Options in Peoria, IL

[Riviera]

I've been entertaining the idea of getting rid of cable and finally have my wife on board. I tried an inexpensive indoor antenna and was able to get 5 stations with a total of 10 channels, if that makes sense. To keep my wife on board, I really need to get some more stations. My tvfool is TV Fool . I've got a ranch with a hip roof and was hoping to mount the antenna on the chimney, which would put it about 20 feet above the ground. I'd considered the Winegard HD8200U but after I told my wife the size of this thing, she's paranoid a windstorm or icestorm will take it out, and that had already crossed my mind. I'm hoping with a good antenna I'll get Peoria, Bloomington, Decatur, and Springfield, possibly Champaign/Urbana. I'd be ECSTATIC if I could nab a few Quad cities channels, which is about 75 miles northwest, as the crow flies.

I'd like to be able to hook up to 6 tvs, but would never have more than 3 on at a time, and really seldom more than 1. I'd almost rather have 2 antennas than have a rotator if I could help it because the more problems this has, the quicker I'll lose my wife on this matter. I do have a cluster of 3 very large (40 feet tall) hardwood trees about 35' SSW from where I want to mount the antenna.

 

[Tim58hsv]

Doubtful you'll get anything from 75 miles away but an 8-bay UHF antenna such as an Antennacraft U-8000 should bring in a maximum number of UHF channels available in your area. Add to that a decent preamp and you'd be able to feed a signal to all six TV's.

The Winegard HD8200U could bring in the upper VHF channels on your TVFool report but both of those VHF channels offer religious programming only so if that's something you're interested in, combine the U-8000 with a high band vhf antenna.

Hope this helps.

 

[Riviera]

I checked out the Antennacraft U-8000. Not a lot of reviews, but the one on amazon is impressive. Any recommendations on a preamp?

 

[Tim58hsv]

Here's a new preamp that looks promising TV Antenna Amplifier, TV Antenna Booster - Winegard Company. Radio Shack has some decent ones too nowadays. Just be sure it's a preamp and not a distribution amp, although a distribution amp would be great for feeding signal to six TV sets a preamp will do so too only it'll give you a stronger signal from the antenna so that you'll hopefully get more channels on the TV's.

 

[Riviera]

I guess what I really meant, after looking at the tvfool a little closer, is that I'd like to get as many channels as I can to the south & southeast, I'd really like to pick up a few quad city stations which are actually 57.4 miles away, specifically 36 & 38.

 

[dkreichen1968]

Are you willing to use two antennas and a A/B switch? A couple 4-bays, one pointed south (local channels), and a second one pointed northwest toward the quad cities. And, if you want TBN, a high VHF antenna could be combined with one of the antennas to pull in channel 10.

 

[Riviera]

I don't like that idea because I will have to rescan for channels on my 2 main televisions every time I switches form A to B. I wish more tvs had 2 coax inputs.

 

[Rickideemus]

I don't like that idea because I will have to rescan for channels on my 2 main televisions every time I switches form A to B. I wish more tvs had 2 coax inputs.

Does your TV have the ability to add channels manually to the lineup, or "update" a scan without deleting (will be called different things on different TV menus)? Most TVs have at least one or the other. If so, then you won't need to rescan every time you flip the switch.

If you don't have either of those options, then what you can do is get a converter box and hook it up via the white/yellow/red plugs most every TV has. Then you have two tuners -- you don't need the AB switch, just the video/TV button on the remote -- and you don't have to rescan.

Rick

 

[Fringe Reception]

Riviera,

Ricki has suggested an excellent option suggesting you use a converter box on one antenna system, thus bypassing the need to rescan for channels. However, unless its one of few HD Converter boxes currently available (I can't find my list) it will receive in SD and not HD. Another option would be to use a DVR with an integral HD tuner in place of a Converter box on one of the antenna systems. I like both options.

Jim

 

[Tim58hsv]

I guess what I really meant, after looking at the tvfool a little closer, is that I'd like to get as many channels as I can to the south & southeast, I'd really like to pick up a few quad city stations which are actually 57.4 miles away, specifically 36 & 38.

In theory, 36 & 38 should be doable based on your TV Fool report. Any channel with a noise margin (NM) above 0 should come in but again, that's in theory. I have some Cincinnati channels that come in with a lower NM than 36 & 38 and I'm using a 4-bay Antenna Craft antenna and not the bigger and better 8-bay version I've recommended for you.

dkreichen1968 mentioned a 4-bay and that may work for you as it does for me, but with an 8-bay you may get a few more channels than the 4-bay and that's why I suggested it.

 

[Jim5506]

Even if you succeed in getting TV signal from other cities, you will be getting duplicate programming.

You can already get all major networks except Fox on rabbit ears.

With a small outdoor UHF antenna aimed ESE you can add FOX and ZUUS on 43-1 and 43-3 (RF 28) giving you about 12 channels.

Realistically that is about all you are going to get, stations without expensive towers and large antennas.

Davenport/Moline stations could get you a weather channel, COZI TV and Antenna TV, those are UHF stations that are 57 miles away two edge, but receivable with an 8 bay "cat whiskers" type antenna or a large UHF yagi like the Antennas Direct 91-XG mounted as high as possible.

The problem may be that your local stations are close enough that they may overload the tuner if a pre-amp is used.

Perhaps a Winegard HDP-269 urban pre-amp or the newer Winegard LNA-200 that is reportedly also overload resistant.

It can be done but you will spend $150+ to gain 3 stations that may or may not be worth it - you decide.