antena setup question

[dukester999]

I am confused about how many antennas I need to pick up all the stations that show up on the list.
My location is n 43' 05.279 wo78' 43.816' elivation 580. 538 ft
Should I just get a powerfull one with a rotor? Seem like I need a rotor because I am going in a few directions. Should be able to turn amplifier off with certain channels?
I have 4 tvs that I want antenna to hook to. What type of spliter would you recomend?
What do you guys think of the 100 mile antenas with rotor on ebay that sell for $60? http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid ... Categories

[tigerbangs]

The coordinates that you gave me put you about 41 miles northeast of the Albany, NY transmiters. Is this correct? Your coordinates were incorrectly formatted, so I am guessing here...

[dukester999]

Hmmm.. I got the cordinates from my gps. I live at 7112 monroe street in Pendleton NY 14094. Just south of Lockport NY and 30 MILES North east of bUFFALO NY

[tigerbangs]

Got ya now...the coordinates threw me. Most people out your way are used to seeing not only the Buffalo stations, but the Toronto and Hamilton stations, as well, and when we design an antenna for that area, we usually consider the Toronto stations into the design. Unlike the US, analog broadcasting will continue in Canada for several more years, so the prescription is usually for an all-channel (VHF and UHF) solution.

When i run a TVFool.com scan of your street address, I noticed that you have more TV stations available to you than Carter has Little Liver Pills! I don't think I have EVER seen a TVFool report that lists as many receivable stations in one location as you have! I realize that you may not want to watch ALL of them, but you have an amazing variety of stations available to you, and the right antenna will pull them ALL in for you!

Becasue of the fact that your TV stations come from all over the compass, we'll need to use a rotator. And, because you have MANY very strong stations in your location, I would avoid a preamplifier as you might risk overloading it. My choice here would be to use an all-channel fringe-area antenna like a Winegard HD-7082P or a 7084P plus a rotator like the Channel Master 9521a, which comes with a remote control that makes turning the antenna a breeze. You can also consider a Channel Master Crossfire 3679 or a 3671, which asre also great all-channel antennas. I am also partial to the Wade-Delhi line of antennas, which are made in Canada, and, while are very hard to get in the USA, are worthwhile because of their excellent gain and construction quality. The Wade-Delhi VU-935SR or the larger VU936SR are also excellent choices.. I believe that Goldcrest Electronics in Rochester, NY sells them, however.

Avoid the Radio Shack, Phillips and Gemini antennas in your search, as I have found them to be inferior in gain and construction quality. You should also avoid the Channel Master "Advantage" line of antennas that are frequently sold in home improvement stores for the same reason.

If you plan to run 4 TV sets, I suggest using a small distribution amplifier in the line just before you mount a 4 way splitter to sent signal to the various TV sets in the house. I have used the Winegard HDA-100 successfully for up to 4 TV sets, or you can consider the slightly more powerful HDA-200 if you have long cable runs to your TV sets. I am going to publish your TVFool.com report on this page, just because O am so incredulous about the sheer NUMBER of stations that you have available!

http://www.winegard.com
http://www.channelmaster.com
http://www.wade-antenna.com
http://www.channelmasterintl.com/docume ... lation.pdf

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapp ... 1b2e3e197c

[dukester999]

Thanks for the info, I went with the equipment you mentioned and just completed the install. I just have a couple of questions on grounding.
Is grounding a good idea? Some people are telling me that lightning is drawn to a grounded antenna.
Also I am going to drive a 4 foot ground rod in and run #8 stranded or solid?
Can I tuck this ground wire into my J-channell and corner posts of my vinyl sidding or do I have to run it strait down on insulated screw in standoffs?

Instructions call for a lightning supressor outside inline my coax, then grounded to the ground rod also. Guy at radio shack recomended a small spliter with a ground connection on it.

Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.

[tigerbangs]

You have good information, but it's best to standoff uninsulated wire from your house. You want a coaxial grounding clamp to ground the coax cable at the point of entry into the house.