Help with outdoor antenna selection...

[swanrs]

I'm just outside of chicago, and about 9 miles from the towers. I do have significant tree blockage. I'm going to install the antenna on my roof. Can anyone give me any advice on which directional antenna to get? Antenna.web says I need a "medium, directional" antenna.

Thanks!

 

[Rick0725]

I would suggest the Winegard HD7084P (or HD8200P if you want to go bigger) or channel master cm 3678 or cm3671. You will need a UHF/VHF antenna (because of chicago digital ch 3 transmits on vhf) of higher gain and would need to go a few sizes bigger because of the trees. A longer antenna will improve reception on ch. 3 . I would stay away from the multidirectionals...silver sensor, etc. beacuse they are poor with multipath and vhf reception.

Rick

 

[bsr2002]

I live in Corpus Christi,TX am not far from my towers but they are all running low power. I use a CM 4228 for my UHF and a Antennacraft CS600 for my VHF with rotator and CM 7777 pre-amp, works like a charm.

 

[blkbone33]

which outdoor antenna would work best for me????

my problem is similar. i am in MD just outside DC. about 15 miles from most towers and most at around 330 degrees. i have about 2-3 fairly large trees in the direction i need to point an antenna. which outdoor antenna would work best for me? i am in the red area and an RCA amplified set top gets me the big 4 most of the time depending on the weather.

 

[snaggerbob]

the silver sensor fron zenith seems to be the indoor antenna of choice on this forum. i think value electronics sells them. they are a vendor who supports this site.

 

[blkbone33]

what about the best outdoor antenna for my situation??

 

[bsr2002]

my problem is similar. i am in MD just outside DC. about 15 miles from most towers and most at around 330 degrees. i have about 2-3 fairly large trees in the direction i need to point an antenna. which outdoor antenna would work best for me? i am in the red area and an RCA amplified set top gets me the big 4 most of the time depending on the weather.

Post your Antennaweb results so we can see what you're going for. Do you want analog, digital, or both?

 

[blkbone33]

my antennaweb readings

here are my antennaweb readings. these are for the digital signals. i am really only worried about the DC signals.

* red - uhf WUSA-DT 9.1 CBS WASHINGTON DC 331° 15.8 34
* red - uhf WPXW-DT 66.1 i MANASSAS VA 283° 23.4 43
* red - uhf WFDC-DT 14.1 TFA ARLINGTON VA 329° 15.3 15
* red - uhf WTTG-DT 5.1 FOX WASHINGTON DC 332° 16.2 36
* red - uhf WRC-DT 4.1 NBC WASHINGTON DC 329° 15.3 48
* red - uhf WNVT-DT 30.1 IND GOLDVEIN VA 262° 31.0 30
* red - uhf WHUT-DT 33 PBS WASHINGTON DC TBD 331° 15.8 33
* red - uhf WMPT-DT 22.1 PBS ANNAPOLIS MD 54° 22.4 42
* red - uhf WJLA-DT 7.1 ABC WASHINGTON DC 331° 15.8 39
* red - uhf WBDC-DT 50.1 WB WASHINGTON DC 342° 14.9 51
* blue - uhf WETA-DT 26.1 PBS WASHINGTON DC 313° 15.2 27
* blue - uhf WDCA-DT 20.1 UPN WASHINGTON DC 331° 15.8 35
* blue - uhf WNVC-DT 57.1 IND FAIRFAX VA 302° 19.0 57
* violet - uhf WNUV-DT 54.1 WB BALTIMORE MD 29° 41.0 40
* violet - uhf WJZ-DT 13.1 CBS BALTIMORE MD 29° 40.9 38

 

[Jim5506]

You'll never go wrong with a Channel Master 4228 or 4221.

 

[dougruss]

