Dan, you'll find suppliers here:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=23984

@bwlandu
Hi welcome to the forum. Very nice setup you have. I would just play around with what you have for a bit. Recently I was in Blenheim and Chatham area for service and the combo antenna is king in these area's.
I did notice that some people have upgraded to 4228 HD though especially in the Blenheim area.
The only thing I can think of is perhaps upgrading the coax cable to an RG6 down the road.
Welcome aboard

@Bark64
How long is your run? Perhaps Gentelman is on to something. Take the distro amp out of the equation for now. Then go from there.
Hey I tried a heck of alot of set ups until I got to where I am today.
Non amplified you should not need any attenuation.
Heck I don't use any and I'm not far off from your results from TV fool.

I am in South London in a building and I only have a Terk HDTVa indoor antenna, works fine indoors to get all the local channels.

When there is good tropo is it possible to get anything using such a tiny antenna if I place it outside?

Unfortunately I don't have good SW exposure. Straight out my balcony is North. I have a clear NE view, however NW is blocked by another building. I have an extremely SLIGHT exposure to SW but not very much. I might try it out since there is good tropo happening. I doubt I can get anything with my little antenna. I am on the 14th floor though, that's a plus.

@wharfe

14 floor? Well done.

With a UHF loop, I was able to pick up ch 19 WOIO (analog) & ch 43 WUAB (analog) a couple of times.

Also the building to the NW can be a blessing. As tv signal can echo/bounce off of it.

Trek can work for outdoors.

But I would recommend that you go out and get a higher end antenna. A good outdoor antenna like Gray-hooverman or bowtie-reflector would like work best. The size of them are about 80cm*50cm*15cm. With Height, antenna & Amp. Depending how TV signals bounces the other building. You should be able to pick up a couple of US channels all the time. Target markets would be like Buffalo, Erie, Youngstown, Cleveland, toledo, Detroit & Flint.

@Lecocq
yup WGRZ, US & RTV are from Buffalo.
A couple nights ago i was able to recieve WDIV (Buffalo) pointed SW.
But do not expect to pick up For another year. Unless of course you aim your Antenna E.

Its mainly how RF signal bounces off of the tropshere. bounces off of buildings. Diffuses off of power lines. etc etc.

The best thing is how close you are to the broadcast tower. Or if you can 'see the signal'. Also, having a state the art tuner helps. tuner in a $1000+ TV is the best company has to offer. Where as a tuner in a $100 is quite basic.

Read ya l8r,
Al

Thanks for the tips, guys..

Tried the other morning when some good tropo was being reported and didn't pull in anything. Can't say if it's because of the small antenna or the poor direction. Will have to try again sometime once I get the time (harder now since school just started)

I'm in London as a student. Not much of a budget, that's why I went with the small indoor antenna in the first place. It's excellent for picking up the nearby channels, aside from Global which is always a bit fuzzy with the antenna indoors. Wasn't really planning on picking up any stations farther away, just curious if it was possible.

I'll report back if I get around to trying again soon.

@Wharfe
TERK HDTVa "Amplified" Directional Indoor HDTV Antenna.

ARGH.... I can see the problem. "Its amplified". Small amped antennas are terrible. Often when an amped antenna dont tell what the noise margin is. Its likely to be greater then what the antenna gain. The electronics will kill anything that the antenna receives. So you can only pickup strong signals. Therefore, you will not likely to be able to get anything from the US with it.

Since your on a budget. You will be better off building your own antenna. A basic Bowtie or Gray hooverman usually doesnt cost much. Especially if you find copper in the trash.

In fact there is a section on Digitalhome.ca for home built antennas. And if built right can be superior to anything that you can buy.

Please follow this link.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=186

Read ya l8r,
Al

So I'm getting fed up with the Rabbit Ears and Rogers in general. So I'm in Dorchester which is pretty much due east of White Oaks.

I'm kinda thinking (not completely sure) of a 91XG mounted on my roof pointed directly at Erie (my location I'm thinking knocks out Cleveland and Detroit). Overload shouldn't be a issue being my distance between the London & Woodstock towers - and the antenna being directional all the Canadian channels will be coming off the side so i'm assuming SUN-TV should be fine but the rest will be a garbled ghosting mess ;) - anyway this is all at the thinking stages, here is my TvFool and any input/ideas would be appreciated. One issue that might require a FM trap is CJBX (BX93)'s tower is visible from my roof.

We do get somewhat listenable signals off the Erie FM stations in the car around here (91.3, 93.9, 97.1, 98.3, 103.7) when tropo isn't acting up.

