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EV's Recommended & Top Rated DTV Indoor UHF/VHF Set Top Antenna Review Round-Up Guide - Page 66

post #1951 of 3229
6/30/09 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeVelocity View Post

Cbl, how about grounding the antenna?

That looks like a great combo, antenna/amp.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=GRROD4
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=GRB1

Is that all I would need. Just put the rod in the ground where the cable comes into the house? I will defiantly need this since there is a lightning strike here in Florida every second.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nordloewelabs View Post

i ordered both yesterday. gonna used them indoors, though.

Let me know how well it functions. I won't be ordering mine for about a month because we are still going through renovations and have not moved into the house.
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post #1952 of 3229
6/30/09 at 10:56am
Thread Starter 
Im no expert on that. But you also need some wire, like 8 gauge grounding wire, copper or aluminum.

Need to Ground an Attic Antenna?

Also good information and a diagram fromt he HDTVprimer dude Ken Nist. Scroll down the page to the appropriate topic.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/basics.html
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post #1953 of 3229
6/30/09 at 11:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeVelocity View Post

Im no expert on that. But you also need some wire, like 8 gauge grounding wire, copper or aluminum.

Need to Ground an Attic Antenna?

Also good information and a diagram fromt he HDTVprimer dude Ken Nist. Scroll down the page to the appropriate topic.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/basics.html

So I put the rod in the ground and then attach the grounding block and antenna to the rod with some 4-gauge aluminum wire. That seems pretty simple.
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post #1954 of 3229
6/30/09 at 2:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cbl12886 View Post

So I put the rod in the ground and then attach the grounding block and antenna to the rod with some 4-gauge aluminum wire. That seems pretty simple.

It's more than just that.

See NEC Section 810 for minimum NFPA requirements.
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post #1955 of 3229
6/30/09 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ProjectSHO89 View Post

It's more than just that.

See NEC Section 810 for minimum NFPA requirements.

The only difference I see from what I wrote was that I should use an 8-gauge copper wire coming off the grounding rod and that rod should be from the electrical panel. That is on the other side of my house so I think that the 4' grounding rod, grounding block, and some 8-gauge copper wire for the mast and coax should be fine.
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post #1956 of 3229
6/30/09 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cbl12886 View Post

The only difference I see from what I wrote was that I should use an 8-gauge copper wire coming off the grounding rod and that rod should be from the electrical panel. That is on the other side of my house so I think that the 4' grounding rod, grounding block, and some 8-gauge copper wire for the mast and coax should be fine.

You skipped right over that part about bonding the two ground electrodes together.....which is one of the more important aspects of the system.
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post #1957 of 3229
6/30/09 at 6:29pm
Are you talking about having the coax ground cable and mast ground cable both being attached to the same grounding block and that block to one grounding rod in the ground?
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post #1958 of 3229
6/30/09 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 
What does your TVfool indicate, Cbl? Could you post a link?
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post #1959 of 3229
6/30/09 at 6:51pm
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...663d6fcf3117b6

Just so you know you already looked at this and recommended the RCA and CM.
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post #1960 of 3229
6/30/09 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
How long is your cable run? How many TVs are you going to split to?

Looks like you are in very good shape with CM2016 and a Winegard 269 amplifier.
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post #1961 of 3229
6/30/09 at 7:01pm
At most 50' for the cable and 1 TV only probably.
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post #1962 of 3229
6/30/09 at 7:05pm
Thread Starter 
The much higher overload level capacity of the Winegard 269 will serve you well, with your strong signals.....you might try without the amp first.

The Winegard 269 is about 3 times more robust than others on the input overload side, according to Rick0725, a very knowlegable chap.
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post #1963 of 3229
6/30/09 at 8:58pm
Quote:


Delhi SL 4BT Antenna

First time Ive seen a commercial reflectorless bowtie offered.
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post #1964 of 3229
6/30/09 at 10:21pm
Thread Starter 
Here is an oldish article by the HDTVexpert, it focuses on outdoor antennas, but I always love his stuff and lets face it, the best indoor antenna is an outdoor antenna. LOL!

Quote:


HEAVY METAL, PART I

VHF-UHF Antennas Compared for Outdoor DTV Reception

by Peter H. Putman, CTS

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages/antout.htm


I love this picture!



This one give a good size comparison of the Channel Master 4228 4 bay and the Terk TV-35 and some others, like the Channel Master 3010A StealthTenna.

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post #1965 of 3229
6/30/09 at 10:44pm
With all the talk about grounding do I have to ground the ANT751? If I decide to go with this one and not the indoor antenna.
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post #1966 of 3229
6/30/09 at 10:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ylee View Post

In January I wrote about receiving OTA in downtown San Francisco with a DB2 attached with suction cups to an apartment window. I am pleased to report that KGO, the ABC affiliate now (again) transmitting on channel 7, comes in quite well despite the DB2 not being designed for VHF signals.


Thanks for the update ylee, how about a pic of your slick mounting solution?
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post #1967 of 3229
6/30/09 at 10:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JChin View Post

With all the talk about grounding do I have to ground the ANT751? If I decide to go with this one and not the indoor antenna.

That is ideal, and its usually code. That being said, I dont have my antenna grounded but Im below the treeline and in fact under a tree, with a huge tin roof.

