haven and Springfield. Would my best bet be to get a UHF antenna and aim west and hope to pick up WTNH in New Haven along with the Hartford stations?

Or should I get a VHF-UHF antenna and use a rotor to stations from all 3 locations?
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Old 14-May-2015, 12:24 AM   #2
rabbit73
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Welcome, Mark:

You have a lot of strong signals from Hartford (the first 5). As you have noticed, ABC is missing from that direction, but your first simple plan might not work because ABC is on real channel 10 which is a VHF channel. The UHF antenna wouldn't pick up ABC WTNH very well, especially since it is much weaker.

You might be able to use a VHF/UHF combo antenna with a wide beamwidth aimed between Hartford and New Haven, but favoring New Haven for ABC. The difference between ABC and NBC WVIT is about 31 degrees. The Winegard HD7694P has a beamwidth of about 39 degrees for channel 10.
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp... Antennas&sku=
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Last edited by rabbit73; 14-May-2015 at 12:58 AM.
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Old 14-May-2015, 12:57 AM   #3
markfromct
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Thanks for the reply. If I went the route of the Winegard HD7694P do you think it would be worth getting a rotor so I could pull in the Springfield stations? WWLP and WGGB
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Old 14-May-2015, 1:13 AM   #4
rabbit73
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That antenna would be suitable for those stations, if you aimed in that direction. But when you use a rotor, that's a more ambitious project.

You have to consider how many TVs you have. If you have more than one TV, who gets to decide on the antenna direction? Do you want to wait for the rotor to swing the antenna around? Do you want to repair a broken rotor in the middle of January? Is your TV able to add a channel after a scan (like my Sony) or will you need to rescan every time you change direction?

I kind of favor two antennas with an A/B switch to avoid the rotor.

Oh, and while I'm asking questions, are there any trees in the signal paths at your location, or will the antenna have a clear shot at the transmitters? I took a look at the satellite view of your estimated location and saw a lot of trees.
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Last edited by rabbit73; 14-May-2015 at 1:50 AM.
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Old 14-May-2015, 10:07 AM   #5
markfromct
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Yeah, there are trees around, not as bad as that satellite view appears though, since I removed some a couple years ago.
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Old 14-May-2015, 10:52 AM   #6
Jason l
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I like my manual rotor with an antenna that works for uhf and vhf. (manual) I can turn buy hand from an extending the mast down to base.
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Old 14-May-2015, 11:47 AM   #7
rabbit73
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Quote:
Yeah, there are trees around, not as bad as that satellite view appears though, since I removed some a couple years ago.
That sounds hopeful; trees really mess with UHF signals.
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/antennas/siting.html
scroll down to Trees and UHF

The coax should be grounded with a grounding block that is connected to the house electrical system ground with 10 gauge copper wire for electrical safety. For further compliance with the electrical code (NEC), the mast should also be grounded in a similar manner to drain any buildup of static charge, but the system will not survive a direct strike.

Please let us know how it works out for you on this same thread.
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Last edited by rabbit73; 14-May-2015 at 11:49 AM.
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Old 14-May-2015, 11:53 AM   #8
rabbit73
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Quote:
I like my manual rotor with an antenna that works for uhf and vhf. (manual) I can turn buy hand from an extending the mast down to base.
That can work if you don't need to change direction very often. We call that an "arm-strong" rotor.
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Old 14-May-2015, 12:52 PM   #9
markfromct
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Do you think I am better off shooting for the ABC station in Springfield(WGGB) or the ABC station in New Haven(WTNH)?
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Old 14-May-2015, 2:27 PM   #10
rabbit73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markfromct View Post
Do you think I am better off shooting for the ABC station in Springfield(WGGB) or the ABC station in New Haven(WTNH)?
ABC WGGB from Springfield is a UHF station on real UHF channel 40. You would be trying to combine it, using a splitter in reverse, with the UHF channels from Hartford. This is not easily done, because the same signals picked up from both UHF antennas might interfere with each other at the combining point if they are not in phase. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

I think you should try the HD7694P aimed between New Haven and Hartford as suggested, to pick up WTNH.

If that doesn't work, try the 7694 aimed directly at WTNH, and add an RCA ANT751 with a UVSJ (UHF-VHF Separator-Joiner, AKA UHF-VHF diplexer) to pick up the UHF channels from Hartford. The 7694 connects to the VHF port and the 751 connects to the UHF port. The UVSJ, which looks like a splitter, is a low-loss device that contains a low-pass filter for VHF and a high-pass filter for UHF.
http://www.hollandelectronics.com/ca...-Diplexers.pdf

If that doesn't work, come back to this thread and let us know. I will probably suggest the RCA ANT751 aimed at Hartford connected to the antenna input of the TV, and a second 751 aimed at Springfield for WGGB, connected to a separate tuner. The A/V output of the tuner would go to the A/V input of the TV. You would switch antennas by using the TV input switch. If you want WGGB ABC and WWLP NBC from Springfield, use the 7694 for that direction, instead of the 751.

Disclaimer: I can't guarantee that my suggestions will work, but they are my best guess based on the information you have given. I'm still worried about the trees, I don't know how many TVs you have, and I don't know how long the coax downlead from the antenna will be.

I am fairly certain you don't need a preamp.
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Last edited by rabbit73; 14-May-2015 at 5:36 PM.
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Old 15-May-2015, 12:19 AM   #11
Tower Guy
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My suggestion would be a UHF only aimed at 260 degrees coupled to a VHF aimed at WTNH. The UHF could be a C2 or a 4 bay bow tie. The VHF could be a Y5-7-13 or the VHF section of an ANT-751. Couple the two antennas with a UVSJ. This is best for multiple TV sets and casual viewing. You could use the HD7694p and a rotator for your more experimental TV set-up.
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Old 15-May-2015, 1:53 PM   #12
markfromct
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Thanks for all the suggestions,lots of different options. I am tempted to go with the 7694P with a rotator since WWLP in Springfield carries the Patriots pre-season games.
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