Jump to content

Over Air TV Antenna Positioning. Whos up to snuff


joessportster

Recommended Posts

Worth trying would suppose but, well we will see...if gets the channel you are after. If gets the ones best getting now, may have a chance at station coming online Oct for you....if understand correctly. Playing with different heights is advisable if safely done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way Joe, have read your first post now. Take it you were happy with reception with GE Yagi and amp until recently. If so yes could be a local problem.If receiving stations, try unplugging amp to see if any channels dropout just to see if amplifier is indeed working. Thinking you have checked the outside RF connector for corrosion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For starters, I would get the highest gain OMNI directional antenna you can buy. Channel Master is affordable, and in the business a long time.

 

But the odds of having all your favorite channels coming from a 180 degree field is not likely, and I'm betting field strength falls off significantly toward the sides.

 

Consider a Channel Master yagi antenna. Yes; the small end points toward the transmitter (tower). A rotor is a key accessory for getting the benefits of a yagi antenna. Installing the rotor is no different than installing the antenna; just keep the antenna wire and the rotor wire separated per the mfr's. instructions.

 

A yagi antenna is the cat's patootie for pulling in far away stations.

 

No; I don't work for Channel Master. I'm a radio tech.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, billybob said:

By the way Joe, have read your first post now. Take it you were happy with reception with GE Yagi and amp until recently. If so yes could be a local problem.If receiving stations, try unplugging amp to see if any channels dropout just to see if amplifier is indeed working. Thinking you have checked the outside RF connector for corrosion.

I believe its the station itself dragging there feet. The antenna I had before was a much bigger model and did not pick up as well as the Yagi style, the Amp is working if I unplug it all stations go out. The station is now claiming it will be back on line after Oct. 1

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you need a better antenna this should Wade Antenna should work 😎. Each dish is 8 ft. Channel master made one alot like this back in the 70s that worked great. It was a 4251. 7 ft round.  I bet some of you remember seeing them. The Channel Master  is the bottom one.

 

 

 

 

http://wadeantenna.com/product/dual-8-foot-parabolic-uhf-broadband/

 

cm4251_01.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, mr clean said:

If you need a better antenna this should Wade Antenna should work 😎. Each dish is 8 ft. Channel master made one alot like this back in the 70s that worked great. It was a 4251. 7 ft round.  I bet some of you remember seeing them. The Channel Master  is the bottom one.

 

 

 

 

http://wadeantenna.com/product/dual-8-foot-parabolic-uhf-broadband/

 

cm4251_01.jpg

Thats on hell of an antenna, need a crane to put it in place :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, joessportster said:

Thats on hell of an antenna, need a crane to put it in place :D

 

The trick is to run the pole all the way to the ground and assemble it on the ground then lean on it real hard to get it up. Then fasten it to the side of the house. Or use a helicopter.

JJK

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, joessportster said:

Thats on hell of an antenna, need a crane to put it in place :D

 

 

Wade makes some great stuff! I have one of their freestanding towers. They make a nice 5 element yagi for FM. Channel Master makes a 4228 HD antenna that is suppose to be very good. I will get one if anything happens to my antenna craft.

 

 

image.png.1f21fecf7196b6ff6a40dab2063e1c99.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Edgar said:

 

I wonder what the wind load is like for that.

 

I would not feel safe having that large of antenna mounted like that. I would at least use chain link fence rail. I used 20 ft of oil field pipe, painted with chrome aluminum mastic paint. Im up high elevation wise, so I really didn't need to be that high. Channels I want are less than 40 miles from me. Sometimes a lower gain antenna is better than a high gain if the stations are spread out a bit, and not to far away, and you are not wanting to use a rotor. If I remember right edgar, I think you know a lot about antennas. Directivity and gain go hand in hand for those who don't know. There is no perfect antenna for every location.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A customer had or still has one for OTA. It used a pro roof mount with rotor and wind loading effect was minimal, considering location. Of course hurricane wind can change that, especially blowing debris. Well built antenna and desireable in certain situations...Have used flat antenna array such as a 4 Bay design pictured here with great success when an 8 bay was called for. Typically, a flat array will do a better job in a stationary position than a directional Yagi type when stations are wider apart, of course having a better surface look angle than other purpose built design.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mr clean said:

If I remember right edgar, I think you know a lot about antennas. Directivity and gain go hand in hand for those who don't know. 

