jwyates

I did a tvfool report.
TV Fool

I'm currently getting 3.1, 3.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 18.1

3.2, 6.2, 7.2, 7.3 are not listed with tvfool

I'm currently using a setup of: rabbit ears outdoors setup with the rabbit ears meshed between two sides of a wire dog house. I also have a tv amplifier 10db in the house that plugs into the wall. Surprisingly I was able to pick up the channels above. The rabbit ears are about two feet off the ground with this setup.

From looking at tvfool I feel like I should be getting at least one or two more stations with this setup. I'm now wanting to put up an antenna on a pole about 20-30 ft from the ground. What would be the best way to go to pick up the most possible channels? I'm looking at $300 to $500 in budget with doing the work myself.

Also is there anything I can do for the short term to pick up any more stations or get better reception with my current setup?

Don_M

• A Winegard HD-7698P antenna
• A channel Master 9521A rotor
• If the antenna will be wired to more than one TV, or there will be a very long (> 75 feet) downlead to a single TV, a Channel Master Titan 7777 amplifier
• Masting, mounts, grounding line, RG-6 coaxial cable, etc.

This should fall somewhere toward the center of your budget.

If you haven't done anything like this before, check out the online guide Erecting a TV Antenna for a pretty good look at what needs to be considered. It does get pretty technical, but the author set it up so that the reader can skip past the geeky parts and still benefit from it.

Not really. You're already doing far better than most of us would expect with those signals, which are middling (ABC) to kind of weak (NBC).

BTW, TVFool doesn't list x.2s and x.3s because they're "subchannels" contained within the same broadcast as the x.1 main channels. The data for the subchannels would be exactly the same as the listed broadcast, so they'd only clutter up the list.

Tim58hsv

Just want to add you can get 54" sections of antenna mast at Lowes for around $6 or $7.

jwyates

Wanted to say thanks for the help it's greatly appreciated.

If I went this route would I pick up many more stations than I am now?

Also, I'm sort of confused because I pick up the NBC station better than I do ABC but according to tvfool I should be picking up ABC better? Maybe it has to do with the direction I have the antenna positioned?

I'm surprised at how well I'm picking up the stations as well. Especially considering that the antenna is about two to three feet off the ground and pointed towards all of the trees in my backyard. I'm assuming that the dog cage type thing that I have the rabbit ears positioned into has a lot if not everything to do with me getting the reception that I am. I have the dog cage folded up and positioned in a V shape with the rabbit ear antenna between the V and the rabbit ears holding it up between the V. If that makes any sense.

I wasn't able to pick up any stations at all with the rabbit ears inside the house so I was REALLY surprised that I picked anything up outdoors.

I was looking at something like this:
AntennaCraft U8000 8 Bay UHF Antenna HDTV Bow Tie Reviews

Is this something that I shouldn't consider and go ahead with the Winegard HD-7698P that was mentioned?

Piggie

If you are having that good of reception on rabbit ears outside at 2 feet, the U8000 will probably receive the same four channels you are now receiving. It's not a VHF antenna. It won't pull in the other channels you seek that are VHF such as KXXI on 12.1, it's just too far. While a U8000 has VHF reception, it limited to suburban coverage, and other rare situations where there is little noise or obstructions.

If you want the biggest baddest antenna on the market for ch 7-51, it's the 7698P

Don_M

TVFool reports list stations from strongest to weakest. If you use an HD-7698 antenna mounted high above the roof and on a rotor -- signals in your area arrive in a wide arc, from almost due east to due west -- you should get everything down to at least CBS affiliate KXII, and maybe two or three of the translator stations just below channel 12. As Piggie mentioned, the CBS and ABC affiliates won't be receivable on a UHF antenna such as the U-8000.

This probably has more to do with the "rabbit ears meshed between two sides of a wire dog house" than with how it's aimed. Sounds like the wire mesh is part of the antenna. There's no way to predict what characteristics such an antenna might have, so that's how a weaker station might be easier to receive than a stronger one. For another thing, ABC is a VHF broadcast, while NBC is UHF, so it's reasonable to suspect that your current antenna is better at pulling down UHF signals.

Tim58hsv

I'd go with the U8000 since I've had tremendous luck using bowtie antennas in my attic to pick up both VHF and UHF channels. You're six miles further from that VHF station than I am from the two Cincinnati VHF stations but the NM's are about the same. There's that and the fact that you already pick up VHF with rabbit ears which are basically on the ground so yea, I'm confident that the U8000 will do the job and do it much better.

So here's what I believe you should do,

1. Get the U8000 antenna (Summit Source has great prices on antennas, etc.).

2. Add a Channel Master 7777 preamp, connect the U8000 to the UHF input with the internal switch set to 'combine' so as to amplify both VHF and UHF signals.

3. Add a rotor.

4. Use RG 6 coax cable and DON'T buy the cheap Phillips brand which Walmart sells. That stuff is pure garbage.

Piggie

NBC, KFDX is on Ch 28, low in the UHF spectrum (under 30) which I call the best UHF channels as far as range.

ABC, KSWO is on Ch 11 which is a high band VHF channel.

There maybe and probably are other factors, but receiving VHF DTV is a lot harder than the UHF channels.

=========

I don't think regardless of any antenna at 20 ft is going to pull in anything farther down the list than KXII (as Don says, they are listed strongest first, then weaker down the list).

I feel pretty sure is you are receiving KSWO now on rabbit ears at 2 feet and the fact it's toward to top of the VHF band where the UHF antennas tend to work better, that a U8000 will give you everything on the list down to KFDX, just counting the major network towers.

I can't agree the KXII will work on a U8000.

==============

The other question I have is you say you receive KFDX better than KSWO. Does KSWO break up? A one night test on the dog house could be misleading as some nights signals are enhanced by the weather.

If it's a cost issue, I think 7696P would suffice, but won't have the fade margins of a 7698P

jwyates

I guess I messed up. I was recieving all the same ch's this morning really well and thought I'd change the angle of the dog house antenna and see if I could pick up anything else. I was unable to do so which doesn't surprise me but I lost ABC and Fox and I'm not able to pick them up anymore. Ugh. I'm confused to why I was getting great reception on all channels and now I get pick those two up.
---------------------------------

I'm convinced to go ahead and pick up a 7698P. I'm really wanting to get the KXII and it's subchannels.
-------------------------------

I've been noticing lately antennas up around town. There are some that are WAY taller than 20ft. What is the legal restriction on how tall an antenna can be? I'm not great at estimates but I'd say there are several that are close to 50ft?
-------------------------------------------

Piggie I did notice that the ch's I am/was able to pick up came in better at night. I was avg 55-70% during the day depending on the station. At night that avg goes up to around 70-80% depending on the station.

Don_M

For almost everyone, only the city or county planning/zoning department would impose any height restrictions. Even at that, they're not really restrictions, but rather specifications for a safe structure. It's worth checking it out at the city or county building office if you're serious about going more than 12 feet above the roof peak. Any permit fee should be nominal; it usually just covers the cost of sending an inspector out to sign off on the work. The only way any other agency would get involved is if you happen to live less than a couple hundred yards from the end of a runway!

Regardless of antenna, better reception after sunset is typical in most places. The two signals you just lost may come back then.