Antenna Recommendation

[thefatrat]

I live in Normal, IL 61761. I'm on the North end of town with not much between me and the highway but other homes and two hotels in the direction of Peoria (towers). They are 3 blocks west and 5-6 blocks north of my house. They are not too tall, however. There is also a tree in my yard exactly between my house and the direction of the towers. The tree is not big, but branches out right at the roof line.

I currently use a Terk indoor antenna and can get our Fox station but have trouble consistently getting stations in Peoria (NBC, CBS, ABC) and no PBS. I'm not happy with this antenna. (it caused me great grief during the Super Bowl and currently during the Olympics) I am looking for an outdoor antenna that will get me as many stations as possible from my area. I would rather not install a rotor unless it's absolutely necessary. There are 2 dishes on my roof currently with angle masts.

I have a Vizio VO420E television. the tuner inside is a ATSC/Clear QAM.

Thanks,
Andy

[tigerbangs]

An outdoor antenna will definitely improve your TV reception. Based on your TVFool.com report, the Peoria stations all lie West-North-West of your location 30 miles from your house. That distance is just too far to expect reliable TV reception using an indoor TV antenna. The Champaign stations are also available at your location, as they are about 40 miles away to your south. If you are concerned only with the Peoria stations, you can install a good UHF-only antenna on your roof like a Winegard HD-4400, which is cheap and effective, and you should be able to see all of the Peoria stations, including PBS. Use high-quality RG-6u coaxial cable, and be sure to ground the coax cable as described in the instructions. Aim the antenna at 285 degrees as measured by your compass, and follow the installation instructions that I have included below: you should be very satisfied with your results.

http://winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD-4400.pdf
http://manuals.solidsignal.com/AntInstallGuide.pdf

[thefatrat]

Thanks for the recommendation.
How much interference will the tree give me, especially in spring as it gets leaves? Do I need to be above it, or will it get the signal through it ok? It sounds as if the field strength meter is very useful if not essential, would you agree?

Will i still need my indoor Terk to get the Fox station out of Congerville at 310 degrees?

[tigerbangs]

The antenna should provide enough gain that the trees shroud not be an issue, however, mount the antenna in such a way as you keep the antenna as far from the trees as you possibly can. No you will not need to keep the indoor antenna for the FOX station: the outdoor antenna will handle it just fine.

[thefatrat]

Will this antenna work well if I install it in my attic?

Andy

[tigerbangs]

why-predicting-reception-with-indoor-antennas-impossible-t1024.html