Updated TV Antenna Thoughts

[lakngulf]

I have taken over my Mom's farm house and plan now to disconnect Direct TV and go with OTA antenna. Will be at the house for summer gardening and fall/winter hunting so TV programming needs have greatly reduced, after my Mom's passing in August. Some time back I posted a thread and was about to settle on a Winegard HD7698P or Channel Master CM-4228HD EXTREMEtenna 80.
I am about equa-distance between Montgomery and Birmingham channels, but the websites show Bham to be a bit better.

Now I go to Winegard website, run the address test and they recommend this:

Supposedly, it has some built in amplification and works great (according to several reviews).

Anybody have experience with this antenna? What do you think?

 

[lakngulf]

I ran a check based on your zipcode,

The zip code where I will put antenna is 36792. Here is address 3531 Co Rd 36, Randolph, AL
Thanks for your help. Now looking at Wnnegard HD 7084P VHF/UHF/FM Digital HD TV antenna
I will put some money into it but just want to do it one time.

Also looking at this antenna which is manufactured by Winegard


HD Stacker TV Antenna
VHF/UHF/FM Digital HDTV
Best for weak signal

A unique Stacked design offers better performace in a smaller size.

Long Range directional antenna
Length: 70"

 

[rekees4300]

Anybody have experience with this antenna? What do you think?

I bought one similar to that a few months ago but had to return it. Tried to get Cincinnati 60 miles away but got nothing but static.

 

[lakngulf]

I bought one similar to that a few months ago but had to return it. Tried to get Cincinnati 60 miles away but got nothing but static.

Thanks for the info. I trust folks on this forum!!!

 

[California]

8 bay Channel Master CM-4228 is a UHF only antenna and isn't much better than their 4 bay version. A few of the stations in your location are out close to 60 miles. I would stick with the Winegard HD7698P. If size or cost is a problem, the smaller Winegard HD7694P is an option . It's possible that you may have to also use an antenna mounted preamp. The Channel Master CM-7777 and CM-7778 are good choices..

With the switch to digital I lost all the San Francisco stations I had previously received with a roof antenna. (I'm 50 miles north, and have a slightly higher ridge a mile south of me). I bought a Channel Master CM-4228 and amplifier. Didn't do a thing.

Is the Winegard that much better that it can pull signals the CM-4228 can't see? (I'm aware UHF doesn't bend like VHF but many of the previous analog channels were UHF too).

Any advice?

 

[robbyr]

I didn't know this was possible. I used to have a uhf-vhf antenna to pick up stations in Bryan/College Station and Waco. But they switched to the HD several years ago. We had a grace period afterward where our antenna worked for a short while. Now ours is all DIRECTV. And **** expensive.

 

[California]

The CM-4228 is UHF only, and you should have several VHF stations in San Francisco. The ridge could make a difference, but I have to think something is wrong with the installation.

You should have had at least limited success with your old antenna. It's even possible that your old antenna might do a better job, depending on what it is. Do you know what model or kind of antenna you had before the CM-4228? Are you using a digital TV or a converter box?

Ok if you think it's an install problem then there's some hope.

I've looked at the the channel list, don't need anything in the VHF band.

The old antenna was feeding a Channel Master converter box for a while but with little success, only an occasional stuttering channel after the conversion. That was an old rusty large antenna on a 20 ft mast, originally specified by a ham radio neighbor who moved away long ago. That antenna had been up so long the guy wires rusted and it fell. I've been trying out the CM4228 with its CM amplifier on a balcony outside the attic, not as high as the antenna that fell but at least second story. I thought experimenting there would predict my results of putting it on a mast.

One improvement I tried was replace the Channel Master converter box and old tv with a modern Samsung flat screen tv. I think I concluded the CM converter box had a better amplifier in it than the new tv.

Is that Winegard antenna sufficiently better than the CM4228 that it's worth buying to try out, or should I just try more tinkering with the CM4228? Aside from decent reviews another reason I chose the CM4228 is it's flat, and easier to work with compared to a long antenna with many elements.

Putting a new 20 ft or more mast on the roof is another issue, I phoned around and nobody does this any more, only dish antennas, and those guys wouldn't touch my project. I may end up with a simple tripod mount I can do myself - if I can get any antenna to receive anything to show me its worthwhile. I used to work construction, no fear of heights but as I approach mid-70's I'm aware my sense of balance is no longer sufficient for a project on a second story roof, at least anything more difficult than a tripod mount. Putting guy wires at the edges of a steep roof is something I have done ... but that was sometime back when Reagan was governor here.

Any/all advice appreciated!

 

[California]

Ok, I'll keep experimenting with the antenna I have. Thanks!

 

[cqaigy2]

Some of the things i learned going to antenna, is that a lot of the VHF was sold and most of the TV stations moved up into the UHF band. So in a lot of cases, a UHF only, antenna works, depending on what channels you really think you want to watch. We are in the middle of long distances to TV stations. Location can be pretty important for stations that are marginal, as all of ours are. We tested at four different locations. I decided to setup a mythtv based dvr.

