Hey guys! Long time no post!

Anyhow, I found a great deal on the Channel Master 4228 - under $60 including shipping at outpost.com, so I picked one up (it's on backorder though unfortunately).

Anyhow, I currently use two silver sensors. One is up high on the plant shelf in my living room, and without a small amplifier, it doesn't work very well. The other is right in front of a window, tied onto a lamp post and works pretty good without amplification, but still cuts out with bad weather and you know... luck.

What I want to do is stick the Channel Master 4228 in my attic and likely splice into the existing cable wire (since I don't have cable anymore, and don't see myself getting it anytime in the future). It will power two sources (home theater PCs with ATI HDTV Wonder Cards, maybe a third in the future).

I am in FL and 25 miles from the source. They are all broadcasting from the same place, so direction is not a problem. Should I be ok without an amplifier?

Also, when I did have cable, they put an amplifier on the line. It is the type where the main item is outside, and then there is an item inside that plugs into the AC power and feeds back through the coax. I assume I can reuse this for the channel master... no? If I installed the antenna on a pole outside, I could likely just connect it to where the cable tv used to come into the house, I assume. Instead, now I'll have to relocate it, likely in the attic, and it could serve as a splitter as well (it was meant to amplify the whole house). Would this not work? Maybe when I'm home I can get the model number.

Any thoughts on this setup?

Thanks!

install without the amp in the attic and go from there. you may not need amplification.

in the meantime climb the pole and get the amp and post the model#.

post your results and we will go from there.

install without the amp in the attic and go from there. you may not need amplification.
--snip--.
Very true - with an amp on my 4228 and about 30 miles form the stations I overloaded my tuner and got nothing.. remove the amp and it worked perfectly.

peter

stopped by a local electrionics store, they said they cannot get 4228's. Channel Master is have supply problems.

I have one mounted in the attic, 30 miles from tower, works great on most channels.

Glad to hear!

I assume that'll be the case since I'm here in flat florida (and I'm actually a little high for this area).

The only thing I worry about is WESH which is VHF, channel 2.1 which is frequency assignment 11. On that note, the frequency assignment is what matters as far as classifying it in the VHF/UHF scale, right?

I can get WESH mostly when I use a small TERK amplifier on my Silver Sensor, but after a certain hour, it is completely garbage. I feel they must lower their broadcast power or something after 11. I can't ever get SNL or The Tonight Show in anymore. Sometimes I can on the other side of my house okay.

Thanks!

yes, the station is 2.1 in name only and using digital frequency 11, so it is still vhf but in the high vhf range and the cm 4228 probably will pick it up ok for you.

I don't know what application if any this has to Louse, but my attic 4228 solidly picks up Digital 11 (WVPT-DT). But it is LOS about 8 miles away and OTOH, it's only transmitting at a whopping 3.2 kW. I'm using a CM dist. amp 3044.

My PBS-HD transmitter (also on channel 11) is about 35 miles away and I pick it up fine with my 4228. I use a signal amplifier, but haven't ever tried the antenna without the amplifier.

Bill Johnson - How do you know that they're transmitting at 3.2 kW? How can I find how mine are transmitting?

Thanks!

I have a 4228 and you should have no problem. I am about as far from the stations as you and NC is quite hilly and I have an aiport in between me and the towers. I get a lot of multipath but a great signal. You can check with your local stations though because I got mine from the local CBS affiliate here in Raleigh for free.

How do you know that they're transmitting at 3.2 kW? How can I find how mine are transmitting?
Click on below website and, when there, select Florida on first dropdown menu at top. Just below that, type in 4-letter call sign of desired station and then go to bottom and click on Submit.

What follows provides a wealth of information with the only caveat being this is info provided by the govt. and it may not always be brand spanking new up-to-date, the long-time govt. worker, but now retired, warns. And I always take the "Service Contour Map" with a grain of salt.

This should get you there, but yell if you get hung up, given these crazy computers!

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html

Dang... that 3.2kW seems like NOTHING when compared to what I've found. The one station that I have the most trouble pulling, WESH, is transmitting at over 50kW.

The station that I have the least trouble with, WOFL, says that it's transmitting at 1000kW!!

Could that be right?