Maryland attic antenna help

[daveinmaryland]

Recently purchased new home. Want any help I can get with this install.

TVFOOL

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b946b9151e4d1

So, a bit about the home. Home was built in 2006, wired with structured cable with 2 quad shielded RG6. All the rooms are hooked up, and wired to a common patch panel on the first floor.

Home faces almost dead east, so, the north face of the attic is a wall, 2 x 4 studding, sheathing, vinyl siding. The attic is tall, however, has those modern trusses, with the "w" bracing, 24" on center. Because most of the stations in DC are at ~337, with the wall pretty much facing due north, I think antennas will go in and work just fine.

Plans are to hook up two devices, TV in the living room, home theater on the second floor. The antenna(s) will be connected to the knee wall jack in the rear of the home theater room (closest and easiest to access). At the patch panel, I will identify the cable to the antenna(s), to the home theater box (? help here), and to the living room cable. All other cables will be disconnected.

So, the help I would like, recommendations on antenna(s), amps, mounts, and the box (sorry, mind isn't coming up with a better word, for the home theater, I need the box to hook up to the RG6 from the antenna(s) to the receiver for the projector in the home theater).

The home is on a very flat piece of property, with very few trees for about a mile. The attic floor is about 22' off the lawn level.

Not sure what else I can offer up to help myself.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate the help. I just can't see paying the $185.00 to the cable company that I was at my last place.

[tomfoolery]

Just for fun, I ran a report for Mechanicsville at 10 ft and 30 ft, and the highest NM went from 21 to 38 dB, 2-edge to LOS, with most other following suit, and most stations going to LOS with several now in the green, and four more stations above the red.

I'd suggest you rerun it for your specific location, but at the highest reasonable elevation, like it would be with a chimney or roof mount, as elevation seems to make a very big difference in your situation.

I'll let others make specific equipment recommendations, though.

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The provide Tvfool report is not showing any antenna height above ground.

The Tvfool report shows Weak to Very Weak signal strengths.

To see and have signal strength improvements.

Please make and post Tvfool reports with antenna heights of , 25 and 40 feet above ground.

Do not delete the first Tvfool report.

[daveinmaryland]

Thanks Teleview, this is what I came up with. This is all new to me, so please bear with my ignorance.

original report @ ground level:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b949cc04ea8ca


25' report:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b948582de9907

40' report:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...5b9446fb7643a6

[stvcmty]

If you are going to put the antenna in the attic, I suggest you get a winegard HD7698P (2nd choice would be an antenna craft HBU55 or a winegard HD7697P), and start with pointing it at 347 magnetic, turn it a few degrees and see how reception changes to find the correct angle. In an attic, you may need to experiment with where you place it. I suggest getting an RCA TVPRAMP1R to help overcome any losses in your structured distribution system, unless the structured distribution system has any amplification built in. (A preamp cannot pull in any more signal, but it can help the signal the antenna catches survive cable and splitters into TV’s and devices.) More than 1 amplifier can be a problem unless a system is designed for it, so if the structured wiring system has an amplifier built in, either bypass it, or do not use a preamp.

If you are going to put the antenna on the roof, you might be able to get away with a smaller antenna, but the winegard HD7698P would still be the best bet for getting stations in the main DC tower cluster. Most of your signals are 2edge, so multipath may creep in and the HD7698P would better reject it.


For getting HDTV from an antenna to a projector, I would suggest using windows media center with a HDHR network tuner. My 2nd choice would be a DTV converter box with a HDMI out, such as an Iview 3500STBII.


WDCN-LP is an analog LP station being operated as a Spanish FM radio station. If you have any interest in that, or in FM radio in general, an FM6 antenna would be good to get. Ideally FM would be distributed separate from the TV signal, but since there are not really any VHF low signals in the DC market, a HLSJ could be used to merge the FM6 with a UHF/VHF antenna (with considerations needed for where it is placed with regards to an amplifier for DC power passing).


It is a shame you can’t really get FOX or CBS from Baltimore even at 40’, that would get you slightly different NFL coverage some weekends. (If you wanted Baltimore market stations, you would be looking at a 91XG and an Y10-7-13 as high as you could get them). Even then with co channel interference flags, it would be iffy.