[pitweasel]

Hi gang,

I'm hoping someone with experience on the topic can help. I recently moved to a rural west Texas town, where the closest transmitters are 28.5 miles away. While I'm beginning to have more luck with them as I try different antennas, there's still one that's killing me: NBC. It's broadcasting on VHF (channel 11), and is just over 30 miles away.


So far, I've only been able to pull it in two times. Once was with a $20 walmart antenna (single loop and two short poles), but that lasted one day and then never came in again. The second is a Terk TV5, with the gain boosted 100%, and also plugged into another Terk amplifier from another one of their antennas. This will now get NBC, but only if I stand in between the living room and the kitchen and put my body directly behind the antenna while it's tilted at a specific angle. Obviously useless.


So, where do I go from here? I've heard so many great things about Antenna Directs' UB2 (and clones), but it's rated as UHF antenna. Does anyone here have experience with pulling in VHF with one of these? Alternately, is there a VHF antenna that would be more likely to help me out that I could run simultaneously with a UB2 or other UHF antenna?


A note about the distance: while it is 30 miles, it's also, as I mentioned, west Texas. This means there is virtually nothing between the towers and my apartment, which is on the second floor of a two story building. And an outdoor antenna is out of the question; I have no way of running the cable inside.


Here's a link to the TVFool info on my address: http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9409/27042437.jpg


Thanks so much for your help!

 

[ProjectSHO89]

At 30 miles with a 1-edge diffraction and indoors, you're going to find it had to get that NBC station.


If you have an east-facing window, place your antenna in that window.

 

[pitweasel]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ProjectSHO89 /forum/post/18177291


At 30 miles with a 1-edge diffraction and indoors, you're going to find it had to get that NBC station.


If you have an east-facing window, place your antenna in that window.

There are only two windows in the entire apartment, and they're both on the west walls, unfortunately. On the other side of the east walls is another unit before the building's edge.

 

[ProjectSHO89]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pitweasel /forum/post/18177395


There are only two windows in the entire apartment, and they're both on the west walls, unfortunately. On the other side of the east walls is another unit before the building's edge.

Can't fix an unfavorable location....


Either there might be some signal at the west-facing window due to reflections or you might get wall penetration through all that building material. Neither is particularly promising after the VHF signal has made that trip.

 

[arxaw]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pitweasel /forum/post/18176884


Hi gang,

I'm hoping someone with experience on the topic can help. I recently moved to a rural west Texas town, where the closest transmitters are 28.5 miles away. While I'm beginning to have more luck with them as I try different antennas, there's still one that's killing me: NBC. It's broadcasting on VHF (channel 11), and is just over 30 miles away.


So far, I've only been able to pull it in two times. Once was with a $20 walmart antenna (single loop and two short poles), but that lasted one day and then never came in again. The second is a Terk TV5, with the gain boosted 100%, and also plugged into another Terk amplifier from another one of their antennas. This will now get NBC, but only if I stand in between the living room and the kitchen and put my body directly behind the antenna while it's tilted at a specific angle. Obviously useless.


So, where do I go from here?

VHF often doesn't penetrate walls very well at all. And even if it makes it in, there's a long list of electrical devices in the house that can interfere with VHF reception. Amps are a waste of time if there's no signal in the room.

10 x 0 is still 0.

An small outdoor VHF+UHF antenna may be your only reliable option.

 

[deltaguy]

If you and your neighbors are all having troubles with NBC, a rooftop antenna would be desirable for all. If all were willing to pay for a rooftop install for all, you could pitch that idea to the owner. Experts here could give details as to what equipment would be needed to distribute signals.

 

[pitweasel]



Quote:
Originally Posted by deltaguy /forum/post/18179039


If you and your neighbors are all having troubles with NBC, a rooftop antenna would be desirable for all. If all were willing to pay for a rooftop install for all, you could pitch that idea to the owner. Experts here could give details as to what equipment would be needed to distribute signals.

It's a corporate owned, multi-building complex. There isn't a single broadband internet provider that's even allowed to touch the building, and only one cable company ($43/month minimum) that can service us. Sadly, even thinking about touching the building is useless.

 

[Ratman]

Swap apartments with your eastside neighbor.

 

[arxaw]

It won't do any good, but you can always complain to the station for sticking with a stupid VHF channel that can't be easily received with indoor antennas.

 

[pitweasel]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratman /forum/post/18179241


Swap apartments with your eastside neighbor.

