HD Antenna Advice

[msgph]

Hi all,

I'm looking for advice from forum members on an outdoor antenna to pull in HD channels. Here is where I'm at in regards to the transmitter:

Call Sign Channel Compass Miles
yellow - uhf KMCI-DT 38.1 294° 10.7
yellow - uhf KSHB-DT 41.1 294° 10.7
red - vhf KMBC-DT 9.1 322° 14.9
red - uhf KCPT-DT 19.1 328° 13.8
red - uhf KCWE-DT 29.1 322° 14.9
red - uhf KPXE-DT 50.1 310° 11.5
blue - uhf KSMO-DT 62.1 331° 14
violet - uhf KCTV-DT 5.1 310° 16.5
violet - uhf WDAF-DT 4.1 308° 17.1

The antenna will be hooked to a DirecTV HD DVR. I've used an indoor antenna with limited success, but am looking for a better solution.

Any tips or recommendations that you would have are greatly appreciated!

Michael

 

[Tower Guy]

Hi all,

I'm looking for advice from forum members on an outdoor antenna to pull in HD channels. Here is where I'm at in regards to the transmitter:

Call Sign Channel Compass Miles
yellow - uhf KMCI-DT 38.1 294° 10.7
yellow - uhf KSHB-DT 41.1 294° 10.7
red - vhf KMBC-DT 9.1 322° 14.9
red - uhf KCPT-DT 19.1 328° 13.8
red - uhf KCWE-DT 29.1 322° 14.9
red - uhf KPXE-DT 50.1 310° 11.5
blue - uhf KSMO-DT 62.1 331° 14
violet - uhf KCTV-DT 5.1 310° 16.5
violet - uhf WDAF-DT 4.1 308° 17.1

The antenna will be hooked to a DirecTV HD DVR. I've used an indoor antenna with limited success, but am looking for a better solution.

Any tips or recommendations that you would have are greatly appreciated!

Michael

You have a 37 degree difference between the stations and one is VHF. A wide angle all channel antenna such as the Winegard HD7080P or HD7078P would be the right choice. I'd add a AP-4700 preamp to get the violet stations.

 

[msgph]

You have a 37 degree difference between the stations and one is VHF. A wide angle all channel antenna such as the Winegard HD7080P or HD7078P would be the right choice. I'd add a AP-4700 preamp to get the violet stations.

Thanks for the information. I appreciate your suggestions! I do have a few additional suggestions.

Does the brand matter? I see that I need a wide angle antenna, but what else am I looking for in an antenna?

Thanks again,

Michael

 

[dodge]

Antenna

Get the Winegard, It is the only antenna I have seen that can stand up to the elements and wind. Many Radio Shack antenna will start losing elements after the first couple of wind storms. My parents winegard is 25 yrs old on tower and still has all the elements where as their neighbor is like on their 3 rat shack antenna.

 

[icstephen]

Winegard is very good, I like Channel Master also (although I havent had one in a few years so I can't speek to current quality). I would stay very far away from radio shack antennas

 

[Tower Guy]

Does the brand matter? I see that I need a wide angle antenna, but what else am I looking for in an antenna?

Brand matters if you live in an area with wind or ice. The Winegard is the best consumer grade all-channel antenna. If you want two antennas, the Channel Master 4221 for UHF and the Antennacraft Y10-7-13 plus a Winegard AP2870 preamp.

The RS UHF antennas last a long time, but the VHF do not.

 

[msgph]

I have an indoor amp antenna, which does ok, but doesn't get me the range that I need. I'm able to get most of the channels consistently, but not all of them.

I know that Lowe's carries the Channel Master locally, so I'll take a look at one of those this weekend and see if it would be a good fit. Otherwise, I'll look at the Wineguard.

Thanks to everyone...

 

[rad]

You might also want to check out the thread at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9705118#post9705118 which is for KC HD local reception to see what others might say.