Antenna Recommendation

paradisePWoffrd

paradisePWoffrd

Recovering Project Junkie
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Location
Newton, NC
As a spinoff to a few other threads, I am looking for a good antenna to pick up over the air channels.

Based on the antenna maps I have pulled up, I am looking for something omnidirectional with ~40mi reach. I don't want something that I have to rotate for different stations.

Any recommendations?
 
Take a really hard look at the ClearStream 2V from antennasdirect, maybe a 4V if you need extra range for trees, etc.

It's not completely omnidirectional (I think it's classified as "multidirectional") but the range is really good and it might be as good as omnidirectional for the range your dealing with. I just set at 2V up for the mother in law in her apartment (mounted it to a piece of prefinished shelf as a base, in front of the balcony windows) and it blew me away, she gets many channels I've never seen before and she's only a mile away from our house.. she had it in VA before moving here, the wife's brother picked it out. I just aimed it at the majority of the Charlotte stations and the other ones sorted themselves out perfectly fine.

I'm about to buy a 4V to install in my attic just for the extra overkill over the 2V. I'm good with the "do it once" mentality if the price difference isnt huge.

Might want to check the maps again and see what bands those channels are in. This can tell you if you need a VHF/UHF unit or can do UHF only, etc.

I really haven't had good luck with the omnidirectional stiff so far, I think it's just too compromised. I haven't tried one of the very pricey ones yet though.
 
Last edited:
Here's a better link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Our internet was down for the last couple of days, and it encouraged me to figure out an issue we've been having with sporadic freezing, macroblocking, etc. I had one antenna pointed at the networks with a second antenna pointed at PBS. The second antenna had a 25 dB adjustable gain amp on it, too. What I was able to figure out was that the second antenna was picking up enough of a signal from the networks that it was interfering. Depending on whether or not the signals were in phase, etc, it would overmodulate or they'd cancel one another out, etc. If the signals were analog, it probably would have been fine, but digital was a problem.

So I thought about buying a new antenna like Fabrik8 posted - something more omnidirectional, or with at least a 180* wide sweet spot (here in Raleigh, we have both VHF and UHF channels, so I need an antenna that can do both).

Instead, I unhooked the antenna that was pointed at the networks, hooked everything up to the one antenna that's aimed at Chapel Hill, and checked the signal. It was perfect. That antenna is at least 120* off from the networks, but it picks them up just fine. I set the amp at about 65% gain and called it good.

tl;dr: There's a spare antenna up in the attic you can go get, if that helps.
 
shawn said:
Here's a better link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024R4B5C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Our internet was down for the last couple of days, and it encouraged me to figure out an issue we've been having with sporadic freezing, macroblocking, etc. I had one antenna pointed at the networks with a second antenna pointed at PBS. The second antenna had a 25 dB adjustable gain amp on it, too. What I was able to figure out was that the second antenna was picking up enough of a signal from the networks that it was interfering. Depending on whether or not the signals were in phase, etc, it would overmodulate or they'd cancel one another out, etc. If the signals were analog, it probably would have been fine, but digital was a problem.

So I thought about buying a new antenna like Fabrik8 posted - something more omnidirectional, or with at least a 180* wide sweet spot (here in Raleigh, we have both VHF and UHF channels, so I need an antenna that can do both).

Instead, I unhooked the antenna that was pointed at the networks, hooked everything up to the one antenna that's aimed at Chapel Hill, and checked the signal. It was perfect. That antenna is at least 120* off from the networks, but it picks them up just fine. I set the amp at about 65% gain and called it good.

tl;dr: There's a spare antenna up in the attic you can go get, if that helps.
Click to expand...
I was going to ask if you did anything to modulate the signals together? I thought about multiple cheap directionals, linked together, but have read they interfere with each other and require expensive equipment to make work correctly.
 
