TV antenna questions page two

Digital TV antenna/professional installer
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Hi Dennis,
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 I'd like your opinion on the following (although I'm not so sure I'll like what you say).
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I called the people who installed the original antenna.  They said that it may be something simple, like a bad connection or the antenna being blown so it points wrong.  However, since the antenna is 18 years old, he says I may be better off installing a new digital antenna.
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He also says I may need a rotor - that the digital signal is very sensitive to the direction in which the antenna is pointing.  I happen to live so close to all the transmitters that there may really be a slight difference in the angles: I'm east of all of them, but maybe they're spread out along a few mile distance and so I need a rotor to turn the antenna a bit for the different channels.
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He said he didn't think he agreed that I needed an amplifier, but he couldn't be sure until they come out and check everything out.
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 So, does this sound logical or like a ripoff?  I also may not have many other people to talk to: they said that many companies have gone out of business, given the economy and the prevalence of cable - and I haven't found too many companies online.
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I'll await your answer.

                Thanks - Sara
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Hello Sara,
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Who ever you spoke with is certainly leaving all options open. I agree you may not need a signal amplifier. If you can sort out the cabling, make each cable run (length) as short as possible and use a signal splitter no larger then a 4 way signal splitter (divides the signal 4 times) you may get away without signal amplification.
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I don't agree that you'll need a rotor. The transmitting towers are close in direction and there has to be a sweet spot for the antenna direction that will bring in all channels.
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The person misspoke about digital TV antennas. There's no such thing as a digital antenna. This fact can be verified at any reputable website such as the FCC, NAB, CEA and so on. Don't buy any antenna just because someone claims it's a digital or HDTV antenna. It's simply not true. I refer to the two antennas I designed as "tuned specially for digital TV reception". The new digital broadcast TV signals no longer go higher then channel 52 in frequency and most no lower then 7 compared to analog channels covering  2 -69. So when I designed the EZ HD (pictured top right) and the HD Stacker antennas I had them specially tuned to receive channels 7 - 52 making the antennas much more effective for their size. So I try to refer to them is "tuned for digital reception" but not digital TV antennas.
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My advice is to make it clear that you don't want to spend any more money then needed. You don't have a lot of money to spend (whether you do or not) on this project and ask them how much it would cost to have them look it over and give you a price. Tell them if you except the estimate that you would like to have the work done the same day so they can be prepared. This should avoid paying them twice for a trip back.
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What it sounds like to me is someone may be playing it by ear and keeping all options open. They may be trying to find out how much money your willing to spend. This may not be the case but be aware that most service based businesses don't offer a written price list stating the cost of their services. This allows adjusting of the price higher or lower according to circumstances. If they feel you're willing to pay more they'll may charge more. Ask if they give free estimates if the recommended service is performed at that time. Before they come get somewhat familiar with the price of antennas, amplifiers so on. Have them itemize the service as to what parts are needed.
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This company may be an honest reputable company and would never knowingly overcharge anyone. The advice I'm offering wasn't necessarily directed at them. I think it applies when dealing with any company that you're not familiar with including mine.
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They're absolutely correct it could be a bad connection or the antennas blown out of line.
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I hope this helps. Please, let me know what you decided to do and how it turned out.
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Denny
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HDTV Antenna for My Attic

Hey Denny, I live in an area that I really don't want to put an antenna outside. I would like to install the antenna in my attic. I have 2 TV's both HDTVs and would like to connect the antenna to both. The area in the attic I can install the antenna is about 7  by 8 feet. My question, is there an antenna that will fit in that space and give me good reception. I live about 45 miles from the Twin Cities and my Terk set top antenna gets some of the stations but many of the channels get squares in the picture and go in and out. My address is ______ E. Lincoln Ave. Glencoe, 55334.

Thanks for the great website and thanks for your recommendation in advance.

Roger D.

Hi Roger,
Before you install any antenna in the attic be sure there are no signal blocking materials in the path to the transmitters. Unacceptable materials are, brick, aluminum siding, foil faced insulation, metal roof, Etc... Asphalt shingle, vinyl siding, and plywood have minimal effect on signal strength.

The reception you described is common for smaller antennas, especially those located indoors on the set top. People moving around in the home, vehicles driving by, poor reception conditions Etc... can all contribute to signal interruption and hesitation known as pixellation on digital/HD reception. If you haven't already you may want to visit Best HDTV Antenna Digital TV Antenna.

