VHF Lo Reception on VHF-Hi/UHF Designed Antennas

[andy_horton]

WHDF (CW-Huntsville) is the station I'm talking about. If I lose the station, it's no big deal because it's only a small fraction of my TV viewing anyway. I live in Southern TN and can receive the main stations in Huntsville AL via a set of rabbit ears (if I chose to), but I have the 4228 to point towards Nashville to pick up a few distant stations from there. With it pointed towards Nashville, I can still pick up 90% signal on Huntsville on the backside.

I've read about the numerous things that can affect reception on RF 2. I read an account once of an individual that couldn't receive a channel on that frequency due to a dirty power line filter outside their home.

TNGuy84, by just pure chance, depending on where you are WFLI 53DT CW (Real 42) serves about to Scottsboro also reaches Fort Payne barely...with the repack, I believe all major Chattanooga majors broadcast from Signal Mountain TN..WFLI when the repack occurs is changing. Many viewpoints on frequency changes..all I know is when WDSI moved and dropped to RF 14, I went from barely getting it to mid 80's on my tuner split as well..without looking at power changes or whatever, was just wondering if that station is a possibility..It's licensed to Cleveland/Chattanooga but most major stations are within a few degrees of each other on Signal Mountain. Just an idea

 

[TNGuy84]

According to the FCC's website, the signal stops about 40 miles away from me, so it's probably not likely to work. I'm able to receive the Nashville CW affiliate, so I'm fine with that. Thanks for the help, though.

 

[Wireless Engineer]

There are no short cuts or free lunch when it comes to antennas.
The elements MUST be long enough to be a resonant length at the frequency needed.
This means you need a 9 foot wide dipole to get channel 2
or a 6 foot wide one to get channel 6.
A folded dipole will allow these lengths to shrink a bit but you will still need a 5.5 foot folded dipole for channel 6.
Trying to use a 32 inch wide vhf high antenna will never produce results
unless you can literally see the transmitter.

 

[5Rounds]

I had an old RS VHF/UHF antenna that broke, and I kept the Channel 2 elements. Sure enough, they’re 48” on each side, so a dipole is 96”. I mounted them side by side on my deck, and it worked really well on VHF and FM, obviously. It’s decent for UHF, but not great.

 

[Comptech]

I use the Stellar Labs deep fringe VHF high antenna and our rf channel 16 went to channel rf2 and picks it up fine.

 

[knotle]

Yea i love my Stellar Labs deep fringe.

Sent from my BTV-W09 using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[comfortably_numb]

Yea i love my Stellar Labs deep fringe.

Sent from my BTV-W09 using the SatelliteGuys app!

It's an excellent antenna and reasonably priced (I think I paid $35).

 

[sktn77a]

My rule of thumb about low-VHF is this: No matter how bad you think it's going to be, it's probably going to be worse. I've been jumping up and down about this for years now, having experienced with WBRA in Roanoke that it, like other low-VHF stations I've tested, under-performs the predictions by a lot.

I live on the south side of Smith Mountain Lake and have tried EVERYTHING to get WBRA Roanoke, 30 miles due west of me (RF3). I tried an Antennas Direct Clearstream 5 - NADA! So the only thing that may get me PBS is an 8200U or the like (which isn't in the cards). I've given up on PBS and will use the C5 for ABC-WSET when it gets repacked from RF13 to RF7 in May.

 

[Trip]

I live on the south side of Smith Mountain Lake and have tried EVERYTHING to get WBRA Roanoke, 30 miles due west of me (RF3). I tried an Antennas Direct Clearstream 5 - NADA! So the only thing that may get me PBS is an 8200U or the like (which isn't in the cards). I've given up on PBS and will use the C5 for ABC-WSET when it gets repacked from RF13 to RF7 in May.

The C5 is a high-VHF antenna, not a low-VHF antenna. What else did you try?

- Trip

 

[907TECH]

Roll your own friend... Build a VHF full wave loop. I am not sure if that is enough antenna though... Copper tubing say 3/8", Channel 2 would be about 5 1/2 feet diameter. I use one for VHF high all stations in my market are VHF high, about 30 miles away I get them all with the antenna mounted in my attic, and with no reflector element. A dipole or folded dipole would be about 8.2 feet long.

 

[Ypsiguy]

Post-repack I am having good luck with the stellar labs 30-2476. It’s designed for high VHF, but it’s also doing quite well on the major stations from RF14-36 in my area.

 

[Tower Guy]

I am not aware of any smallish antennas that will work on channel 3 at that distance. That rules out both UHF only and VHF high antennas.

If you would like to try something that won’t cost much, try building a V beam for channel 3. I have built one for reception of channel 6. Mine design was 2 wavelengths on a side with a 30 degree angle, which worked on all channels; VHF low+high and UHF on the floor of my second floor condo. I fed it with a simple 300 ohm balun, even though the design impedance is 600 ohms. The attached article explains the optimum design.

https://www.qsl.net/zs1an/weekend_antennas_2.pdf

The next step for me is to place it in the rafters above my unit, but it would work even better strung from an eave to nearby trees.

 

[navychop]

I live on the south side of Smith Mountain Lake and have tried EVERYTHING to get WBRA Roanoke, 30 miles due west of me (RF3). I tried an Antennas Direct Clearstream 5 - NADA! So the only thing that may get me PBS is an 8200U or the like (which isn't in the cards). I've given up on PBS and will use the C5 for ABC-WSET when it gets repacked from RF13 to RF7 in May.

When my in-laws lived at Smith Mountain Lake, they used C band for a while. Then some mom and pop cableco. Don’t remember the name. They got OTA, including Roanoke.

 

[sktn77a]

When my in-laws lived at Smith Mountain Lake, they used C band for a while. Then some mom and pop cableco. Don’t remember the name. They got OTA, including Roanoke.

Hi there: Yes, I can get everything else (UHF, VHF-Hi) from Roanoke and Lynchburg, just not Channel 3.

As far as the C5 is concerned, yes, I know its primarily for VHF-Hi. I could go all out and get an antenna that may bring in channel 3 but that's too much effort for 1 channel on which I only watch 1 show.

 

[navychop]

Ah- channel 3. That is a problem for even some lo VHF antennas.

Good luck on alternate sourcing.


Ever go to Saunders Marina? Might not have that name quite right. Feed the fish off the dock.

And Bridgewater Plaza (I think?)? They lived near there.

 

[907TECH]

Channel 2.

 

[Gene Sky]

The headline says it all. Basically I'm seeing if anyone has ever gotten decent reception for VHF-Lo signals on an antenna designed for VHF-Hi/UHF. I know they aren't designed for frequencies that low, but I'd read somewhere that if you are within close range to the signal, then there's a chance you can receive it. I live around 32 miles from a channel that will be broadcasting on VHF Low RF 2 by next Friday. I've got a Channel Master 4228 in my current setup with a 4 output distribution amplifier (no pre-amp). Should I just pull out the rabbit ears when the station changes frequencies next Friday? I don't plan on investing in an additional outdoor antenna for one VHF-Lo channel.

wadeantenna , has hard to find Tv and FM antennas.