So, to each his own. But Im not as technically savvy as some of these other folks, many whom have years of broadcast engineering experience. I therefore refrain from advising people anything other than safety, in that regard.

Number one rule of hams, ground your antenna!
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post #1968 of 3229
7/1/09 at 5:02am
Quote:


I am pleased to report that KGO, the ABC affiliate now (again) transmitting on channel 7, comes in quite well despite the DB2 not being designed for VHF signals.

Thats quite possible if your wide storm window frame or screen is near the DB2, making it have a effectively wide reflector. Like EV said, post some pics.
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post #1969 of 3229
7/1/09 at 1:03pm
Hey guys, I posted a couple of days ago and I think it got buried in a flurry of discussion. Could you all have a look at my situation and advise? Here's the link:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0#post16742280
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post #1970 of 3229
7/1/09 at 1:18pm
Thread Starter 
Hey partsman, didnt mean to ignore your post.


It really depends on what you want to do.

Some questions, what is your residence made of, brick, stucco, masonry, metal siding and roofing (also hidden foil vapor barriers in newer construction) are all really bad for RF signals to get to indoor antennas. Windows are good and even at that, some newer construction with high R values (insulation) can also negatively affect signals.
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post #1971 of 3229
7/1/09 at 1:31pm
It is a wood frame house from 1977 with wood siding and 3-tab roofing, so all the alien messages should get through when I'm not wearing my tinfoil hat . Viewing location is on the east wall of bedroom on the west side of house, so signals do have to pass through the outside wall and interior wall. Need to stay with something inobtrusive and indoor due to wife's aesthetic sensibilities .
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post #1972 of 3229
7/1/09 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
Assuming you have no building material problems.

I would try a Classic Single Bowtie and combine that with your Amplified Rabbit Ears using a UVSJ Combiner.

That would be my first move.

You could try other UHF antennas with better gain, but often they tighten the beamwidth of the antenna, which is bad for you because you have the 90 degree spread. But the Antennas Direct Clearstream1 has a wide beamwidth and better gain.
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post #1973 of 3229
7/1/09 at 1:37pm
Thread Starter 
Also shorten the Rabbit Ear dipoles down to about 13" a side (using the 2 fattest parts of the telescoping rods)....and lay them flat/horizontal. If that isnt satisfactory, you can lengthen them a bit and move them in variations of a vee shape towards the towers @ some angle.

Dont forget to look for sweet spots where the signal strength may be higher for some esoteric reason or other.
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post #1974 of 3229
7/1/09 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:


Tacky TV Antennas

A Brief History, Plus How to Make Your Own

Jim Belcher

http://www.tackyliving.com/article.php?id=61

.
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post #1975 of 3229
7/1/09 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeVelocity View Post

.Tacky TV Antennas

A Brief History, Plus How to Make Your Own

Jim Belcher

http://www.tackyliving.com/article.php?id=61

Hilarious! "electronic fungus", eh?

Gary
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post #1976 of 3229
7/1/09 at 3:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeVelocity View Post


I would try a Classic Single Bowtie and combine that with your Amplified Rabbit Ears using a UVSJ Combiner.

Won't there be issues combining the UHF bowtie signal with the loop signal on the MANT300?
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post #1977 of 3229
7/1/09 at 6:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by partsman_ba View Post

Won't there be issues combining the UHF bowtie signal with the loop signal on the MANT300?

Long story short, no, there wont be issues. The UVSJ (UHF VHF Signal Joiner) Combiner/Separator has filters which significantly reduce crosstalk, out of phase, negations between the antennas. The MANT300 will go into the VHF input and the Single Classic Bowtie will go into the UHF input.
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post #1978 of 3229
7/1/09 at 9:15pm
Thread Starter 
Spotted on the web...

"Unique Fractal HD-Digital indoor TV Antenna"

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post #1979 of 3229
7/1/09 at 10:31pm
Quote:


Spotted on the web...

"Unique Fractal HD-Digital indoor TV Antenna"

Heh, I did a fractal bowtie NEC model about a year ago. Fractalizing a bowtie with 1 iteration only serves to shorten the bowtie with the same effects as just having shorter bowtie whiskers.
1st iteration fractilization of the GH does make for a more compact antenna, but at a little loss of gain and a small shift to the higher frequencies.
Fractalization does make for a compact antenna, but in all cases Ive seen, the same antenna un-fractalized has greater gain.
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post #1980 of 3229
7/1/09 at 11:19pm
Thread Starter 
TD DB-2: 19 x 12 x 4 in.

UHF Channel 14 32 50 69
Gain (dBd) 5 6 7 8
3dB Beamwidth 70° 60° 52° 46°
VHF Hi-band Gain: Avg. -12dBd
Impedance: 75 ohms (F connector)
VSWR: Avg. 1.7:1
Cross Pol: Avg. 23dB

UHF Channel -- 14 - 32 - 50 - 69
Gain (dBd) -- -- 5 -- 6 -- 7 -- 8
3dB Beamwidth 70° -60°-52°- 46°


CM4220: 20 x 17 x 5 in.

14--21--33--42--55--68
-8---7--8.5--8.6--5--8 dBd
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AVS › AVS Forum › HDTV › HDTV Technical › EV's Recommended & Top Rated DTV Indoor UHF/VHF Set Top Antenna Review Round-Up Guide