Help Choosing Antenna

[wahoo67]

Hello, I'm going to install an antenna and hook it up to my Dish receiver/pvr. I currently have a very cheap small antenna, amp and rotor (18" X 24") in my attic that I bought off ebay for $30. It's like a toy. I get a couple channels clearly and one intermittently. I want to get a "real" antenna, amp, whatever I need. My roof is VERY steep so I'm not crazy about mounting on the roof but I understand that an attic mount isn't ideal. I may try to mount in the attic to see how the signal is and if it isn't good then figure out how to go roof mount (probably hire someone). What antenna should I get for my location and do I need a rotor? here are my coordinates:
N36°23.86206, W094°12.67164

Latitude 36.397701
Longitude -94.211194

Thanks for any replies!

[tigerbangs]

When we pick the right antenna system for you, hire someone to get on the roof to put it up: it's not worth your neck for whatever it will cost.

A real antenna will consist of a deep-fringe UHF antenna plus a VHF-high-band yagi, a rotator, and a high-input preamplifier, which will allow weak stations to be seen without overloading on the strong, local stations.

Use an AntennasDirect XG-91 UHF antenna coupled with a Winegard YA-1713 VHF antenna. Use a Pico-Macom UVFJ antenna joiner to combine the antennas, then use a Winegard HDP-269 high-input preamplifier, which won't overload in the face of strong, local signals. I would also use a Channel Master 9521a automatic rotator, which is very easy to set up and use, as it has a remote control that can be combined with most universal remote controls to make a very convenient tuning experience.

Here are the websites for the equipment, and a good guide to install it all.

http://www.channelmaster.com
http://www.winegard.com
http://www.antennasdirect.com
http://www.pctinternational.com/channel ... lation.pdf
http://yhst-18278607509093.stores.yahoo ... -0389.html

[wahoo67]

Thank you for your detailed reply! Over on antennaweb it shows pretty much all of my stations except a PBS station are UHF. If I'm okay with not getting that channel do I really need the second VHF yagi antenna? I showed my Wife the XG-91 and it won't be going on the roof. I know attic installs aren't ideal but I have to believe this set-up would be much better than what I have with the "toy" antenna. The XG-91 will fit in my attic with enough room to rotate completely. Do you think it's worth a try in the attic with the rotator and pre-amp? Finally, if I want to send the signal to 3 rooms what part do I need and is the HDP-269 still the right pre-amp? Thanks again for the information you're providing on this forum!

[tigerbangs]

I'm a little dubious about an attic installation, but what I have suggested will undoubtedly be better than what you have. If PBS doesn't matter to you, then you can go with just the AntennasDirect XG-91. I suggest the Winegard HDP-269 because you have a couple of very strong local signals that have the potential to overload a high-gain preamplifier, so the HDP-269, which has very high-input capability, is still the way to go. You will still want a rotator to turn the antenna, however. The HDP-269 should have enough juice to power several TV sets as long as you use a high-quality 1gHz or better low-loss splitter.