I forgot to mention, that a couple people at work had bought tv antennas to try out on their tvs, but, without success. They had forgotten to switch their tv to the tv tuner, exactly what i did the first time i tried it.

 

[Ken]

remember the "old" days where some would attach a hanging bed spring to try and get signal .
And also there was those promising to get a noise free signal by attaching a 300 ohm flat lead cut to what ever length for the channel was good enough.
I worked at location where the original group trying to get a signal had put up power poles set at full wave distance apart and attaching a wire line and decided no improvement to except the higher up the mountain better signal.
Also a rancher hired me to come to his ranch and try to locate a signal El Paso 80 miles and Phoenix 120 miles . loaded the van with battery powered tv and antenna on 10 foot mast . At his ranch he had saddled a horse for me and himself to ride around . So with tv on pommel of saddle and antenna mast placed into a rifle case and batteries on pack behind saddle we rode around the hills until a signal was received. When a good signal was decide on. he laughed and commented "If only Dad could see us Now".
Then back at the ranch looking at his wind mill for deep well water.with the fan on top and about 10 feet under was a blade to spin and keep house batteries charged. took the antenna and climbed the tower to close to top and he was excited we had as good of signal there . so installed 2 antennas one toward El Paso the other toward Phoenix. combined into a tube type amplifier. ran flat lead wire into ranch house to a new 1958 RCA color tv . Good picture and later he told me he never knew he had so many friends to come over and watch programs with the family.
If doubtful a signal is available only way is to experiment locate a signal.
ken

 

[cqaigy2]

Actually, a high percentage of markets have at least one VHF-High channel (7-13). The move to more UHF stations had a lot to do with the economics of having to broadcast both analog and digital signals during the transition period.

Now we have a new fun and games period developing in the next couple of years. The FCC just completed the mandated spectrum auction this last March. The current UHF channel assignments go up to and including channel 51. The newly implemented channel allotment will only go up to channel 36. Therefore, 60+ percentage of the stations will be changing channels again. Some will be going off the air for good. Many more stations will be moving into the VHF-High channel allotments. This will take places in stages over the next couple of years. UHF only antennas will not cut the mustard in many areas by the year 2020.

I didn't know that, thanks for the information. I hope the channels i watch, don't go off the air.

 

[ultrarunner]

Never lived in a home with cable or sat...

What we do have is plain old rabbit ears on two sets... get about 50 stations and half of those are in English.

For the Hospital I have an old $20 Radio Shack Antenna and no one is the wiser. save about 30k in Comcast Fees based on the quote I got back in 1995

 

[cqaigy2]

Never lived in a home with cable or sat...

What we do have is plain old rabbit ears on two sets... get about 50 stations and half of those are in English.

For the Hospital I have an old $20 Radio Shack Antenna and no one is the wiser. save about 30k in Comcast Fees based on the quote I got back in 1995

:thumbsup:

 

[California]

What we do have is plain old rabbit ears on two sets... get about 50 stations and half of those are in English.

From 50 miles north of the Golden Gate I can see a few of those 50. But not even the second-tier ones. Few are in English. Spanish of course, Korean, and several more asian and eastern european languages I haven't bothered to identify.

Aside from the news from home on all the specialized ethnic channels it's all Jimmy Swaggart re-runs, home shopping in at least 4 different languages, telenovellas. Even the local state college-based PBS is endless cooking and occasionally outdated travel shows since they don't have the budget for contemporary PBS programming. The couple of locally owned channels recently went to all-Spanish format and not Univision quality with fun stuff like Sabado Gigante, just housewife drama, home shopping, old dubbed Westerns. A real 'vast wasteland'.

This is why I want to restore the reception I had before the digital changeover. I had a reasonable number of channels out of the bay area and also off the Walnut Grove tower (Stockton etc) if I rotated the antenna.

 

[ultrarunner]

With rabbit ears we get the 2's, 4's, 5's, 7's, 9's, 11's, 20's, and two other UHF... plus a ton more I never look at... not bad for the old Zenith CRT boxes

We did loose Monteray which was a great station because it avoided the local blackout from the Oakland Stadium for Raiders and A's...

The stars must have aligned perfectly for Monteray to come in crystal clear.

 

[ruffdog]

Do these new antennas work any better than the old ones like my 16' Winegard on a tower?

 

[California]

Advice for a deep fringe preamp?

 

[Oldpath05]

I have the Channel Master 7777 preamp for 3 years and when the temp gets down in the teens I loose channels, thinking of trying a different brand.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I have been using a PCT MA2-4P amplifier for about 3 years with good results. $35 on Amazon.

 

[cqaigy2]

Don't skimp on the coax and connectors either, that can attenuate your signal and possibly add noise especially on the input of your signal amplifier.