Naples- Ft. Myers, FL (OTA) Setup

Welcome to the forum. If you were only interested in the nearby stations 40 miles north of you, all of those stations are on UHF, so a simple 4-bay UHF-only antenna at rooftop/chimney height and aimed northward would probably receive those just fine. Options would include a Winegard HD4400, an Antennas Direct DB4e or Channel Master 4221HD:

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=hd-4400
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=db4e
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=4221-HD

Regarding the farther-away stations, even the best long-range rooftop antennas would only be expected to receive stations down to around 0.0 db NM or maybe -5.0 db NM on your TVFool report (maybe a bit lower with an amplifier) under normal receiving conditions. All of the farther-away stations are below that threshhold, so we wouldn't expect them to be reliably receivable at your location. However, most times I'm in your area, I note that FM stations from both Tampa and Miami/Fort Lauderdale often come in at least moderately well in the early mornings and in the later evenings on a car radio (and even Orlando, as I recall once or twice). This is enhanced atmospheric, or "tropo" reception, which is common in warmer climates and might also occur for tv stations from both Tampa and Miami/Fort Lauderdale. If you might be interested in this tropo reception for tv stations, knowing that it would not necessarily be reliable, and would be more prevalent in the early mornings and later in the evenings, then you'd need a larger long-range antenna setup on your roof/chimney, and on a rotator. The often-recommended setup for long-range purposes is an Antennas Direct 91XG or DB8 (for UHF) mounted 2-3 feet above an Antennacraft Y10-7-13 (for VHF-high channels 7-13) on the same mast, all on a rotator. The two antennas would be joined up at the mast using two short (3-4-foot) RG-6 coax pieces into a special UVSJ signal combiner, with a single RG-6 coax run from the UVSJ down to your tv. This setup would not receive WSBS-3 from Key West, and probably not WUVP-LP-2 though, since these antennas are not designed for VHF-low reception (channels 2-6), which require very long horizontal elements as part of a much larger antenna.

One long-range setup option would look similar to this photo, which shows the 91XG above a Winegard YA-1713 (also a very good VHF-high antenna, 20" shorter than the Y10-7-13 and with slightly less gain):
http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/senorbagofcrap_photos/TVAntennas004.jpg

This photo shows an old Channel Master 4228A (no longer available) atop the Y10-7-13:
http://cdn.avsforum.com/8/85/85f25c3d_vbattach145807.jpeg

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=91xg
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=db8
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=y10-7-13
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=ya1713
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=uvsj

Hope this is helpful...
Edited by gcd0865 - 11/29/12 at 11:37am

This is just the advice I was thinking of when I read your questions earlier. The reception of the more distant stations would be more appropriate for those of us who like to play with this kind of thing rather than the user simply looking to replace a pay service.
Since you were curious about the analog channels to your west, I tried to "Google" some information about them but it is a bit scarce. The nice thing about analog was that even if you did not receive a good signal, you could see enough of a picture to know what type of channel it was. You could try a simple indoor loop or such on your TV and see for yourself what those channels carry. It is most likely minor network fare or religion. If you find the analogs to be of interest it would require either a rotor or a separate UHF antenna with it's own separate down-lead connected to a A/B switch. All of the low power remaining analogs are scheduled to go digital in about two years. There is no guarantee that owners will invest in the equipment to make the transitions and some may go dark.

I do not believe that you will be able to pick up WSFL with any consistency at that distance and of course a different direction. Besides you have a CW affiliate at the top of your list in WXCW and there is usually not much difference in programming on alternate CW stations.
Yes, WGCU is one edge but still very receivable. You may be able to loose that 1 edge designation if you increase the antenna height a bit. Go back to TV Fool and try 20 or 25 feet. To be on the safe side I would lean towards the DB4e as an antenna choice. It has a lot of good reviews since it has been redesigned to focus on the UHF frequencies currently in use. Older antennas were made to capture channels 14 to 83 but nothing is used above 51 for digital.
I am not sure what channel 7 you are referring to. The only 7's on your list are WSVN and WFLA and again they may come in if weather conditions are just right for a few hours. I would save trying for anything like that only if you decide to make this your new hobby.
You only need a UHF antenna for the reliable digital channels to your north or even the analog channels to the west. Yes, the digital transition is over for full power stations but low power and translator stations were given more time, I believe the current deadline is in 2015.
And finally I appears that both the analog and digital W22CL are of the Daystar affiliation. The digital version is only a construction permit and may not be on yet.

The 1-edge designation isn't a problem for WGCU at your short distance. It just means there's a small hill between you and the transmitter.

If by channel 7 you mean your local Naples-Fort Myers ABC station, WZVN, which calls itself "ABC-7", you would be able to receive that channel with any of the UHF-only antennas because WZVN actually broadcasts its over-the-air signal on UHF channel 41. It calls itself "ABC-7" only because they made a deal with all local cable companies to place their station at the channel 7 spot in the cable channel lineup (as did "NBC-2" at the channel 2 spot).
Edited by gcd0865 - 11/30/12 at 9:49am

I am sure the db8 will fill your needs nicely, although if I were buying a new UHF antenna at this time I would go for the db4e. As far as the best UHF antenna available, that of course if a matter of personal opinion. The Antennas Direct 91XG is probably the most recommended on this forum for challenging situations. There is however a very expensive line of products from a company named Blonder Tongue that is used in many professional applications such as on cable company towers.
You have not discussed how many TVs you plan to connect. It is always recommended to start with a direct line to just one and then if the signal is adequate consider a splitter. I believe you could split to 2 sets in your situation without any amplification. More than that and you would need to consider either a distribution amplifier or mast mounted amp.
Also as you are planning to replace satellite service an often ask question is whether the same cable down-lead can be used as was installed by the satellite contractor. The answer is yes, provided you remove any of their splitters or other equipment with the exception of a grounding block. You can insert barrel connectors (male to male cable joiners) to rejoin any device you remove from their line.