I have an omnidirection that Sucks. Bought it due to a recommendation. First few months I had it sitting on a short pole in my main room. It worked fair. Its probably about a 20" diamater, enclosed circle with plug in booster. I finally got 50' of the Best coax run, from my chimney, & mounted the dish on a 15' pole, off the chimney. It Hasn't helped! May have made it worse. Mornings are worse than evenings, for signal strength, & maybe picks up 10 channels. I live next to RR Tracks; if the train goes by, or just some cars go by, I can loose signal. This Antenna is 15-20' Above the street or tracks! Trees don't seem to be much of a problem. I have no clue what Shawn is speaking of on the "amp gains". I'm thinking about trying one of those flat floppy antennas.
 
Handy with tools?

Home : DIY TV Antennas

I did build one a while back when bored. It worked.
I built the bow tie. A board and a few coat hangers, then put it on a 10 ft. pole.
Got everything local.

Matt
 
awww.tvfool.com_modeling_tmp_e2cb_2ae_1dd23c0_Radar_All.png

freaking no-mans land for me.........looked at this before and decided i was fairly screwed for any decent reception
 
I think I'm in a good area..... Just need a better antenna. Not getting some of these channels, but I did buy a cheap directional as kind of a trial... Guess it's time to upgrade.

image.png
 
I get the Big local channels, but only watch if the Satellite is off signal. What I mainly try to get is Me-TV & Antenna-TV, which for me is Fox 18.2 & 18.3. Today was a perfect example, > this morning signal wasn't too bad, but should be better. Took a break around 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. In that time frame I basically had 0 signal on those 2 channels. Weather couldn't be any more perfect. I have noticed that Perfect Afternoons, seem to be the Worse, & after dark, signal is very good. Makes me wonder if Fox cuts the power during the day, Or if for some crazy reason, the signal won't carry in mid-day? Freaking Government Digital, SUCKS!
 
rodney eppes said:
I get the Big local channels, but only watch if the Satellite is off signal. What I mainly try to get is Me-TV & Antenna-TV, which for me is Fox 18.2 & 18.3. Today was a perfect example, > this morning signal wasn't too bad, but should be better. Took a break around 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. In that time frame I basically had 0 signal on those 2 channels. Weather couldn't be any more perfect. I have noticed that Perfect Afternoons, seem to be the Worse, & after dark, signal is very good. Makes me wonder if Fox cuts the power during the day, Or if for some crazy reason, the signal won't carry in mid-day? Freaking Government Digital, SUCKS!
Click to expand...
awww.gagfire.com_wp_content_uploads_2015_05_Aliens_funny_image_gagfire_e1430849185555.jpg
 
rodney eppes said:
I get the Big local channels, but only watch if the Satellite is off signal. What I mainly try to get is Me-TV & Antenna-TV, which for me is Fox 18.2 & 18.3. Today was a perfect example, > this morning signal wasn't too bad, but should be better. Took a break around 1pm, 3pm, & 5pm. In that time frame I basically had 0 signal on those 2 channels. Weather couldn't be any more perfect. I have noticed that Perfect Afternoons, seem to be the Worse, & after dark, signal is very good. Makes me wonder if Fox cuts the power during the day, Or if for some crazy reason, the signal won't carry in mid-day? Freaking Government Digital, SUCKS!
Click to expand...

You may have too strong of a signal during the day and are overpowering the tuner on those particular channels. Some TV stations turn down their power after sunset, but I think that's more of a radio station thing. You're pretty close to that Fox transmitter....
 
Fabrik8 said:
You may have too strong of a signal during the day and are overpowering the tuner on those particular channels. Some TV stations turn down their power after sunset, but I think that's more of a radio station thing. You're pretty close to that Fox transmitter....
Click to expand...
First time today, I unplugged the amplifier; it made no difference. Looks like I need to get a Directional & just turn it to Fox.
 
rodney eppes said:
First time today, I unplugged the amplifier; it made no difference. Looks like I need to get a Directional & just turn it to Fox.
Click to expand...

You'd be better off with something omnidirectional. You have signals to the east, but also to the northwest.
 
