Antenna help for 39702

[rtcoop]

I have been a satellite subscriber for a while and will continue to be due to some of the channels I like to have. The problem I have is directv does not have my locals in HD. I would like to have an antenna that I can get all available channels with and I really want to be able to mount it in the attic. I have plenty of room up there that isn't used so it makes sense to put it there. If I need a pre-amp or amplifier I am fine with that. I really don't know anything about antennas or what all I need to make them work right so all help is appreciated. I used the geoselector and it actually gave me different suggestions then I got from tvfool, so that kind of made me feel like I needed to get someones opinion. The land around me is mostly flat, but there are plenty of tall trees and some small hills between me and the town where the towers are located. The tv I have is a Pioneer Kuro, but I am planning on running the antenna through directv's AM21 receiver. If you need any more information from me please let me know.

Thanks

[tigerbangs]

Your local TV stations come from Tupelo, MS, about 50 miles from your location, and lie roughly northwest of you. You have a combination of VHF high-band and UHF stations available to you, but, while some of them, like your CBS station, are fairly strong, your FOX and ABC station are comparatively weak. Based on your TVFool.com report, all of your major TV networks are available to you, but I would strongly recommend using a roof-mounted antenna rather than an attic mount. Attic mounts cut the available signal to the antenna by as much as 90%, depending on roof construction, and you can't afford to lose that much signal on ABC or FOX.

As for what antenna to use, I would suggest a Winegard HD-7696P or an Antennacraft HBU-33 mounted on your roof, aimed at 300 degrees, as measured by your compass. You should not need a preamplifier as long as you are only using one TV set, and your coaxial cable run is less than 75'. If you want to add TV sets, I suggest using a Winegard HDP-269 high-input preamplifier, which, when used with an appropriate splitter, will allow you to run up to 4 TV sets from the one antenna.

[rtcoop]

Thanks for the reply. My wife doesn't want a big antenna on the house. Is it ok to mount one a tree or even on a pole on the ground and have a little longer cable run as long I use a pre-amp? I will only be running it on one tv.

[tigerbangs]

No, trees sway too much, and their branches cause interference, and can break antenna elements. You can use a properly installed pole or tower, however, as long as it's the highest man-made object on the property

[rtcoop]

Would it be ok to use the mount the link below directs you to for the winguard 7696p? Also, do I need to have a ground block and how do I hook it up if I do?

Thanks

http://www.summitsource.com/winegard-ds ... -5204.html