CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

MYoung · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 369 Location: Madison, WI

If you have a UHF antenna, either custom-built or store bought, for getting OTA DTV...

1) Post or link to a pic of your antenna.
2) Post the distance from the closest DTV broadcasting tower and the approximate average signal strength.
3) Post the distance from the furthest DTV broadcasting tower and the approximate average signal strength.

I think it would be interesting to see the results and especially interesting to see custom-built antennas!

I started getting intermittently crappy reception from my local NBC affiliate with my $50 indoor/outdoor Radio Shack antenna even though the NBC affiliate's tower is the closest to me, at about 16 miles away. I found some plans online for building an antenna from scratch using coat hangers and oven racks. $10 spent at Walmart later and a sore hand from bending and cutting the coat hangers, I'm just about ready to start building it. I just have to hit-up Home Depot for some screws, washers, and wood. Just wondering what others have experienced.

jkruger · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 2435 Location: Carlsbad, CA

I bought an outdoor antenna from Radio Shack, and it really kicks ass.
80" Boom Length, 32-Element Antenna, Model: VU-90 XR | Catalog #: 15-2152
I'm 20 - 25 miles from the transmitters in the San Diego area and the signal strength is amazing. I used standard RG-6 for the feedline.
I mounted it very low on the roof so the neighbors wouldn't have a problem with it, and nobody even saw it until I mentioned it to them.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

How well can these antennas "see" through rooflines?

I have 5 digital stations almost directly south of me, but they're 60-70 mi away in Denver. And I have a hill to the south of me that blocks line-of-site unless the antenna is on the roof. Meanwhile I have a neighbor who is ... difficult when it comes to visible antennas and other things. So I haven't stuck up an antenna in defiance of the covenants, even though the FCC says covenants can't block antennas -- I have to live with this guy and it's difficult enough as it is. He's already given me grief about my satellite dish and other things.

So I'm wondering if I could mount an antenna on the back (north) side of my roof, not visible from the street, aimed "through" the roof? Would I be able to pull in anything from 60mi away with this? Right now I've got a 40" 17-element Ratshack antenna that did semi-OK at ground level, but couldn't really pull in the Denver stations. Maybe on the roof it would do the trick, even if it has to look through the roof?

Or possibly I could put it right on the peak of the roof, just peeking over the top. That wouldn't be very visible from the street. But there's a metal ridgecap that might mess up the antenna.

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

Try this website : http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx.

I'm probably about 60 miles from any digital station. This site told me that I could receive over-the-air HD with a higher gain antenna, but it told my brother, who lives about two miles from me, that he couldn't receive any HD stations at all. This is probably because my home is located so that it gets a straight shot to the transmitters but my brother is surrounded by hills.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I already did. That's how I know where all the stations are. (Though I don't quite understand some of their antenna recommendations, since they say a station that's only 12 miles away, with no hills in the way, will require a mega-antenna with an amp. Maybe it's a really weak transmitter -- it's a local repeater.)

I think I could receive quite a few stations if I could just stick a boom on the roof, but I have to do a "stealth" install. Just wondering if the roof in the way will destroy the reception.

Moose · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 788 Location: Minnesota

GEBrown · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 729 Location: Denver

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Trust me, this neighbor would (and has) make life miserable whether I point out my rights or not. He says "you agreed to the covenants (17 years ago), regardless of what the laws say" and makes sure you follow the covenants (at least the ones he agrees with) or suffer. If we didn't love this house & location so much, we'd move just to get away from him.

My house doesn't have an attic. Smile

At least not where it does any good. Most of the house has vaulted ceilings. So pointing an antenna "into" the roof means it goes through roof, sheetrock, air, sheetrock, roof. Not quite as ideal as an attic mount.

MYoung · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 369 Location: Madison, WI

What kind of suffering is he capable of inflicting on you? That sounds interesting! Is there anyway you can convince him that you're "connected"? Any mafias in that area?

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1176 Location: Arvada, CO

Gary
The Chinese have a saying for just a situation. "So sue me!" He will not even make it to court. One phone call to THEIR lawyer is all it will take. FCC is quite clear on this and overrules the covenants. In fact, the convenants are out of date and out of compliance with current state laws. Something you could hold over his head.

I glad we have at least OK to great neighbors. Our current HOA is decent. I was on the Archetiture committee for awhile. Until the HOA pissed us off and all 3 of us quit en masse. That's how I know about the out of date/compliance covenant stuff.

There's a Denver OTA thread on AVS. It's quite good on this stuff. I haven't kept up with it lately. As GE said, the stations are still low power. You're probably SOL for now. Except for one of the PBS stations. Rabbit ears or indoor antennas may work when they are full power. If that doesn't work, then I'd fight the a-hole for a roof top antenna. You can't beat free OTA HD. I mean that figuratively and literally. There's less compression on the OTA signal that from sat or cable. Let me know if you need the FCC reference for antennas.

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

I got the DB4 kit from www.antennasdirect.com. I have it installed in my attic. I also have their powered 1x4 splitter so I can split to a few HD tuner cards, my TV, and have 1 spare at the moment.

Here is the antenna...

Here is the splitter...

I live in a ranch so the antenna is only about 15' off the ground. I also live near a river valley so a few of the antennas are in the valley and few are on top of the valley. I get moderate to great reception on most stations. There are adjustments on the amplifier and splitter and I have yet to mess with them...

All quad-shielded rg6 from monoprice as well.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

MYoung · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 369 Location: Madison, WI

Maybe you can cut a deal with them and have them pay for you to have HD satellite or cable!

jkruger · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 2435 Location: Carlsbad, CA

You have every right to put up an antenna that serves your needs. Put it up so it is the least obtrusive yet still gets good reception. If your neighbor has a problem with it tell him to research the law regarding it and shut the f*ck up. You did try to make it the least noticable in respect of his desires. Nuff said.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:59 am Post subject:

You know with guys like that I usualy pat them on the head, give them a glass of milk and send them off to bed like good little 6 year olds. That or go talk to him naked. Laughing

mhalsan · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 146 Location: Astoria, Oregon

Yep, sure glad I bought a place so far out in the sticks, the theater is disguised as a barn.

I've worked (as a contractor) on some great homes in planned developments, but..........is it really your place if there's a long list of binding rules about pretty much everything? Even the color of the carpets, how many vehicles, type of roofing, etc.

As far as the original question, I use a Channel Master 8-bay UHF antenna and Titan booster. They have been around a long time and still make pretty good stuff. Sorry, no pictures yet.

Mark