Problem rcving 2 channels with Terk TV55? Hookup?

[monkeymind]

I'd like to start saying that I have no $$$ to invest in a great system. What I did a couple years ago was found the Terk TV55 antenna (only) at a garage sale for $5.00. I purchased a fence post and some clamps, mounted it to my chimney, and ran a ground. I ran some coaxial cable I had to the antenna and 2 TV's, but found I needed to use an amplifier (an old Archer I had that allows hook up to 4 tv's) to run it to my digital TV. To my bedroom TV (analog w/ converter box), I tried a cheap $5.00 radio shack amplifier that actually made reception worse.

It works very well except for 2 stations, KAZT-DC (7.1) breaks up 50% of the time and the station just put up a new antenna. The other station, Fox 45, I will lose completely in the afternoon, and I never used to have a problem receiving them. My bedroom TV rarely will pick up KAZT-DC (7.1).

I have a low one story home and the TV towers are all locate 17 - 18.2 miles away on top of a mountain. I would like to solve my reception issues, but don't know if I need a new antenna, cable, etc.???? There are no large buildings near my home, the airport is approx. 15 miles away though airplanes do fly over my home.

I would also like to plug the Archer amplifier in somewhere and run all my tv's through that, but how? It needs an electrical outlet. All cables must be run on the exterior of my home. I don't want to start drilling holes in my roof.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I called and was told hooking up an antenna would cost approx. $500! Seems awfully expensive considering I have a decently working system for <$50.

Also, I've seen several antennas on ebay quite cheap with rotators, but can't find any more info on them. Are they junk (HD Technology Model 2010, Super Voltex Model 6500 - looks like they're going for <$50)?

[tigerbangs]

How about telling us where you are?

[monkeymind]

Oops, sorry. Zip 85204 in Mesa, AZ (Phoenix area)

[tigerbangs]

You need to get rid of that Terk TV-55: it was nothing more than a piece of junk in it's BEST days, You don't need a huge;y expensive antenna, just a small roof-mounted antenna aimed at South Mountain: the Winegard HD-7694P would be an excellent choice for you: it's relatively cheap, does both VHF and UHF well, and won't spoil the look of your house. You can use the splitter amplifier if you like, but I would start with just a simple splitter without the amplifier, since signals are so strong where you are that an cheap amplifier will likely overload. KAZT has a low-power translator on South Mountain that operates on channel 36 digital, and you should have no problem getting it if you use the antenna that I have suggested. KUTP, channel 45 actually broadcasts on channel 26, and should be easier to than most of the local Phoenix stations to receive with the right antenna.

The Terk antenna that you own is meant to be a powered antenna, meaning that it has it's own amplifier installed inside it, and it requires a separate power supply to operate. The Winegard antenna doesn't need any amplifier to operate. The Winegard is available from Solid Signal.com for about $48.00 plus shipping, and should be a HUGE improvement over what you have. If you were to add a rotator to the Winegard, you should also see the Tucson stations without much of a problem.

http://www.winegard.com
http://www.antennacraft.com ( for the AntennaCraft TDP-2 rotator)

[monkeymind]

I noticed you sent a link for a rotator, is it necessary since all the antennas are at one location on S. Mountain?

[tigerbangs]

only if you are interested in the Tucson stations, otherwise you won't need it.

[monkeymind]

Not interested in Tucson stations. Just ran across a Channel Master CM-2016HD on ebay that I could be up for $30.25 (I have ebay bucks to use). Looks like it's CEA rated Yellow, Green, Light Green, medium directional.

Or the Antennacraft® HBU22 High-VHF/UHF Antenna from Radio Shack for about $33.00 (probably could return if didn't work).

I'm surprised so many don't have the CEA ratings.

I don't mean to sound so cheap, but I'm disabled and dealing with a very limited income. Even the $30 might be hard for me to swing right now.

[tigerbangs]

Believe me, I get it! Try the HBU-22 from AntennaCraft: it should work fine for you, as long as you use good RG-6u coax cable.

[monkeymind]

Is RG-6u coaxial the same as just plain RG-6 coaxial cable-the stuff Home Depot carries? I have lots of old stuff laying around, but I suppose I should use new stuff and not use connectors to string pieces together.

Thanks, glad you understand. I was happy to find the Terk for $5.00 and I've been using it for years now. It's just those 2 channels that I have trouble with.

[tigerbangs]

I do recommend using new coaxial cable with new fittings; splices in coax cable can prove troublesome. When working in a hot climate, DON'T use WHITE coax cable: the skin of the cable will deteriorate rapidly in the sun and heat.