Looking for places to purchase and which one of these antenna's will be best for 77084...Thanks for any help or recommendations.

Channel Master 4228
Channel Master 4221

Winegard PR-8800
Winegard PR-4400

Antenna will be 25' off the ground.

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee89/charlietee/joetv.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee89/charlietee/joeantweb.jpg

I've been very satisfied with my CM4228. I live in a rural area on a 425' hill. My setup is the antenna at ~18' high, a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp, 100' RG6 coax, and a rotor. My receiver is a Samsung H260F.

My closest station is a PBS station only about 12 miles away running low power...no problem receiving it. I receive several other stations out at the 20-40+ mile range again with no problem. I also receive consistently a CBS station from 67 miles out...my brick house actually sits between my antenna and a the transmitting antenna of the CBS station. From time to time I get tropo reception out about 110 miles...but definitely not consistently.

From looking at your charts it seems you can get away without a rotor...most stations are in the same direction. Primary factor for using a pre-amp would be the length of coax cable that you will be running.

Some other factors regarding reception will include...
...live on a hill or in a bottom?
...other buildings around that could cause interference?
...trees in close proximity to antenna? (I've got'em all around my antenna, but...)
...using splitters or whatever for more than more television?

The CM4221 might even be enough for you and would present less of a windload. If you're the tinkering type and want to try building a very good antenna for pennies here is a link to the diy antenna at Lumenlabs... http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9613 .

Best wishes,
Ed

The CM4221 should pick up all the UHF stations which are marked LOS except for KBTX. It probably won't (in my experience) get KUHT or K10PY, and it won't get KPXB.

Even if you don't need those channels, you should check to see if any of the stations you are interested in is moving to VHF in 2009. If so, you might want to consider a different antenna, or plan to add a VHF antenna in the future.

Looking for places to purchase and which one of these antenna's will be best for 77084...Thanks for any help or recommendations.

Channel Master 4228
Channel Master 4221

Winegard PR-8800
Winegard PR-4400

All of these are UHF antennas. The CM 4221 can pick up upper VHF 10 to 13 reasonably well, and get strong upper VHF stations ok. The CM 4228 has better performance for upper VHF. The PR-8800 can also get upper VHF according to the chart "Using a UHF antenna for VHF" at http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html.

However, KPXB-DT Ion 49 is currently on low VHF 5. KUHT-DT PBS 8 is on VHF 9. None of those antennas is likely to get KPXB-DT Ion 49 if that station matters to you. Ion will be offering a HD sub-channel in the 1st qtr of 2008, but who knows how much real HD there will be on it.

In February, 2009, KPXB-DT Ion 49 is moving from VHF 5 to UHF 32, so you won't need to worry about low VHF then. KUHT-DT PBS 8, KHOU-DT CBS 11, KTRK-DT ABC 13 will move their digital channel to their current upper VHF analog channel. So you will need upper VHF coverage with the antenna setup.

You are only 20 miles and all of the stations are in the same direction, so a directional antenna will work. A convention VHF/UHF medium antenna is one option. The CM 4221 4 Bay will get the UHF stations, but might not get the PBS station. Only way to find out with that one is to try it. If it gets KUHT-DT when it is on VHF 9, you should be ok for 2009. But for the CM 4221, you should leave room on the mast for adding a upper VHF antenna in 2009. The CM 4228 should do the job, but it is heavier and can present a windload issue if you are mounting outside and get high winds. As for places to purchase, most of us probably order on-line; solidsignal.com and warrenelectronics.com have good reputations.

Okay afiggatt...I missed the boat...AGAIN !!!!

Is there a UHF/VHF antenna that can withstand some high winds and would be a good all round performer that is reasonably future proof ???

The options are mind boggling at solidsignal.com to say the very least.

Would rather get an un-biased opinion from someone who is not trying to sell me something.

Thanks for the help.

Well I was rooting around up in my friends attic and found a Terk HDTVa...He had a racoon get up in there and chew up all his cable stuff and he got the cable going to it also.

Took it down out of the attic...Hooked it up and set it pointing towards the antenna farm in Sugarland...Picks up every ditigal channel with all bars filled with my Samsung 260...Nice.

Going to Angelton today for a CMRA pratice and will be taking his el-cheapo 19 Polorid LCD so I can watch the football games today.

That Terk is pretty good for 77084

Okay afiggatt...I missed the boat...AGAIN !!!!

Is there a UHF/VHF antenna that can withstand some high winds and would be a good all round performer that is reasonably future proof ???

The options are mind boggling at solidsignal.com to say the very least.

Would rather get an un-biased opinion from someone who is not trying to sell me something.

Thanks for the help.

Winegard just came out with a new HD series of antennas designed for ch 7-69.

The max width of the elements are only 36" compared to the full channel ch 2-69 series width of 110".

The antennas are MUCH better constructed antennas than any of the combo antennas out there and will withstand mother nature (Engineered for extra strength with double boom braces, high-impact ABS girder design and support insulators).