If I do end up getting the antenna and it doesn't work here, its going up to the cottage and being pointed over the lake, but that's another thread :p

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff350/cm023/LONDON%20DTV/Radar-All.png

mmkay. dorchester.... wow. you're *real* out there in terms of DTV. How close are you to the Dorchester Swamp? If you're in its bowl-shaped depression, you're kinda screwed aside from getting CKXT-DT-2 on 19... some of the erie stations *MIGHT* be available if you have an ultra-deep-fringe setup, posibly even toronto and buffalo, but those might be restircted to tropo... from your list, i think the only digitals you'll be getting for a while are WICU-DT 12 and WQLN-DT 50 if you're lucky.

How close are you to the Dorchester Swamp

a bit northwest of it, it dips east past the 199 exit with dorchester road and stays low north all the way up to the thames river in town then west again to dorchester road (if you know the area) - im in town on the west side of dorchester road - one of the higher points of town (any way you get into my the subdivision your going up a hill).

you're kinda screwed aside from getting CKXT-DT-2 on 19
yeah i get that with my rabbit ears pretty good right now.

from your list, i think the only digitals you'll be getting for a while are WICU-DT 12 and WQLN-DT 50 if you're lucky.

that's what i was figuring. i can't say its going to be worth all the effort.

@cm023
hey, at first glance of your TvFool results I thought it was my results. They are very close to mine.
I have been having success with a Antennas Direct DB8 with a Channel Master 7778 pre amp (FM trap in). I have a run of around 100 feet to my furthest television of RG6 and at around 25 feet it is split feeding a television in my bedroom.
I recently added a Channel Master rotor (about two weeks now) and life has been sweet)
By introducing the rotor on any given evening when one market is not coming in I just scan with the rotor (preset settings) to a different market. This has proven successful as on most evenings one market will be in.
Although Tropo plays a big part in DTV reception in our parts, it should be said that there are all the big Canadian stations in analog available everyday.
I cannot comment on an 91XG (have heard good things) but personally I love my set up.
As for the Erie market I have gotten easily channel 66-1 WFXP-DT RF 22, pretty much everyday with break ups during the day and solid signals evenings and through out the night. 54-1 WQLN-HD RF 50 is a bit more finiky but comes in pretty good to with breaks ups here and there. 24-1 WJET-DT RF 24 is much like 54-1 but still comes in pretty good most of the time (weather permitting).
I have messed around alot with different set ups so just wanted to add my two cents. If you look at my homepage link though my name you will see just some of the stations avaliable.
If you have any questions just PM me and I ll give ya hand if I can.
Good Luck
Mark

I currently have zero antenna equipment. I'm wondering what US stations are possible to receive in London. I have a clear southern view (no tall buildings or trees) and could probably mount the antenna 30 ft above ground. Erie stations seem to be the best bet (about 80 miles away). I've installed antenna's before (in Windsor) and even built the old microwave dish kit to receive HBO (using a metal snow-sled for the dish) so I can build or modify any antenna as required.

I'm kinda thinking (not completely sure) of a 91XG mounted on my roof pointed directly at Erie (my location I'm thinking knocks out Cleveland and Detroit). Overload shouldn't be a issue being my distance between the London & Woodstock towers - and the antenna being directional all the Canadian channels will be coming off the side so i'm assuming SUN-TV should be fine but the rest will be a garbled ghosting messHate to sway you one way or another, but I think the two top antennas for your location would be the 91XG or the AD-DB8. Panamark in London uses the DB8 and gets Erie pretty good, but then peano in Guelph and Jase88 in Kitchener pull in Buffalo signals with the 91XG and found it better than the multi-bay antennas. I think if you are very close to a transmitter the 91XG might be the way to go- it is reported to be excellent in rejecting side signals.

CM023: i know the area well enough (from travelling along highway 401 for many years).... as long as you're not in the shadow of a big hill, you'll be a bit better off, and in your case, this is a good thing.

Sumguy: your best bets are Erie, PA and a couple cleveland stations (WEWS-DT 15, WUAB-DT 28).

snoopd52000: you'll need a rotator becuase detroit and toledo are almost 180 degrees apart in La Salle, unless you have an omnidirectional antenna. an omni is limited only to 45-60 miles, but you're close enough to both southfield and the oregon, ohio transmitter farm that you should be able to get them with an omni... a directional + rotor would be optional, as y ou could also swing it around to aim southeast towards McGregor to get CBET 9, or due west for the lansing stations and WPXD (until they move to southfield).

I currently have zero antenna equipment. I'm wondering what US stations are possible to receive in London. I have a clear southern view (no tall buildings or trees) and could probably mount the antenna 30 ft above ground. Erie stations seem to be the best bet (about 80 miles away). I've installed antenna's before (in Windsor) and even built the old microwave dish kit to receive HBO (using a metal snow-sled for the dish) so I can build or modify any antenna as required.

