Adjustable gain amps are already sold

Just to be clear, to my knowledge, none of the amps truly have adjustable gain. Those marketed as such actually have a built-in variable attenuator.

I've been working on my setup this past weekend. Planning for the phase 2.

I took down the tower when I did my roof this past fall. The antenna on top was old and not doing the job really well. The tower was also in a bad spot, the two year old started climbing it, (had friends lose a young son who fell off their tower) so sawzall took it most of the way down. I am now using the 4221 Clone as my main antenna on the clothes line pole. I get 7,16 and 50 along with 32, 38. Channel 11 was unwatchable but I have used an channel 11 injector with a pair of rabbit ears in the basement and now its clear and viewable on the big screen upstairs. (Overload issue, I am amping 10db)

My next goal is an eaves mount to mount the antenna and add a VHF VIP302SR I have to add channel 2 and 6 to the mix (I used it Super Bowl sunday to watch CJOH). After that, I plan to reduce the signal of 32 and 38 but taking down their transmitters :rolleyes: No... but I am looking at some traps. I am relucatant to dish out the cash if they are going away at some point. The other goal is to find a channel 24,25,26 cut antenna and add it for a better attempt at 3, and 24 from Syracuse and 26 from Belleville.

We'll see where I get this weekend with it.

The tower was also in a bad spot, the two year old started climbing it, (had friends lose a young son who fell off their tower) so sawzall took it most of the way down.

:eek: I quoted this here (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=1398540#post1398540) to warn others of this and discuss solutions.

The other goal is to find a channel 24,25,26 cut antenna and add it for a better attempt at 3, and 24 from Syracuse and 26 from Belleville.

I don't think you will find a 24,25,26 cut antenna, but one good alternative would be a Wade CYD-1430 (http://www.wade-antenna.com/Wade/UHF%20Antennas.pdf) channel 14-30 antenna if you can find one (they have been out of production for a while, but you might get lucky if you do a Google or talk to Wade).

Thanks Roger. I have a working solution I think for the tower replacement, but I am still looking at a few options before I commit.

Also, thanks for the heads up about the 14-30 cut antenna. That would be perfect as most of my channels are below 30, except for 41 (PBS) and a distant 44.

I currently have a CM4221 setup on a chimney mount and I get a ok amount of channels. TV fool (http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dde653040ffaf42) seems to show I should get a lot more then PBS, ABC, FOX and on occasion NBC.

I would like to avoid using a rotor as I am using a windows based media centre for TV watching and I don't know of a way to get the media centre to operate a rotor.

I am not afraid of setting up multiple antennas but I would need some advice on spacing, design and how best to combine the signals. I also have a big older CM antenna that looks like a giant kite, I cold put that into use but I don't know if a chimney mount would hold that or if I would need to get a tripod for the roof.

Thanks

Are you now getting all the channels in the green/light green per TVFool ?

The short answer is no. I do not get ch 11 (I think it's too strong), I used to get 7 but that has vanished of late. Ch 6 is ghosty barely watchable but it is there.
I get 21 and 41 very clear all the time. I believe I've seen 32 and 38 but I haven't tried for them as I've always pointed towards the US channels.

I currently have a CM4221 setup on a chimney mount and I get a ok amount of channels.

The CM4221 is a UHF antenna. Most of the channels you are having problems with are on VHF, so you will need to add a VHF antenna. Since all the VHF-LO channels are to the north and all the VHF-HI channels are to the south, I would get separate VHF-LO and VHF-HI antennas (or just skip the VHF-LO antenna, since those transmitters will eventually move to different channels).

On option for VHF-HI is to get the C2 VHF Reflector Assembly (http://www.antennasdirect.com/store/uhf-vhf.html) and modify it to attach to your CM-4221 (or directly to your mast without the reflector). It is a low gain antenna, but since they are both in "green" it should be adequate and have a nice, wide beamwidth. It is available from the forum sponsor.

