OTA Antenna - Long

[Ron_C]

I'm sure this has been posted a thousand times, but I'm tired of searching all over the place. I'm relatively new to the HDTV scene - recently got DISH satellite (20" dish) hooked up with to an 811 HD-tuner and a 61" Samsung DLP tv. I'm interested in getting the local HD broadcasts which means I need an antenna. I do not like the idea of a gigantic antenna on the roof and I'm aware that an external antenna will get better reception than one inside the house.
The dish-mounted antennas seem like a good compromise. I've been looking at the Terk TV-44 but, depending on what review I read, it's either god's gift to television or the worst product on the planet...hence me asking here. Does anyone have any experience with that or any other dish-mount antennas? Which (if any) are recommended? I live in an area with few obstructions and am within a 35-mile range of two cities (Hartford, CT and New Haven, CT).
To satisfy my curiousity I have tried out the Terk HDTVi indoor antenna. It actually worked OK - picked up 4 local digital channels. But, in my minimal research, it looks like the dish-mount will pick up quite a few more channels - which makes sense. Theortically, at least. Also, it'd be nice to have the antenna on the dish instead of trying to hide the indoor one.

Sorry for the long post...just wanted to get it all out there in one shot.

 

[red hazard]

Clip-Ons Perform Poorly

I'm sure this has been posted a thousand times, but I'm tired of searching all over the place. I'm relatively new to the HDTV scene - recently got DISH satellite (20" dish) hooked up with to an 811 HD-tuner and a 61" Samsung DLP tv. I'm interested in getting the local HD broadcasts which means I need an antenna. I do not like the idea of a gigantic antenna on the roof and I'm aware that an external antenna will get better reception than one inside the house.
The dish-mounted antennas seem like a good compromise. I've been looking at the Terk TV-44 but, depending on what review I read, it's either god's gift to television or the worst product on the planet...hence me asking here. Does anyone have any experience with that or any other dish-mount antennas? Which (if any) are recommended? I live in an area with few obstructions and am within a 35-mile range of two cities (Hartford, CT and New Haven, CT).
To satisfy my curiousity I have tried out the Terk HDTVi indoor antenna. It actually worked OK - picked up 4 local digital channels. But, in my minimal research, it looks like the dish-mount will pick up quite a few more channels - which makes sense. Theortically, at least. Also, it'd be nice to have the antenna on the dish instead of trying to hide the indoor one.

Sorry for the long post...just wanted to get it all out there in one shot.

The Terk TV antennas generally perform poorly; particulary the dish clip-on types. I have a Terk 55 that I don't use because 3 dollar Rabbit Ears perform better (about 25 miles from the transmitters). I have had very good performance from a Winegard GS2000 which like the Terk 44 (and 55) has a built in preamp. However, the Winegard performs. It doesn't come with a mast but you can pick up a satellite dish mount/mast from a local Dishnetwork or DirecTV dealer that will work fine for next to nothing since they have plenty of spares from ground pole installations. Also since your location is roughly between Hartford and New Haven (180 degress apart from your location), the GS2000 should be able to receive both cities. Note that your location should be at least 15 miles from the transmitters when using preamped antennas due to possible intermodulation products overload (bad).
If you want to try the Terk 44 make sure it's returnable. See http://www.starkelectronic.com/wgs2000.htm for info on the Winegard. Good luck.

 

[Ron_C]

The Terk TV antennas generally perform poorly; particulary the dish clip-on types. I have a Terk 55 that I don't use because 3 dollar Rabbit Ears perform better (about 25 miles from the transmitters). I have had very good performance from a Winegard GS2000 which like the Terk 44 (and 55) has a built in preamp. However, the Winegard performs. It doesn't come with a mast but you can pick up a satellite dish mount/mast from a local Dishnetwork or DirecTV dealer that will work fine for next to nothing since they have plenty of spares from ground pole installations. Also since your location is roughly between Hartford and New Haven (180 degress apart from your location), the GS2000 should be able to receive both cities. Note that your location should be at least 15 miles from the transmitters when using preamped antennas due to possible intermodulation products overload (bad).
If you want to try the Terk 44 make sure it's returnable. See http://www.starkelectronic.com/wgs2000.htm for info on the Winegard. Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion. As a follow-up: does the winegard require me to run additional wires from outside the house to inside, or, does it just use the existing wiring? I'm not sure I'm confortable drilling a hole in the side of my house!

 

[red hazard]

Thanks for the suggestion. As a follow-up: does the winegard require me to run additional wires from outside the house to inside, or, does it just use the existing wiring? I'm not sure I'm confortable drilling a hole in the side of my house!

