This is my first time posting, so be gentle with me If I am at the wrong place or something please tell me where to go. But nicely
Anyhow, we live in NC and have already tested several antennas and have not gotten as good a results as we would like to.
We have tested the Antennacraft HBU33, as well as the AC HBU55 and the AC C490. And also the Antennas Direct DB8 (the worst one). We range from 24 to 35 channels, with the HBU55 being the best so far, but the C490 was close as well and the HBU33 was good channel-wise, but it pixilated alot. The main problem is that the channels do pixilate and break up way too much for enjoyable viewing.
We plan on mounting the antenna at approximately 30 feet when the definite decision has been made. But for testing purposes, we are using a pole that is maybe 12 to 15 feet high, for ease of use.
We have not used an amplifier yet, nor a rotor, but are wondering about the end situation, when we will have all seven TVs hooked up, instead of just the one so far. Especially if one TV cannot stay on frequency very well.
We live on a very small (not high) knoll with woods surrounding us.
Quote:
So, if I understand this correctly, then the TV waves run at approximately every 32' to 33' since 10 Meters = 32.808398950131234 Feet? And so then my starting place for antenna mounting should be at this 32' to 33' point?
No, not at all. The default height of 30' or 10' m is for calculation and planning purposes. In the real world, in open space one will have some signal all the way from the ground up to perhaps miles into the air. The intensity will vary with height, and, depending on a number of variables, would be expected to be stronger as the height increases (up to a limit, of course). If you're in a suburban environment, it's generally best to get an antenna up in the air out of the local clutter losses. How high must it be? "As high as it takes" is the only answer that's correct from a technical standpoint. Realistically, you'll hit the limit of your comfort zone at some height and either it will work or it won't at that elevation and location.
Do not drill any holes to mount the antenna until you have satisfactorily demonstrated the antenna actually has signals in that location. As holl_ands noted, a very small movement in an antenna can make or break reception, depending on ones local conditions.
I'm sorry but I am back to bug you guys again but due to my husband's back injury, we are just now getting around to finishing up with our TV antenna. As previously stated, we purchased two Clearstream4 antennas and we have since also purchased the Winegard 0012 antenna mount. We will be putting both antennas on a 10 to 12 foot mast with this mount and will space them apart hopefully about 6 feet or so. We will still be hooking up to seven TVs and have definitely decided to split them with two 4-way splitters instead of going with an 8 way splitter, with each antenna being split four ways and one of them three ways. We also would like to avoid buying two antenna pre-amps unless absolutely necessary. That being said, what we would like is to use two 4-way AMPLIFIED splitters instead closest to where the cables enter the house at. Does this sound OK to do and could I please have your recommendations for the splitters with very definite specs so that I can't mess it up when ordering. There seems to be so many confusing specs with the various splitters. Thank you so much in advance for your help.
And although there have alrady been some suggestions, I was unsure which of them was amplified and the best to us plus there are sometimes several models of them that throw around unknown specs like bidirectional, distribution, active return, etc. I guess I need my hand held a little more than the usuals, like just tell me which one. LOL. Sorry.
photo 2 - Copy.JPG 75k .JPG file
photo 4 - Copy.JPG 74k .JPG fileWell, the results are finally in after all this time and they are not what we expected or hoped for. We finally finished getting the two antennas (Clearstream4) onto the peak of the roof yesterday. And since I don't have the splitters yet, we only hooked up two TVs, (instead of the seven) with one going to each antenna. What we got was fewer channels than before and still the pixilation on some of them. I was so disappointed. I realize that this probably means that we are either not in the "sweet spot" or the two antennas are not the proper distance apart. Either of these issues will not be addressed since they are crazy high up (35 to 47 total feet) and I could not, nor would I, ask my son and nor my husband to change them, since they wouldn’t anyway (they were scared senseless on that ladder. That being said I have posted some pictures and am begging PLEASE for some definite model numbers of recommended amplified splitters, as I do not understand the jargon connected with them and maybe some opinions if I need a pre-amp? and which one? Your help is so greatly appreciated and needed and I thank you so much for it.
I don't think it will survive high winds, which your area no doubt gets even if on the periphery of an offshore hurricane or when they decay to Tropical Storm strength before they pass over your area. And BTW, hurricanes & tropical storms are coming more frequently, with increasing strength, due to Global Climate Change: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/hurrarchive.asp
You could move it more towards the center of the house, allowing the use of four guy wires radiating away from the top antenna.
