Interested in cutting the cord

[mjessup]

Hi I have a total budget of 1.5k and I want to get around 5 tv's connected to a antenna in the attic I'm a noob at this and was wondering if anyone could give me any recommendations I want to have as many channels as possible below is my TV Signal Analysis Results


http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...dfaf50bd2c213a

[Jake V]

These questions are best asked in the "Help with Reception" forum.

My first question is about your attic. What type of roofing and siding materials do you have? Sometimes houses are wrapped in material which includes metal or metal foil. That blocks reception. As does stucco and aluminum siding. And some roofing materials. If this is the case you may need to put the antenna on the roof.

Your signals are strong. I would start off with an Antennas Direct Clearstream C2V. Aim it at about 185 degrees using a compass. Attics are not alwasy friendly places for television reception. You may need to try several places, so I would run a line from the antenna to a small television that you take up there as you try to find the best place. Sometimes a few inches up, down, left or right, makes all the difference. Generally speaking, for you I'd recommend something with a good view to the south.

You have several channels to your northeast. My Network TV an a second PBS. It is very possible that you might receive those channels off the back of the antenna. However, you my need to remove the reflector (you can drill out the rivets and reattach them with screws if necessary).

Do you have a standard 'rabbit ears with loop' antenna handy? Just to see where you are at I'd take it up to the attic with a little TV and aim the loop part south and auto-program to see what you get. It would be useful for planning.

As far as amplification, that depends on how far your cable runs are. Think through your cable runs. How far from the antenna to each of the five televisions? Are you planning to run five individual cables from the attic (one direct to each television)? Or are you planning to run a single length to the other side of the house and then split it closer to the televisions?

[Tower Guy]

I would not use any amplification. It will hurt reception, not help it. You are too close to the towers. You may split multiple times and still have sufficient signal strength.

[WIRELESS ENGINEER]

Because you are so close to the stations and you could get stations from both the south and the north east directions I would use 2 clear stream C2V antennas with a combiner

One aimed south and one aimed north east

You should have enough signal that you won't need any preamp or distribution amp

[wizwor]

Welcome to the club, OP. You have a very favorable TVFool Report. I don't think your goal should be to receive 'as many channels as possible' -- it doesn't make sense spending money receiving channels you won't watch.

When I look at the first block of channels, most are uhf and the rest are vhf high, so no need to worry about vhf low which means a smaller antenna for your attic and a lot less money out of your wallet.

All of these channels are between 174 and 192 degrees except wndy, wecy, and wipb, so I would want to see if these are channels of interest...

wndy 32 @ 46 MyNetwork, Bounce, Wish TV
wecy 35 @ 73 off the air according to rabbitears.info
wipb 23 @ 78 PBS, Create, Weather Radar

If MyNetwork, Bounce, PBS, and Create air elsewhere, you may be able to ignore these.

Next question is whether you need a VHF antenna. WTHR, WISH, and WITH are the only VHF stations in that block. WLFI is a CBS affiliate just outside the block, but it is two edge.

WTHR 13 @ 176 NBC, Cozi TV, MeTV
xxxxx WISH-DT 9 @ 191 CW, GetTV, Justice Network
WITH 8 @ 191 'About, by, and for people with disabilities' is all I can find

WDNI-CD 19 @ 153 Telemundo

Let's look at the UHF stations between 174 and 192...

WRTV 25 @ 190 ABC, Grit, Laff, Escape
WHMB 20 @ 192 WHMB, World Harvest Television, All Sports
WXIN 45 @ 189 Fox, Antenna, ThisTV
WTTK 29 @ 189 CBS, Indy's 4, Comet
WFYI 21 @ 190 PBS, V-Me (spanish), Create
WALV-CD 46 @ 176 MeTV
WDTI 44 @ 192 Daystar
WIPX 34 @ 192 Ion Television, Qubo, Ion Life, Ion Shop, QVC, HSN
WISH-TV 17 @ 191 CW, GetTV, Justice Network
WUDZ 28 @ 192 Buzzr, The Country Network, Sonlife, Liquidation Channel, QVC, QVC+
WTTV 48 @ 177 CBS, Indiania's 4.2, Comet
WCLJ 42 @ 177 TBN, Hillsong Channel, JUCE, Enlace, TBN Salsa
WIPX 27 @ 177 Ion Television, Qubo, Ion Life, Ion Shop, QVC, HSN

All Sports, Antenna TV, ABC, Buzzr, CBS, Comet, CW, Daystar, Enlace, Escape, Fox, GetTV, Grit, Hillsong Channel, HSN, Indy's 4, Indy's 4.2, Ion Life, Ion Shop, Ion TV, JUCE, Justice Network, Laff, Liquidation Channel, MeTV, Qubo, QVC, QVC+, Sonlife, TBN, The Country Network, ThisTV, WHMB, World Harvest Television

Now, let's talk about your attic. It would be great is a peak pointed south-southeast and your siding was vinyl or wood and your attic was not insulated or had insulation without a foil backing. It would be great if you did not have a metal roof. Let's assume these things, for now.

I would get a DB8, not install the reflectors, and point it towards 190. I would guess you could pull in WTHR from the back which would add NBC, Cozi, and MeTV.

Post a followup to this if you want to talk about your attic, how many televisions you need to support, etc.