I think my Ch 7 issue is to do with the fact I'm currently pointed directly at the ch 11 transmitter which is only a few km from here. The winds we not kind this winter.
I have no hope or expectation of any station moving to new channels in the Kingston area. Until Shaw bought them out, Global was ready to shutdown their ch2 transmitter here.
I think my best bet might be to make a ch 2 and ch 6 antennas. Then maybe a second cm 4221 to add the syracuse stations?

^^^Shaw has been submitting applications to upgrade the Global TV transmitters in non-mandatory markets. I believe they have committed to completing all of the upgrades by sometime in 2016 and seem to be on track for that goal. Who know what Bell will do with CJOH-TV-6 however.

Well I'm not waiting around for another 4 years to see if they might make the switch. This whole switch to digital is just a big cluster @#$% but it's not a surprise.

Since I need to get 2 VHF-LO channels from 2 different directions does anyone have plans for a ch2 and a ch6 antenna? I used to have them using 300ohm antenna wire but I cannot find them anymore.

If I were in your shoes, I'd get a Winegard 8200u and rotator and maybe a pre-amp if needed.

Just because you have a rotator doesn't mean you need to use it all the time. I have one. I rarely need it. But when I need it it is great to have.

There is a good chance that your 8200u when pointed at the USA would bring in a very decent analog picture on the vhf-low channels off the back of your antenna.

I have a weak rf7 that I can receive from Buffalo. When I spin my antenna 180 degrees from it, the station comes in fine.

Anyway, please consider a rotator. They are not expensive. It simplifies everything. And you might find it very handy. Having the rotator there does not have to negatively affect your use of WMC. I use it too.

Good luck!

Well I have a CM antenna that is similar to the Winegard you linked to. I could put that to use.
I've resisted the idea to use a rotor as I have not found a decent way to control the rotor from the computer. It wouldn't do to start a recording, only to find the antenna is pointed in the wrong direction. Also if I have multiple tuners which one gets priority?

It's quite complicated combining multiple antennas and potentially expensive if you want to start buying or building multiple antennas.

Especially if you have one lying around, put on a new balun, and run new RG6 and get the big all-channel Channel Master strapped to your chimney. Leave it loose enough to rotate manually. Test it out.

You'll probably find that 90% of your desired recording/viewing shows can reliably come in with a fixed aim in one spot. You'll also find that by doing just enough rotating to bring one of your weaker channels in, does not result in you losing any of the other stations. You may find that conflicts caused by rotator aim are rare to never.

Also you have a couple of spare antennas. Keep a spare antenna on the mast, too, with a separate RG6 going into the house just in case.

Anyway, think it through and maybe give it a try. I have never had a situation where our antenna's aim caused one person in one room to lose his/her show because the antenna got rotated for another person's benefit. It could happen, but in practice, it has not happened.

HWP,

Oh I will certainly give the big CM a try and see what happens. I'm also looking to see if there is an existing solution to having the computer control the rotor, there has to be someone who has already done this.

You're lucky being in Toronto, so easy to get good signals. My friends up there are absolutely baffled that I have to 'aim' my antenna to get a solid signal from some stations.

I started writing this yesterday, but something came up that prevented me from finishing it.

Since I need to get 2 VHF-LO channels from 2 different directions does anyone have plans for a ch2 and a ch6 antenna? I used to have them using 300ohm antenna wire but I cannot find them anymore.

You could go the separate antenna route for channels 2 and 6, but I think you could receive both with one VHF-LO antenna. Normally the approx 80 degrees separation would make it difficult, but VHF-LO antennas tend to have a very wide beamwidth. For example the plot for the Antennas Direct V4 (http://www.antennasdirect.com/cmss_files/attachmentlibrary/V4-TDS.pdf) shows that a reasonable gain should be possible for both channel 2 and 6 when aiming between the two. Some trial and error may be necessary to get the aim just right however. If one of them changes channels, you can then aim towards the other to improve its reception.

