Antenna Selection

[pmat]

I currently have a radio shack antenna in my attic with a rotor. I usually am able to receive ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS in HD. but it does invlove a certain amount of agrevation. Lost channels, re-scanning and re-pointing the antenna. Sometimes, I can find one direction that gets all of the above channels but usually I have to move the antenna for FOX. I would like to set up a DVR, but the need to sometimes repoint the antenna makes that less than ideal. Fox is fairly nearby but at 341degrees while the others are between 267 and 277 degrees. I am willing to relocate the antenna from the attic to the roof (35 feet high). But rather than simply relocating the old radio shack antenna I would like to try something new that could possibly reach all the channels I care about without using the rotator.

Here is the link to the data:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapp ... 4b73778611

Antenna advice?

Thanks,
Paul

[pmat]

Additional information:

No large buildings in the area.

Peak of the roof is 35 feet above ground level.

Area is wooded but cleared around the house.

House is on a ridge

Only one TV which is a Panasonic LCD HD TV

[tigerbangs]

I am going to suggest a 2- antenna system for you that will allow you to see all of the Portland-Augusta stations that will not require a rotator, however, for it to work properly, it should be mounted on your roof, not in the attic.

I suggest using a small UHF antenna like a a Winegard HD-4400 along with a small VHF yagi such as an AntennaCraft Y-5-7-13 mounted on your roof, with the VHF antenna mounted on the bottom, separated by at least 3' vertically on the same mast as the HD-4400.

Aim both antennas at 310 degrees, which is in between the Augusta and Portland transmitter farms. Combine the signal from the two antennas using an antenna combiner (UVSJ). Do NOT use a splitter! The feed the signal into a Winegard HDP-269 preamplifer. Connect the preamplifier to your coax cable going into the house, and install the power injector in the coaxial cable line where AC power is available. This preamplifier will allow you to connect up to 4 TV sets to the antenna if you choose by adding the necessary coaxial cable and a splitter after the power injector. Once installed, you should see all of the major networks from Southern ME without a problem, and no further adjustments should be necessary. Good Luck.

[pmat]

Thank you for the very clear and relativly simple solution. I will give it a try as soon as I can locate an installer in this area. I thought I could do it myself, and probably could have ten years ago, but I set up a ladder (on the second floor deck) just to look over the territory and got about half way up to the peak and decided that it really was not a project I could do myself.

After my first post, I spent some time in the attic with a compass. With the radio shack antenna (vu 90xr) pointed at 300 degrees, I could get all of the channels but FOX had some pixulation. Moved it to 315 degrees and FOX comes in good in but then NBC is weak. I like the 2 antenna solution!



-Paul

[pmat]

I ordered all of the recommended components and have received everything except the antenna craft Yagi which keeps showing up completly mangled. A third one is on its way. In the mean time, I wondered if I could experiment using the Winegard HD-4400 in combination with my existing radio shack vu90xr UHF/VHF/FM antenna. Could the two be combined sucessfully? (using the vu90xr for vhs and the winegard hd - 4400 for UHF)