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Old 6-Dec-2012, 5:20 PM   #1
Russ53
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Antenna Rec.

Daughter has rental home with rabbit ears but no other antenna. She has about 50 ft. of coax run from old living room tube TV + digital converter to splitter under eaves. I want to install a (preferrably cheap!) fixed-position antenna on the existing mast at the end of the house and about 25 ft of coax to reach the splitter. I figure there's going to be some substantial degradation of the signal between splitter and TV. There are some thick pine trees in the shooting gallery too. Here's my TV fool plot:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...cc4913e85b2f99

Really don't want to mess with a rotor or amplifier. Would like to get Chico market at 318-320 deg. mag. (she gets some now w/rabbit ears) and KNVN-DT 24 at 307 deg. mag. Wouldn't mind getting the more distant KRCR 7 (at 301 deg. mag.) too but not sure about getting a monster UHF/VHF antenna that costs more and might give me problems with a wet snowfall. So was thinking about the Winegard HD-9032, which is cheap and seems powerful enough for those stations (hmm... may be not so sturdy either in the snow?) but wouldn't give me 7.

Tech at Solid Signal recommends pricier Clearstream 4. The SS website indicates gain for high VHF on this antenna but not sure how much. Not sure about the reasons for this rec.

Any/all comments and advice greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Old 6-Dec-2012, 6:00 PM   #2
GroundUrMast
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If you want to avoid the use of an amplifier, use an antenna with more gain. Antenna gain beats amplifier gain every time because the antenna does not add noise and distortion, the amplifier does. For runs of 50 feet and less, to a single TV, an amplifier can only help if the tuner has a poor noise figure. On the other hand, if you are splitting the signal, your TVFR indicates the need for a preamplifier. (A left in splitter with unused ports should be removed, replaced with a barrel connector for a single TV or, a splitter with only enough output ports to feed the actual number of sets connected.)

If you have large amounts of freezing rain or sleet, I would have a minor concern. Here in the NW, wet snow is the only kind we seem to get. I've never had any trouble with wet snow, it sloughs off easily. Tree limbs are the worst hazard an antenna faces, IMO.

Having said that, I would opt for a Winegard HD7082P or the slightly larger 7084. My hope would be to get a lock on real CH-5, KRDN-LP. (If they finish building the digital low power facility)

Another option would be the narrower Winegard HD7696, 7697 or 7698. You would not expect to receive any of the signals on real CH-2 through CH-6 though.

In any case I would install an Antennas Direct CPA-19 preamp. An easy task. It will insure your ability to split the signal and use longer coax runs.
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Old 6-Dec-2012, 6:40 PM   #3
Russ53
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Thanks for your help. A few follow-up questions if you have the chance...

1.) Where can I look at gain numbers for those antennas you suggest?
2.) There's just one receiver so I'll replace that splitter w/ the barrel connector or maybe get some new coax for the whole run. Then if there are signal problems I can go with the pre-amp. Any pre-amp overload issues with the Chico stations?
3.) What problems did you see with the CS 4 or the Hd-9032 for my situation? Was it just problems with 7-13 VHF, or something else?

Thanks again.
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Old 6-Dec-2012, 6:48 PM   #4
teleview
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I recommend a Winegard HD7082P antenna installed above the roof in such a manner that the roof or house is not blocking reception to the , north west.

Aim the HD7082P antenna at about 300 degree magnetic compass direction.

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

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 to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com.
_____

For 1 Tv connected use no splitter. No amplifier.

----> How many Tv's will be connected?? <----

_________________

As always trees and tree leaves do a real fine job of reducing or blocking Tv reception and so do buildings and other obstructions including your own house.

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

The Tv/s Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , sometimes named the 'AirChannels' 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.
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Old 7-Dec-2012, 12:21 AM   #5
GroundUrMast
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ53 View Post
Thanks for your help. A few follow-up questions if you have the chance...

1.) Where can I look at gain numbers for those antennas you suggest?
2.) There's just one receiver so I'll replace that splitter w/ the barrel connector or maybe get some new coax for the whole run. Then if there are signal problems I can go with the pre-amp. Any pre-amp overload issues with the Chico stations?
3.) What problems did you see with the CS 4 or the Hd-9032 for my situation? Was it just problems with 7-13 VHF, or something else?

Thanks again.
Reputable manufactures will provide the gain specs through their website.
http://www.antennacraft.net/index.html
http://www.antennasdirect.com/
http://www.channelmaster.com/default.asp
http://www.winegarddirect.com/

Zero is the ideal number of splices.

The CPA-19 is intended for use in situations where strong signals may be present.

The C4 and HD-9032 lack intentional support of real channels 2 through 13. The C4 is a very good wide beam UHF antenna, with good gain (About 10 dBd, the published value is 12.2 dBi). If you want an even better 4-bay UHF antenna, the new DB4e has more gain and a lower price. The antennas we've suggested so far have comparable UHF performance as well as VHF capability.
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Old 7-Dec-2012, 6:48 AM   #6
Russ53
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Thanks for the responses and suggestions.

Had a look at the gain data I could find on the suggested antennas and a closer look at my TV Fool plot. I noticed that besides KRCR 7 there's also a weak KRCR 34 (also at 301 deg. magn.) that I might be able to reach instead. If so, then 34 and 24 (KNVR at 308 deg. magn.) would be the only distant, hard-to-reach transmitters, and all of my targets would be UHF. So I'm thinking maybe I should go with a UHF-only antenna with maximum gain for my two weak stations.

This helpful page (under "Net gain for UHF only") - if reliable - shows dBd figures of 12+ for low-range UHF (all my targets except local Chico 43 are between 18 and 34) with the Winegard PR-8800. The Winegard site shows similar numbers.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/antennas/comparing.html

The PR 8800 seems to be the top performer for this range; the "new" CM 4228-HD in the next chart down seems comparable. The DB-8 is close behind. The DB-4 and the 7698P both seem a bit weaker in this range.

My questions - if you still don't mind helping me sort this out:

Since the the PR 8800 (or maybe the 4228) seem to have more surface area than other UHF-only choices, will they help "capture" the signal better?

Do they provide the best chance to snag the weaker 34 & 24? Or is there more to consider besides gain figures and design?

Will the fact that these two are 7 degrees apart be a big deal for a fixed-antenna situation? (I don't quite get how to consider the beamwidth numbers.)

Again, thanks very much for any help you can provide. My small non-tech brain is about fried over this right now.
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Old 7-Dec-2012, 7:57 AM   #7
teleview
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I am leaning more toward receiving KRCR 7 VHF high band.

However , Yes give PR8800 or CM4228HD a try.

If KRCR 34 is not received , can add a VHF channels antenna later.

If VHF antenna is add later then a Winegard HD5030 antenna for reception of , VHF low band channels 2 thru 6 / VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 , can connected to the UHF panel antenna later with a UVSJ.

Or for reception of the VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 can be added later , connected with a UVSJ.
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Old 7-Dec-2012, 8:12 AM   #8
GroundUrMast
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I own an HD-8800. I have yet to be impressed by it's performance in any of the applications I've tried it in.

I keep going back to long boom Yagis such as my 91XG, though I have a DB4e on it's way...
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