Need antenna recommendation for a "no station" location

[Probedude]

Need antenna recommendation for a location that Antennaweb.org says "There are no stations predicted to serve this location."

zip code 93004
N 34deg 17.589
W 119deg 10.107 (I hope I'm typing this right off my Etres)

Must be due to a mountain as my parent's house used to get a lot of station but on antennaweb.org my location is predicted to get ZERO!
Using my DIY coathanger HDTV antenna that's been circulating on the web, hooked to my HDTV and only sitting 6' off the ground inside my single story house I can watch these stations.
5 - KTLA
28 - KCET
30 - ION
40 - TBN
54 - KAZA
56 - KDOC

Seems like a lot for an area predicted to get nothing, enough so that I want to put up an antenna outside and see what else I can. I'd like to get the big 3 networks and then I can cancel my DISH subscription which we really don't use except for weather and current event news.

What would you recommend for me? I'd likely go with a 10' mast off my chimney of my single story house.
RG6 coax to a single TV.

Thanks!
Dave

[tigerbangs]

If I read your coordinates correctly, you are about 60 miles from LA, and you should be able to see the major LA transmitters if you use a deep-fringe antenna system. My suggestion would be to use an AntennasDirect XG-91 UHF antenna and an AntennCraft Y-10-7-13 VHF high-band yagi mounted as high on your roof as you can manage, and use a a preamplifier like a Channel Master Titan 7777, which has separate VHF and UHF inputs, and will allow you to to combine the signals from the two antennas into one coaxial cable downlead. The LA transmitters are all on Mt. Wilson, which appears to be 75 degrees from your home, as measured by a compass. Mount the two antenna on the same mast, with the UHF antenna at the top of the pole, and mount the VHF antenna roughly 4' below the UHF antenna. Run the leads from the two antennas into the Channel Master preamplifier: be sure to select the 'separate' position on the 'seprate/combined ' switch inside the cover of the preamplifier, or else you won't see your UHF stations. I have linked the equipment and installation instructions below/

http://www.Antennasdirect.com
http://www.antennacraft.net
http://www.channelmaster.com
http://manuals.solidsignal.com/AntInstallGuide.pdf

[Probedude]

Thanks Tiger, yes - I'm ~ 60 miles from LA. My location is tucked behind a mountain but something is getting through. Talked to a neighbor today and he's mentioned his fifth wheel parked on the street can get all the stations from an outdoor antenna so that mountain must be transparent

Will pick up the AntennCraft Y-10-7-13 for VHF. What do you think of the Winegard HD-4400 over the 91XG?

I see TV Fool has a better report for my area. I posted the results here.
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/1093 ... igital.png

Dave

edit: sorry Tiger, for some reason the 91xg scares me as far as its construction hence the question on the HD-4400. Also came across a very similar VHF antenna, theWinegard YA-1713

Could you please comment on:
91XG vs HD-9032
and
Y-10-7-13 vs YA-1713

Shipping on each is quite a bit different. Looking for quality construction and ability to withstand winds (we get gusts here in the 30-40 MPH)

[tigerbangs]

XG-91 is a better all-around antenna than the HD-9032 from Winegard: The Winegard YA-1713 and the AntennaCraft Y-10-7-13 are pretty much interchangable

[Probedude]

Just placed an order with SolidSignal for the antennas you recommended, and a UVSJ.
I think I'm going to be okay without an amp. I'm only going to drive 1 TV and using my DIY coathanger HDTV antenna without reflector raised up another foot I was able to pick up CBS, NBC, ABC on top of the other channels I was able to get before. This was indoors - not bad for stations 63 miles away and behind a mountain.

Coax distance will go up though, from 6' to ~ 30' of RG-6. Will this kill my reception?

Dave

[tigerbangs]

Try it and see: you can always add the preamp later, but I have a feeling that you'll want it eventually.

[Probedude]

SUCCESS!
Tigerbangs - THANKS!!

Today was the day I finally got around to putting my antennas on my roof.
Got the XG91 and the Antennacraft Y10713, and a UVSJ. Didn't know the Antennacraft did not come with a 300:75 balun but luckily I already had one.
Used a roof mount and guy wires - did not use the tripod. 10' mast on the peak of my single story home, XG91 at the top, Y10713 4' under it, then the guy wire ring.
Aimed them at approximately 81deg magnetic compass heading per the TVFool website, which happens to be smack at the peak of a mountain between me and Los Angeles transmitters.

Hooked the coax to my TV, did a search, 88 channels!! I was getting 44 with my indoor DIY HDTV coathanger antenna.

With the indoor antenna I was getting 55-65% signal on UHF, now I'm getting 90 - 100%.
I get 90%+ on the VHF channels now, nothing before of course. That mountain between me and Los Angeles must be RF transparent!

SWEET! Glad I didn't take TVFool or Antennaweb.org for face value. They said I should get NO reception of Los Angeles transmitters!
Now I can drop DISH.

Thanks again for your help!

BTW, the antenna hookup 'box' on the XG-91 isn't well sealed at all. Seems like rain could flow into it. Does the XG91 hold up well over time and weather?

Dave

[tigerbangs]

That housing is just a cover for the balun transformer, The transformer already has a weather boot on it, so you are OK.