I'm in the market for an OTA outdoor antenna. AntennaWeb told me I needed a Medium Directional antenna (yellow/red area) and I thought I found one in the Channel Master 4221. But after the 2009 DTV cutoff, 3 channels will remain in VHF and the 4221 can only handle UHF. So I decided that a Channel Master 3016 might work. Looking at the specs though, I notice that the 3016 had a lower UHF gain (around 7db) compared to the 4221's UHF gain (around 10db). Should I buy a Large Directional (fringe) antenna to try to get a higher gain, even though I'm only 9 miles away (NYC)? Then I read on a thread that someone had a Channel Master 4228 (rated around 12db) and the signal was too strong for his area.

How much "gain" is too little or too much to provide a locked-in signal? And I have a 3-way splitter at home. If I wanted to use the splitter, it noted a -3.5db on one port and -7db on the other two ports. Would that eat away all the signal off a 3016? And I notice on the HDTV Primer comparison page that some have a negative value. It seems I'm clearly misunderstanding this gain spec. I started looking up on it on google, but the things I found are engineering-level references. Can anyone help clarify?

At 9 miles I am surprised a set of old rabbit ears would not do the job.
Definitly do not order too strong an antenna because digital tuners are easily overloaded and you will receive nothing. The more gain the merrier is NOT true for digital.
If you have trouble with a splitter having too much degradation you can get a better or an splitter with a built in amplifier.

Because of a quirk in its design, the Channel Master 4228 actually manages to develop VHF highband signals better than one would ordinarily expect a UHF-only antenna to. You should go with that one and if it fails to receive digital channels 7-13 when they come on the air, then you can buy a fairly inexpensice channel 7-13 antenna for under $40 and combine the two.

I'm in the market for an OTA outdoor antenna. AntennaWeb told me I needed a Medium Directional antenna (yellow/red area) and I thought I found one in the Channel Master 4221. But after the 2009 DTV cutoff, 3 channels will remain in VHF and the 4221 can only handle UHF. So I decided that a Channel Master 3016 might work. Looking at the specs though, I notice that the 3016 had a lower UHF gain (around 7db) compared to the 4221's UHF gain (around 10db). Should I buy a Large Directional (fringe) antenna to try to get a higher gain, even though I'm only 9 miles away (NYC)?
The CM 4221 can work for upper VHF stations if the signal is reasonably strong. The CM 4221 has decent gain for upper VHF 11 to 13, but does fall off considerably for VHF 7. If you are in NYC, you will need coverage down to VHF 7 as WABC 7 will switch to VHF 7 next February. However, I get a decent picture quality with a CM 4221 for two high power analog stations at 16 miles (WJLA and WUSA in Washington DC). The CM 4221 does not work for two analog stations at 43 miles on VHF 11 and 13 in Baltimore which will be switching from UHF to upper VHF next year. So I brought a Winegard YA-6713 upper VHF antenna (now discontinued) to prepare for 2009 and to get a digital station on VHF 12 off in the opposite direction for now.

But if you want to get a new antenna for proper upper VHF and UHF coverage, you should look at the new Winegard HD-769 series antennas which are designed for upper VHF and UHF. The CM 3016 is 110" wide to cover down to VHF 2. You won't need low VHF coverage in NYC. The new Winegards are 36" wide to cover down to VHF 7, except for the longest range range models. See http://www.winegard.com/offair/vhfuhf.htm for a list of the models. There are still no spec sheets on the Winegard web page, but you can find them at solidsignal.com. Ah, took a little digging, but here is the thread that Rick0725 started on these new antennas: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=982619.

One option is to wait until next February and see if the CM 4221 will work for WABC 7. At 9 miles with a good line of sight, it may do the job. Or get one of the shorter Winegards and be set for 2009.

Thanks for the recommendations. I've considered using the CM 4221 as both UHF and VHF, but I'd rather not get it wrong and have to buy a second antenna to patch the missing VHF range. Largely, this comes with just wanting to do it once, since it's an ordeal to get to the roof.

The Winegard HD-769 looks promising, but it costs twice as much as other antennas I've been shopping around for. So many 2-69 VHF/UHF antennas cost under $60 shipped. While size is an issue, I can deal with it if it means I only have to do it once.

I think I have narrowed it down to:
CM 3016 (http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=&PROD=ANC3016)
WG HD-7010 (http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=&PROD=SPR7010) - though this seems like a more expensive CM 3016
WG PR-7032 (http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=&PROD=SPR7010) - this is rated as a LD antenna, so I'm not sure if this is overkill for my situation. Could my splitter (with the -3.5db/-7db outputs) be used as an attenuator if the signal is too strong?