I did some checking and I think I have the perfect antenna for you. All of the transmitting towers are to your East - Northeast from Minneapolis/St Paul. The stations are all currently broadcasting their digital/HD signals on the UHF band channels 14 - 69. However, NBC channel 11 KARE currently broadcasting on channel 35 UHF intends to move their digital signal to channel 11 VHF. FOX Channel 9 currently broadcasting digitally on channel 26 UHF plans to move their digital signal to channel 9 VHF. Both stations will move their signals at the time of the analog signal shutdown in February of 2009 when they turn off their analog signal. To continue to receive all of your channels after the analog shutdown date will require a VHF/UHF combination antenna.

With this in mind I have the perfect antenna for you, the UP-7 antenna. This antenna is only 34.5" wide and 70" long. This antenna is designed to receive channels 7 and up, and like most location across the U.S. all of the digital/HD signals in your area will be broadcast on channel 7 or higher. The largest section of a traditional TV antenna is the portion designed for channels 2 through 6, this is due to the longer wave length of these channel frequencies. The UP-7 performs as well as antenna many times larger because it wasn't designed for maximum performance on channels below 7. My son Tony and I have installed this antenna at several locations in our area with great success, and our customer's are reporting the same kind of success at different location nationwide.

To supply 2 TV's I suggest the Winegard Winegard AP 8700 antenna preamplifier along with the antenna.

If you have any further questions, or if I can assist you in anyway, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,
Denny
TV Antenna Source

TV Antenna Local Reception

Denny,
I need a TV antenna for local channels. My channels are in different direction but all are 70 miles or less. I live in the country in a 2 story house with few trees. Do you think the winegard ms2000 will work for me?
Thanks,
Larry

Hi Larry,
It sounds to me like the perfect application for the Winegard MS 2000. If the 70 mile channel(s) are extremely weak that may be a problem. You may want to visit www.antennaweb.org put in your zip code and check those channels out. I think it's a good bet for your location.
Good Luck,
Denny
TV Antenna Source
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HD 7080 or MS 2000 TV Antenna???
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Denny,
Here is the situation – from (chimney mount) tv antenna to inside of house is a coax run of 30 feet.  Once inside the house will be the power injector (if using MS2000) and a coax splitter. From the signal splitter will be a 20 foot run to a VCR into a analog TV and from split 2 will be a 35 foot run to VCR/analog TV #2.
According to the CEA (antennaweb.org) from  my location (zip 63121) a medium directional tv antenna is suggested.  All my stations of interest (2,4,5,9,11,30) are between 175-195 degrees (from magnetic North).
I’m leaning toward the MS2000 based on the assumption that a rotor would not be required.
Given my length of coax needed and desired stations, what are your thoughts on using the MS2000 or HD7080 or something different?
Thanks for your time.
George
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Is the MS 2000 good for me?

Hello,
I stumbled upon your website while doing some Internet research and found it very informative. I just had a few questions before I pull the trigger and make a purchase.
First, I am looking at the Winegard MS 2000 and was curious if you thought it would be good for my needs. I really am only concerned with getting local channels, but may want to take advantage of the HD Channels in the future (I do not have a HD receiver at the moment). My zip is 92868 and it looks like most channels are a little over 30 miles away.
Second, I am somewhat concerned about the amount of work that would need to go into a rooftop installation since I am a renter. So I am toying around with the idea of installing in the attic. But was wondering if I do a chimney install, if this would require less work (i.e., no drilling into the roof) than a roof top install. If I do decide to do an attic install, what steps do you recommend?
Lastly, this is a pretty basic question, but when running the coax from the antenna to the TV, do I just go straight from tv antenna to the TV? Or do I run it to a main power source and then just hook up the TV to one
of the in wall coax outputs?

Thank You,
Charles
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Greetings Charles,

I submitted your zip code to antennaweb.org and took a look myself. Unless you have poor reception conditions at your location (hills, tall buildings etc.) I believe the Winegard MS 2000  is a good choice for you for analog and digital reception. Reports back to us from around the country in most cases are good when using the MS 2000 to receive HD/Digital signals.
As far as attic mount vs. roof  top, you will find roof top always provides a stronger signal. How much better depends on the type of materials used in the construction of the building. The other advantage of roof top is the antenna elevation is greater on the roof.  If you should decide to mount the TV antenna in the attic it's quite simple to do. Drill a hole in the first couple of inches of a pipe. The MS 2000 can mount to pipes up to 1.5 inches outside diameter. Next using a screw hang this pipe at the highest location in the attic, preferably the peak. Now install the antenna upside down on the pipe. The MS 2000 works equally well upside down. (do not install upside down outdoors) Be sure your pipe is long enough so the antenna does not hit the rafters as the roof slopes down near the antenna. 
The coax cable must run directly from the tv antenna to the power supply.From the power supply you the can go directly to the TV or to a splitter to multiple TV's. When supplying signal to multiple TV's you may need a distribution amplifier to boost the signal. How to determine if a Dist. Amp. is needed. From the power supply directly hook-up to one TV (no splitter) observe the picture. Now from the power supply hook-up to the splitter and then to the TV. If your picture quality downgrades to an unacceptable level a distribution amplifier is needed. I recommend the DA 25.

