antenna(s) for coastal area zip 19930

[spouses]

Bethany Beach, DE (19930) was a poor reception area for the old analog signal. I want to try getting off of the cable as I only really need the 4 networks. WBOC digital (CBS/Fox) is 32 miles away at 266 degrees. WMDT (ABC/CW) is in the same direction and 32 miles away. Both are in Salisbury, MD. BUT WMGM (NBC) is over in Cape May, New Jersey and is 43 miles away at 21 degrees.

Rather than use a rotor, I prefer to use two antennas and somehow couple the two signals together. I assume I would have a coupler and then run the combined signal into a preamplifier and then perhaps into a distribution amplfier? I will be feeding the signal to 4 rooms. What would you recommend?

[tigerbangs]

You can use a Winegard HD-4400 4-bay UHF antenna for your ABC, CBS-FOX and PBS stations by aiming that antenna at about 270 degrees by your compass, but the NBC station in Cape May is going to take some heroic measures to get. You need a combination of altitude and a high-gain antenna aimed at the WMGM transmitter. I would use an AntennasDirect XG-91 mounted as high as you can manage, aimed at 35 degrees by your compass. I would use a 20way splitter combiner to combine the signal from the 2 antennas, then amplify using a Channel Master Titan 7777 preamplifier. Run the output of the preamp power supply to a 4-way splitter, then run to your TV tuners. You are fortunate that you live in a very flat area, and I believe that you will be successful using the combination I have recommended.

http://www.winegard.com
http://www.antennasdirect.com
http://manuals.solidsignal.com/AntInstallGuide.pdf
http://www.channelmaster.com

[spouses]

Thanks,

I had a typo in my original posting...distance to WBOC is 37 miles (not 32). So will the Winegard HD-4400 still be OK? Also half of the terain to Cape May, NJ is over water....will that make a difference? (wave surface vs flat terain).

[tigerbangs]

It should all work just fine...

[tony sweeney]

I live at Coastal Area ZIP 19958 Lewes De very close to Bethany Beach.
I have attached two DB-4 Antenna Direct to an outdoor Mask about 35 feet above ground.
These two antenna (s) are facing 270 and 35 degrees (compass setting) and I receive great
digital signal but I lose the signal for a few seconds on all the UHF channels (abc, cbs, fox, rtv, pbs and nbc-WMGM).
Would this Channel Master Titan 7777 preamplifier help with this signal loss or is it only for long coaxial cable (RG-6)
runs (over 100 foot runs)? Is there any product out there to improve signal loss or boost this signal?

[tigerbangs]

if you are getting pixellation on all of your channels, then you have an antenna problem, not an issue that will be helped by a preamp. I believe that your two antennas are picking up a lot of multipath distortion, which is reflected signals arriving at the antenna at different times, and the antennas, joined by a splitter, can't reject that interference. You can do a couple of things to help. I would remove one of the two antennas and use a rotator instead to reorient your antenna when looking for WMGM. That should help a lot. if you want to use a preamp, because of one very strong station close to you, I would suggest that you consider using a Winegard HDP-269 preamp, which is highly resistant to input overload.

[tony sweeney]

tigerbangs,
i was runing these two antenna leads thru a spliter /combiner and then into my dish box using their off air module port from dish.
When I run the single antenna lead (@ 270 degree) directly into the TV by passing the dish connection i get minimum pixellation on one or two channels. is pixellation (boxes) and freeze fram (picture & sound) for a second, both related to antenna problems? Do you think the preamp or different antenna would resolve these two minor issues? I would be concerned about adding a rotator motor to the mask (off set and weight) because of swaying of the mask by the wind? do you have any recommendations! what are your thought on AntennasDirect XG-91 compaired to the DB-4 for this 40 mile range transmission tower area? Thanks again for your help, I think I'm going in the right direction!
Tony

[tigerbangs]

I think that you have answered your own question: one antenna with a rotator would be preferable to two antenna connected via an antenna joiner. The weight of the antenna rotator should pose no problem to a well-installed antenna system: use a high-input preamplifier like the Winegard HDP-269 if you want to shore-up your reception.

[tony sweeney]

Do you have any recommendation for a rotator motor for antenna mast?
Can I use my second coaxial antenna line for the rotator motor?

What are your thoughts on the AntennaHub.com
Amplified Digital Outdoor HDTV Antenna with 360 Degree Motorized Rotation UHF/VHF AX-909G2

[tigerbangs]

Stick with your DB-4: don't EVER use an omnidirectional antenna. You can use an AntennaCraft TDP-2 or a Channel Master 9521a rotator: both use 3 conductor rotator cable, which is easy to buy: the AntennaCraft rotator is available from Radio Shack.