Geezer needs antenna advice

[LesNoyes]

Hello, GLAD to have found you. My wife and I live in a tiny fishing town on the coast of Maine. Our house has an old roof-mounted antenna on an almost-uncontrollable rotor. (Sometimes I have to unplug it to get it to stop, and the dial doesn't go around. [Someone gave me two other controllers but I don't know how to attach the wires - any links to wiring diagrams?]) Under normal analog conditions we get 4 channels (NBC [6], CBS [13], ABC [8], PBS [10]). We recently got a Tivax STB-T9 DTV converter for our Sanyo analog TV but when I connected it, we could only get one station -- sometimes -- a different PBS [12.2]. So I know we need a better antenna.

We're in a little valley here at 04547. The analog stations we get best are 6 (69.5 miles away) and 10 (36 miles). The towns are all over the map, from Portland (280 degrees) to Augusta (306) to Bangor (30). I've been looking at your antenna lists, reading the reviews, etc., but I still can't figure out which antenna (and preamp?) are best for us. Oh, and I would also like to split the signal and run a wire to the TV card in my computer. Wouldn't mind an FM connection either, but ONLY if it doesn't degrade the strength of the other signals. Any advice gratefully welcomed.

[tigerbangs]

EH-UH, you really need a decent antenna with a new rotator and preamplifier! Where you are , Portland should be a little easier to get than Bangor, even though Bangor is a little closer, because the hills are a little steeper going to Bangor. Since WLBZ-DT in Bangor is going back to channel 2 after February 17, 2009, you really ought to look at a deep-fringe all-channel antenna like a Channel Master Crossfire 3671 or a Winegard HD-8200U, plus a Channel Master 9521A automatic rotator. As for a preamplifier, if FM is important to you, you can try a Winegard HDP-269, which is a high-input-low-noise preamplifier that passes FM signals intact and won't overload if you have any strong local FM stations. Use a high-quality two-way splitter to divide the signal between your TV set and and your FM tuner. You should have no problem getting everything from Portland, Agusta and Bangor once the antenna is installed.

http://www.channelmaster.com
http://www.winegard.com
http://www.pctinternational.com/channel ... lation.pdf

[LesNoyes]

Well thanks a HEAP. I'll do my homework and try to get everything up before real snow flies. (Flakes a possibility tomorrow night!) Thanks again. (This internet stuff is the greatest thing since the printing press.)

[tigerbangs]

You can order this stuff online: try Stark Electronics in Worcester, MA: they will have everything that you need!!

http://www.starkelectronic.com