You may have been kidding, but I already sent my landlord a note saying that when I move back for the fall semester, I want a unit on the end with east windows. Part of it was so I could get some light in here in the morning for a change, but the reception issues helped that decision.

 

[systems2000]

Put the antenna in your neighbors apartment window and run a cable to yours.

 

[arxaw]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pitweasel /forum/post/18179568


You may have been kidding, but I already sent my landlord a note saying that when I move back for the fall semester, I want a unit on the end with east windows. Part of it was so I could get some light in here in the morning for a change, but the reception issues helped that decision.

If the walls have foil-backed insulation in them and/or if the windows are made of heat-reflecting, "Low-e" glass, you still may be VHF-SOL.

 

[Splicer010]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pitweasel /forum/post/18179192


It's a corporate owned, multi-building complex. There isn't a single broadband internet provider that's even allowed to touch the building, and only one cable company ($43/month minimum) that can service us. Sadly, even thinking about touching the building is useless.

Seriously, try this, you've nothing to lose and these things work amazingly well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

 

[smpowell]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pitweasel /forum/post/18176884


closest transmitters are 28.5 miles away. ..........s still one that's killing me: NBC. It's broadcasting on VHF (channel 11), and is just over 30 miles away. ........


So far, I've only been able to pull it in two times. Once was with a $20 walmart antenna (single loop and two short poles), but that lasted one day and then never came in again. The second is a Terk TV5, with the gain boosted 100%, and also plugged into another Terk amplifier from ...........Antenna Directs' UB2 (and clones), but it's rated as UHF antenna. Does anyone here have experience with pulling in VHF with one of these? ......Alternately, is there a VHF antenna that would be more likely to help me out that I could run simultaneously with a UB2 or other UHF antenna? ........


Here's a link to the TVFool info on my address: http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9409/27042437.jpg

>Antenna Directs' UB2


Useless for RF channel 11


>Alternately, is there a VHF antenna that would be more likely to help me out that I could run simultaneously with a UB2 or other UHF antenna?


There is a cheap passive device to combine a UHF & VHF antennas.
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp...Combiners&sku=


There are also preamps with separate UHF & VHF inputs. Example: http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=ANC7777


The first thing I would try is to optimize the length of your current antenna. That would be to set the ears to 28" tip to tip with the ears being horizontal. See: http://www.kyes.com/antenna/rabbitear.html


If that isn't good enough, I would try making a loop or rectangular antenna cut for RF channel 11. There is a bunch of info at http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops/vhfloop I would try making a 21" loop out of 12 gage ground wire. You will need a common 75:300 ohm balun to conenct to the ends of the loop.


Oh, and if you don't have one, get a length of coax (10- 20 feet?). Indoor antennas can be very sensitive to location; move it around to see if you can find a "sweet spot" for channel 11.

 

[arxaw]



Quote:
Originally Posted by smpowell /forum/post/18180192


...I would try making a loop or rectangular antenna cut for RF channel 11. There is a bunch of info at http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops/vhfloop

That one is easy to make and works very well for VHF. It is definitely worth a try. But be aware that it usually works much better outdoors.

 

[Jedi Master]

I have the Terk TV5 and it an awesome indoor antenna. I have a PBS station that it picks up from 30 miles away but its a UHF station and I have my antenna close to a window. I would say try plugging the Terk TV5 into your TV and skip the other amplifier you were using. 30 miles is on the border line for an indoor antenna. I get 5 out of 10 bars on my signal indicator with my PBS station.

 

[Ratman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Splicer010 /forum/post/18180050


Seriously, try this, you've nothing to lose and these things work amazingly well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

How amazingly well does it work for VHF channel 11 reception?

 

[arxaw]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jedi Master /forum/post/18180850


I have the Terk TV5 and it an awesome indoor antenna. I have a PBS station that it picks up from 30 miles away but its a UHF station and I have my antenna close to a window. I would say try plugging the Terk TV5 into your TV and skip the other amplifier you were using. 30 miles is on the border line for an indoor antenna. I get 5 out of 10 bars on my signal indicator with my PBS station.

5 out of 10 bars is far from "awesome" territory.

 

[Splicer010]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratman /forum/post/18181307


How amazingly well does it work for VHF channel 11 reception?

Amazingly enough that it is worth checking out.

 

[Ratman]

Does it work for you (with high VHF)?