Cut the cord need help with anetnna

[henchman007]

Ok here is my TV Fool report

TV Fool

I was set on a basic rotating McDruory antenna on Amazon with great reviews until I read that my channel 13 (CBS) VHF might not be received, so now I do not know what to do.

Things I was considering, thoughts?


This one great might get my VHF but not sure about others

https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-H...6Y/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=



The one I was going to get until reading into VHF deal

https://www.amazon.com/McDuory-Ampl...id=1535811431&sr=8-1&keywords=mcduory+antenna


Not sure if I could use this pre amp but thought about it

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-LNA..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=8R8BJH2SKNF99R0VHFET

 

[Triride44]

Hello Hinchman007

I'm in South Point and think I can help you. After trying serval indoor antennas I moved to a roof insulation, and a Winegard HD7694p. Now I get most of the local OTA broadcast. Also using a distribution amp to feed 4 TVs.

Buy the way the TVfool report is missing several stations like WSAZ(NBC) RF23, WCHS(ABC)RF41. Also WOUB Portsmouth went dark last October. The signal from Poka WV for WLPX is weak and hard to receive during the Summer, after the Trees loose their leaves its easy.

 

[henchman007]

Hello Hinchman007

I'm in South Point and think I can help you. After trying serval indoor antennas I moved to a roof insulation, and a Winegard HD7694p. Now I get most of the local OTA broadcast. Also using a distribution amp to feed 4 TVs.

Buy the way the TVfool report is missing several stations like WSAZ(NBC) RF23, WCHS(ABC)RF41. Also WOUB Portsmouth went dark last October. The signal from Poka WV for WLPX is weak and hard to receive during the Summer, after the Trees loose their leaves its easy.

Thanks! Do you get the VHF CH. 13 alright?

Which antenna do you have and did you ever try a flat window antenna?

 

[Triride44]

Ch 13 yes, The Winegard HD7694p is a Hi VHF/UHF antenna. Just be sure to follow the instruction on the direction the elements are to be un-folded. The picture on the instructions is miss-leading. It does make a difference. Forget about an inside or attic antenna. The transmitters are too far away, and Ch 13 requires a longer element to receive.

 

[henchman007]

Ch 13 yes, The Winegard HD7694p is a Hi VHF/UHF antenna. Just be sure to follow the instruction on the direction the elements are to be un-folded. The picture on the instructions is miss-leading. It does make a difference. Forget about an inside or attic antenna. The transmitters are too far away, and Ch 13 requires a longer element to receive.

OK thanks. I assume you got the more expensive 65+ mile Wingard?

Did you ever try the other antennas like these below?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CHS7CP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1_1_2?smid=A1V6D9FRIAMTOA&psc=1

 

[Triride44]

No I only tried 3 different Channel Master Antennas, and a couple of generic Asian antennas. Being located in Oak Hill you may need to add a pre-amp to the antenna to help boost the signal. Most of the antennas you are looking at are made to sell world wide and are at best a comprise for the USA. Next year the channel REPACK will affect our OTA signals. It will make most of the small antennas obsolete. Channel 13 will move from RF13 to RF10. Winegard antennas are made for the USA.

 

[henchman007]

No I only tried 3 different Channel Master Antennas, and a couple of generic Asian antennas. Being located in Oak Hill you may need to add a pre-amp to the antenna to help boost the signal. Most of the antennas you are looking at are made to sell world wide and are at best a comprise for the USA. Next year the channel REPACK will affect our OTA signals. It will make most of the small antennas obsolete. Channel 13 will move from RF13 to RF10. Winegard antennas are made for the USA.

Wow so some stations might not come in at all? So are you saying the cheaper antennas will be obsolete?

Sorry for all the questions but I hate to waste money on equipment and would like to know as much as possible

 

[Triride44]

There is a man in Cheaspeake who has a cabin at the lake near Oak Hill. He had problems getting consistent reception. So I suggested he add an antenna pre-amp and so far I have not hear any more from him, so I can only guess that it worked .

 

[henchman007]

There is a man in Cheaspeake who has a cabin at the lake near Oak Hill. He had problems getting consistent reception. So I suggested he add an antenna pre-amp and so far I have not hear any more from him, so I can only guess that it worked .

Alright thanks. I assume he has an antenna like yours vs the motorized ones

 

[Triride44]

He was looking at a CH-2018 I had for sale on CL. He told me his was larger, I think he said it was the RCA antenna from Lowes. I suggested he try the RCA pre-amp also at Lowes.

He has the motorized antenna, at his Cheaspeake house, said it worked great. I installed a RCA Ant-751 for my daughter also in Cheaspeake, and it works great for her.

 

[Fringe Reception]

Welcome, Henchman!

Your antenna survey is not very promising based on 5' above ground level (the default setting). Please rerun it at the maximum possible height you could install an antenna and post a link to the updated results for us to study.

The "McDruory" rotating antenna is a new name on an old lump also called 'Chinese Junk' by many unsuspecting Craigslist buyers. It was designed (?) for frequencies used for TV in Asia and not for those used for TV in the Americas. The flimsy plastic gears in the rotator assembly are known to fail quickly, often within a year or two from new and the pre-amplifier is said to be very 'noisy' - which means it generates and adds confusing signals of its own to received TV data signals, and its up to your TV tuner to sort the usable data from the added 'static'.

Based on the description of the Mediasonic 'Yagi-type' antenna, it is a scale model of a real antenna. With a boom of about 2 feet in length, I can 'eyeball' that the UHF director elements are only about 2" apart, which makes its design for around channel 83 ... and soon, there will no longer be channels above 33 or 34. As an example, properly spaced elements for channel 48 have a 4 3/16" spacing. Also, the VHF elements are less than half of the physical length required for high-VHF reception.