I hope I answered all of your questions. If I can assist you further please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,
Denny
TV Antenna Source

Denny,
Thanks for the response.I do have a few tall buildings around me, but not to dense...I may just give it a shot and see I can get good results.
Could you possibly shed a little light on grounding the antenna?

Thank You,
Charles
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MS 2000 TV antenna Mounted on a Chimney
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Shopping for an HDTV antenna
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A Simple TV Antenna-Presto TV
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 Denny, 
My Zip Code is 03884.  The garage is wood construction with vinyl siding and asphalt shingles.  No metal outside of drip edge on the eves.  I forgot to mention that I would prefer an tv antenna that did not need to rotate as again it will be an interior application. 
Thank you so much for the quick response!!!  I was not planning on hearing anything for at least a couple of days if not more.
Thanks,
Danny

Danny,
I have examined the various TV transmitting station in your area. I looked at their directions, output
power, distance and their affiliation ABC, NBC, etc... I have two suggestions.
1. Use the Winegard HD 7084 TV antenna  (our best TV antenna) with the Channel Master 7777 pre-amplifier direct the antenna at the Boston transmitters. The Boston transmitter location for ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, Fox, UPN and a couple of independents are at 200 degrees on the compass and about 65 miles away from your location. This application would not require a rotor. I suggested the HD 7084 antenna based on a 20% indoor signal strength reduction. 
2. Use a smaller antenna such as the Winegard PR 7037  possibly even the PR 7015 a rotor and a pre-amplifier. All the free to air networks (except Fox) are available at your location at a closer range then Boston, but they are in different directions. Your nearest FOX channel however, is Boston at 65 miles. Their would be some risk that these antennas (7015,7037) could struggle delivering a clear picture from Boston under the circumstances, especially the 7015.
I hope this helps you. If I can be of further assistance please don't hesitate to contact me.
Have a nice day!
Denny

Denny, 
Probably being a pain but looking at the dimensions of the antennas, they are pretty big.  I know they have to be that big to accomplish what we have talked about previously but is there any other (smaller) option.  Your
two suggestions will take up some room and without measuring, I'm not even sure the would fit inside.
Any help would be great.
Thanks again for such quick response.
Danny
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TV Antenna Selection

I want to get a hdtv antenna, and have two questions.

1  I did the test on your site and defiantly need multidirectional. All but one was 14 miles away. Unfortunately the one is 35 miles away which I guess puts me in the mid range models.  Two are coming up vhf ch 13.1 and ch 8.1.
Will I also need a vhf antenna or will the uhf handle those since they are higher than 7? I want to record these hd shows on a hd recorded.  Do you know of a way to record two shows at the same time? I know satellite you can, but I want to
do this just with the ota antenna.
thanks
jim

Greetings, Jim
Originally all HDTV channels were to be UHF broadcasts. Now many channels will be broadcasting on the VHF band as their final destination once the analog signals stop in Feb. 2009. Some station intend to use channels as low as 4. With this in mind, I wouldn't be comfortable with any tv antenna that wasn't VHF/UHF capable. That covers you even if new channels come on the air. The FCC has provided a site listing current channel assignments along with the final destination channel numbers for all U.S. TV station it's at  http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-1743A2.pdf.  
I hope I answered your questions, if I can be of anymore service don't hesitate to contact me.
 
