One Last Try....

[FredC]

Hi,

My first Post but not my first time trying to get the correct antenna system for my home in Apex, NC 27502. I purchased a Terk indoor antenna and installed it in my attic facing a window. Reception not so good, so I upgraded to a Winegard 3000 indoor with the power amplifier. This antenna gives much better reception then the Terk but I still have some fade. I was watching "Lost" the other day from my TiVo and the first 30 minutes the picture and sound were perfect and then for some reason I started gettting interference?
I have 2 HDTV's (Samsungs) and I only care to access the local broadcast channels and I am limited to installing a system in my attic (lousy community covenants). Although they do allow satellite dishes on the back of homes.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I need to purchase \ install to get the local broadcast channels?

Thxs,

Fred

[tigerbangs]

First of all, your HOA cannot prohibit you from installing a roof-mounted antenna for the reception of local TV channels if you are in your own home and/or have sole control of your roof: that's federal law: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

Any antenna installed in attic is subject to a number of signal obstacles from construction materials, HVAC ducting etc. The only way to guarantee good reception is to roof-mount an antenna. In your case, the Raleigh-Durham stations are only 22 miles from you, and all lie in the same direction: approx. 105 degrees as measured by your compass. Mount a Winegard HD-7694P or an AntennaCraft HBU-33 on your roof aimed in the indicated direction, mount a 2-way coaxial splitter in a central location in your house so you can distribute the signal to both TV sets, and you'll get a perfect picture on both TV sets.

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/HD7694P.pdf
http://www.antennacraft.net/pdfs/HBU33.pdf
http://manuals.solidsignal.com/AntInstallGuide.pdf

[FredC]

Thxs for the reply,

I forgot to mention that I have internet and phone access that I need to keep around. How do I combine 1 RF cable for internet\phone and the other with the new antenna cable (coupler?) ? Also, do you have a recommendation for a digital-analog converter for an analog tube TV that I was thinking about connecting as well?

Sorry so many questions,

Thxs Again,

Fred

[tigerbangs]

You can't send OTA TV over the same cable as your cable internet and phone service, however, if you buy a QAM-capable tuner, your cable Tv company will send the local HD stations down to you unencrypted, so you shouldn't need an antenna.

[FredC]

Tigerbang,

I found this on Google....this guy believes you can mix the signals but says it is not the best way to do it...

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/cable ... 1250.shtml

The QAM tuner you are talking about is this the same thing as a cable card that you would plug into a TiVo? If it is then the cable company requires users to upgrade to the more expensive digital package ~ $75 month before they will sell me one and then charge $2 per month for the thing... this defaeats the purpose of trying to cut down on my cable bill each month.

Thxs,

Fred

[tigerbangs]

a QAM tuner is NOT a cablecard: it is a tuner capable of receiving the non-encrypted stations that a cable TV company sends down to your house: there is a difference between a digital signal and an an encrypted digital signal. Signals that are non-encrypted (in the clear) can be received by any QAM capable tuner, such as the tuners built into modern digital TV sets. Digital converter boxes designed to convert digital over-the-air broadcasts do not include QAM capability.

Your cable company is required to send your local HDTV broadcast stations down in the clear: they may encrypt programs like ESPN, MTV, TNT etc. If you are only looking for your local HDTV stations, you do NOT need to pay the cable TV company for HDTV service, and can use the same signal that they send down for your internet and phone service. You may need to subscribe to the cable TV company's LIFELINE basic service to keep your local channels, but that fee is usually less than $10.00 per month: most cable TV customers service reps won't volunteer information about LIFELINE service.