Looking for antenna advice

[mflanders300]

Hi, I am looking into putting up an antenna to receive OTA channels. I have tried several indoor antennas and have had 0 success. I live in a 1-1/2 story aluminum sided house with asphalt shingled roof. I would like to put an outdoor antenna in the second floor attic space if possible. I would be splitting to (2) televisions running coax to the upstairs bedroom (approx. 15'-20' of cable from antenna) and down to the living room television (approx. 15' of cable from antenna).The roof is quite steep and I am not comfortable climbing up there nor do I have a ladder long enough to get me on the roof. The house is surrounded by a lot of large oak trees. Here is a link to my tvfool report:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c6970256d1b7

I recently purchased the following antenna and preamplifier as was able to get a few stations (WCMU 14.1, WXMI 17.1, WOTV 41.1, WLLA 64.1, WZPX 43.1) to come in. I just hooked everything up to the upstairs bedroom television and pointed the antenna at 210 degrees to test it. The signal was only at 25-30% strength though so not really a reliable solution. I bought this antenna figuring it probably wouldn't work but it was the best I could find that I could purchase locally and return if it didn't work.

Antenna: http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/antennas/?sku=ANT751R

Preamp: http://www.rcaaudiovideo.com/search/?ks=preamp

I am mainly interested in getting FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, and PBS. It looks like they are mostly coming from the same area, around 200-210 degrees. WZZM and WGVU would be nice but doesn't seem realistic unless I get a dedicated antenna for them since the towers are in different locations.

Does this seem like something that can be accomplished? Will it be reliable in the attic? I do live in Michigan so we get snow. I have called a couple companies that install antennas locally and they want approximately $500 to install an antenna on the roof, that is more than I want to spend. Someone on another forum recommended the following as an attic solution:

Antenna:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003EB03OK/...=IGZJCQCN5XWA8

Preamp:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039WTXK4/...I1G1NFFXE83AK3


Thanks for any advice and/or help!

[ADTech]

My usual opinion for a TVFool like that, 1) in an attic, 2) metal siding (unless the antenna can aim though a conventional roof deck) and 3) surrounded by large oak trees is that the odds of successful (reliable) reception are approaching zero whenever the trees are in leaf.

I've been there too many times to have high expectations. Trees and very weak UHF signals don't play well together.

[mflanders300]

The antenna would be aimed so that is points thru the roof material, it would be above the siding in the direction I would be aiming it. Does that make any difference?

Would you expect to get any better results if the antenna was on the roof? I am hesitant to spend several hundred dollars to have someone install it if the results will be spotty at best.

I also have a shed near the house that I could mount the antenna on myself but the shed roof is only about 8' high. I am completely new to the antenna world and know very little but it seems to me that height is very important and putting it on my shed roof wouldn't be very successful either.

[StephanieS]

Hello Mflanders,

Your reception plot requires you to mount outdoors either on the roof or tower. As ADtech gently put it, your hopes will be dashed by an attic antenna or roof mount through foliage.

If you really want to do over the air, getting above the trees is your only option with these weak signals. Anything else will just create frustration and lighter wallets.

You might want to create a TV fool plot at the elevation that gets above the trees. Then we can have a look and discuss from there.

As it stands, an attic install with these weak signals in a home surround by threes - don't bother easier to get the dish.

[mflanders300]

Here are some reports at different elevations.

25ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c6ec125d16a9

30ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c6bf82c8e5c4

35ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c67e89f08fc1

40ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c671f25e6457

45ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c67424d3e1bb

50ft: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e1c6c4b1ec5d87

[mflanders300]

Here are a couple photos to give some context.

