Antenna TV Weekend Preview

[Tron]

What do you have, stone age tuners? All three of my TV's added it without a rescan...LOL...

First generation Sammy 1080P HD/PC desktop monitor ...

In other news, I'm loving MeTV, ThisTV, and soon the RTV mux (pending a dish fine tune-up), all on my Openbox from 87W C-Band...

 

[PopcornNMore]

Just as Iceberg suggests, you need to get it higher. Maybe a gable mount at the top of your roof, or run a pole up the side of the house for the antenna is above the house. Trees will greatly reduce the signal. For the most part, UHF signals are line of sight and easily blocked. If it is very far off then a good quality pre-amplifier will also be needed. Check tvfool web site to see how strong of signal you can expect before going any farther. It should give you a starting point for what to expect.

I purchased a preamplifier and will eventually mount the antenna higher. Right now I'm receiving all the Pittsburgh channels with very good signal strength as well as several stations from Johnstown, PA approx. 54 miles away from my location in Gibsonia, PA. By mounting it higher I will be able to receive channels from Youngstown, OH as well.

 

[Dishman Dan]

...to get Antenna TV on WJW-TV 8.2 in Cleveland.

Hmmm. According to TV Fool (The website not me! ) WJW-TV is 79 miles from me. I never moved my TV rotor away from the Erie stations since they went digital. I used to get stations from Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo and Ontario in addition to Erie. I better get the Sili-Kroil out and try turning her!!!

 

[Mr Tony]

you might have some issues unless the antenna is really mounted up high. Here is why I say that
Checking FCC records WJW is 30k watts at 340 feet up on Channel 8. (they moved the digital channel back to their analog spot)

I know for a fact I can get a station that tvfool says is 72 miles away (KEYC 12 Mankato) all the time. Now they are at 52K watts 317 feet up. My VHF only antenna is mounted on the roof of the 2 story house to get it

 

[PopcornNMore]

I'm thinking about purchasing an Antennacraft 10' mast from Radio Shack this weekend (snow permitting) to replace the 4' mast my UHF antenna is currently mounted on in the back of my house on the deck. As you can see in the attached photo the antenna is just about touching the edge of my roof. Using a 10' mast the antenna should be just about the same height as if it was mounted onto the roof.

Question: Within the TV Fool website you enter the height of the antenna in feet from ground level. We live in a split level house where the ground is sloped, so in the backyard the ground is level with the second level. The antenna is currently located 9' high on the back deck. Would you consider the antenna to be 9' high or 18' high (9' from driveway to second level and 9' from second level to antenna)? I say 18', but my wife argues 9'.

 

[Dishman Dan]

Would you consider the antenna to be 9' high or 18' high (9' from driveway to second level and 9' from second level to antenna)? I say 18', but my wife argues 9'.

It does not matter because it is just not high enough!!!...

The Popcorn Lady is probably right! You better agree with her especially if you want to add more toys to your farm!!

 

[Tron]

Uneven terrain is hard to judge, but I would measure from ground level where the antenna is located.

 

[Larry1]

Before getting a longer mast, try going up on the roof and hold the antenna or rig a temporary mount to see what improvements it will make. From your pictures, 10 feet will not make a difference. You need to get up higher, hopefully above the trees. First try at the peak of your house roof to see if that makes any difference.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Uneven terrain is hard to judge, but I would measure from ground level where the antenna is located.

This is what most of my friends are saying. This weekend I'm adding a 10' mast to allow the antenna to be higher in the air. My wife (Popcorn Lady) is concerned of what the neighbors will think, because she thinks they are beginning to "talk". I on the other hand do not care. I own the house and I pay the mortgage.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Before getting a longer mast, try going up on the roof and hold the antenna or rig a temporary mount to see what improvements it will make. From your pictures, 10 feet will not make a difference. You need to get up higher, hopefully above the trees. First try at the peak of your house roof to see if that makes any difference.

Last weekend when I first installed the antenna I had it 8' high and a station from Johnstown, PA approx 53 miles away was received with a fair signal, but with breakups. I then raised it only 1' to 9' high and this channel was received with a good signal strength with no breakups. Every little bit counts on receiving a better signal.