Keeping an eye on this.
After the many related discussions here, I cut the cord and got an antenna. We're about 35 mi as the crow flies from "TV Hill" in Baltimore.
so I got one of these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIT002/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hooked it, up, found I got lots of channels - even from PA and DC... but not CBS from Baltimore.
Then realized it UHF only, our CBS affiliate is high-VHF. Facepalm!
So I added one of these
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CWGTKNS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and joined them w/ this amp/joiner
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P92D9Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Now we still only kinda, sorta get that CBS station, even though we also get others that are like 60 miles away past it in the same direction, and 45 miles in the opposite way. I suspect it's some kind of weird thing w/ combo of the two antennas, or the amplifier or something.
What I REALLY want to do is get something like a spectrum analyzer and check the raw signal strength right at the antenna to see if it's that, or something else along the line.
 
Last edited:
rodney eppes said:
That IS what I have! On, & on a breezy day, forget getting any signal! I've seen That problem on several sets on different sites, over many years.
Click to expand...

What antenna do you have? Wind shouldn't affect it.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Keeping an eye on this.
After the many related discussions here, I cut the cord and got an antenna.
Click to expand...

The Amazon link to your VHF antenna doesn't work. What happens if you only connect the VHF antenna, with no amp, no splitter?
 
shawn said:
The Amazon link to your VHF antenna doesn't work. What happens if you only connect the VHF antenna, with no amp, no splitter?
Click to expand...
woops, edited the previous post so it does now.
w/o an amp I get nothing. part of the problem is that b/c of the way the coax is in my house, there is no short access to the TV. I had to run the line from the corner of the roof (antenna is outside) through the attic about 30', then all the way down to the basement where it joins the line that goes up and over to the living room. I had a distribution-box setup from the cable input I bypassed. So it's a good 60-75'.
The amp is just inside the attic. I don't recall now but I believe w/ the VHF antenna alone + amp it's a little worse than the 2 together.
I've also tried one of the (generic) Leaf-style flat sheet ones that goes inside on the wall... got very little at all, with it's supplied amp.

Looking back over the Amazon ad this weekend I realized that the range on the VHF may just not be enough, so I ordered yet another VHF/UHF antenna, this time a big one rated for a longer distance and actually shaped like you'd expect for VHF. And I'm going to see what kind of meters and amps I might borrow from work to really test the signal coming in.
 
Last edited:
Get a yagi. The RCA one I posted works fine.

RatLabGuy said:
there is no short access to the TV. I had to run the line from the corner of the roof (antenna is outside) through the attic about 30', then all the way down to the basement where it joins the line that goes up and over to the living room. I had a distribution-box setup from the cable input I bypassed. So it's a good 60-75'.
Click to expand...

So long as it's good quality coax, your run length is fine. If you buy new, get quad-shielded RG-6.
 
RatLabGuy said:
and joined them w/ this amp/joiner
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P92D9Y/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Now we still only kinda, sorta get that CBS station, even though we also get others that are like 60 miles away past it in the same direction, and 45 miles in the opposite way. I suspect it's some kind of weird thing w/ combo of the two antennas, or the amplifier or something.
What I REALLY want to do is get something like a spectrum analyzer and check the raw signal strength right at the antenna to see if it's that, or something else along the line.
Click to expand...

this looks like a pre-amp. I cant find anything about it joining signals.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
this looks like a pre-amp. I cant find anything about it joining signals.
Click to expand...
It has separate inputs for UHF and VHF antennas.
shawn said:
Get a yagi. The RCA one I posted works fine.
So long as it's good quality coax, your run length is fine. If you buy new, get quad-shielded RG-6.
Click to expand...
The one I just ordered is basically a yagi style. More logical for VHF.
 
shawn said:
What antenna do you have? Wind shouldn't affect it.
Click to expand...
Winegard MS2002 Antenna. I also watched TV on a Phillips cheapo, at work, + bought the same thing for myself. Tried it inside & on a 5' pole mounted to the chimney. Another friend had one, too. Depending on the "light" breeze, to wind, determined if you had a signal. Rain, snow, a cloud, even Sun! And I tried aiming the Phillips. It is just a POS. Winegard is Not much better. Damn, the Old signal, you could pick up with a coat hanger!
 
Back
Top