Down in Louisiana

[mwoodard81]

I live about 70-75 miles from the nearest HD antenna farm.

My current zip code is 71270.

I've read that is somewhat unlikely that I will be able to receive HD channels from 70 miles away, but I still want to try. I know it will have to be a large roof-mounted or pole-mounted antenna.

Are there specific antennas ya'll might recommend before I invest $150-$200 in something that won't work?

Thanks in advance!

 

[navychop]

Sorry, but your best bet would be to subscribe to whatever locals package Dish would provide you.

I'm a big OTA fan, but 70 miles away! If they are all UHF, you might try a CM4228. If both VHF & UHF, a CM3671. Maybe a 7777 preamp. Mounted as high as possible. But I really don't hold out much hope, due to distance and the weather down there (I grew up in NOLA, born in Monroe, father went to college in Ruston).

Maybe someone more optimistic than me will chime in.

 

[bhelms]

Well, I'm not always an optimist, but I did look into it a bit. (I'm always cheering for us folks stuck out in the boonies, hoping that might also help my situation somewhat!)

I entered your zipcode at www.antennaweb.org and you have quite a few channels available to you as close as 40 miles. There's only one digital currently listed (?), KAQY-DT ABC in Columbia, LA, but with all those channels I have to think there will be a lot more digitals coming, we just can't be sure of the frequency assignments from the current data. The "farm" you're speaking of is apparently in Shreveport, tho' those are all listed as analog (?). Anyway, 3 of the 5 are currently listed as UHF and 2 as VHF, one on ch 12. As navychop said, there's not a lot of hope for 75 miles, particularly on UHF, but the CM4228/7777 combination he mentioned would be good choices for UHF. That antenna would possibly also pick-up ch 12 as it does OK on high-band VHF if you wire the screens together. You can pick one up for about $45 plus shipping ($55 for the preamp). Your channels come from all directions, so you might also want to consider a rotator.

Good luck with it and please report back if you do try...

 

[mwoodard81]

Thanks

Thanks, guys. I'll check into that antenna. Appreciate ya'lls time.

 

[cablewithaview]

If they are all UHF, I would look into a eight bay antenna(and amp). if they are both VHF and UHF, I would look into a deep frindge combo antenna and an amp to boot. line of sight will be the key. if you have no mountains or ridges then you should do fairly good depending on how high you are going to set this. just make sure you secure that mast very well since you are exposed to high winds among other things down there.
btw, to the forum.

 

[cablewithaview]

also I guess your talking about SHREVEPORT, go to http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx and this site may also help you as well.

 

[Jim5506]

Your closest DTV stations are in Columbia and Monroe both about 40 miles SE of you. CBS on ch 7 , PBS on 19 and ABC on 57.

If you try Shreveport you've got 17 (CBS), 25 (PBS), 28 (ABC), 34 (FOX) and 44 (WB) all about 70 miles.

Louisanna is fairly flat, with a good tall antenna and an amplifier you might be able to watch Shreveport at night and might be able to get the others daytime.

I'd put a 40 ft guyed mast on top of my house (probably gets you up about 60 ft) with a rotator with a thrust bearing and mount a Channel Master 4228 with a CM7777 pre-amp up there and watch whatever's coming in. Being in LA, you also have opportunities for convective ducting (very long range skip) to see some atation more than 100-200 miles away when the weather is right (usually early in the morning and early evening).

When I lived in SE new Mexico my parents had a house about 30 ft high with a 40 foot mast on top capped by a Finco Bedspring antenna. I could pull in stations 150 miles away regularly and occasionally a UHF station from lubbock that was UHF and 180 miles away with that baby, man I wish I still had it. Our daily TV watching was from 75-80 miles away with constant good reception in the upper VHF range (mostly ch 8 and 10). I was young enough, small enough and stupid enough that I climbed that mast several times to reconnect the 300 ohm twinlead on the antenna (dumb, dumb, dumb). Of course it was guyed all the way up to the thrust bearing just below the antenna and the view was great.