What that means is

-the elements will not break off from the weight of ice and the force of wind like the others (radio shack, channel master (at Lowes), wade-delhi, and antennacraft).
-the interconnecting element is in a channel protected by the elements and will not corrode over time. (see pic to illustrate...Winegard on top)

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=HD7694P
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=HD7695P
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=HD7696P
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=HD7697P
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=YA6260

AVG DBD GAIN
HD7694P 28 ELEMENTS 65"
VHF 8.95
UHF 10.5 CH 14-69
UHF 10.86 CH 14-50

HD7695P 36 ELEMENTS 90.25"
VHF 9.3
UHF 11.0 CH 14-69
UHF 11.36 CH 14-50

HD7696P 41 ELEMENTS 110.75"
VHF 10.27
UHF 12.05 ch 14-69
UHF 12.0 CH 14-50

HD7697P 53 ELEMENTS 131.25"
VHF 11.1
UHF 12.17 CH 14-69
UHF 12.8 CH 14-50

HD7698P 64 ELEMENTS 168.25"


You could install one of the above for ch 7-69 and combine an inexpensive YA 6260 for ch 2-6 with jointenna for ch 5 and remove it in 2009 if you do not need it.

I would probably go with the HD7695P 36 ELEMENTS 90.25" to be safe although the HD7694P 28 ELEMENTS 65" may work. You would use the winegard hdp 269 preamp if you needed one to off set splitting and long coax runs.

Can you do a attic installation? If so you are close enough to transmitters to use a DB4/ CM4221 or make one that has more gain like this one http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com. For the VHF stations combine a inexpensive Y5-2-6 from Antenna Craft with a also inexpensive UVSJ combiner/splitter. There is no need to worry about the weather in a attic. The 4 bay antennas will work well in the elements also and you will need a VHF antenna for that channel 5 broadcast. The Antenna Craft is a VHF Low band antenna(2-6) and may or may not handle the wind that well but it pulls in the higher VHF band (7-13) just fine in my attic 35+ miles from my transmitters.
My set up is here:

Can you do a attic installation? If so you are close enough to transmitters to use a DB4/ CM4221 or make one that has more gain like this one http://uhfhdtvantenna.blogspot.com. For the VHF stations combine a inexpensive Y5-2-6 from Antenna Craft with a also inexpensive UVSJ combiner/splitter. There is no need to worry about the weather in a attic. The 4 bay antennas will work well in the elements also and you will need a VHF antenna for that channel 5 broadcast. The Antenna Craft is a VHF Low band antenna(2-6) and may or may not handle the wind that well but it pulls in the higher VHF band (7-13) just fine in my attic 35+ miles from my transmitters.
My set up is here:

I do not recommend UHF antennas in VHF markets (cm4221, db4, db8, pr4400, pr8800) for high band vhf reception.

his channel 9 comes up red. If stations are coded in the yellow or lt green zones at your home for example, the antennas would work anyways since the signals are strong in the first place.

Your results are not typical and may be a risk for other users. even the cm4228 can be a risk if the conditions are not appropriate (red zone or above).

I do not recommend UHF antennas in VHF markets (cm4221, db4, db8, pr4400, pr8800) for high band vhf reception.

his channel 9 comes up red. If stations are coded in the yellow or lt green zones at your home for example, the antennas would work anyways since the signals are strong in the first place.

Your results are not typical and may be a risk for other users. even the cm4228 can be a risk if the conditions are not appropriate (red zone or above).

Looking at the TV Fool plot, I am less concerned about KUHT 9. A consistent antennaweb.org plot seems to be a rarity and I would not consider this station to be in the red zone, unless the OP put the antenna height at over 100 feet. Antennaweb.org has always been very conservative at best.

When KUHT goes back to channel 8 in 2/2009, they have filed for up to 21.9kW ERP, which is almost 3x the current allocation.

Still, with 3 stations slated to be on VHF in '09, it is probably better to get a real VHF antenna in addition to UHF than risk UHF only. The new Winegard offerings look interesting. The smallest one would appear to be up to the task (HD7694P).

Is reception of ION (KPXB) a concern for the OP from now until 2/09? If so, per the above, a separate antenna may be needed for channel 5 for now.

I do not recommend UHF antennas in VHF markets (cm4221, db4, db8, pr4400, pr8800) for high band vhf reception.

his channel 9 comes up red. If stations are coded in the yellow or lt green zones at your home for example, the antennas would work anyways since the signals are strong in the first place.

Your results are not typical and may be a risk for other users. even the cm4228 can be a risk if the conditions are not appropriate (red zone or above).

Rick, I did not recommend a UHF antenna for VHF high band reception. Most of his stations are in the yellow zone and the Y5-2-6 does pull in VHF high band well enough within 40 miles of transmitters.;)

I have used the AntennaeWeb and TVFool service to estimate the HDTV reception possiblities, and they appear lmited. The TVFool service has signal strengths of the stations in my area ranging from -102.9(Rx9dBm) to -129.9(Rx(dBm). What kind of antennae rig is going to be required to pull in the high definition transmissions? Thank you.