CM4228 in trees?

[navychop]

I'm about to put up an antenna where I own a lot and park my RV, about 5 miles from the towers of interest (heading 336-345). The antenna that is built in atop the RV brings in a couple of analog stations ok with the antenna boost on. It almost brings in the digital versions. They break up too much to quite be watchable. I'll probably start with a tripod on top of a shed, placing the antenna about the same height as the current one on the RV. Plan B is a Rohn tower, maybe 20'-30' tall.

The lot is heavily wooded with lots of 40' and even taller trees all around. Of course, there are very few leaves on the trees right now, and that may be helping reception. Satellite LOS is out of the question. There is no way I can hoist an antenna above the trees.

The only stations I'm interested in, that I have any hope of getting, are all UHF. Well, one, of minor interest, is channel 12. I read that the CM4228 is not good with multipath. There are no buildings nearby. I am near the top of one of the taller hills in the area (25419).

Will the 4228 work well in these circumstances? Or do the trees indicate the selection of another antenna? Would I be better off with a 3671, even though I don't need VHF? I guess improved FM reception would be nice. Or would something like a Winegard 9095 be better?

Any suggestions?

 

[digiblur]

The CM4228 works great on VHF Hi. Some say to tiewrap the two screens together for better VHF performance.

Only 5 miles? Are the stations really low powered?

 

[navychop]

Haven't checked that yet. I'm figuring it's the trees, or more likely, I've got hills between me & the towers.

It's WHAG & WWPB (repeater in Hagerstown?) I'm mostly interested in.

 

[Miner]

Suppo,

Is the antenna on top of the RV a Combo or UHF antenna? 5 mi is really close and unless there is a big mounting between something smaller than a 4228 should work.

Miner

 

[navychop]

The antenna on the RV is kinda minimalist, something like a Winegard Sensar. It's supposed to pick up VHF, FM & UHF and has a built in 12v signal booster. They really don't supply specs, or say it will pick up anything. They just say "crank it up and aim it."

A channel scan with the boost off yields fewer channels, and the channels are hard to view- analog and digital. Boost on improves things tremendously. But not quite enough to watch a digital signal.

I'm trying to figure if the problem is the trees, or hills between me and the towers, or both. I guess I'll just have to blow the $75 bucks on a 5' tripod for the shed roof, with a 5' pole, and another $50 on the antenna. That should put the antenna up a little higher than the antenna on the RV.

If it's the hills, I might spend a big chunk of change on a tower and still not get much.

 

[digiblur]

If it is the typical RV crank up job then it's garbage compared to the CM4228. We had the same tuner and simply changed the cable over to one that was running out of the door to a CM4228 leaned against the RV on the ground. The signals that were unwatchable were almost maxed out.

The antenna on the RV is kinda minimalist, something like a Winegard Sensar. It's supposed to pick up VHF, FM & UHF and has a built in 12v signal booster. They really don't supply specs, or say it will pick up anything. They just say "crank it up and aim it."

A channel scan with the boost off yields fewer channels, and the channels are hard to view- analog and digital. Boost on improves things tremendously. But not quite enough to watch a digital signal.

I'm trying to figure if the problem is the trees, or hills between me and the towers, or both. I guess I'll just have to blow the $75 bucks on a 5' tripod for the shed roof, with a 5' pole, and another $50 on the antenna. That should put the antenna up a little higher than the antenna on the RV.

If it's the hills, I might spend a big chunk of change on a tower and still not get much.

 

[stogie5150]

I'm about to put up an antenna where I own a lot and park my RV, about 5 miles from the towers of interest (heading 336-345). The antenna that is built in atop the RV brings in a couple of analog stations ok with the antenna boost on. It almost brings in the digital versions. They break up too much to quite be watchable. I'll probably start with a tripod on top of a shed, placing the antenna about the same height as the current one on the RV. Plan B is a Rohn tower, maybe 20'-30' tall.

The lot is heavily wooded with lots of 40' and even taller trees all around. Of course, there are very few leaves on the trees right now, and that may be helping reception. Satellite LOS is out of the question. There is no way I can hoist an antenna above the trees.

The only stations I'm interested in, that I have any hope of getting, are all UHF. Well, one, of minor interest, is channel 12. I read that the CM4228 is not good with multipath. There are no buildings nearby. I am near the top of one of the taller hills in the area (25419).

Will the 4228 work well in these circumstances? Or do the trees indicate the selection of another antenna? Would I be better off with a 3671, even though I don't need VHF? I guess improved FM reception would be nice. Or would something like a Winegard 9095 be better?

Any suggestions?

If you are THAT close...BUILD yourself an antenna. Way easy, and I pick up stations through trees 25 miles away with mine, a four bay.

I still have a 4228 for my plasma, but my homemade antenna in the attic feeds my PC tuner just fine.

Look here! You may have to sign up to read the thread now, but its easy and free. This thread is 50 pages of DIY antenna ideas.

Board Message

 

[Larry1]

Making a 4 bay bowtie antenna is extremely easy. I have a few pics of my antenna I have made here. My dollar store antenna should work extremely well for you. Even with the trees in your line of sight, I think you should just start off with a pole running up the side of your shed to mount the antenna. You should only need it about a foot above the shed to start. If you can eliminate any mounting in the roof of your shed, you will prevent future leaking.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/hd-over-air-ota/117917-plans-do-yourself-antenna.html
I have since read that my bowties should be 9" in length instead of 7" in length, and spaced 9" apart.
For another design
The Gray-Hoverman Antenna For UHF Television Reception - Digital Home Canada
DBGH Antenna: Hoverman Modernized, Improved by DHCers - Digital Forum

5 miles? I pick up our local channel from about 35 miles away with a just a piece of wire.

 

[jlhugh]

mine is in the attic and i have to shoot thru some tall trees right next to the house. i get my fox and abc that are 20 miles away pretty good. they are in the low 90's for signal strength on my 722.