Which Antenna should I get?

I bought a UHF-only antenna before the analog to digital transition. I got all the channels and I thought it'd stay that way forever. Then after the transition they moved some of the channels to VHF high band. Now I have bad reception on those. I'm in North Hollywood, near Los Angeles, and I get stations from Mount Wilson.

So what should I get? Should I get a VHF high band-only antenna and use it with the UHF-only antenna, or should I get a combination UHF & VHF antenna? Which one would give me better results? If I get the VHF high band-only antenna, what should I get to join the two antennas? Also what kind of pole should I get for it? I'd like to put it fairly high.

I'm thinking of getting a "Winegard HD7698P HDTV High Band VHF Antenna" ($164 on Amazon.com).

The antenna I have now is: "Antennas Direct DB8 Multidirectional HDTV Antenna"

I bought a UHF-only antenna before the analog to digital transition. I got all the channels and I thought it'd stay that way forever. Then after the transition they moved some of the channels to VHF high band. Now I have bad reception on those. I'm in North Hollywood, near Los Angeles, and I get stations from Mount Wilson.

So what should I get? Should I get a VHF high band-only antenna and use it with the UHF-only antenna, or should I get a combination UHF & VHF antenna? Which one would give me better results? If I get the VHF high band-only antenna, what should I get to join the two antennas? Also what kind of pole should I get for it? I'd like to put it fairly high.

I'm thinking of getting a "Winegard HD7698P HDTV High Band VHF Antenna" ($164 on Amazon.com).

The antenna I have now is: "Antennas Direct DB8 Multidirectional HDTV Antenna"

The Winegard 7698 should be a good choice, but there are no guarantee's on what you will and won't receive.

Solid Signal has it for $118 + $27.95 shipping if that helps you out any.

To XboxLive,

Its pretty well impossible to make any comment on what is the best antenna choice for you without a exact address TVfool report.

Lots of basic choices assuming you will aim at Mt. Wilson. (a) You could add a cheap VHF antenna and pair it with your existing UHF antenna in a join antenna set up. (b) You could use just one excellent but pricey combo VHF/UHF antenna like a 7894P. (c) But there is a strong chance you will be close enough to MT. Wilson and a $100.00 cheaper antenna like a 7694 will do as well.

Without that exact address TV fool report, its hard to say doodly about those or other options.

From Los Angeles tv reception forum: "KTTV (ch 11) and KCOP (ch 13) are running much less power that KABC (ch 7) and KCAL (ch 9), and that is probably the reason you can not get the latter two. Both are supposed to increase their power eventually, but in the meantime, you could try, if possible, using a high perfomance, high band VHF antenna like the Winegard YA-1713."

Ch 11 and 13 have been problematic for many people in the LA area.

So what should I get? Should I get a VHF high band-only antenna and use it with the UHF-only antenna, or should I get a combination UHF & VHF antenna? Which one would give me better results? If I get the VHF high band-only antenna, what should I get to join the two antennas? Also what kind of pole should I get for it? I'd like to put it fairly high.

The antenna I have now is: "Antennas Direct DB8 Multidirectional HDTV Antenna"

The DB8 has outdone any of the other UHF only antennas I've tried in an extreme fringe area. I mounted it in the same spot and mast as a Winegard 9032 an XG91, and a Winegard combo HD8200.

I know for sure that you will go downhill on the UHF end with the combo antenna.

If you've got room, seems a VHF high-band antenna would be a good way to go. Just buy a $4 VHF/UHF joiner to hook both antennas to one cable - e.g. . . .

Pico Macom UVSJ UHF VHF Band Separator/Combiner for two antennas

I just installed an Antennacraft high-band VHF antenna and am impressed with it. Model Y10-7-13. On high VHF, it works a bit better then my Winegard HD8200. Winegard has their own hi-VHF model YA-1713 that is almost identical. I only bought the Antennacraft because it was an "open box" special for $23. The Antenna craft does NOT come with a 75 ohm balun, whereas the Winegard does. Since the Winegard costs $39 as an everday price, it's probably the better deal most of the time.

In regard to a pole for mounting, depends if you're roof mounting or ground mounting. For ground mounting, I usually sink a pressure-treated 6" X 6" in the ground. Then get two sections of galvanized EMT pipe from Home Depot. One that is 1 1/2" (actual OD of 1 3/4") and the other 1 1/4" (actual OD of 1 1/2"). Slide one into the other and drill a few 1/4" holes and bolt together with a 1 foot overlap. Makes a nice 19 foot pole and is stronger and cheaper than regular antenna mast. Total cost of $18.
Stick that 19' mast onto the 14 foot 6" X 6", and you've got a 30 foot high antenna mount that is pretty solid. You can always add guy wires if you get extreme winds.

JDEMARIS - you are comparing your situation to his, which isn't comparing apples to apples.

My opinion stands that a customer is better off to have one good antenna and no pre amplifier, then to have two or three antenna's and combiners and pre amps and all kinds of stuff that can and will go wrong.

If the signals are coming from one direction, then he does not need any type of antenna rotor.

But if there is signals from more then one direction, then a antenna rotor would help his cause.

Depending on terrain and mileage, and obstacles between the homeowner and the transmit antenna, a bigger antenna will always do the job better then a smaller / cheaper one.