here are my antennaweb readings. these are for the digital signals. i am really only worried about the DC signals.
* red - uhf WUSA-DT 9.1 CBS WASHINGTON DC 331° 15.8 34
* red - uhf WPXW-DT 66.1 i MANASSAS VA 283° 23.4 43
* red - uhf WFDC-DT 14.1 TFA ARLINGTON VA 329° 15.3 15
* red - uhf WTTG-DT 5.1 FOX WASHINGTON DC 332° 16.2 36
* red - uhf WRC-DT 4.1 NBC WASHINGTON DC 329° 15.3 48
* red - uhf WNVT-DT 30.1 IND GOLDVEIN VA 262° 31.0 30
* red - uhf WHUT-DT 33 PBS WASHINGTON DC TBD 331° 15.8 33
* red - uhf WMPT-DT 22.1 PBS ANNAPOLIS MD 54° 22.4 42
* red - uhf WJLA-DT 7.1 ABC WASHINGTON DC 331° 15.8 39
* red - uhf WBDC-DT 50.1 WB WASHINGTON DC 342° 14.9 51
* blue - uhf WETA-DT 26.1 PBS WASHINGTON DC 313° 15.2 27
* blue - uhf WDCA-DT 20.1 UPN WASHINGTON DC 331° 15.8 35
* blue - uhf WNVC-DT 57.1 IND FAIRFAX VA 302° 19.0 57
* violet - uhf WNUV-DT 54.1 WB BALTIMORE MD 29° 41.0 40
* violet - uhf WJZ-DT 13.1 CBS BALTIMORE MD 29° 40.9 38

Since yours have a Broad Direction difference, a 4228 with a Rotor Should work great for you. An Indoor would be a hassle trying to get it tuned for the Diffrent Locations.


http://www.warrenelectronics.com/antennas/4228.htm

http://www.warrenelectronics.com/antennas/u106.htm

 

[snaggerbob]

I use the channel master 4228 with a rotor and have had success. All your stations are uhf so the 4228 should work well. It is a fairly large antenna.

 

[blkbone33]

still trying to get this worked out!!!!

ok, i put up a channel master antenna and most channels are coming in great, esp. the big 4 and some pbs channels... but i still cannot get my upn channel (channel 20, frequency 35) this channel is at the same place as most of the other major channels. will adding a pre-amp or signal booster help? or am i just out of luck. i can get that same channel in my kitchen with an 8-inch tv with the antenna that came with it!

 

[snaggerbob]

I have trouble with my UPN too. I think it's broadcast at a lesser power. A pre-amp helped some but it's still hit and miss with UPN.

 

[blkbone33]

can anyone suggest a good, not too expensive, pre-amp which might help my cause???

 

[BrettTRay]

dougruss is right. I would get the 4228 or 4248 and a rotor. I've never heard someone say that they wish they hadn't got a higher gain antenna. When you put up a high gain antenna, preamp, rotor, and stuff like that you will become addicted to OTA. I love moving my antenna over to other DMA's and getting other channels.

 

[snaggerbob]

I'd go with the channelmaster 7777 or 7778. One is uhf only...not sure which.

 

[bsr2002]

Ditto, 4228 with a Rotor

 

[oljim]

CM 7775 is UHF the 7777 is Both and has input for UHF and VHF

 

[SeanK97]

Caution, NEWBIE question ahead!

I just received our vip211 HD box from DishNetwork to join our new Sony 34" hi-def wide-screen. (upgraded from 20" RCA 14 years old, yee ha!) I have successfully installed the diplexers and have pulled in a few stations from 30-40 miles north with whatever antenna/rotor is currently on my roof.

We live roughly 25-30 miles south of Lansing Michigan and about 55 miles west of Detroit, I need to replace a frozen/burned out 16 year old rotor and antenna to get the stations from Detroit/Toledo/Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, I could sure use some advice on the appropriate stuff to talk my wife in to letting me buy. (the wife comment was a hint that it can't be too expensive on our limited budget)

I have poked around reading the various posts here and having printed out and viewed the listings and color chart attached to the antennaweb.com site and I have to conclude that I am totally confused. I have a 20-30 foot tower hanging on the south side of our home with a very siezed Alliance rotor and a slightly bent UHF?VHF antenna mounted on it. I have it almost pointed north, (a few degrees to the west according to my handy Cub-Scout compass) and I actually pull in the major networks from Lansing (sans PBS) with an average strength at 70-77 points. (looks great too) So bottom line is this, can I use the existing antenna since it already appears to pull in the 30-40 mile away stations or do I get something bigger/better? And, what can I replace it with and should it have an amplifier added to it? I am curious also to know if an amplifier on the tower needs a power supply to it or does it get power thru osmosis? I have a Winegard DA-1118 amplifier currently attached to the antenna coax in the basement. Not sure if it is helping or hurting my reception as it only pulls (40-100mhz) but it does work and I left it in the circuit. Should I unplug/bypass it to help the signal out?

Thanks folks and I hope I have provided adequate information here,and if any of you good folks here could help me out I would be quite greatful.

Sean

 

[charper1]

For applications over 40 miles I prefer:

Winegard PR 9032

Winegard PR 9085p

Winegard PR 9095p

Channel Master CM 4248