Forget the pre-amplifier for now: you (first) have to collect signals to be able to amplify them. Looking forward to your updated antenna survey.

Jim and the DTVUSA Staff

 

[henchman007]

Welcome, Henchman!

Your antenna survey is not very promising based on 5' above ground level (the default setting). Please rerun it at the maximum possible height you could install an antenna and post a link to the updated results for us to study.

The "McDruory" rotating antenna is a new name on an old lump also called 'Chinese Junk' by many unsuspecting Craigslist buyers. It was designed (?) for frequencies used for TV in Asia and not for those used for TV in the Americas. The flimsy plastic gears in the rotator assembly are known to fail quickly, often within a year or two from new and the pre-amplifier is said to be very 'noisy' - which means it generates and adds confusing signals of its own to received TV data signals, and its up to your TV tuner to sort the usable data from the added 'static'.

Based on the description of the Mediasonic 'Yagi-type' antenna, it is a scale model of a real antenna. With a boom of about 2 feet in length, I can 'eyeball' that the UHF director elements are only about 2" apart, which makes its design for around channel 83 ... and soon, there will no longer be channels above 33 or 34. As an example, properly spaced elements for channel 48 have a 4 3/16" spacing. Also, the VHF elements are less than half of the physical length required for high-VHF reception.

Forget the pre-amplifier for now: you (first) have to collect signals to be able to amplify them. Looking forward to your updated antenna survey.

Jim and the DTVUSA Staff

Here is the 5' level report

 

[Fringe Reception]

Henchman,

I wrote above: "Please rerun it at the maximum possible height you could install an antenna and post a link to the updated results for us to study."

If 5' above ground level is the maximum possible height, the odds of receiving any channels (dependably) are very poor.

Jim

 

[henchman007]

Henchman,

I wrote above: "Please rerun it at the maximum possible height you could install an antenna and post a link to the updated results for us to study."

If 5' above ground level is the maximum possible height, the odds of receiving any channels (dependably) are very poor.

Jim

My bad so sorry, posted before my morning coffee lol


The install will be 10' at minimum but more than likely 20' but running 120
cable



Report with 15'

 

[Fringe Reception]

Henchman,

You live in a tough neighborhood. Antenna height is king and there is some improvement in your survey at 15'. You will need an extreme-range high-band VHF antenna to receive a reasonably dependable VHF-13. Here is a good choice:
https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs/30-2476/deep-fringe-directional-antenna/dp/71Y5462

Using a UVSJ (Uhf-Vhf-Signal-Joiner) it can share the same coaxial cable with a UHF antenna. Here's an example:
https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs/33-2230/masthead-antenna-combiner-vhf/dp/48Y8153

There are two common designs of high-gain UHF antennas: a Yagi type with a long boom and many elements or an 8-Bay screen type. Because the Government is eliminating the (current) highest frequency channels (51 downward) I think a screen-type is probably the better choice. There are several brands/models available that will provide similar reception results. Here is an example:
https://www.newark.com/channel-mast...ZmqSg==&ddkey=https:en-US/Element14_US/search

The antennas do not have to share the same mast: the VHF antenna can be on a fixed mast and the UHF antenna could be on its own mast with an antenna rotor, but before you buy one, rotate your antenna manually to see which channels you can receive and from which directions.

Testing: aim your antennas,change antenna locations and adjust heights using the shortest length of coax possible. After you establish reception, try the setup using your 120' coax run. You may not need a pre-amplifier.

Jim

 

[dkreichen1968]

You only have three receivable stations WOWK (CBS, Escape, Laff, Grit), WOVB (6 PBS channels) and WVAH (FOX, Stadium, Comet). Picking up both WOVB and WVAH will be a challenge, but is doable. I'm going to disagree with Jim and say you need two high gain UHF yagi antennas
https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs...9?MER=bn_level5_5NP_EngagementRecSingleItem_2
and a high gain VHF high antenna like the one Jim recommends above. Point the VHF antenna toward WOWK, one of the UHF antennas toward WOVB, and the other UHF antenna toward WVAH. Combine the UHF antennas with a Channel Master Joinattenna, and combine it with the VHF antenna using a UVSJ. You will probably need a preamp. Are you going to split the signal? The Winegard LNA-200 preamp worked well for me for the one application I've used it for.

 

[Fringe Reception]

Dan,

If the two UHF antennas you suggest are identical and wired out of phase, he would not need a Jointenna. Scroll to example #1 here: Stacking multiple antennas That UHF pair could be joined to a VHF antenna using a UVSJ.

Jim

 

[Triride44]

You only have three receivable stations WOWK (CBS, Escape, Laff, Grit), WOVB (6 PBS channels) and WVAH (FOX, Stadium, Comet). Picking up both WOVB and WVAH will be a challenge, but is doable.

The TVFool dB is missing several major receivable network stations, in this area.

WSAZ (NBC) 3.1 (RF 23) located about a mile north of WOWK tower
WQCW (CW) same tower as WOWK
WCHS (ABC) 8.1 RF(41) located on same tower as WVAH (FOX) 11.1

WCHS is moving to RF 29 next year which should help with reception problem.

 

[henchman007]

Here is a report my neighbor did for my exact location on bears

 

[dkreichen1968]

Based on that, I'd get a Winegard HD7698P and point it southeast.

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-HD7...3&keywords=HD7698P+Platinum+HD+Series+Antenna