This is my house. https://imageshack.com/i/ey45f128j

This is standing at the end of my driveway looking in the general direction of where an antenna would need to be aimed. It would need to aim between the blue house on the right of the photo and the white house to the left of it. https://imageshack.com/i/kmf85d5aj

This is a crude plan view, the circles are the trees shown in the first photo. https://imageshack.com/i/ip3eba6aj

[Tower Guy]

Your challenge is a combination of stations in multiple directions and weak signals. To get everything that you want you will need either a rotator or several antennas ganged together. In your case you could snag Jointennas for channels 11 and 13 from the Channelmaster store, get a Y5-7-13 antenna for WZZM (ABC) plus a Y10-7-13 for WGVU (PBS) and a large channel 7-51 antenna (HBU-55, HD7698P, etc) aimed in the 200 degree range. The preamp you have is perfect.

The antennas will need to be at least 6' apart on one long mast and one short mast and aimed away from each other.

[mflanders300]

Can someone help me determine what the minimum rooftop mounting height would need to be to achieve success? The peak of my roof is about 25' above grade. The lowest listed station I am hoping to get is WOTV (41.1). I think to start out I will go with one antenna pointed at 200 degrees, that will get me everything I want except WZZM and WGVU. If I can get WOTV than I won't need WZZM since both are ABC stations and I can live without WGVU. This will save me a little money and I can always add on later.

[StephanieS]

My perspective is the elevation most suited to success is one that gets you above the trees. These signal strengths are misleading with full foliage in the pathway. Think of trees as reflectors and ginsu knives. They are bouncing and gashing the signal before it even makes it to your antenna. The antenna can't receive signals that plainly aren't there or has been weakened so much by obstructions that it isn't decodable.

If I were installing at your location I would be looking hard at a 75 foot tower or taller.

Any attempt at 25' or in the attic has the potential to do nothing but frustrate you.

... Just calling it as a I see it.

+=>

Here are some antenna mounts.

http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html
Use the , ronard (4560) , eave antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com/909911.html.
Use the , ronard (911) , 5 foot tripod antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com.

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Home Depot has , 10 foot 6 inch , 1 and 3/8 inch diameter , TOP RAIL chain link fence PIPE that makes good antenna mast pipe. The price is low at about 12 dollars.

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Install a Antennas Direct , DB8e , UHF antenna . Current UHF Tv channels 14 thru 51.

http://www.amazon.com.

Aim 1 panel at about 150 degree magnetic compass direction.

Aim the other panel at about 200 degree magnetic compass direction.

---------

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

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Install a http://www.antennacraft.net.

Y10-7-13 VHF high band channels 7 thru 13 antenna , aimed at about , 213 degree magnetic compass direction.

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Install a http://www.antennacraft.net.

10G221 preamplifier.

Connect the DB8e UHF antenna to the UHF connection of the 10G221 preamp.

Connect the Y10-7-13 VHf high band antenna to the VHF connection of the 10G221 preamp.

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For 1 Tv connected use No splitter.

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

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

For 4 Tv's connected use a , Holland Electronics , HFS-4D , 4 way splitter.

Buy the , HFS-2D , HFS-3D , HFS-4D , splitters at .

http://www.hollandelectronics.com

or

http://www.amazon.com.

[mflanders300]

Thanks StephanieS, I am have zero knowledge or experience with antennas and just know that I have less than optimal conditions. I am just a guy hoping to watch a few Detroit Lions games and catch the local news. I am looking for input from people with more knowledge and experience in this area to help me determine if an antenna is a viable solution for me. My city has a 60' maximum structure ordinance and honestly I don't even want to mess with something of that magnitude. It looks like Hulu and Netflix it is....

[ADTech]

Which specific station are the Lions usually on? We might be able to focus on something specific, especially if on one of your VHF channels (VHF is less affected by foliage). Further, reception usually improves after the leaves fall, so you *might* have better odds for winter season viewing.

[mflanders300]

WXMI 17.1 airs most of the Lions games, occasionally they are on WWMT 3.1. Those are the 2 stations we would really like to get, WOOD 8.1 and either WZZM 13.1 or WOTV 41.1 (both ABC stations) would be nice but we would be happy with just WXMI and WWMT.