[yoomit]

does anyone have experience with using the Silver Sensor antenna in Brooklyn (or NYC)?


i'll be moving to a small co-op building in January, and will hopefully have a new HD plasma set-up. however, should i be concerned about getting a roof-mounted antenna, or would the Silver suffice?


i know the Silver is for only UHF, but i've read posts where users have also been able to receive VHF signals. i'd rather not have multiple antennas, so if the Silver is not good for VHF, i'd rather just get a single ubiquitous antenna. any suggestions?


btw, my building does not have any nearby obstructions (i.e., buildings and/or trees).


any users in the NYC area?


thanks!

 

[Bob Dycus]

Go to http://www.antennaweb.org


Enter the information for the new location you are moving to. That should give you an idea whether the SS will work. If all of the stations are YELLOW, you will be close by the towers.

 

[John Mason]

I'm using a Silver Sensor in mid-town Manhattan with no direct view of the transmitter (ES Building). I can pick up reflections from another building through a window, although aiming and adjusting is tedious and plagued by multipath. That's my shielded location and building reflections, not the antenna. Time Warner Cable, if available, is the best source for HDTV in NYC (call 718 670 0265 weekdays).


A Brooklyn site, IMO, should work fine with a SS (CBS, Fox/UPN H/DTV), given a line of sight. But access to a rooftop antenna (either a rotating one or several merged-signal antennas) might let you tune in other H/DTV sources in the region. Book-size SSs aren't really designed for VHF. -- John

 

[yoomit]

thanks for the feedback, everyone.


but one point of confusion. ok, so the SS is for UHF only...however, most of the national channels in NYC (cbs, nbc and abc) are all VHF channels, yes?


so does this mean that the SS does or does not work well with these VHF channels?? especially since a lot of CBS (channel 2 in NYC) has a lot of HD programming, as well as NBC's (channel 4 in NYC) Tonight Show.


fyi, i have 2 windows in my apt (facing east)...however, about 50ft directly across my view is another bldg...would this affect the SS's reception for HD signals?


looking on antennaweb, it appears i'd have to point the antenna NW (toward the city). again, would this affect the SS's reception?


i guess i can still try to do a roofmount antenna, but would rather avoid the hassle of wiring the cable into my apartment. however, if i were to go this route, any antenna recommendations and estimate of how much it would cost me (including installation)?


thanks, again!

 

[John Mason]

A SS, designed for UHF, should pick up WCBS-DT on UHF 56 and the Fox/UPN combo on UHF 44. That's all that's available direct from NYC. All the other channels mentioned are standard analog VHF and require a VHF antenna. But, as menitoned, with the right elevation and antennas, you might pick up other H/DTV stations in the region. With no direct view of the Empire State Building you might have to rely on reflections. They might be too weak and unreliable at any distance from the ESB. There are numerous posts here about outdoor antenna options. I'd try to locate a installer with experience tuning in regional stations. -- John