In the current location, I would recommend adding three guy wires from the top antenna to each side of the house and another on the other end of the gable. Since you can't add a guy wire on the opposite side, I recommend adding a bracing pole diagonally at 60-45 degrees from the vicinity of the lower antenna to the gable.
Do others feel that it is too high also? How much should I lower it to avoid guy wires? I am using a very heavy duty mount (Winegard0012) so I thought this would be OK.
If you are combining these 2 antennas on one cable before splitting, then that can cause problems. They can interfere with each other. Must be identical lengths of cable before from each antenna before combining. Try running one cable from one antenna to one TV, no splitter. See if reception improves. And make sure the antennas are pointed the correct direction. One toward Charlotte, and one towards Greensboro. And both cities have separate antenna sites for the towers, so you will have to find a sweet spot. And you will definitely need an amp of some sort. Both Channel Master and Motorola make 4 port and 8 port distribution amps which are good choices.
Do I didn't combine them. One TV is on one antenna only. We have them faced like they were originally but (lower down) finding the sweet spot where we could pick up both Charlotte and Greensoboro and we got 41 channels then (for the last few months). Now we are getting 37 with some pixelation. I am still really unsure about which models of splitter to get. For instance the one that is #CDA4 apparently have two different models to choose from and I am unsure about what specs I need to make sure that I get. They are Antennas Direct CDA4 4-Way Output TV/CATV Distribution Amplifier AND CDA4A BiDirectional 4Way 1GHz CATV Drop Amplifier with Active Return Quad output Frankly I don't understand any of that. LOL. Thanks for your help.
What direction are the antennas aimed? The Clearstream 4s are very directional antennas and are unlikely to work well when not aimed very closely to the actual signal direction. What channels do you get with each antenna? Also what channels (networks) do you feel you need? The stronger channels come from approx 49 deg. true but don't seem to have an NBC station. The stations from about 232-254 true are a lot weaker but seem to be a more complete set of networks although PBS is a VHF channel and you might need a different antenna for it. You are trying to get stations from two different markets which is difficult.
Aiming at the 49 deg stations should get them well without a preamp but probably not any of the others. A preamp should be unnecessary, likely to overload and actually hurt reception. If fact an attenuator may be helpful with signals as strong as predicted.
Aiming at about 240 probably get the other market but whether any of the 49 deg stations work will be a crap shoot. It this case a low gain preamp would probably help.
Since you have two antennas you could try aiming them in opposite directions and combining some or all of the channels or even using a switch to get the two different markets.
The splitting and possibly distribution amp questions can be addressed after you are happy with reception on one TV.
One possible problem. Charlotte and Greensboro are 2 different directions, and you have both antennas pointed the same way. So you could be expected to have problems with reception from one of the markets, as the reflector can reduce or block signals from the back of the antenna. One of the antennas should be re-aimed. Which channels are you having problems with? And for Charlotte, I would place a preamp at the antenna to avoid signal loss. Some of the channels are 55 miles, such as WBTV, WCNC, WJZY. The Winegard LNA-200 may be a good choice preamp. But again, the Channel Master distribution amps are often recommended on this forum and can be found for a reasonable price.
I have them both (Clearstream4) aimed at a sweet spot between Charlotte and Greensboro and have at this point, one TV to each antenna seperately (have seven TVs to be added). And I would be happy if I got 41 channels again, although a few more like channels 16 and 17 would be great also. My main pixilation problem is with Channel 55 and sometimes 2, 3, and 8 as well. Can I use a pre-amp at the antenna (one or both of them) plus an amplified splitter where the cables go into the house or is that too much power? I do not know what my signal strengths are, nor do I know how to check them . Sorry. Sigh. And I am still unsure of the exact key wording needed for my amplfied splitter such as does it need to have a passive return path, internet AMP, internet modem signal booster, etc. ? If this helps, I have a Sony Blu-Ray with Wi-Fi on two of the TVs, but the others are without that added device and our main TV is a Smart TV, although apparently when it comes to this kind of stuff, I am not. Smart, that is. LOL. Thanks for all of your help.
The specs that matter in an amp for your use are noise figure, gain, and overload point. Unfortunately all three are rarely provided by the manufacture. The BDA 4 is most likely to work for you.
