Need help making sense of tvfool

I am so glad I found this site. We came from Austin to the country, set up our box, and received nothing. We went to Radio Shack, and they said we needed antenna. I found the tvfool site, entered our zip (37160), and it looks like we might be able to get 6 channels (we are 60 miles from any signal: TV Fool). But I was wondering if anyone could help:


- We live in a tree filled valley. We have a RCA Digital to Analog Converter Box - Model STB7766G1. We rabbit ears on the TV, but need something else. Can you advise on which model antenna (or do we need another converter box as well)? Also, can't get into major town that often. Is there somewhere to order online?

- I noticed that some of the signals seem to line up in one direction, but some are in the other direction. Will you get the other signals if you point it to the one direction?

- TV is on internal wall. Will we need to run a cord to it if the antenna is outside?



Thank you for your help!1
Jennee

Yeah, those bunny ears probably aren't going to do it with no LOS and broadcast towers 60 miles out. Have you connected the converter yet? and tried the bunny ears with it? Just curious.

60 miles out, no line of sight and just rabbit ears, will not work for digital. You will need to go outdoors. If you have stations in multiple directions that you want to get you'll need a rotator.

Multi-directional antenna - picks up signals in all directions

cowboys deep fringe prescription, 91-xg antennas direct wineguard 4800 pre amp tilt antenna to 15 degrees and mount at 25 ft should allow you to shoot over what ever is blocking you. all can be had from solidsignal.com

Originally Posted by Jennee

I am so glad I found this site. We came from Austin to the country, set up our box, and received nothing. We went to Radio Shack, and they said we needed antenna. I found the tvfool site, entered our zip (37160), and it looks like we might be able to get 6 channels (we are 60 miles from any signal: TV Fool). But I was wondering if anyone could help:


- We live in a tree filled valley. We have a RCA Digital to Analog Converter Box - Model STB7766G1. We rabbit ears on the TV, but need something else. Can you advise on which model antenna (or do we need another converter box as well)? Also, can't get into major town that often. Is there somewhere to order online?

- I noticed that some of the signals seem to line up in one direction, but some are in the other direction. Will you get the other signals if you point it to the one direction?

- TV is on internal wall. Will we need to run a cord to it if the antenna is outside?

Thank you for your help!1
Jennee

First off forget radio shack, they make a couple of good antennas, but not the ones you need.

You didn't put in an antenna height so TVFool defaults to the FCC standard of 30 ft on your end. One a mast that is up there, which would need guys wires.

The only thing you have a hope for is the stuff at 192 degrees and the CW network 240 degrees. You will have to move the antenna somehow to pick up that CW as any antenna with enough gain, to pick up the other stations will not be able to see the other station without moving it, which is called beam width.

Your signals are so weak and there is no VHF even possible on the TVFool report.

I don't know how well it would work, but if you mounted a pair of XG91 side by side, that might pull in those channels at 192 degrees.

Here are some sites if nothing else what two XG-91's look like stacked

This is a review of the below links
http://www.bobmerritt.com/dtv/dtv.htm

The stacking kit
Dual Antenna Boom

Then you need a phasing harness
Antenna Phasing Harnesses and Signal Combiners

Plus the two antennas
Antennas Direct 91XG UHF Antenna (91XG) | 91XG [Antennas Direct]

And an amp like the CM7777
Channel Master CM 7777 Titan2 VHF/UHF Preamplifier with Power Supply (CM7777) | CM7777 [Channel Master]

If you want to turn it you need a rotor also. And a good one as a pair of XG-91s will be very touchy to aim.

Wow! Thanks for all the info. We will look into all these options. Looks like we have a long road ahead of us.. oh, and BTW we never got anything on the rabbit ears of course.

Thanks again, Jennee

Originally Posted by Jennee

Wow! Thanks for all the info. We will look into all these options. Looks like we have a long road ahead of us.. oh, and BTW we never got anything on the rabbit ears of course.

Thanks again, Jennee

Jennee, what I threw at you is really a very advanced fancy (read that expensive) OTA system.

There really isn't any guarantee it's going to work either, since you are a long way from the transmitters.

But you really are one of those sites that begs a 50 foot triangular tower, with stacked antennas at the top to hope at all.

If you need any more help, keep posting. If nothing else you can read and learn a little bit about radio waves.