Antenna Suggestions Needed

[Stump]

The old antenna is bent and broken and has not been used in a long time. I would like to receive the OTA channels if possible. Cable or Satellite is out of the question. I am baffled by the choices of antenna and need some recommendations.

Here is my Site Survey:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...2df98f37f40dff

The house is in the country. My closest broadcast tower is about 47 miles, and some others are farther. I'm going to mount it on a pole on the side of the house, although probably not quite 25 feet high.

Thanks.

[GroundUrMast]

A single combination antenna may work. My preference would be two separate antennas, one UHF and a High-VHF.

For UHF, the Antennas Direct DB4e stands out. It has both gain and broad forward beam-width. Both factors are helpful in your situation. The Antennacraft Y10713 and Winegard YA1713 are very similar, either would be appropriate for High-VHF.

By using two antennas, you'll have the ability to fine tune the aim of each, which improves your chances at reliable reception of more stations. For UHF I would suggest a starting aim point of about 215°, for H-VHF about 220°. Adjust each to maximize reception reliability. (Of course, the UHF aim will affect real CH 14 and higher. When adjusting the H-VHF antenna aim you'll be optimizing real CH-8, 10 & 12.)

An UVSJ will be needed to combine the two antenna outputs into a single down-lead. An Antennas Direct PA-18 or CPA-19 would be my choice for a preamp.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846
http://www.amazon.com/AntennaCraft-1...eywords=Y10713
http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direc...f+vhf+combiner
http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-YA-17...eywords=YA1713
http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direc...keywords=PA-18
http://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direc...eywords=CPA-19

A single combo antenna such as the Winegard HD7696P would be an alternative to the dual antenna system.

A Simple reception situation.

A 1 antenna solution.

The magnetic compass spread of receivable Digital Tv stations/channels without repeating any Tv stations channels of the group of Tv stations to the south west is 29 degrees.

The forward beam width of a Winegard HD7696P antenna is from 48 degree to 63 degree.
That more then covers the 29 degree spread of the group of Tv stations to the south west.

The signal gain of the HD7696P antenna is more then what is required for reception.
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Above The Roof install a Winegard HD7696P antenna with a Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamp.

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter.

For 2 Tv's connected use a , HFS-2D , 2 way splitter.

For 3 Tv's connected use a , HFS-3D , 3 way splitter.

Aim the antenna at about 220 degree magnetic compass direction.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

As always the starting aim direction is the -> starting aim direction.

I fully confident that the antenna will receive the Tv stations with the antenna aimed at about aimed at 220 degree magnetic compass , if some fine tuning of the aim of the antenna is required then turn the antenna left and right to find the aim direction for best reception.

Looking at the Digital Tv stations/channels list , I see that the Digital Tv stations channels from the top of the list down to and including KSMI-LP to be received.
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Here are some Above The Roof antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.

Here are some places the buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.amazon.com.
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As always , trees and tree leaves do a real fine job of reducing or reflecting or blocking Tv reception and so do buildings and other obstructions.

It is best the install the antenna at a location that has the least amount to no amount of obstructions of any type or kind in the direction of reception.

The Tv/s Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , sometimes named the 'Air Channel' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv setup menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels.

[Stump]

Great Advice!

Is there a recommended cable to run through the house to the TV?

[GroundUrMast]

Simply look for RG-6 or RG-6U. I've never had trouble with the cable offered at local home centers. This type of cable has a foil shield with a braided wire shield directly over that, therefor it's sometimes called double shielded. The home centers stock preassembled cables in various lengths up to 100'. Most sell the bulk cable by the foot and 500' or 1000' roll. They also stock connectors and tools.

RG-6Q will work as well. It has four layers of shielding which is needed in applications such as satellite systems between the LNB/LNA at the dish, and the receiver. For OTA TV reception, the extra expense of quad shielding buys you nothing in terms of improved signal quality. There are a few cases where RG-6Q is worth the expense; If you are sending power to a rotator via the coax, and if you are powering a preamp over an exceptionally long run (over 100'). The extra shielding gives the cable lower DC resistance compared to dual shield cable. If you are installing connectors on RG-6Q cable, be sure the connector is designed for that type cable.

If the house was wired for TV by the cable company or a satellite provider and the cable is not damaged, reuse it. Be very suspicious of cable that has been outside, if water has been allowed to get inside the cable, it needs to be replaced. If you find RG-59 type cable that has factory installed connectors already in place and it appears to be free of damage, it can also be used... but it would be high on my list of suspects if you have trouble with signal quality.

[Stump]

Last year I got help with the above setup. I have installed the antenna. I did not install the pre-amp, thinking I would wait until this fall. Now I'm ready to install the pre-amp, and it seems the CPA19 is discontinued.
Is there another recommendation for pre-amp for my situation?
Thanks

Install a Winegard , LNA-200 'Boost' XT preamplifier.

www.solidsignal.com

www.amazon.com

www.winegarddirect.com

[GroundUrMast]

I'm confident the RCA TVPRAMP1R beats the Winegard on both performance and price.

[Stump]

Would you take the RCA TVPRAMP1R over the Antennas Direct PA-18?

Winegard is confident in the New LNA-200 'Boost' XT preamplifier.

Winegard has replaced 8 industry standerd preamplifiers that have been industry standards for a long time , with 1 preamplifier the LNA-200 'Boost' XT preamplifier.

[GroundUrMast]

Would you take the RCA TVPRAMP1R over the Antennas Direct PA-18?

In many cases, my answer would be an unqualified, 'yes'. The PA-18 is not an ideal choice when there is one or more strong signals present. In a case such as yours, where all signal levels are moderate to low, the PA-18 is a very good option. While limited to weak signal applications, the PA-18 has a remarkably good noise figure and if used for a single antenna application, may slightly outperform the RCA. It's price point is roughly the same as the LNA-200.

The RCA preamp has proven to have remarkable tolerance to strong signals, a decent noise figure in practice and a very attractive price. The RCA is a surprisingly good 'one-size-fits-all' preamplifier.

While I'm sure teleview is sincere in their preference for the Winegard LNA amplifiers, my experience and the experience shared by others prevents me from sharing that conclusion. This is one case where their self-promoting claim, "The Best Recommendation for the Best Reception." seems to be in doubt.



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