Need a recommendation for an OTA antenna

[boba]

From the center of Princeton, TX, WFAA is the only full-power VHF station in earshot (about 50 miles), broadcasting on channel 8. It's also the only ABC affiliate, and in Kansas City, NBC and ABC are the only channels that have 24-hour weather subchannels. NBC has already announced that the "Action Weather" branded subchannel is being deep-sixed as soon as they can find a replacement (probably sports), so I have to pick up ABC (channel 9 here).

According to TVFool.com, though, WFAA is the same general direction (~215°) as most of the local stations, with another cluster a bit farther out and off-axis (~330°). If you're focusing a single UHF rig like a CM-4228, DB8, or even a four-bay at Fort Worth, I'd be willing to bet that you can pick up channel 8.

I think the Sensar is a mistake, as it's mostly VHF focused, and requires a $25 add-on kit to make it as useful for the OTHER 94% of TV waves reaching the OP's house.

Do you want to spend $100 on an antenna that might work on channel 8, or do you want to spend $100 on an antenna that will probably work on the other 16 channels?

Then again, my father-in-law uses a $40 4' combo antenna from Rad Shack, on a 20' pole from Rad Shack, that isn't even straight or properly tensioned, with a $20 amplifier from Rad Shack, looking across over 50 miles of meadows and ridges, and gets perfectly acceptable signals from most stations. Go figure.

It's a shame you answer questions seemingly with knowledge but make some glaring errors. TVfool shows that in the transition 6/17/09 Dallas will have VHF broadcasting on CH8/9/11 currently channels 8.1/8.2 &8.3 are on channel 9. The CM4228 is a good UHF antenna but at his range it won't work for CH9, I have one and it is combined with a Hi VHF only antenna.
The Sensar III is quite capable of UHF reception and has been used in the RV vehicle industry for about 30 years. Have you ever been in a RV and seen that little crank up TV antenna with the red power light. You guessed it an amplified Sensar antenna, no it isn't perfect but it has a lot of experience and is now on it's third generation (sensar/sensar II & sensar III).

 

[Jim5506]

I'd recommend the Winegard 7694P because your ABC, CBS and a major independent are VHF high after transition.

 

[dodge]

"Trust," no, but having VHF reception in foul weather is typically not critical. All you need is a weather report, and I'm sure there's a lot of that in UHF near Plano. I read a guy with a TWO-bay bowtie claiming that he was picking up a UHF station 60 miles away...on the back side.

Living in Kansas City, where we've been pommeled by 35 MPH straighline winds with 45-plus MPH gusts in the last 36 hours (last Spring we had a storm with winds over 80 MPH), having a low wind profile and being durable is really important to me. Nothing's going to survive a tornado, but I don't want to replace the antenna every year, either. That's why I like bowties.

the winegard will work fine, my parents live out in the country and they have a 30 yr old plus winegard up on a 30 ft tower. that antenna still has all the elements and still performs well, dads neighbor wen thru 2 radio shack antennas that lost elements all the time before he got a winegard they will stand up to everything.

 

[CowboyDren]

It's a shame you answer questions seemingly with knowledge but make some glaring errors.

You're right; I missed something. I tend to ignore everything over 50 miles, and I just missed the CBS on channel 11 altogether. All apologies, no excuses.

The Sensar III is quite capable of UHF reception and has been used in the RV vehicle industry for about 30 years...t has a lot of experience and is now on it's third generation (sensar/sensar II & sensar III).

I think my main problem with the Sensar is that it's not optimized for residential use. Not that you can't, by any means, but it's been specialized and revised for RV use, which has a specific set of goals and limitations. The fact that the Wingman exists is an admission on their part that the Sensar isn't a true broad-band solution...by itself.

A Sensar-III (GS-2200) with a Wingman is an $85 from SolidSignal.com. For the same money, I'd bet money that a Winegard HD7000R (not a top end antenna) with a Channelmaster Spartan 3 preamp (again, not the best) should outperform it. I'd almost bet that the Spartan 3 isn't necessary to outperform the Sensar, even with the included amp. I don't like big multi-element antennas, but you see my point.

At this stage in the game, I think that Neutron would be wise to drop $35 on a CM4221, stand it up on a paper towel dispenser, and see what happens. God knows I've spent a LOT more than that experimenting, only to learn that a $13 Chinese-made bowtie antenna is all the best antenna I've ever plugged in to my own TV.

 

[Voyager6]

Another low-cost solution would be to build your own Gray-Hoverman antenna. http://www.satelliteguys.us/hd-over-air-ota/156778-gray-hoverman-homemade-antenna.html

 

[Paradox-SJ]

My CM4228 picks up VHF HI channels 7 and 12 at a distance of 45 miles very well... I dont know about any others channels in between...