Looking at maybe upgrading antenna

[classic cartoon fan]

Hello everyone!
It has been awhile. I have gone cable and satellite free and now stream and utilize over the air channels. I now live in the Raleigh, NC area. I have the antenna approx 35' (the
Winegard 2-Bay Bowtie UHF and High Band VHF TV Antenna (HD-1080) ).
I pick up the Raleigh stations great, but I don't know if this little antenna is good enough for WITN (7.1) out of Greenville. I like to watch Svengoolie (METV) at 10 (WRAZ 50.2 doesn't start till 11 and they play Durham Bulls games a lot). I pick up 7.1 good most of the time (mostly night), but not all the time. At the time, this is what antenna I had on hand. I'm looking to see if it's worth just sticking with this antenna or upgrading to something bigger. I posted my tvfool report.
Thanks.

 

[classic cartoon fan]

BTW, I have a 75' cable run to a 4way splitter. I have tried the winegard LNA 200 (again had it on hand) and it overloaded 11.1 (VHF high)

 

[Jim5506]

Your 4 way splitter is only delivering 25% of the antenna signal to each receiver, if you bypass the splitter is the signal stable?

If the configuration stays the same you might consider a 4 or 8 bay cat-whiskers antenna.

 

[classic cartoon fan]

Your 4 way splitter is only delivering 25% of the antenna signal to each receiver, if you bypass the splitter is the signal stable?

If the configuration stays the same you might consider a 4 or 8 bay cat-whiskers antenna.

Okay, so I disconnected from the 4 way splitter and connected the 75' antenna cable to only one TV (that's at least another 25' minimum). 7.1 is in and out, certainly not watchable, but is there here and there. I did this with no pre-amp and it is all RG-6 cable between 1800 and 1830hrs EDT. Last night we were watching 7.3 for almost 2hrs (it finally dropped out) through the 4-way and with a pre-amp using the Winegard antenna.

 

[classic cartoon fan]

I haven't been on here in awhile and I'm sorry I have not. I was reading through the forums and read a little on the ATSC 3.0 somewhat in the process. I hope I don't have to re-do everything in a couple years...lol.

 

[Wescopc]

Do you have the antenna on a rotator? Station 7.1 is 77 degrees from Station 50.2.

 

[boba]

Okay, so I disconnected from the 4 way splitter and connected the 75' antenna cable to only one TV (that's at least another 25' minimum). 7.1 is in and out, certainly not watchable, but is there here and there. I did this with no pre-amp and it is all RG-6 cable between 1800 and 1830hrs EDT. Last night we were watching 7.3 for almost 2hrs (it finally dropped out) through the 4-way and with a pre-amp using the Winegard antenna.

You may have co-channel interference, when you removed the 4 way splitter you increased the signal strength and increased the signal of any interference.

 

[boba]

Hello everyone!
It has been awhile. I have gone cable and satellite free and now stream and utilize over the air channels. I now live in the Raleigh, NC area. I have the antenna approx 35' (the
Winegard 2-Bay Bowtie UHF and High Band VHF TV Antenna (HD-1080) ).
I pick up the Raleigh stations great, but I don't know if this little antenna is good enough for WITN (7.1) out of Greenville. I like to watch Svengoolie (METV) at 10 (WRAZ 50.2 doesn't start till 11 and they play Durham Bulls games a lot). I pick up 7.1 good most of the time (mostly night), but not all the time. At the time, this is what antenna I had on hand. I'm looking to see if it's worth just sticking with this antenna or upgrading to something bigger. I posted my tvfool report.
Thanks.

Do you have a model# on the TV antenna? Are they 2 separate antennas?

 

[Claude Greiner]

Does anyone know how to combine 2 antennas?

I got 1 antenna that gets the detroit stations Just fine, but u want to get the Canadian stations also which are in the opposite direction.

Any suggestions?

I was thinking of using 2 antennas

 

[classic cartoon fan]

Do you have a model# on the TV antenna? Are they 2 separate antennas?

One antenna. Solid signal website just says HD-1080.

I attached a photo of it

 

[classic cartoon fan]

Do you have the antenna on a rotator? Station 7.1 is 77 degrees from Station 50.2.

I do have a rotator

 

[primestar31]

Does anyone know how to combine 2 antennas?

I got 1 antenna that gets the detroit stations Just fine, but u want to get the Canadian stations also which are in the opposite direction.

Any suggestions?

I was thinking of using 2 antennas

Claude, there are ways, (one antenna into one side of a regular old 2-way splitter, other antenna into the other side. However, it's basically magic that only works in certain instances, as they typically cancel each other out) but they almost never work right. Here's five that DO work:

1: An antenna rotator. You can still buy these.