 

Signal processing is my gig. Antenna theory is similar (a lot of things in science use basically the same mathematics), but I can't claim expertise there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Edgar said:

 

Signal processing is my gig. Antenna theory is similar (a lot of things in science use basically the same mathematics), but I can't claim expertise there.

I know enough to be dangerous, and read a lot when I don't know something. I wish I knew more about electronics!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Similar to say the OTA parabolic design, the satellite parabola, typical boom prime focus design of a 10 foot aperture has more gain, typically 40 db. A same design 8 foot dish around say 38 for this example. Once again, the feed at the focal point of the 10 foot example will have a more narrow and accurate beamwidth than the smaller 8 foot example.

Therefore, the 10 footer will see less of the space surrounding a satellite and have more rejection of adjacent satellite sidelobe interference than the smaller aperture example. So, yes, relating this back to OTA, a smaller antenna can be more desireable than a larger array. Such are the design difference between a Yagi boom antenna and a flat array design. A Yagi for the more concentrated by degree stations versus the more scattered stations having a stationary flat array of elements with an approx. beamwidth of say 120 degrees of acceptable/useful surface area.

All this to say typical application, and the examples cited are not sacred as variations can and do exist.

Other analogies exist between the space borne reception and it's terrestrial bound cousins..Thanks ...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Joe:

 

So frustrating when the stations make changes to their towers, which obviously affect reception. Happened to me many times, and when I contact them, typically they say "no, we haven't done anything". However, I did notice one local station that when I contacted them indicated they started another (second) broadcast from a tower about 40 miles away in the opposite direction -- and a re-scan found the station. Oddly, I was unable to pick up the signal from 10 miles away, but could easily pull in the one 40 miles out. Maybe trees? The TV Fool site is good in that it also gives you the idea whether or not the broadcast is in UHF or VHF. In my case, I can easily pull in Omaha stations that all broadcast in UHF. PBS is VHF in a slightly different location, and there's another ABC and FOX station the opposite direction (Fox - UHF, ABC - VHF). So I have 3 antennas and a combiner. I've had excellent results making my own antennas --- cost about $10 in parts from the home center -- see video below and other videos from Danny (he really knows what he's talking about). I used scrap wood for the main center panel and the part where he has plastic in the video. Also --- if you are feeding more than one TV, or splitting cable, I've found that a distribution amplifier is a must-have. I haven't had cable since 1992, and I have a OTA DVR. Works great.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/14/2019 at 12:09 PM, joessportster said:

I use a Yagi style made by GE, I also have a winegard signal Amp.  I looked into the direction of the antenna and the small end is considered the front which is what I have pointing at 155 degree.  most of my stations are approx 35 miles away and within a few degrees of 155 degree.  I ordered another antenna that has great reviews from Amazon I plan to try it has a built in amp I will see if it doesn't pick up I can return it.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VJLH3KX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Supposed to be omni directional 

Turns out the omni directional linked above is total garbage, would not pick up a single channel. Return is already in progress.........................Onward & upward

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Sam S. said:

Hey Joe:

 

So frustrating when the stations make changes to their towers, which obviously affect reception. Happened to me many times, and when I contact them, typically they say "no, we haven't done anything". However, I did notice one local station that when I contacted them indicated they started another (second) broadcast from a tower about 40 miles away in the opposite direction -- and a re-scan found the station. Oddly, I was unable to pick up the signal from 10 miles away, but could easily pull in the one 40 miles out. Maybe trees? The TV Fool site is good in that it also gives you the idea whether or not the broadcast is in UHF or VHF. In my case, I can easily pull in Omaha stations that all broadcast in UHF. PBS is VHF in a slightly different location, and there's another ABC and FOX station the opposite direction (Fox - UHF, ABC - VHF). So I have 3 antennas and a combiner. I've had excellent results making my own antennas --- cost about $10 in parts from the home center -- see video below and other videos from Danny (he really knows what he's talking about). I used scrap wood for the main center panel and the part where he has plastic in the video. Also --- if you are feeding more than one TV, or splitting cable, I've found that a distribution amplifier is a must-have. I haven't had cable since 1992, and I have a OTA DVR. Works great.

 

 

Thats Bad A$$ I made something similar a few years ago without the grid I will be building this one  Thank you very much

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...