BTW, I've already tried rabbit ears and it can't pick up any signal. That may be because, currently, all HD signals are in the UHF range. I also have a Zenith Silver Sensor sticking out my first floor window. It can pick up WNBC-DT and WWOR-DT, but it'll get disrupted if a plane flies by.

The Winegard Platinum series are of a physically different construction than the Channel Masters, mostly aluminum and stainless instead of galvanized steel. That increases the cost but makes the antenna lighter and stronger.

The Channel Master 4221 almost certainly won't work on Channel 7. I have one about 18 miles from Philadelphia, and I can pick up Channel 12 (analog) but not Channel 10 (also analog).

You might also look at an Antennacraft HBU22. It's modest gain (and 9 miles away you shouldn't need a lot of gain), low price, and VHF-hi/UHF only.

Unless you're right below the towers, it's almost impossible to get too much gain with an antenna alone. And even if you did, it's easy to reduce with an attenuator (you can use a splitter if you terminate the unused ports) or simply slightly mis-aiming the antenna. The reasons for getting a lower gain antenna are cost, size, weight, and beam width. If all your stations are in the same direction, the last isn't a big problem, and other than that, more gain is better.

Antennas Direct now sells a channel 7-51 antenna, which is probably the one in the above post. I bought one last year but haven't taken it out of the box yet, but the design is not rocket science, so it should do just was you want nine miles from New York if all the transmitters are still in about the same direction.

WHY bother transitioning from a CM4221 or other UHF only and have to revisit installation again next year adding vhf. not worth the aggrevation.

Winegard Platinum series antennas. Great antennas. Channel Master and Antennacraft antennas are mere toys in comparison. Do not like the smallest size for multipath rejection and would suggest next largest.

HD7695P
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=HD7695P

hd7080p/hd7082p would be the ch 2-69 equiv.

with hdp269 preamp if you need one

http://www.summitsource.com/winegard-hdp269-12-db-gain-vhf-uhf-outdoor-offair-digital-signal-local-hdtv-channel-tv-antenna-aerial-12-vdc-75-ohm-preamplifier-designed-for-squareshooter-part-hdp269-p-5577.html

Forget about these . The platinums last forever. you get what you pay for trust me.

CM 3016
WG HD-7010
WG PR-7032 is disc.

you will loose elements, the plastic will get brittle with age, the rivits will shrink, the the interconnecting element is exposed to the elements.

see pic...platinum on top

You spent a ton on your HT system why skimp of the antenna?

Interesting. Is Winegard generally better constructed than Channel Master and AntennaCraft, or is it only the Winegard Platinum series that's better?

I do hear a lot about the antennas getting bent out of shape.

The design of the Winegard platinum series antenna is unique and better. You can see it the difference in the picture above.

The biggest advantages are

-The design of how the elements attach to the antenna body. Stronger plastic different locking design. no rivets exposed to the elements which loosen and shrink over time.

-the interconnecting element lies in a channel and is protected from the elements

-considered a 75 ohm antenna. uses a circuit board design housed in a waterproof plastic housing. no matching transformers.

Therefore the antenna holds up longer and handle severe weather better as opposed to the other companies...cm, rs, delhi-wade, antenna craft, etc which are of the old style design.

The antenna at my home is over 14 yrs old and still is in great shape. we get over 150" of snow a year, ice, heavy wet snow, high wind, the usual, etc. The biggest proof was the ice storm in Buffalo west of here a few years back. The only antenna that survived was the Platinum. The rest failed and needed to be replaced. broken elements, etc.

ghostie, go with the winegard like Rick0725 suggests...he knows what he is talking about.

This looks like a very good antenna. Rick, what's the most distant station you can receive on a regular basis? I'm north of you not far from Toronto.

Donny

I am only able to receive the Syracuse and Utica market with the equipment I have at the home.

The local geopgraphy inhibits reception alot. I tried a ton of different antennas, amps, position, height, and have had to become content with what I have. Do not even bother with preamps anymore. Removed all 3 this past week.

I tried the cm 4228 again last summer and received nothing with that antenna also. I am able to fine tune more precisely with the 91xg. The 91 xg tames multipath nicely. I have a wall of trees behind me and do not have problems when the wind blows with that antenna. The cm4228 did a terrible job.

I mated the cm4228 with the 8200p for just a short time last year, the mast bent and had to replace everything. rotor seized, thrust bearing failed, etc. too heavy and hard to manage for my tastes.

So I am forced to be content for now with hd8200p, 43xg, and 91xg, with no amplification. maybe next year I will be able to use amps after the analog stations shuts down and receive more stuff, but I doubt it.

for long range reception ...prefer separates. tried the hd8200p for several years. the cm4228 and 91 xg performed better on uhf and the hd8200p was retired for vhf/fm.