Unfortunately, London Ontario is unreliable for everyday US OTA DTV... you'll be looking & waiting for Tropo weather days, which effects the radio (tv) signals from the DTV's broadcast antenna by carrying them further out - in some case 200-300 miles further out. Check out Tropospheric Ducting Forecasts (http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html) website everyday around 2pm ET.

i know the area well enough (from travelling along highway 401 for many years).... as long as you're not in the shadow of a big hill, you'll be a bit better off, and in your case, this is a good thing.

Yeah they built the 401 right through the swamp (how they got away with that, I don't know). I'm bit west of it so hopefully that's a good thing.

@sumguy

Channels from Cleveland are the stronger then channels from Erie.

My current channels locks are

WEWS rf 15 (Cleveland ABC) *Strongest Cleveland station*
WKYC rf 17 (Cleveland NBC)
WPXD rf 23 (Buffalo ION)
WNYB/WVIZ rf 26 (Buffalo IND/ Cleveland PBS)
WUAB rf 28 (Cleveland MY)
WBNX rf 30 (Cleveland CW)
WGRZ rf 32 (Buffalo NBC)
?WNYO rf 33 (Buffalo CW)
WHQS rf 34 (Cleveland Spainish)
W??? rf 38 (Buffalo ABC)
WDIV rf 39 (Buffalo CBS?) * Strongest Buffalo station*

+plus i also had locks on
WGGN rf 42 (Sandusky Ohio)
W??? rf 45 (Detroit nbc)

+detections on
rf 12 (Erie PA or Flint MI?)
rf 50 (Erie Pa?)
rf 45 (Rochester or Detroit? Antenna aimed towards buffalo at the time.)

@ringtail
CTV rf 42 - CTV was given rf 27 for DTV.
But that may be changed cause of Bowling Green on rf 27. Then again peeps at the CRTC are not ... you know.

@cm023
XG91 has a 16.7dB gain UHF unidirectional antenna. In theory the only channel that xg91 should get is WQLN. However, since the other Erie channels are 2Edge you maybe able to pickup them 100% of the time. (except for 12). Depending on what path the signal bounces off of.

You probably would be better having an antenna with a much wider range. A DB 8 has a 15.8dB gain "multidirectional" antenna. Plus DB8 has good average gain in VHFhi. Which may be able to pull in 12.

Delhi made some good combo antennas which may be able to pick up all Erie channels.

Dont forget that Buffalo may have more realiable channels to pick up


read ya l8r,
Al

> WDIV rf 39 (Buffalo CBS?) * Strongest Buffalo station*

I'm pretty sure that WDIV is detroit NBC.

Ok, given my location in London, and that most US stations are (now) UHF, I guess I don't need to look into some massive VHF antenna with a 12-foot boom.

So, what is the current situation with UHF antenna's? Are Yagi's still the best for long range reception, or am I looking at some sort of bowtie array?

Ps: Can these antennas be connected in parallel to increase gain (when facing the same direction), or to reduce directionality (when facing different directions) ?

hey sumguy99
I been down that path (trying stacking for extra gain) but a decent 8 bay antenna has done the trick.
IMO I would persue an Antennas Direct DB8 or Corner Reflector Yagi XG91.
Both are deep fringe antenna's.
By adding a pre amp in my situation, marginal signals that are lost in transition from the antenna to televisions are keep.
An example of this would be 23-1 ION from Cleveland. Previously I could barely get this channel but now (when conditions are good like tonight) I receive this station.
Another tough station from the Detroit market would be 20-1 WMYD. Previously I could barely pull this one in. Now it is a regular visitor (once again weather permitting).
I've done a lot of leg work in our area, and tried a few setup's.

Yeah they built the 401 right through the swamp (how they got away with that, I don't know). I'm bit west of it so hopefully that's a good thing.
Which antenna?

The DB8 is terrible below RF 20, so for WICU RF 12 and WFXP (FOX) RF 16, the 8-bay Winegard might be better, "a top performer below 30", which I think most Erie stations are, except WQLN (RF 50), which I have found to be the strongest/most easiest to get anyways.

well, back when the 401 was just built (mid-1950s for the london-woodstock section), there were few environmental protection laws... if we had the modern environment laws that we have today back in the 1950s, i doubt they would've routed the freeway right *through* the swamp...

as for the piece of wire in my antenna terminal.... i tried that. WMYD-DT was the most-stable signal, with WWJ-DT as a close-second, and WDIV-DT as a close-third... the others were alright as long as no one walked by. the signals that dropped out a lot were WJBK-DT and WKBD-DT and don't even bother with WPXD-DT....