Antennas Direct 91XG

jp2code · 5-Apr-2011, 12:22 AM

Antennas Direct makes an optional extender for about $45 you can get to increase the gain. From the pictures, this extender simply looks like another section of the 91XG antenna.

No static at all has one of these.

Is it?

The reason I ask is, I have a damaged 91XG antenna with lots of good working parts. Could I just connect one of the "still good" spines to a functional antenna to boost it's gain?

I hate throwing out something that I could get some use out of.

No static at all · 5-Apr-2011, 2:00 AM

Yes, the optional extender is just an extra middle section. If you have an older 91-XG, the color may be different(silver vs gold) but it will still work. The extra section won't make a huge difference, but should improve reliability with stations that are right at the digital cliff.

Correct placement of the mounting cradle is crucial when used in areas subject to heavy snow or ice. The rear of the antenna tends to sag much more easily than the front section.

jp2code · 5-Apr-2011, 2:51 PM

Thanks for the help!

ADTech · 5-Apr-2011, 3:18 PM

We do offer the center section as an option, but it's only $25 plus shipping. It is necessary to call the office to order it.

I had to add an extra center section to my 91XG at my own house. I happen to be situated on the back side of a hill about 20 miles outside St Louis. The addition of the extra section was enough to improve the reliability of my flea-powered PBS station.

If you need parts to repair your damaged antenna, I can likely scare up the needed parts and send them to you. Let me know.

jp2code · 5-Apr-2011, 3:41 PM

Don't tell my wife - the 91XG really isn't that bad. A tree limb fell on it, bent one of the mounting brackets, causing a third of the antenna popped off. I was able to bend the bracket back, and now the whole thing is back up in the air.

$25? I guess my hazy memory has distorted the number somewhat. Funny how that happens.

A guy on the AVS Forum posted >> THIS LINK << to a motorized tilt. I don't care about the motorized tilt, but the stacked antenna configuration, I've read, is supposed to be really good at reducing multipath issues. Could the 91XG do something like this?

chumster · 6-Apr-2011, 1:00 AM

How much gain can be expected with the extender? My PBS channel has a NM -11.7 and I cant get it unless the leaves are on the trees. I have my 91xg on a rotor with a CM UHF pre-amp. Could the extender help? Thanks for the info I had no idea about the extender.

jp2code · 8-Apr-2011, 4:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumster

How much gain can be expected with the extender? My PBS channel has a NM -11.7 and I cant get it unless the leaves are on the trees. I have my 91xg on a rotor with a CM UHF pre-amp. Could the extender help? Thanks for the info I had no idea about the extender.

3 days and nothing from ADTech.

Maybe that's his way of saying there is "no noticeable gain" without getting him into trouble at work.

???

ADTech · 8-Apr-2011, 6:10 PM

Nope, just didn't notice the question...

We haven't modeled or formally tested the performance of the 91XG when the additional section is added (and we have no plans to do so...), so anything I have to report will be anecdotal.

When I asked our design engineer about it a while back, he kind of shrugged and muttered something about "a little bit" and then something about "diminishing returns". When pressed, he speculated "maybe up to a dB or so with a bit narrower beam width". He was preoccupied with other critical projects and I never followed up on it with him.

We've had a few customers who have reported slightly better reception with the additional section. I consider myself in this category even though I didn't measure the before and after signal levels when I did my modification. For a while last year, we had a group of guys down around Kentucky Lake who were adding center sections like crazy to dual antennas with motorize tilt controls. I haven't heard from them since.

As always with experiments, YMMV.

jp2code · 8-Apr-2011, 7:02 PM

@ADTech: Could you ask one of those engineers if Stacked Systems still reduce reflection issues from trees and such in our new Digital world?

All articles I've read on Stacked Systems are old and for Analog signals. I have no reason to assume a Digital signal would act similarly.

Are special antennas needed for this, or would my existing 91XG and another 91XG work?