The Official AVS Antenna and Related Hardware Topic! - Page 442

Hello everyone.

We have recently cut off digital cable (finally!). I have been looking to pick up OTA digital but getting lost in the myriad of options for antennas. I started investigating DIY 4 Bay Kits (as well as from MAKE). A DIY antenna + balun + pre amp should be the ticket.

Unfortunately, things aren't always that easy. The appearance of the antenna is of high regard to the significant other. She also wants to pick up FOX (a VHF-HI station). Mounting in an attic would be *awesome* as I can go with a larger antenna and have it look great on the outside of the house.

Our TV Fool Map:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...a362a78f3db572

We are mainly concerned with CBS, ABC, PBS, FOX (this is the big one). Attic mount would be nice, but I can also mount outside on chimney.

Would a commercial antenna such as the RCA ANT751 (outside) or the Channel master 4228HD (attic) be wise? Should I just DIY?

I appreciate any help with antennas... it's a sea of information!

What are your house siding and roof made of? Do you have foil-backed insulation in the walls or on the underside of the roof decking, common in Fla?

(Outside the attic, an ANT751 should work fine.)


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That is a great question. The siding is wood. I am not sure of the status on the roof; the previous owners had roofing work done. Is there a quick and easy way to determine that?

The ANT 751 mounted on the side of the house should do fine. Attic mounted is harder to predict. The 4228 is designed for UHF, but FOX is on VHF. The 4228HD mounted in the attic would have a tough time with FOX.

As you consider the attic options, does the angle to the stations (288°) go through the shingles, or would it be aimed at the gable? (assuming that you don't have a hip roof) If gable, aluminum siding is a no-no as is foil-backed sheathing. In some cases you just have to try it.

Look in the attic at the roof decking. If it looks like aluminum foil, you have a radiant barrier. If not, and you don't have a metal or tile roof, an attic antenna may work fine. But in the attic, I would try something with slightly more gain than the ANT751. Like a Winegard HD7694P.

I went up there and didn't see any aluminum foil nor any radiant barriers. I had been contemplating a radiant barrier over the insulation... would this affect my signal if I chose to attic mount?

I'll see if that 7694P will fit in the attic; it's a monster! If not, I'll go with the ANT751 outside.


Mounting in the attic would be going through the shingles, almost directly through them. I understand your statement to just try it; wanted this forums opinions before jumping into deep water (and possibly buying a few antennas before getting results).

Sounds like two votes for outside mounting. My only troubles with outside mounting is running the cable inside. I read RG6 is the recommended coax to use for least signal loss. I saw that grounding should be done on the same electronic service panel. Is there anything else to keep in mind?


Thank you both for your informative replies, this helps me greatly!

What is the best practices way to drill an opening for an RG6 cable to run from the attic to the outside? I would just run the cable on the outside of the house from there, but am not sure of the best way to drill into/out of the attic.

Run the cable to the eave overhang and then down the outside wall. The eave overhang material is usually thin and a standard drill bit will get though it. Drilling though the wall, youll need a long drill bit or a drill bit extension.

It would reflect the signal significantly, so it could make it worse or possibly better. It could even affect an outdoor install directly above it, but there is just no way to tell without trying.


The 7694 really isn't that big and the elements aren't too wide, unlike old lowband VHF+UHF antennas.

Use RG6 coax and if you install outdoors, it must be grounded to meet code. Outdoor antennas can be painted to blend in with background (trees, etc.).

Dont build the MAKE one, not enough gain or vhf-hi capabilities.

Either build a single bay GH with NARODs or an mclapp M4 with a 32 inch wide reflector.

I have always used the vents to rout wire out of the attic.

Soffit vents or roof vents?

Has anyone tried a vertical mount for a Circular Polarized channel. WOIO glitches alot. Canada has a channel on the same channel.
Thanks

Yes, whatever works. There is usually a screen that must be pierced to allow the cable to go through.

I run the Channel Master 4228 in my attic, I ran a line of RG6 to my structured wiring panel, and installed an amplifier, and split the 4228 to 8 tv's perfectly, I receive all local available hd broadcasts with-out issue, works perfect!

