I'd go with Fairfax Antenna...
If you live relatively close to the city and have few obstructions to the DTV towers then you have roughly a 50/50 chance your OTA install will go well according to my OTA Poll:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=22531&highlight=OTA+Poll
However, if you are in a deep-fringe, weak signal or obstructed view area then your odds of a successful OTA install are dismal - trust me on this one! I live
55 miles from the DC towers and
51 miles from the Richmond VA towers. Because I live in an Adelphia Cable area, I had to install my very first antenna two years ago in order to receive HD on my new Mits Diamond Select. I knew almost nothing about antennas, but I researched the subject for well over a month before I felt comfortable enough to attempt installation. It took me the better part of the weekend and was quite an eye opener. I don't have too much problem walking the roof, but when you add toting around an antenna, signal meter, cable & connectors, and tools, it is quite another experience. Plus, when you don't quite know what you're doing it can be a little scary at times. I would have gladly paid Fairfax Antenna to perform the install, but they are located up in Springfield and will not do installs in my neck of the woods (too far). The local installers were few & far between and most did not have a very good reputation.
I wanting to do things right so I purchased an RF signal meter and walked the roof to find the best possible signal. Whadda ya know...I have an equally weak signal from both DC and Richmond - neg 13db. I decided to place the CM-4228 antenna on the north side of the house and point it toward DC since they had more stations at the time. Of course, I had to use a CM-7775 UHF preamp in order to hold the signal along 90 ft. of RG-6. Not only do I get the big 4 out of DC, but I also get the lower power stations as well as Baltimore stations during most evenings.
Now on to my VOOM Install:
The local cable companies provide both DC and Richmond locals. Since Richmond is the state capital and DC is the nations capital, we have lots of folks working in the both cities. The wife works down in Richmond and would not let me get Voom unless she gets their locals. Not a problem since I already have an integrated tuner in my Mits, plus we can point the Voom antenna toward Richmond and I can use one or both tuners. I am still paying $19.95 for basic cable, which has added up to $60 in the past three months.
To make a long story short, my initial install was
16 April and I am still waiting for my Voom upgraded antenna to be professionally installed. I am up to my 7th installation appointment and now dealing with my 4th install company. The Voom CSRs have been very nice and Joe Harkins has been working with me to resolve this issue. But it has been a real pain in the arse if you know what I mean! I love my VOOM service, but sometimes I just want to scream!
My dish and Voom STB were installed and operation in less than and hour. The installer knew his stuff and did an excellent job. However, he had almost zero experience with OTA and/or installing anything other than the Stealth antenna. Plus, he was a 3rd party Independent Subcontractor and didn't bring along my preauthorized antenna upgrade even though I had previously cleared it with Voom, Installs Inc., and Datalink (local install company). The installer was great and didn't complain one bit, but when I asked him about compensation I was surprised how little they were being paid by Voom/Installs Inc. The pay would be fine for just a dish install - it would be marginal for a dish and Stealth install - it would be terrible for a dish and professional OTA antenna upgrade. Basically, Voom/Installs Inc. are requiring these guys to risk life and limb for mere peanuts...and not properly training them to boot! To top it off, they are often not fully compensated for the upgraded antennas and/or compensated well after the fact.
I would have contracted Fairfax Antenna to do the install months ago if only they would work in my neck of the woods. I probably would have done the install myself if only they would drop ship the antenna, cable and connectors. Plus, until last week I was still curious to see if Voom/Installs Inc. would ever get the antenna installed.
Anyway, here are a few pics of my setup. Personally, if you can afford it then I would highly recommend calling Fairfax Antenna and the professionals take care of OTA needs. These guys know what they are doing and will provide you with years of fantastic service from what I hear.
Pic1 - My VOOM dish mounted on the south side of my home.
Pic2 - My DC antenna mounted on the north side of my home. I installed in Nov 02 and it's in the sweet spot because I place it there - Fairfax Antenna will - Voom???
Pic3 - My DC antenna (no unsightly wires and it survived a hurricane).
Pic4 - My antenna grounded to code.
Pic5 - The VOOM Richmond antenna on the south side of the house. Can you see it? Like Stevie Wonder, neither can I.
I hope this help y'all make up your collective minds! If you need professional installation go with a professional company like Fairfax Antenna, Davis Antenna (I hear good things about them as well) or Do-It-Yourself.
