Antennas

[eRiCdWoNg]

...yes rooftop aerial style... just wondering if anybody here is an expert on them or know someone who is or a place to go...

I got an existing Winegard (FM) channelmaster (VHF) and another CM for UHF on a triple mounted pole, was thinking of changing things around.

[HDTVman]

Why are you thinking of changing your antennas? Are you having reception problems?

Later BZ

[eRiCdWoNg]

Well for 1 during the install we screwed up a little or lately the wind blew it, this is how my antennas are mounted- the FM is all the way up top. The UHF is in the middle and the VHF is at the bottom. The VHF one is aimed a little off from how the others are aimed, but I think i can correct it by getting on a ladder. The stack is right next to the chimney.

the UHF reception really sux. It doesnt help I'm behind a huge hill, but still its just not there. We used to have a preamplifier and I think that actually helped, but that setup got destroyed by a tornado.

Now, to combine the UHF and VHF signals I just took a splitter/combiner and connected it in reverse. I also read somewhere that the antennas really need to be further away. perhaps I should just get a "all in 1" antenna and mount it as high as I possibly can?

[HDTVman]

If it's screwed up, ya I'd do something with it. The all in one option is a good one and get it as high as possible. UHF TV signals don't go through dirt, heck VHF can't do that. Both are line of sight type signals. If your blocked by a hill just get the antenna as high as you can, get a big antenna for the extra gain and get an antenna preamp if you need a little extra signal. A rotor is a good idea if the TV stations are not all in the same direction and for fine tuning the direction of the antenna. That's about all you can do. The only other options are Cable or Sat, or maybe a big tower.

Later BZ

[eRiCdWoNg]

Originally posted by HDTVman
If it's screwed up, ya I'd do something with it. The all in one option is a good one and get it as high as possible. UHF TV signals don't go through dirt, heck VHF can't do that. Both are line of sight type signals. If your blocked by a hill just get the antenna as high as you can, get a big antenna for the extra gain and get an antenna preamp if you need a little extra signal. A rotor is a good idea if the TV stations are not all in the same direction and for fine tuning the direction of the antenna. That's about all you can do. The only other options are Cable or Sat, or maybe a big tower.

Later BZ

I went to Radio Shack and bought one of their splitter combiners thats meant for UHF and VHF (the one with 3 F type connectors). They had trouble finding it cause they hid them in the back room cause most the time people buy them for imporoper use (they think its a regular splitter). I was kinda skeptical it would do anything at all, it was $10.99 haha. So I get home, I braved the cold outdoors and had to use some force to remove the old broad band splitter/combiner. This previous setup is only a few years old and I got the gold plated version so it wasnt ridiculously stuck.

Anyway, this time I used some automotive style anti-seize on the threading of the new combiner. I had to identify which wire was which cause I must have forgot to label them last time, so I turned on the TV and turned to channel 2 and looked at which connector looked better. I hooked up the new combiner, and I could not believe my eyes. The difference is completely night and day. Unelieveable. The local channels I get crystal clear now, and I only aim the antenna in one sweet spot really (although I'm gonna upgrade the rotator). And for far away channels
(I'm north east of Baltimore) I get most the Washington DC stations and if I rotate the antenna around I get Philly.

I cant get over what a big difference a simple splittler makes. Dang. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, this is all preamplifierless, I do have a amplified 4 way distribution amp though. I am very tempted to try out a UHF preamp however, cause my VHF now I cant complain at all, but some of the more distant UHF I'd like to see if I can improve upon.

I'm also gonna get the infrared remote controlled rotator module. I wonder why Im puttin all this effort into the off the air antenna- I have a dishnetwork dish.....

[JOE DIRT®]

eric...why are you playing around with that antenna when you have a sat.......you can program your card to get locals (free)...oops

[eRiCdWoNg]

Originally posted by JOE DIRT®
eric...why are you playing around with that antenna when you have a sat.......you can program your card to get locals (free)...oops

Haha yea, this is true... however even thru the dish doesnt get ALL the local channels.....or the ones from other cities..