tigerbangs prescription for deep fringe reception

MNBrad

Hey, this forum is a great source of information.

I am at ZIP code 56101. I am on fairly flat ground - I am out of the valley - and my antenna will be ~20 feet above ground level. This is the first I have ever dealt with outdoor antennas.

I just put up an old Radio Shack Yagi antenna which is missing some elements, but it was free. I found I had sufficient reception that I will persue OTA. I would like to improve my reception of at least one station (ch 21 and 21.1, 21.2, 21.3, Iowa Public TV, which is apparently coming from 100+ miles south - Fort Dodge, IA) this stations is currently viewable perhaps half the time. I think I would also like to add a rotator and probably a preamp to make my reception of all stations more consistant. By manually turning the yagi, I have managed to pick up various stations from all 4 directions. The radio shack yagi I am using now is probably sufficient for VHF, as all those signals except channel 12 must be coming from a tower which is 1 mile distant. I am assuming any UHF antenna will provide all the VHF reception I need when the tower is that close (and 12 is near UHF). I am certainly looking at Tigerbangs Deep Fringe Rx for guidance.

I assume any antenna that will improve my reception of Channel 21 will be very directional and I will probably need a rotator.

Since I have some stations that are very strong and some very weak; does the close proximity (1 mile) of the tower broadcasting in both UHF and VHF limit my options?

It is quite windy here at times - there are a lot of windmills for a reason. Winds in the 30s are not uncommon. Higher winds do occur. If I am using only a single antenna, even if it is a CM 4228, would a CM 9521a be able to handle the wind? I see there is a huge price difference between the CM and the Hy-Gain AR-40 which Tigerbangs recommends for multiple antenna arrays including the 4228.

I believe I have seen references to a Thrust Bearing. Is this in the rotator? I have seen some tripods that seem to have a bearing at the top. My tripod just holds a fixed mast. I hope my tripod is sufficient. Should I be concerned?

If I am not using a VHF antenna would the Titan 7777 still be recommended?

Should I be taking an entirely different approach - such as a fixed 4228 pointed toward CH 21 and a Yagi on a rotator for everything else? Can this be done with 2 UHF antennas?

I do not believe I can find any of these materials locally. Any dealer (internet) recommendations would be appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance.

spirit

After reading many posts this appears to be the right place for me to start my journey for local channels. My zip code is 98223, Arlington WA. I can provide a specific address by PM if required.

Seattle is to the Southwest and Bellingham is to the Northwest. I'm hoping for just the major networks in high def. From what I can tell all the channels after Feb will be broadcast in the UHF frequency range. Right now with a twenty five year old radio shack antenna I can get 4,5,13 cannot get 7, 9 from seattle and a clear 12 from Bellingham. The picture in all cases is watchable, but by no means crisp. Yes a rotor to fine tune is necessary. To the Seattle direction about 250 feet the terrain changes from grass to a forest. I'm about 26 feet high with the antenna on the house. It seems like the CM4228 discussed here would be a place to start sizing up since it is one of the best UHF long distance antennas out there.

I'm confused about what is being broadcast at this time. Are all these channels broadcasting in HD? The guy at RS said yes they are, but the power levels are very low until February and there has been talk of adding repeaters to boost the signal. Does he know what he is talking about and any testing I do before February may be a waste of time.

One other option if I just can't clear the forest that is 250 feet to the southwest might be to use a giant douglas fir tree 100 feet to the east as a tower. I topped this tree about five years back and if I mounted on top should give me like 100 feet tower effect and a coaxial run of 250 feet when all said and done.

What do I have to look forward to after February--many of us in the rural areas like no tv at all.

At this point I'm open to any and all ideas to help me develop a test plan that will help in determining whether expecting to watch HD locals is only a pipe dream.

Spirit

tykoto

Has anyone noticed this AntennaCraft 16 Bay Antenna being offered before?

I just came across it on the SummitSource site. I wonder if it even compares with the 4228?

w0en

looks to be a gray-hoverman style

videobruce

MNBrad; looks as you have your work ciut out for you. Three stations 39 miles away and seven more 74-83 miles out;
http://www.2150.com/broadcast/defaul...=Show+Stations
A large antenna (4228 perferred), as high as you can go and a good preamp.

spirit; You have 14 stations 39-55 miles out (same recomendations as above);
http://www.2150.com/broadcast/defaul...=Show+Stations

It's sure nice to live IN a city.

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videobruce

I wouldn't bother with that AC16 nor that outlet. They try to scam me by a bait and switch with a older Channel master antenna which was a different model.

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BrianO

16-bay? Yeah! Right!

They have taken 2 Hoverman antennas (patented by Doyt Hoverman in 1964) and stacked them side by side and called it a 16-bay antenna. Yet when they stack 2 Hovermans vertically they call it an 8-bay. Don't you just love the consistency?

spirit

The 7777 amp seems to be talked up quite a bit for long distance gain issues. If I start with a single antenna the CM4228 can I just terminate the unused input with a 50ohm terminator or short saving for a second antenna should it come to that? I guess a rotator is needed to point at Seattle and then northwest to Bellingham. Any recommentation on a good rotator that could handle up to two antennas?

Should I try and get one of the CM4228 or the CM4228HD for my needs? Is your read the same as mine that I only have to worry about UHF channels after February?

Thanks for the reply,

Spirit

jim5506

CM 7777 has a switch for single or dual antenna inputs - no need for terminator.

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BrianO

Correct. In fact, the factory default setting of the switch is for "combined" UHF/VHF input, so the CM7777 comes out of the box already set up for use with one antenna. (Same for the CM7778).

MNBrad

Could anyone comment? Are there special cautions that need to be taken if I am trying to get a station 80 miles away in the same direction as a tower 2 miles away. The channels on the two towers are quite far apart (distant tower is 21; close tower is (or seems to be) 5,9,11,56,58,60,62).

Thanks in advance

videobruce

If you are planning to use a preamp, absolutely, though i would say it won't work. Gross overload from your close station.

What is the name of your town or zip code?

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ziggy29

You might try an HDP-269 preamp as long as you can return it if it overloads. If the HDP-269 overloads, then pretty much ANY preamp would overload.

My situation is similar -- I have one very strong (-39 dBm) station 8 miles away in the same direction as six other stations 60 miles away (-102 to -108 dBm). For me an HDP-269 worked when everything else caused overloading.

I'd have to want the programming on 21 pretty badly to try to get that one in additional to all the channels that an indoor antenna could likely receive with ease.

hoopitup2000

I tried an HDP-269, and it overloads @ 4 miles out.

At 2 miles out I would use a highly directional antenna with no amp; and play around with the mounting location/height to find the best sweet spot for the weaker station.

videobruce

My DA-1018 handles overload far better than that 269.

He needs a expensive single channel filter and even then I would have my doubts.

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