[Erighan]

Hello all. I've been toying around with a couple different antennas from RadioShack. Both antennas were pre-amp indoor/outdoor and relatively cheap ($20-$30). They worked for the most part, but the reception was good only 75% of the time. Obviously, this has frustrated the wife and I now have to act quickly to resolve the issue before football starts next week.

So, I ended up purchasing the Antennas Direct ClearStream4. Probably a rash and expensive decision, but had to act quickly. Anyway, have a couple questions.


1. If I install this antenna on our chimney on the roof will it require grounding wire? Are there rules on when this is required or not required?


2. Since I could receive most channels with the cheaper antennas, but the reception was unreliable, does that mean an amplifier would have solved my signal issues?


As a reference, this is my TVFool report . Transmitters range from ~20-30 miles.


Thanks everyone.

 

[rabbit73]

Hello Erighan:


Thanks for posting your tvfool link for Woodstock, GA. You have an unusual report in that there is one extremely strong station WATC real CH41, one strong station WPXA CH51, and the rest are much weaker.

Quote:
2. Since I could receive most channels with the cheaper antennas, but the reception was unreliable, does that mean an amplifier would have solved my signal issues?

A preamp, and possibly your tuner, would be overloaded by WATC from your new AD CS4 antenna outdoors.


When using an indoor antenna, its location is quite critical. Have you tried different locations for it, even by adding a coax extension with an F-81 coupler? Also, the presence of your body near the indoor antenna can affect reception.


What channel/channels are important to you for football?

What channels are you now receiving OK?

What channels are a problem for you?

Have you tried your new antenna indoors?

Can you put it in an attic?

Quote:
1. If I install this antenna on our chimney on the roof will it require grounding wire? Are there rules on when this is required or not required?

Yes, and yes. We have covered grounding requirements pretty well in these threads:
Grounding Antenna and Dish
www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1333059

Grounding antenna
www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1340965

 

[Erighan]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit73 /forum/post/20895485


What channel/channels are important to you for football?

What channels are you now receiving OK?

What channels are a problem for you?

Have you tried your new antenna indoors?

Can you put it in an attic?

Yes, and yes. We have covered grounding requirements pretty well in these threads:
Grounding Antenna and Dish
www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1333059

Grounding antenna
www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1340965

Thanks for the reply Rabbit. Let me address some of your questions:


The primary channels needed are Fox and CBS, but would like to acquire as many channels possible.


We're receiving about 17 HD channels but every one of them are unstable to some degree. I can move the antenna position to strengthen one particular channel, but it negatively affects another channel. I just couldn't find a suitable balance.


FOX (5.1) was the least consistent/reliable. It would be working one day, then be completely down another.


Placing the antennas indoor would only provide reception for about 4 HD channels. Our roof gave the best options.


I have not tried the attic, mainly because of accessibility reasons. Would require long amounts of cabling through multiple walls. Our tv is located right next to a window that faces the rear of our house, which makes it much easier to run coax cable from the roof, through the window and into the tv/HTPC.


Regarding the grounding...I'm not very familiar with electrical wiring and lack confidence in doing the job myself. Is it really something that anyone can do as long as they research local code requirements? Or is it best to call an electrician?

 

[Otto Pylot]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Erighan /forum/post/20895836


Thanks for the reply Rabbit. Let me address some of your questions:


The primary channels needed are Fox and CBS, but would like to acquire as many channels possible.


We're receiving about 17 HD channels but every one of them are unstable to some degree. I can move the antenna position to strengthen one particular channel, but it negatively affects another channel. I just couldn't find a suitable balance.


FOX (5.1) was the least consistent/reliable. It would be working one day, then be completely down another.


Placing the antennas indoor would only provide reception for about 4 HD channels. Our roof gave the best options.


I have not tried the attic, mainly because of accessibility reasons. Would require long amounts of cabling through multiple walls. Our tv is located right next to a window that faces the rear of our house, which makes it much easier to run coax cable from the roof, through the window and into the tv/HTPC.


Regarding the grounding...I'm not very familiar with electrical wiring and lack confidence in doing the job myself. Is it really something that anyone can do as long as they research local code requirements? Or is it best to call an electrician?

If I may, I'm not familiar with your reception area but a roof mount, with a rotor, sounds like it would be your best bet. Depending on what you have around you ( trees, buildings, hills, etc) you should get your antenna as high as is possible (basically about 30' from ground). Attaching it to your chimney works in a lot of cases but again it depends on what's around you. If you are subject to high winds, the chimney mount may not work well over an extended period. I use guy wires for my antenna which is about 15' above my roof line. As far as grounding, I just grounded my antenna to the ground connection that came with the cable connector that was installed when our house was built. If you are in an area that gets lightening strikes, there are instructions online that tell you how to ground your antenna (bascially grounding your antenna to a pole that is buried deep (3'?) in the ground). You don't need an electrician to ground your antenna. I'd be more concerned with how your house is grounded if it is an old house and again, in a high lightening strike area. For that, you would need an electrician.


I ran my antenna coax (RG-6) under the eaves of my house, into the garage, and then connected it to the existing housing cable. If you don't have cable in your house, then you can drill a hole thru the drywall/sheetrock, install a cable guide, and make it look nice and neat without going thru the window.

 

[rabbit73]

Your new antenna on the roof should be able to give more consistent reception of FOX and CBS.


There is some question in my mind about your strongest station, WATC, which is in about the same direction, causing tuner overload. You will just have to try it. If it does, then a special filter would be needed to make only WATC weaker. An attenuator might work to make all signals a little weaker so that WATC would be tolerated without making FOX and CBS too weak.


Keep in mind that the 2Edge notation on your tvfool report means that there is terrain in the signal path that could make reception less consistent. See the attachment that shows the terrain profile between WAGA on the left and you on the right.


If you have doubts about grounding after reading the two threads that I mentioned, you probably should talk with an electrician. He would be able to do the grounding according to code. Your local inspector has the final say.


My concern is that if something happens to cause damage, you don't want to give your insurance company an excuse to deny a claim.

 

[DrDon]

Please put your location in the title of all antenna help threads. See my edit.

 

[Tower Guy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbit73 There is some question in my mind about your strongest station, WATC, which is in about the same direction, causing tuner overload. You will just have to try it. If it does, then a special filter would be needed to make only WATC weaker.

I'd plan on a filter. The model CR-7 semi adjacent channel tuned to channel 41 is the right model.
http://tinlee.com/MATV-Bandstops.php?active=3#CR7


The C-4 antenna has sufficient gain, but as a UHF only antenna, will never get NBC or PBS, which are both on VHF.