Pre amp with two inputs/best way combind two antennas?

[ken2400]

Looking for an amp with two inputs or what the best way to combind two antennas?
I need to combind two antennas because of station directions.

Thanks

 

[Kraven]

Best bet is to use a A/B switch. 2nd option is to use a splitter but in reverse (expect some signal loss though)

Cheers, K

 

[boba]

What type of signals are you combining a UVSJ is the best method for adding VHF to a UHF antenna but it won't work for combining UHF from different directions.

 

[TheKrell]

The issue with joining antennas is that some stations will be picked up by both antennas, and a simple splitter/combiner can cause destructive interference. It doesn't hurt to try. But if you lose more channels than you gain, then a Jointenna is in order.

 

[Jim5506]

A simple splitter/combiner actually radiates 1/2 of antenna A's signal out on antenna B and 1/2 of antenna B's signal out of antenna A, so you gain nothing unless your signals are strong, and in that case, one antenna might work anyway.

 

[Kraven]

Your TVFOOL results would help. Have you considered using a bi-directional antenna?

Cheers, K

 

[ken2400]

Thanks for all the feedback.
The antenna is a db8 and is up.
I need to get the owner to move it a bit.
Can get most except real channels 15 and 29. They are like 180 apart so I think I MIGHT get 29 if the antenna get move a bit more from the backlobe.

I like the one antenna idea. I think if I add a pre-amp to the one antenna that might do it to?

 

[sergei]

Since you appear to not own the antenna from your last posting have you checked to find out just how much the owner will allow you to do?

 

[boba]

You could also try an amplifier like a Pico/Macom TA36 on the line going to your TV. It will amplify the signal you are getting and any noise that is in the line but it may be better than nothing.

 

[ken2400]

True BUT the I got the neighbor to buy two. One for him and a friend.
The neighbor put one up and is letting me play with other until the his friend needs it.

So with that said ALL the antennas I am talking about are
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...hdtv-tv-bowtie-antenna-(db8)&sku=853748001088

antennas direct db8

I am a little bummed that the antenna has so much plastic on it. I know it used for isolation BUT am wonder about sun and plastic breakdown

So all in all what pre-amp should I get?
I might use two splitter with the longest run about 75'
The neighbor will go direct with 50' of cable.
The last guy will split three times and longest run is 75'


Thanks.

Since you appear to not own the antenna from your last posting have you checked to find out just how much the owner will allow you to do?

 

[Bob2011]

Are you really at the top of the hill next to the transmitters or was that the default TVfool plot for 13502? My guess is that you are down the hill in Utica where the ION station is a little more challenging.

 

[ken2400]

North of Utica and can see some of it from about 100 yards away.
The neighbor ordered a Antennas Direct PA-18 amp.
So I get to see how that works out.

 

[Larry1]

if your signals are strong, you can remove the reflector to get the signals from both front and back, but you will loose about 3db of signal. (have not looked at your tvfool report so this might not be benificial)

 

[Mitch Dickson]

Lowe's sells a rotator for less than 70 bucks. Best to use one antenna and reposition it that try to hook up two antennas pointing in different directions.

Understand that digital signals are not like analog although they both take up about 7mhz bandwidth. Digital signals have 7 holes or blank spots embeded in the signal (it's easy to see on a cheap $75,000 spectrum analyzer LOL) These must line up exactly or the decoder will "brickwall" on you. That second antenna will fill up those necessary holes with out of phase noise and you will have more problems than a constipated mathamatician