2: One antenna into a Tivo or one of those $39 OTA dvr. Then the other antenna directly into your TV tuner.

3: Old school A-B switch with two coaxes coming down from the two antennas. Radio Shack sold a nice remote control A-B box, and you can still find them on Ebay.

4: similar to #2 above: One antenna cable into your tv set, and the other antenna cable into one of those DLNA network tuners you plug into your router.

5: A Jointenna device (real rare now, but there is a guy in Slovakia I found a couple years ago that sells his version, and they work great. See thread linked below) used on the second antenna, that's tuned to a single main channel that you want, and that combines with the "ALL channel antenna" (your Detroit one) and comes down to your devices on a single coax. The great jointenna exchange - AVS Forum | Home Theater Discussions And Reviews

 

[boba]

Do you have the antenna on a rotator? Station 7.1 is 77 degrees from Station 50.2.

Are you turning the rotator to get 7.1 at 77 degrees from the main stations you are possibly hitting a null on the Winegard. Thanks for the picture of the HD-1080 it confirms the fact I have 2 of those and for a small antenna they are great. At 68.6 mi. from the broadcaster you are pushing that antenna, I thought I was doing good at 63 miles from my broadcasters.

 

[classic cartoon fan]

Are you turning the rotator to get 7.1 at 77 degrees from the main stations you are possibly hitting a null on the Winegard. Thanks for the picture of the HD-1080 it confirms the fact I have 2 of those and for a small antenna they are great. At 68.6 mi. from the broadcaster you are pushing that antenna, I thought I was doing good at 63 miles from my broadcasters.

Yeah, I turn it toward 7.1. I think that little antenna works great myself. I have to say I was surprised it was doing what it was doing that far out. Would you recommend a pre-amp? Or am I to close to other broadcasters?

 

[boba]

Okay, so I disconnected from the 4 way splitter and connected the 75' antenna cable to only one TV (that's at least another 25' minimum). 7.1 is in and out, certainly not watchable, but is there here and there. I did this with no pre-amp and it is all RG-6 cable between 1800 and 1830hrs EDT. Last night we were watching 7.3 for almost 2hrs (it finally dropped out) through the 4-way and with a pre-amp using the Winegard antenna.

Without the LNA 200 pre amp. 7.1 was digitizing? That pretty much indicates the antenna signal is too weak. You need both VHF and UHF reception so the suggestion is to get a larger antenna. Seeing you like Winegard try HD7694P it is much larger for the VHF section but will probably work for you.

A preamp will probably kill your local stations with too much signal.

 

[classic cartoon fan]

Without the LNA 200 pre amp. 7.1 was digitizing? That pretty much indicates the antenna signal is too weak. You need both VHF and UHF reception so the suggestion is to get a larger antenna.

Yeah, it was digitizing. I tried it this morning (I re hooked up the 4 way last night) and it was digitizing with no pre amp and after the 4 way. Any recommendations for an antenna. Or is it worth doing?

 

[primestar31]

This should work for you. Or, you can go to mcmelectronics.com, and they have good cheap antennas to choose from.

Winegard Freevision Outdoor HDTV Antenna-FVHD30H - The Home Depot

 

[boba]

If you don't mind playing there are 8 reflectors on the back of that antenna, fold 4 up and 4 down so they no longer block signal from the back side of the antenna. Aim the antenna at 7.1(CH32) and see how good/bad the Raleigh stations come in. Play with the positioning to see if there is a sweet spot where they all are acceptable.

 

[boba]

This should work for you. Or, you can go to mcmelectronics.com, and they have good cheap antennas to choose from.

Winegard Freevision Outdoor HDTV Antenna-FVHD30H - The Home Depot

That is basically the same antenna he has with even less range.

 

[harshness]

I was reading through the forums and read a little on the ATSC 3.0 somewhat in the process. I hope I don't have to re-do everything in a couple years...lol.

Much more important than ATSC 3.0 will be the channel "repack" that will move many channels down in frequency (and more than a few up). Where RF51 is the current high end, the top will be moved down to RF36. Bay antennas will likely become either part of a solution or extinct for those with lots of channels. Where ATSC 3.0 channels are added to the mix isn't really clear yet.

In the case of WITN (Washington), it is RF32 and well within your antenna's wheelhouse. WITN will be moving to RF34 as part of the repack so I wouldn't expect much change.

When making antenna decisions, it is important to consider the RF frequency rather than the channel number as it determines which antenna will work.