Yes it will require a new cable run to the antenna and also requires the power supply to be plugged in to an AC outlet (inside). The amplified output then would go to a splitter input (you would need to purchase the splitter for distribution to more than one TV). The outputs of the splitter would go into either diplexers (also purchased separately) to share the coax runs to your receivers or you could make new coax runs to each receiver from the splitter and not need diplexers.
It would be a lot easier to use the Terk TV44 since it has built in diplexers and it's preamp is also parasitically powered from the satellite receiver(s) and not a separate power supply. It also would be easy to do with the short coax cables Terk provides (Diplexers allow your LNB and TV signals to be combined on a single coax cable).

Again, make sure you can return the Terk TV44. I have doubts you will be able to get satisfactory signals from New Haven.

 

[korsjs]

I have a Terk 55 that I don't use because 3 dollar Rabbit Ears perform better (about 25 miles from the transmitters). .

I thought I was the only one that used the rabbit ears. I have been telling people to give it a try. I was foolish enough to drop the big bucks on the Terk as well. For kicks, I hooked up some old rabbit ears and they outperform the Terk by far.

 

[Ron_C]

Yes it will require a new cable run to the antenna and also requires the power supply to be plugged in to an AC outlet (inside). The amplified output then would go to a splitter input (you would need to purchase the splitter for distribution to more than one TV). The outputs of the splitter would go into either diplexers (also purchased separately) to share the coax runs to your receivers or you could make new coax runs to each receiver from the splitter and not need diplexers.
It would be a lot easier to use the Terk TV44 since it has built in diplexers and it's preamp is also parasitically powered from the satellite receiver(s) and not a separate power supply. It also would be easy to do with the short coax cables Terk provides (Diplexers allow your LNB and TV signals to be combined on a single coax cable).

Again, make sure you can return the Terk TV44. I have doubts you will be able to get satisfactory signals from New Haven.

Ok, I have the cables from my old cable TV installation running from the outside of the house to the inside. Can I just run a cable from the OTA antenna to the now-unused cable that's already going into the house using a connector? This now-unused cable goes into the house and right into a distribution block that runs to every room in the house. I could just hook up the OTA input and the two outputs that correspond to the two 811 tuners and be done with it. That would save me the need to drill - and I could probably use the same entry point for the power adapter. I know normal cable tv cable is not good for satellite broadcasts, but is it OK for OTA digital signal? Does this idea sound feasible?

 

[mallu2u]

Try a Radio Shack 15-2160 antenna or a CM 4221 or 4228 Antenna. If the distance from the towers is not over 50 miles, the first two shall be quite good and cheap. Both under $25.

 

[red hazard]

It's Feasible

Ok, I have the cables from my old cable TV installation running from the outside of the house to the inside. Can I just run a cable from the OTA antenna to the now-unused cable that's already going into the house using a connector? This now-unused cable goes into the house and right into a distribution block that runs to every room in the house. I could just hook up the OTA input and the two outputs that correspond to the two 811 tuners and be done with it. That would save me the need to drill - and I could probably use the same entry point for the power adapter. I know normal cable tv cable is not good for satellite broadcasts, but is it OK for OTA digital signal? Does this idea sound feasible?

Yes that is most likely RG59 which is fine for OTA TV which is below 1000Mhz and therefore does not require RG6 that satellite installs require. Be carefull of advice that is not researched or empirically proven. The advice above for the CM and RS antennas is questionable. Two of the digital TV stations in your area are VHF (WTXX-UPN Chan 12 and WTNH-ABC channel 10). The antennas above are UHF only. The GS-2000 receives both VHF and UHF and if some TV transmitters are in New Haven and the others in Hartford, you will need a bi-directional antenna like the GS-2000 (as is the Terk 44). The RS & CM antennas above are unidirectional.

The power supply for the GS-2000 should be located inside in a central location with a splitter if you want to service more than one TV. The integral preamp in the antenna should compensate for the loss through a splitter (up to 4-way) and the cable run from the antenna in typical installations. Sorry about the late response but I don't have time to visit this forum every day.

 

[al]

The advice above for the CM and RS antennas is questionable. Two of the digital TV stations in your area are VHF (WTXX-UPN Chan 12 and WTNH-ABC channel 10). The antennas above are UHF only. QUOTE]

red hazard:

You can use the Channel Master UHF antennas for VHF. I am using a 4228 here at my house, along with a Winegard AP8275 preamp. It amplifies both UHF and VHF frequencies. Our CBS station is VHF channel 12. I get better signal strength on that channel now than I did with my Winegard HD8200 VHF/UHF Yagi. We have found them very reliable for VHF signals above channel 6, and do use the 4228 in these parts for off air HDTV. They do not work very well for VHF frequencies below channel 6, however. Therefore, you are correct that research should be done prior to slapping up any ole antenna.

Al

 

[Carl B]

A Winegard PR-8800, though a UHF antenna, will pull in high VHF channels (above channel 6) quite well as it has one of the best gain curves below channel 30 of any readily available UHF antennas. If your UHF channels of most interest are above channel 30, there are better choices and a Yagi style UHF antenna may be best.