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Help picking out an indoor antenna for OTA HDTV

859 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  AdamPS, 
A
First some background:


I live in an apartment in Twinsburg, OH. I am on the second floor with the main window/balcony in the TV room facing southwest, using an RCA537 UHF/VHF antenna. Here are my relevant antennaweb results:


* red - vhf WKYC-DT 3.1 NBC CLEVELAND OH 296° 12.7 2

* red - vhf WOIO-DT 19.1 CBS SHAKER HEIGHTS OH 296° 13.0 10

* blue - uhf WEWS-DT 5.1 ABC CLEVELAND OH 291° 13.9 15

* blue - uhf WJW-DT 8.1 FOX CLEVELAND OH 288° 13.7 31


For the past 9 months, I have been receiving 3.1, 5.1, and 8.1. I have never gotten 19.1 despite hours and hours of trying. About 2 weeks ago, 5.1 just stopped coming in, and has not come in since. In that time, I have tried 3 other antennas: a Silver Sensor (with no amp), a Radio Shack 15-1892, and a Phillips 510. None of these have helped me get anything other than 3.1 and 8.1. My question is, would there be any other indoor antenna that might help? Or am I pretty much SOL since I have already tried 4 antennas with the same results? Since I live in an apartment, I need to have a indoor antenna (unless there is a VERY low profile outdoor antenna that will work pointing southwest that I can just put on our balcony).


Thanks for any help you might be able to give.
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E
 http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-DB2


It's a pretty small. It's better than the silver sensor and less directional.


I ordered the DB2, but they sent me a DB4 instead. Even the DB4 with the extra bay it is still small.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamPS
I live in an apartment in Twinsburg, OH. I am on the second floor with the main window/balcony in the TV room facing southwest, using an RCA537 UHF/VHF antenna. Here are my relevant antennaweb results:

* red - vhf WKYC-DT 3.1 NBC CLEVELAND OH 296° 12.7 2

* red - vhf WOIO-DT 19.1 CBS SHAKER HEIGHTS OH 296° 13.0 10

* blue - uhf WEWS-DT 5.1 ABC CLEVELAND OH 291° 13.9 15

* blue - uhf WJW-DT 8.1 FOX CLEVELAND OH 288° 13.7 31
The key is that WOIO-DT 19 is broadcasting on VHF channel 10. The others are UHF. To get all of these stations, you need either a VHF/UHF antenna combination or a UHF antenna with a good pickup for the upper VHF channels.


The Silver Sensor is a compact UHF antenna only. It will not perform very well for VHF 10. The Radios Shack mushroom antenna you tried has rabbit ears for VHF, but I guess you may need more than rabbit ears. Although 13 miles is normally within range of rabbit ears given no obstructing terrain and a clear view of the broadcast tower. I am not familiar with what type of antenna the RCA537 is (one of the UHF loop and VHF rabbit ear with crappy built-in amp that RCA sells?) . Looking at the FCC database, I see that WOIO-DT is broadcasting at only 3.5 KW on VHF 10 which is not a very high power even for digital VHF. You may need a decent upper VHF antenna to get WOIO-DT reliably.


AntennasDirect DB-2 is a UHF antenna. It is wide enough to have some pickup for the upper VHF channels, but there are other UHF antenna (all bigger) with better response for upper VHF. See http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html for comparison charts for UHF and VHF channels for a variety of the (mostly) better antennas. According to the chart, a pair of rabbit ears at a 45 degree angle would be better than the DB-2. But the DB-2 should do better than your other antennas for the 3 UHF stations. You could also extend pair of the DB-2 bows 6" to 12" (use tinfoil or a metal rod) to see if that helps get WOIO-DT on VHF 1 - if you get the DB-2.


Have you checked with the Cleveland locals thread to see if there are any issues with the digital broadcast stations, such as one of them down or running off of a lower power backup antenna for repair or upgrade work?
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the db-2 and other indoor uhf only antennas will definately not receive this channel transmitting on vhf ch. 2


* red - vhf WKYC-DT 3.1 NBC CLEVELAND OH 296° 12.7 ch2



and will do a mediocar job on this channel.


* red - vhf WOIO-DT 19.1 CBS SHAKER HEIGHTS OH 296° 13.0 10

Quote:
I have tried 3 other antennas: a Silver Sensor (with no amp), a Radio Shack 15-1892, and a Phillips 510. None of these have helped me get anything other than 3.1 and 8.1. My question is, would there be any other indoor antenna that might help? Or am I pretty much SOL since I have already tried 4 antennas with the same results?
looks like you may be SOL.


When the lease is up, you need to find an apartment with better antennaweb results :)
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* red - vhf WKYC-DT 3.1 NBC CLEVELAND OH 296° 12.7 ch 2
I don't know how I missed that! I wrote a post focusing on WOIO broadcasting digitally on VHF 10 and missed that Cleveland has a major network station broadcasting digitally all the way down at VHF 2! The DB-2 is not the antenna to get for that situation, unless he adds a VHF antenna to it. But I don't see how he could get WKYC-DT with the Silver Sensor unless it's signal was strong enough for even the UHF only Silver Sensor.


But if he is getting WKYC with the RCA, I assume that antenna must have rabbit ears and the signal is strong enough to get the station. The OP really needs to go the Cleveland locals thread and ask for information on what people are using to get WOIO-DT if it has a weaker VHF signal.
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Hey everyone,

Thanks for the help so far. The RCA antenna that I am using is their RCA Amplified Flat-Panel HDTV Antenna, model number ANT537 (I don't have enough posts to post the URL, but it is easily found on Best Buy's website). It has rabbit ears and a UHF receiver.


The most confusing thing is that everyone has told me that 3.1 should be the hardest channel to get. Oddly, I get that more clearly and consistently than everything but 8.1 (which I could probably get with a coat hanger). I'l see if anyone can help me in the Cleveland thread, but if anyone else has any other suggestions for a UHF/VHF indoor antenna I would love to hear it.


Thanks again!
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The URL for that antenna is http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1122653825126
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