If you want to go the separate route, I do know of a supplier in the US that has some Wade 5Y2S and 10Y2S (http://www.wade-antenna.com/Wade/cutchannel.pdf) antennas in stock (PM me if interested). As for a channel 6 antenna, there is a thread documenting the design of the 5Y6S which you can use. Also, once Global has moved off of channel 6 here in Ottawa (which they applied to do last week) I won't need mine anymore, but that may be 6 months to a year from now.

It's quite complicated combining multiple antennas and potentially expensive if you want to start buying or building multiple antennas.

Combining 2 UHF antennas can be challenging and problematic, but combining a VHF antenna with a UHF antenna is easy (using either a preamp or a UVSJ) and a VHF-LO antenna with a VHF-HI antenna isn't very difficult either (using a HLSJ). Combining 2 non-adjacent channels on the VHF band can be done with a channel injector (such as a JoinTenna). The only challenge is finding these devices, but there can be found inexpensively.

Alternately you can have multiple coax runs to each TV and switch between the antennas. Computer controlled switches can also be made (there is a thread on that here).

You'll probably find that 90% of your desired recording/viewing shows can reliably come in with a fixed aim in one spot. You'll also find that by doing just enough rotating to bring one of your weaker channels in, does not result in you losing any of the other stations. You may find that conflicts caused by rotator aim are rare to never.

This all depends on signal strengths and directions. In Kingston they have signals in all directions, and many of them are weaker, which makes things more challenging. Also analog broadcasts need better aim as the PQ will diminish with a weaker signal. With DTV it either works or it doesn't.

Anyway, think it through and maybe give it a try.

Always worth trying, as everyone's situation is different. I wouldn't make blanket claims that it is never a problem though.

That doesn't sound complicated to you? :)

Separate UHF, Channel 2, Channel 6, and VHF-high antennas might tip the poor guys's house over - let alone the chimney. :D In a wind storm his chimney might end up in the Land of Oz.

I'd stick with the free all-channel antenna and add a rotator to begin with and see if my proposed compromise solution is workable.

True that we can't generalize. My situation is much easier in Toronto, but the situation in Kingston is not hopeless.

I'm guessing that the prime content from Global that our friend wants to record can probably be recorded from the originating US network in HD -- unless he's recording Dawna Friesen's news.

It may not be as simple as a single antenna, but it isn't complicated.

Agreed that multiple VHF-LO antennas may be a bit big for a chimney mount, but I remember growing up (in BC) having three antennas on our roof (they were all either VHF or combo VHF/FM/UHF antennas) and it never fell down. Granted we used a tripod and guy wires on a tall mast (not sure but guessing 20 or 30 feet).

I totally get not wanting a rotor. They are great for cottages or for fine tuning your alignment, but have serious disadvantages if you want several stations at once. Also, with Canadian winters, you really need to go with an expensive ham radio rotor rather than a cheap consumer one, especially if you are using a big antenna.

Looking at his TVFool report again, a single combo antenna aimed somewhere between Syracuse and Wattertown should be able to receive all the US networks plus CKWS. It should also be able to pick up CIII-TV-2 off the back, but probably won't pick up CJOH-TV-6 as it will be at about 90 degrees off. Similarly it won't pick up CBOFT-14 (on 32) or CICO-TV-38, but they will both be shutting down soon. As for CICO-DT-53 (on 26) it will be iffy (it all depends on the exact direction the antenna is facing).

I don't think using a big combo antenna pointed south is his best option. Most of its bulk is in the VHF-LO elements and they aren't being used effectively pointing south.

No arguments there. Maybe keep a UHF antenna toward the USA and point the combo toward the most logical spot for the VHF stations. Use the combo antenna for VHF only and combine using a UVSJ and/or pre-amp.

Keep us posted. I'm curious!