Best Regards,
Denny
TV Antenna Source

Denny,
You did help me a lot thanks. I will be getting that tv antenna from you soon. (Moving in 2 months)
I have been told a couple things about two shows at once. One place says two antennas would give me two
coax feeds that can be put into one receiver with two inputs. Therefore allowing recording of two shows at
once. But he was only a CSR at Best Buy so not sure how accurate that is. If you learn of a way to record two shows at once please let me know 
Ie two receivers is fine but one receiver two antennas is better because hd video recorders are pricey
thanks
jim

Jim,
That would work if you have a dual recording unit and if so you may be able to receive both channels at the same time off a single antenna, depending on their strength and direction.
By the way how did you find us?
Denny

Denny,
You guys are all over the HIGH DEF boards. 
I looked at the gov list you sent and all my stations seem to be retaining their same channel.
The only other thing I am not clear on is I have one channel that is coming in VHF channel 8.1 14 miles away. Will any of the uhf TV antennas be able to get that signal or will I need a vhf antenna for that one?
 Thanks again
 Last question I promise
 Jim

Yes I think you could use the Channel Master 4221 or 4228. If that didn't pan out remember we are the only ones around that will let you return the antenna. 
Denny
TV Antenna Source

Antenna Output

Hello again I just talked with you on Wednesday I just placed my order with you. But I did not see if any 300 to 75 ohm converter was needed or offered any where? Is one needed?
Anyway it was very nice talking with you.     
 Thank you   Tyler

TV Antenna Installer Needed

I live in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas. I'm having trouble finding someone who is knowledgeable in TV antennas and can install.  Can you help?

I searched the web, including directories and could not find a single antenna installer listed for Arkansas. I have all the knowledge if you or someone you know can carry out the installation. I have successfully helped numerous first time installers. If you do not want to, or are unable to do it yourself, I'm sure you can find someone willing to do the job for a reasonable fee. I am ready and willing to work closely with anyone who needs help installing a TV antenna system.

TV Antenna Selection

If you can help me determine what type of TV antenna(s) I need for my zip code I would like to order those at this time.
I will be moving to 33570 I am sure I will need an outdoor tv antenna but am not sure what I need based on the fact there is a vhf frequency and one channel is 38 miles away...
Jim

Jim,
 I would recommend the Winegard Pr 7037 or Hd 7084 without an amplifier. Because your channels are so close to your location serious signal overload could occur with an amp. Both these antennas would require rotation for best results. Because the 7084 is on sale now I would go that way. The Channel Master rotor is also on sale.
The other thing to consider after the Feb. 2009 shutdown of analog broadcasting, many channels have plans to use the upper VHF band (Ch. 6-13) to broadcast their digital signal. A VHF/UHF antenna covers all the bases. 
Go tohttp://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-1743A2.pdf  to see the FCC tentative final channel destination.
Denny

Denny
Thanks for the response. I am sorry for the addition questions I am new to the ota (over the air) viewing I will be going for.
I would like to stay away from having to rotate the tv antenna. If I get two atsc dvr tuners (one for each antenna)would that help the situation or is there still going to be a channel data stream separation problem?  and based on the readout below would two TV antennas even do it?  
thanks again
 jim

Jim,
My best advice would be to use a PR 7037 pointing in the 100 - 120 degree area. My thinking is this. The 7037 has a fairly wide receiving area on the front.  It's possible you could receive all of your stations with one antenna. This TV antenna also receives fairly well from behind. It's directly off the sides you want to stay away from. Pointing to a position somewhere between your 50 some degree channels and your 158 channel your 333 should come off the back side okay. That is where I would start you can always add a second antenna later. Remember HDTV is all or nothing All is picture perfect, nothing is nothing. Unlike analog you won't end up with any snowing pictures.
I'm here to help, don't worry about how many questions it takes to get it right!
Denny

Denny
Please provide me with a link to you site again so I can order that. (I misplaced my bookmark)
Also you are thinking that antenna will pick up the fox vhf channel 12 and the cbs channel that is ufh 38 miles
away in the opposite direction?
Thanks, Jim

Jim,
That's what I'm thinking. Nothing, when it comes toTV antenna  reception is a sure thing. To many variables involved, terrain, channel output power and tower height and the elevation of your TV antenna. That is why I felt it was important to offer a money back guarantee. Just in case my advice is wrong
Site address iswww.dennysantennaservice.com
Denny

Denny,
I need to make sure I am ordering all I need.  I am about to order the pr 7037 TV antenna.  Does that mount to the side of my roof, or do I need to install it on a poll?  If it mounts to the side of the roof is there any accessories I need to get with it?  Also I will be getting a high def tv soon, what is the best cable to get with it?
Thanks again for your help. You go far beyond the call of duty and that will be noted in the forums I found your place at.
Jim

Jim,
The type of  TV antenna mount you use is up to you and what is available at your location. There is no special coax cable for HDTV. The best type is RG-6. We only carry RG-6 in our online store. Our cable is considered to be some of the best on the market. Thick center copper wire and good foil shielding is the basic criteria for good cable.
Denny
TV Antenna Source

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