tv antenna
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k0ua
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Xfaxman
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Are you sure that you need that big old style Analog TV antenna?
Will you also have it connected to a FM radio?
Are there any VHF Low Band TV stations in that direction?
And why not mount the new antenna above or below the old antenna?
There are better cheaper antennas available if you don't need VHF LOW Band, This is a good one: Channel Master CM316 Suburban Advantage TV Antenna (CM316) from Solid Signal
This is what we use, a Channel Master CM2016, but the TV stations are only about 30 miles away
buickanddeere
Super Member
Don't bother with an antenna that includes channels 2-6. The low frequency elements are wide and catch excessive wind loading and ice loading. Not having the elements for 2-6 also reduces interference from FM radio stations .
I use to have a 10'-ish Chanel Master on my old garage with rotor because it was higher then my house. I could get channels in Bangor<60 mi. and Portland<70 mi., both citys are in oppisset direction. The Channel Master rotor always froze up in the winter, hard to rotate. Now I'd like to mount another antenna on my new garage which looks to be 4' higher then my house, the antenna on my house now wont get all the channels in from Portland, I was hopping it would, but gets all the channel from Bangor.
I kinda want to get rid of needing to depend on these Chinese junk rota-tor's to get channel from both directions, that's where the idea of having two antennas comes in, just click on the channel, theatricality, but to d that I need to join two cable's into one, and one side note, my new garage has a metal roof, wonder if that helps or makes it worse...........
Ice on one of my old antennas is what ruin it, that's why I wanted to try Winegard see how that will hold up, but this past mild winter was not a real test. I think 2.1 from Bangor is broadcasting in VHF.
Xfaxman
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You may be watching channels 2-6, (old VHF Low Band), but with the change to HD TV, most places they are transmitting on VHF High band or UHF, so you don't need the longer elements.
You need to verify the VHF Low Band is not being used in your area with TV Fool
buickanddeere
Super Member
Channels 2-6 are received just fine on a deep fringe channel 7-51 antenna . Channels 2-6 being low frequency will transmit farther than UHF with the same wattage .
Reducing the intermode overloading of the receiver front end with FM broadcast radio . Will also make up for not having 1/4 elements for channels 2-6.
Xfaxman
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Even better would be an antenna made for channel 6 only, that could aimed for best reception, with a VHF Low signal combiner to the other antenna.
If you were to put both antenna's on the same mast you could mount the splitter on the mast also and only need 1 wire to the house as opposed to 2 if they are on separate buildings.
Xfaxman
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Yep, still on VHF Low, channel 2: Maine Digital TV Stations
TractorGuy
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I use an Antennas Direct 8 bowtie antenna that says it has a 60 mile range with an Eagle Aspen rotor. Looks like the rotor is discontinued but it works with just the antenna coax so no other cables to run. None of the stations I get are that far away so I'm not sure about the range claim. Maybe on a hill or flat unobstructed ground. In clear weather I can sneak all my channels in from 1 setting but when the wind blows or when it gets rainy I have to dial in the direction better for each station.
Not thinking i will ever go back to satellite. We watch more netflix than anything. Some news in the morning and a few PBS shows is all the TV we can stand these days.
Not thinking i will ever go back to satellite. We watch more netflix than anything. Some news in the morning and a few PBS shows is all the TV we can stand these days.
k0ua
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I always found it amusing as a Amateur Radio Operator to see published claims of range for any antenna or transceiver. There is no such thing as range in radio transmissions. But I suppose if manufactures published actual specifications of the forward gain figures, side and back rejection and beamwidth, those figures would be unintelligible to the average buyer, but still they could always enlist the aid of someone who does understand such things. Range indeed.. Ha..
buickanddeere
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Some of the antenna manufactures do publish db gain and lobe shape.
Last edited:
RalphVa
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If rabbit ears don't work well, you're into trial and error territory.
I put "ears" on all 3 of our TVs. The one in the family room with the antenna sitting right in the picture window is the one giving the most trouble. Even ran cable to the attic of the garage with a big antenna up there. Went through 2 different antennas before getting one that works MOST of the time on MOST channels.
Some days, on certain channels, they either won't come in at all or skip, even on the other 2 with just rabbit ears.
Ralph
I put "ears" on all 3 of our TVs. The one in the family room with the antenna sitting right in the picture window is the one giving the most trouble. Even ran cable to the attic of the garage with a big antenna up there. Went through 2 different antennas before getting one that works MOST of the time on MOST channels.
Some days, on certain channels, they either won't come in at all or skip, even on the other 2 with just rabbit ears.
Ralph
k0ua
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Communications antenna's yes, but I cant remember ever seeing a TV antenna with published specs. I could be wrong... My point is that publishing "range" figures is superfluous.
About like publishing "range" of 460 Mhz walkie talkies. The questions that come to mind: In free space? with what antennas? If not in free space, then what terrain? What is the noise floor? All sorts of questions come to my mind instantly.
California
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I have the Channel Master 4228HD, supposed to be one of the best extreme-range antennas when I bought it. I see Solid Signal claims it provides 12db gain, under the 'features' tab.
But it didn't accomplish what I wanted. I lost access to the San Francisco stations 60 miles south of here when everything went digital and nothing I've tried can see them now. A couple of different antenna amplifiers with it didn't help.
Local TV is hopeless. PBS run by the State University campus so they don't pay for PBS premium content - its nearly all cooking and travelogues. Other stations are worse, all telenovellas and 'medicine' infomercials. That PBS, Univision, and Azteca are the only network channels I can see.
I would like to hear what others have found successful at this distance.
"My point is that publishing "range" figures is (superfluous.)"<<<Don't you mean>>supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
I suppose distant in miles for a TV antenna is sort of up in the air, ends up being a roll of the dice, shot in the dark, maybe even trail and error. I'm almost sort of in the middle-ish of Portland,70 mi. and Bangor,60 mi. but that might depend on how the crow flies, or if the crow stops outside my window at 6 am Sat. morning.
The biggest reason I have for doing this is somewhere around Portland is Ch. 23.2, it comes in ok most of the time and other times it's dicey, so when they have an old western on with Roy Rogers, Randolph Scott or John Wayne, I dont like that dicey signal.
Edit, >But I'm going over 131" in antenna length, I have a Winegard 7084p on my house and that's as big as I want, I'll just have to go to Netflex to get my western fix if the garage plan dont plan out.
I suppose distant in miles for a TV antenna is sort of up in the air, ends up being a roll of the dice, shot in the dark, maybe even trail and error. I'm almost sort of in the middle-ish of Portland,70 mi. and Bangor,60 mi. but that might depend on how the crow flies, or if the crow stops outside my window at 6 am Sat. morning.
The biggest reason I have for doing this is somewhere around Portland is Ch. 23.2, it comes in ok most of the time and other times it's dicey, so when they have an old western on with Roy Rogers, Randolph Scott or John Wayne, I dont like that dicey signal.
Edit, >But I'm going over 131" in antenna length, I have a Winegard 7084p on my house and that's as big as I want, I'll just have to go to Netflex to get my western fix if the garage plan dont plan out.
buickanddeere
Super Member
Page 15 but it's not all the info. The hannel master site has been dumbed down http://downloads.channelmaster.com/Sheets/20+Series+UG.pdf
This site has some old Channel master lobe info .Common TV Antenna Types
Good info here .Antennas Reference Chart, DB Gain, UHF, VHF, FM, Channel Master, Antennas Direct and Winegard
