Newbie needs advice on antenna.

[Counselor]

I am thinking of ditching Dish and am not quite sure which antenna I should try. It will go on the roof about 20 feet off the ground. Here is my tvfool report.




I hope the pic works. The ad on the right is blocking it a bit. The furthest station among the green and yellow channels is no more than 40 miles away. I am mainly looking for the main networks. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

-Jason

 

[jayn_j]

ABC is the tricky one. Not sure what is carried on the low power translator channels in the green. Is one of them an ABC feed? If so, you could probably get away with a modest suburban antenna in an attic and pointed SE. If not, you will need some height and a fringe antenna.

 

[Trip]

W42DR-D carries ABC from WSOC on 6-1.

- Trip

 

[Counselor]

Trip is correct. W42DR-D carries ABC.

Would a Clearstream 2v or 4v be a good idea or maybe a DB4e?

 

[FaT Air]

Heck, for just a few bucks, I'd try a Stealth Hawk DIY antenna.
(Previous thread- http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/ricmond-va-new-to-ota.339086/ )

May add an amp like a RCA TVPRAMP1R
(under 30 bucks at Menards) or a Channel Master 7778, if some fade out occasionally. Should do well on those that are green and yellow.

 

[pamajestic]

Would a Clearstream 2v or 4v be a good idea or maybe a DB4e?

I don’t think you need any VHF capacity. A cheap basic 4 bay should work. Can you post a link to your Tvfool report?

 

[harshness]

I don’t think you need any VHF capacity.

I think it is an exceedingly poor idea to advocate any UHF-only antenna solutions at this point in time. We're staring down the barrel of the repack and the likely simulcast of ATSC 3.0 (or some other virtually incompatible standard) before that happens. I this particular case all but at most three of the OP's "easy" channels will be moving down in frequency and the co-channel warnings make the table look like someone spilled the red ink.

As the OP intends to commit to cutting the cord, I submit that they need to plan ahead further than four or five years when things will surely start heating up.

 

[Counselor]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Based on the tvfool report in my first post, what do you all think about me trying an indoor antenna first? Maybe something like the Mohu Leaf 50 with amplifier?

 

[harshness]

I wouldn't mess with an amp unless the antenna alone doesn't work out. Too often people seem to "go to the whip" and install an amp up front. Unless you've got something specific in mind and are using a directional antenna, an amp may do more harm than good.

I see where the Leaf 50 antenna, their most popular model, has a built-in amplifier so little good can come from adding another.

 

[pamajestic]

I think it is an exceedingly poor idea to advocate any UHF-only antenna solutions at this point in time.

Well I disagree, there is no sense in wasting time or money on something that may never be needed. If VHF in needed in the future it can be added at that time.

As for the Leaf 50 it you just want try indoors first I would just get basic $9 loop and rabbit ears.

 

[harshness]

Well I disagree, there is no sense in wasting time or money on something that may never be needed.

Unless you're in the tiniest of markets, VHF will likely be a part of the deal. Of the 28 frequencies that are left, only 16 will be UHF and in some of the markets with close neighbors, they'll have to be shared among neighboring markets. Never may be closer than you think.

 

[jayn_j]

I have never been happy with indoor antennas with ATSC. They seem to require constant fiddling.

I am within 10 miles of my towers and an indoor leaf antenna has been an iffy proposition for me. My bedroom is on the wall of the house that faces the towers, but construction is brick. I had much better luck placing a small yagi in the attic.

 

[Counselor]

I have never been happy with indoor antennas with ATSC. They seem to require constant fiddling.

I am within 10 miles of my towers and an indoor leaf antenna has been an iffy proposition for me. My bedroom is on the wall of the house that faces the towers, but construction is brick. I had much better luck placing a small yagi in the attic.

Like you, I am worried about constant fiddling with an indoor antenna. I tried a Mohu Leaf 50 today, and it pulled in 35 channels which is pretty good for this area. However, while the major networks look fine, the signal quality for some seemed low. The CW was around 65 and ABC was around 74. CBS was best at 86. I'm thinking an outdoor would probably be best.

 

[Counselor]

I messed up in my last post. My signal quality is 100%, but the signal strength is low for most channels. The numbers in the previous post are for signal strength.

 

[Larry1]

Two Thirds of those channels are in the red, and coming from various directions. Are you expecting only the green channels or the red ones as well. For the red you should have an antenna outside, above the roof. Inside an attic will cut your signal. But first, what channels do you want to receive?

 

[Counselor]

Two Thirds of those channels are in the red, and coming from various directions. Are you expecting only the green channels or the red ones as well. For the red you should have an antenna outside, above the roof. Inside an attic will cut your signal. But first, what channels do you want to receive?

Just looking for the green ones. The main networks - CBS ABC NBC FOX and CW. I get all of those with the Mohu, but the signal strength is on the low side. Signal quality is showing as 100% for those.

Thanks!

 

[Larry1]

Just looking for the green ones. The main networks - CBS ABC NBC FOX and CW. I get all of those with the Mohu, but the signal strength is on the low side. Signal quality is showing as 100% for those.

Thanks!

Signal quality is a factor of the error rate. As long as the quality is 100%, a stronger signal will make no difference. However, as the seasons change, the signal can decrease and the quality can drop. If you want to try for a higher signal strength, you can try extending the cable from the antenna to the tv to see if moving it to different locations helps. Generally, higher has less obstructions to the signal which equates to stronger signal, however, not always.

 

[Counselor]

Signal quality is a factor of the error rate. As long as the quality is 100%, a stronger signal will make no difference. However, as the seasons change, the signal can decrease and the quality can drop. If you want to try for a higher signal strength, you can try extending the cable from the antenna to the tv to see if moving it to different locations helps. Generally, higher has less obstructions to the signal which equates to stronger signal, however, not always.

Thank you for the info!

 

[harshness]

The RCA ANT702F seems to get some fairly good reviews and it is relatively inexpensive if you shop a little. I think it was designed to mount to a pizza dish mast but It may mount to a vent pipe.

I haven't tried one myself, and they often get comments about being flimsy so they probably wouldn't work all that well in a wind/ice climate but for the price, it seems to be a good way to get into a full-range omni-directional antenna that claims to be outdoor compatible.