Personally I'd rather install in the attic, with rotor for fine adjustment, from previous readings on local hd forums, indoor attic antennas have only so much range depending on the model, I've installed 6 of these set-ups for friends / family and so far everyone is happy!

I personally would drill into the soffit and caulk afterwards. With a loose coax run, the cable could increase the hole in the screen over time allowing for insects to come in.

An alternative is to use a closet (if there is one near the TV). Run the coax down through the closet ceiling and out the closet wall to the TV.

Well, I've already run the RG6 from the equipment closet in the basement out to the back of the house, with enough cable to reach the attic. I just need to figure out how to get it into the attic where I can have a bigger antenna.

I'm just not that familiar with the eave/soffit construction techniques. Is it as straight forward as drilling through the soffit and fishing the cable in? Isn't there a top plate or something that I'd have to go through as well? And if so, wouldn't I have to remove a portion of the soffit to see what I'm working with?

It seems odd that so many people say "pull a cable from your attic to ... wherever" but so little detail on how to do that! So it must be easier than I am making it out to be (he said hopefully)!

I'm considering these two antennas.
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT751-Out...B5C/ref=sr_1_1
http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-SS-30.../dp/B001DFZ5II

I am 35 miles form the signal. Would either of these be a good choice? I live in bottom floor of two story apartment and cant mount anything on the roof.

whiteboy714, please post a link to the TVFool page results for your address and we can suggest antennas, based on the results. Mileage is of little/no use for predicting reception.

Your address will not appear on the results page.

Also post what your building's exterior is made of (stone, brick, wood, etc.).

OK, Ill try to explain.The rafters rest on the top plate of the walls, and the rafter ends (tails) extend over the house. The soffit is nailed to the rafter tails (after some nailers are put in to make the nailing surface level). There is generally no insulation or anything else between the soffit and the attic to allow for proper ventilation. Soffit material is generally thin plywood or vinyl or aluminum.


(picture from Home Time with Dean Johnson)

Sweet thanks a lot man, hopefully I got what you wanted.

Also my building is stucco.

I was thinking maybe this antenna "RCA ANT751" attached to a normal wooden fence thats about 6' high.

Although it has a balcony directly above it not sure if that would hurt. And it will be pointing straight at another building thats about 20' away.

If you're installing an antenna outside, most anything may work with your strong signals, and the ANT751 should work well. But you may have to point it in a different direction than North to get reliable reception, due to the building that's in the way. Impossible to tell until you try, though.

If considering indoor, indoor often does not work through stucco exteriors. The screen behind the stucco is a very good signal blocker.

Thanks 300! I was hoping for an answer like that. I'll push ahead as soon as I have the antenna ready. Thanks again!

Glad I could help. Im not a carpenter by trade, but once had a college summer job in a trailer factory in charge of building the framing. By the end of the summer, I was in charge of kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, a big step up. And if I do say so myself, I was excellent, heh.
Yes, and I also know how to frame a house.
And for some strange reason, Im also a Honeywell Energy Management Expert (2 week course) and a Certified Oil Burner Flame Retention Mechanic (2 day course). Life is funny.

Ok cool thanks man. I'm going to give it a go with that one. Appreciate the help.

The chicken wire (or "poultry mesh" as Home Depot says) that we use for Southern California standard sprayed stucco is an almost perfect way to block VHF, UHF, and cell phone reception and transmission. Foil backed insulation, concrete roof tiles, chicken wire, and low emission coatings on modern double pane windows all do a great job of making a modern house into a near-perfect Farraday's Cage.

As much as an indoor antenna would increase wife acceptance factor and appease angry home owners associations, the laws of Maxwellian physics are mutually exclusive with many local building customs. Put a big honkin' ugly antenna as high up as possible, run low loss cabling from it, and use a good quality tuner and a low noise preamp if necessary, and let God sort 'em out!

Whats low loss cabling?

whiteboy714,
In your case, RG6 coax is fine.

Must not be here.