The above mentioned BDA-S4 distribution amp from Motorola is indeed a very good amp as I also mentioned previously. The design circuitry and noise figure is very good on this model. Also the Channel Master 3414 version is good also. And I would consider again re-aiming those antennas. The Charlotte and Greensboro signals come from 2 different directions, but it looks like you are trying to find a sweet spot for both markets which may not be possible for all channels, unless perhaps removing the reflector screen.
I hope you haven't given up! Unfortunately, higher up isn't always better with TV antennas. Sometimes you will find more interference that way. You said you had better luck when your antenna was down near the ground, so you may need to slide them down some, or even try turning them slightly one way or another. Those kind of antenna are VERY Directional, and the slightest movement can make big differences in the strength of the signal. Is anything in the path of the direction the antennas are facing? I have to agree with Hollands that I don't believe all that weight on the mast will survive high winds. I wish I had seen your post earlier and told you about the Winegard 8800 UHF antenna. It is very light, powerful, and at a good price. Those clearstream models to me stand out too much.
Yes that Winegard 8800 is often underrated in favor of the other 8-bay versions. And it is indeed lightweight and easy to hang from rafters in attic or install outside. Plus it can also receive HiVHF. I think the OP just needs some tweaking or modifications with her set up. And a preamp or dist amp. She should be able to receive most Charlotte and Greensboro channels. But both of her antennas should not be pointed the same direction. That may be part of the problem. Unless she can find a sweet spot between the 2 markets and remove the reflector screen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tylerSC /t/1468860/antenna-help-needed-for-nc/0_50#post_23922284
Yes that Winegard 8800 is often underrated in favor of the other 8-bay versions. And it is indeed lightweight and easy to hang from rafters in attic or install outside. Plus it can also receive HiVHF. I think the OP just needs some tweaking or modifications with her set up. And a preamp or dist amp. She should be able to receive most Charlotte and Greensboro channels. But both of her antennas should not be pointed the same direction. That may be part of the problem. Unless she can find a sweet spot between the 2 markets and remove the reflector screen.
I think I would try one of the clearstreams around 15 to 20 feet high like she had originally, and leave the other on the peak for the stations further away, and try combining them that way. Also shorten the mast on the house to keep from having wind problems. Plus swaying in the breeze can cause signal drop-outs, and may be her problem right now.
tylersc, why is it a problem for them both to be placed in the same direction? Since I am hooking both up them up to different TVs, they both need to pick up both Charlotte and Greensboro, and that is the only way that I can think of to accomplish it. BTW, what and where is the reflector screen on my Clearstreams4 and would I remove both or just one of them? Again, I thank you all for your help. I had not received any emails informing me of more replys, so I didn't know that I had any. Thanks !!!!
The gray circular looking things are the active elements, and the larger wire squares behind them are the reflector screens. It is important that the antenna be pointed so that the gray elements are aimed toward the TV stations towers that you are interested in watching. You may in fact have it pointed backwards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crystal54 /t/1468860/antenna-help-needed-for-nc/30#post_23925792
tylersc, why is it a problem for them both to be placed in the same direction? Since I am hooking both up them up to different TVs, they both need to pick up both Charlotte and Greensboro, and that is the only way that I can think of to accomplish it. BTW, what and where is the reflector screen on my Clearstreams4 and would I remove both or just one of them? Again, I thank you all for your help. I had not received any emails informing me of more replys, so I didn't know that I had any. Thanks !!!!
Charlotte and Greensboro are probably in 2 different directions from your location. But it seems like you are trying to find a sweet spot to receive both markets from the front and back of the antenna. Which is why the reflector screen should be removed because it will block or interfere with the signals from the back of the antenna. And some TV tuners handle multipath signals and error correction better than others. But once you order the amplified splitters it may help stabilize the signals and prevent dropouts. The Channel Master dist amps should be less expensive and work fine. You may have better results once you add the amps. But one of those Clearstream antennas placed properly without the screen should work fine. But you would need the 8-port dist amp to properly service all 7 TVs. And have that amp near the antenna or add a preamp. Long cable runs lose signal before the amp.
We had decided to use one of the antennas for each set of TVs and not try to combine them and then split it up 7 or 8 ways. We just thought this might be a better idea. So, if I understand it correctly, I should remove the shield from one of the antennas and then use the 4-port splitter on each one. Does it matter if the shield comes off of the lower or the upper antenna since they are each going to different TVs? With the amplified splitter, I am hoping to not need a pre-amp. Hopefully anyway.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
AVS Forum
34M posts
1.5M members
Since 1999
A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, TVs, projectors, screens, receivers, speakers, projects, DIY’s, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!