 

[Dishman Dan]

This weekend I'm adding a 10' mast to allow the antenna to be higher in the air. My wife (Popcorn Lady) is concerned of what the neighbors will think, because she thinks they are beginning to "talk". I on the other hand do not care. I own the house and I pay the mortgage.

Let them talk!!! If we all sang the same song and danced the same dance, life would really be boring and we all would be watching pizza!!!...

My brother in law used a full section of water pipe for a antenna mast at his house. A full length of pipe is 20 feet long! They have a 2 story house and the thing is fastened at the peak and down lower with regular Rat Shack antenna mounting brackets. He also has a "ghetto mover" where he grabs the lower section of pipe and twists it to tune in stations and snugs up the bottom support a little bit!

I was wondering with your hilly terrain, is your dish garden visible to the neighbors???
My BUD and 1 meter (Current setup) are visible when the leaves are gone. I also have a OTA antenna on my house and nobody else in the area has one. Almost forgot that I also have a antenna mast with the little weather gizmos for my electronic weather station!

 

[Dishman Dan]

I picked up Antenna TV on WJW 8.2 OTA out of Cleveland yesterday!!!

The wind was blowing my tattered Rat Shack antenna #3 and soon lost it.

That is the third Rat antenna blown to Smithereens in 12 years!

 

[PopcornNMore]

I picked up Antenna TV on WJW 8.2 OTA out of Cleveland yesterday!!!

The wind was blowing my tattered Rat Shack antenna #3 and soon lost it.

That is the third Rat antenna blown to Smithereens in 12 years!

I was trying to receive WJW 8.2 out of Cleveland myself from Pittsburgh, but no luck. I'm using an AntennaCraft MX59U which is one of the largest UHF antennas you can buy.

 

[Dishman Dan]

I was trying to receive WJW 8.2 out of Cleveland myself from Pittsburgh, but no luck. I'm using an AntennaCraft MX59U which is one of the largest UHF antennas you can buy.

It is about 80 mile away from me! How far are you from WJW??

 

[PopcornNMore]

A whopping 127 miles. My antenna is rated for 60 plus miles.

I'm leaving for Erie tomorrow morning for the next two days on a business trip. I'm bringing along my 7" LCD portable TV, so that I can scan for channels in my hotel room to see what sub channels are available in the area.

 

[Dishman Dan]

WOW! I did not think that you were that far from WJW!

I am about 15 miles west of Erie!

Do not take any "souvenir" Primestar dishes back home! They are all mine!!!

 

[PopcornNMore]

I could use a Primestar to add to my collection. On another business trip several years ago I brought home four 120cm Channel Master dishes that I bought for only $10 each.

 

[PopcornNMore]

WOW! I did not think that you were that far from WJW!

I am about 15 miles west of Erie!

Do not take any "souvenir" Primestar dishes back home! They are all mine!!!

So, you must receive Ohio and Erie OTA channels clearly. Do you receive any Pittsburgh channels or are you too far away?

 

[Dishman Dan]

So, you must receive Ohio and Erie OTA channels clearly. Do you receive any Pittsburgh channels or are you too far away?

I cannot pick up anything to the south!

Where I live is supposed to be where Lake Erie once was!

Interstate 90 is the dividing weather line for the area plus it is up on a east west ridge and where

the lake shore once was. That ridge also blocks any chance of seeing any channels to the south.

Erie is where our locals come from but I can pick up channels from London (Canada that is!)

Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, and even Buffalo. I have to replace my antenna and

then try and see what I can get! If you come into Erie off of I-90 and take Peach Street (Route

19) north, you can see the lake and that it is all down hill into town. Peach Street is where most

all the stores, hotels and restaurants are. :

 

[PopcornNMore]

I'm in Erie today and tomorrow at a company called "AccuSpec" located just off Peach Street near the indoor water park. In my hotel room I scanned in 13 crystal clear OTA channels using my portable 7" LCD TV and 3" antenna. They have a good selection here including RTV and Tuff TV.