Here are some "off the top of my head" comments on several topics recently mentioned here. Maybe some of my experiences will help others who are reading this thread.
First on the DTV delay... I was extremely happy when I read that the House voted against the delay. Fantastic news! Then I read later that they can reintroduce the bill next week and vote on it again with out needing the 2/3 vote. My elation disappeared.
Regarding VHF and UHF reception and the various antennas used, I've tried several different antennas here over the years... everything from Radio Shack Super Fringe models to the AntennaCraft D9000, various UHF only antennas, etc. Some of the antennas were terrible, where I couldn't even pick up the stations from the hills above Fremont just 35 miles away. Some were huge, some were small, most didn't work well.
One I've stuck with for picking up all of the Sutro stations is the Antennas Direct SR-15. It's small, very well built, and it works! It's the only one that has worked for picking up ALL of the stations from Sutro from ONE position. The other antennas all had to be moved a few degrees one way or the other to get certain stations, then I'd lose others. The Channel Master 4228 is bad in that respect. For example, I couldn't find a place where I could get both KGO on 24 and KPIX on 29 with the 4228. SR-15... no problem. I've locked the SR-15 in and get all 11 stations.
I have tied the SR-15 in with a Winegard 3113, cut for channel 12, which I bought for KNTV when they were transmitting from Loma Prieta. When they moved to Mt. San Bruno I just turned it a bit to the west. So with the SR-15 and the 3113, I get all of the Sutro stations plus KNTV solid for OTA recordings.
I've found the Channel Master 4228 to be the best of all of them at bringing in the distant stations. It doesn't have quite as narrow a beam width as the 91XG (which I'd like to try, but haven't) but it seems to do a great job at picking up all of the the stations that are outside the local area. A couple of the Sacramento digital stations come in like they're locals. KMAX on 21 is stronger than the four stations transmitting from the South Bay (49, 50, 51, and 52) and KVIE on 53 is solid most of the time, too. Other Sact'o stations come and go depending on conditions. I've yet to pick up KOVR on 25 and, of course, KSPX is impossible because of KPIX on 29.
I've got two CM4228's on the roof, one toward the west at the front of the house, one toward the east at the back. One thing that is quite noticeable is the difference in signal strengths from the two of them for various stations. The one in the back gets the Mt. San Bruno stations much stronger than the one toward the front, even though we're only five miles away. The one in the front, on the other hand, does much better at getting the Mt. Diablo and Sacramento stations than the one in the back by about 2 to 3 db. Both do about the same for the South Bay stations and KTLN in Novato. The one in the front does better for 23 and 54 up in Sonoma County. I find all that to be quite interesting.
Some have mentioned how Hi-VHF is the best for distant reception. I really haven't had a chance to do much testing there with digital, but I did get KNTV-DT solid from 55 miles away when it was on Loma Prieta. I'm too close to Sutro to pick up the Sacramento analog stations due to adjacent channel overload. I used to get KOVR 13 with a snowy picture until KNTV moved to Mt. San Bruno, then I lost it. 2 covers 3, 5 covers 6, and 9 covers 10. I hoping that after the analog stations on Sutro go off I'll be able to pick up low power 8 from Mt. Diablo and 9 and 10 from Sacramento. Since I get several of the Sacramento UHF digital channels, I think I will.
Now some comments on the various receivers I've got. My original receiver in a 2001 Sony XBR 2 is terrible at picking up weaker stations compared to the receiver in my newer 2008 Sony XBR 4, and my best receiver is the one in the Insignia Converter box. (Too bad it's only SD.) The receiver in the Dish ViP-622 DVR is about the same as the newer Sony XBR 4. The three computer receivers, Hi-Pix in the PC and two USB plug-ins for the lap top, a WinTV 950 and a Fusion 7, are all in between the two Sonys as far as sensitivity. The Fusion 7 is the best of the three. Yeah, I've got 7 digital receivers in the house, and it's fun to compare their differences!
The converter box must have the latest generation chip in it, because it can receive and hold stations better than any of the other receivers. It seems to be more sensitive and able to handle multipath much better... but it has a couple flaws. It has to detect and decifer the PSIP ID information from a station before it will put it in the list and show a picture, and you can't tune it to a sub-channel until it's got the station listed.
The new Sony, on the other hand, will show the picture and sound from a station without getting the PSIP info, and I can tune to the sub-channels with it. For some weaker stations you can get them by tuning to the -3 sub-channel and they'll show up with solid picture and sound. So with the tuning capabilities of the Sony and the sensitivity of the convert box, I've had fun pulling in the more distant digital stations.
Larry
SF