It's pretty hard to guess how many trees and how many buildings are between the homeowner and the transmit antenna's or how low in elevation the homeowner is - until you have a exact address.

JDEMARIS - you are comparing your situation to his, which isn't comparing apples to apples.

If the signals are coming from one direction, then he does not need any type of antenna rotor.

Depending on terrain and mileage, and obstacles between the homeowner and the transmit antenna, a bigger antenna will always do the job better then a smaller / cheaper one.
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No . . . I haven't compared any of my reception situations to his or anyone else's. My reporting of my experiences are mostly anecdotal. I have tried every high-rated UHF consumer antenna on the market in three totally different locales - and the DB8 did better in all. So by that, I will assume that it's a good UHF antenna. Will it work best for this guy? I have no idea. He has to read, pick and choose what makes sense to him and what might be relevant. The point is . . . he already has the DB8. Now, for another $40, he can add a VHF antenna to the system - which is a heck of a lot cheaper than spending over a hundred on a large combo-antenna that might do worse on one or both bands (note - I said "might").

As to him needing, or not needing a rotator? I didn't mention a rotator in regard to his situation.

In reference to your statement . . .
"Depending on terrain and mileage, and obstacles between the homeowner and the transmit antenna, a bigger antenna will always do the job better then a smaller / cheaper one."

That does not make sense to me. "Depending" and "always" don't fit togehter. If a bigger antenna is "always" better, then it depends on nothing. Depending on variations in terrain and mileage, etc. a bigger antenna is SOMETIMES or USUALLY better - from my point of view.

I have a Y-10-7-13 pointed in one direction for high-band VHF, and it does better then the Winegard HD8200 for those channels. Which one is bigger - I don't know, since I cannot say for sure what actual part of the HD8200 is dedicated to VHF hi-band. I can say for sure it's working better for me.

I am also sure that you can't judge all antennas by using a yard-stick, any more than you can by reading gain-charts. I DO agree that bigger is better then smaller in most cases - but just as a general reference.
I have a 2 foot long amplified RV antenna that gets one channel that my 14 foot long HD8200 does not on VHF.

Also, I guess you need to define "bigger." Total elements and length? Length of boom? Depth measured by element depth or sun-shadow? The Winegard 9032 certainly has a longer boom at 114" and more lengths of elements than a DB8, yet a DB8 outperforms it in every situation I've tried, on average across the channels. It also scores higher with computer models for gain.

DB8 is 4872 square inches and the 9032 is 54,101 square inches.
By your size-claim, the DB8 should be much worse at 1/11th the size.



VHF only:
Y-10-7-13 high band - 4" X 35.75" X 120"
YA-1713 high band - 3" X 35" X 99.8"
YA-1026 low-band - 5" X 111" X 160"

UHF only:
XG91 - 22" X 20" X 93"
DB8 - 29" X 42" X 4"
9032 - 15" X 31.5" X 114.5"

Combo:
HD8200 - 33" X 110" X 168"

DB8 is 4872 square inches and the 9032 is 54,101 square inches.



I meant to say/write cubic inches, not square inches (length x width X depth).

Thanks jdemaris. If I get a vhf-only antenna, would it be good to place it above and behind the uhf antenna? Would it be OK to join the two antenna cables near the ground? I'd rather not join them high above the ground, because that would be far more difficult.

Thanks jdemaris. If I get a vhf-only antenna, would it be good to place it above and behind the uhf antenna? Would it be OK to join the two antenna cables near the ground? I'd rather not join them high above the ground, because that would be far more difficult.

I can't answer any of those questions with technical-certainty.

I can tell you this. UHF is usually more height-dependent then VHF, so I always stick the UHF antenna on top.

On the last install I did, I have a pair of XG91s on top, and two VHF only antennas on the same mast below. I checked signal strengh every step along the way to see if anything changed on VHF or UHF.
All remained the same, no losses and no gains as I added, or removed antennas. Besides checking signal strength, I did many new channel scans. Every antenna worked the same, regardless if by itself, of mounted with others near it as long as I kept spacing at a minimum of 2 feet.

Also, I had to use several joining devices, e.g. a VHF/UHF coupler, and a low VHF to high VHF coupler. Again, no losses (which I had been worried about).

What does this prove? Probably nothing, except in my case, all worked as described. Actually, worked better then I thought it would.
I like simplicity, and was nervous about using all these special-purpose joiners to enable me to run all into one coax.

One note about your question about having the joiner near the ground. I checked while testing, with extra long cables, and the joiners and the preamp near the ground. While testing, it worked fine. When I got done and did the final install, I shortened all the cables, and installed the preamp and joiners up high, as close to the antennas as possible. All tested the same, but keeping things close and short makes me feel better. Maybe I'll be sorry later if something goes wrong mid-winter and I can't get up there to fix.

Should I get a VHF high band-only antenna and use it with the UHF-only antenna, or should I get a combination UHF & VHF antenna? Which one would give me better results? If I get the VHF high band-only antenna, what should I get to join the two antennas? Also what kind of pole should I get for it? I'd like to put it fairly high.

The antenna I have now is: "Antennas Direct DB8 Multidirectional HDTV Antenna"

The Winegard will work, but is large and expensive.

I'd add an Antennacraft Y5-7-13 below the UHF antenna and add it with a UVSJ.

You may send the savings to me.