I'm getting good results with a 4-bay bowtie. I removed the back reflector screen in order to get both tower sites. The gain dropped a bit, but otherwise happy with being able to watch all 6 DTV signals in the area. :)

In most of Ottawa, I am of the view that almost any roof mounted quality UHF antenna pointed almost anywhere should get the 6 basic digital channels.

The analog channels meanwhile need to be tweaked and pointed, and you also need a VHF antenna which needs to be tweaked and pointed...... and so on and so on. I have tried 4 different VHF antennas so far. Not happy with any of them. I am not sure if analog is worth the effort.

I have also tried 4 different UHF antennas (eastern Ottawa near 10th line & Innes), I usually point the antennas south, southeast (18 & 57 PBS) or southwest (Watertown). No matter what I always get all local digital channels.

If all you care about is the digital channels, I really think the best strategy to try first is to simply point south! You'll probably get all the locals and hopefully a couple of PBS.

I got an RCA ANT751 and it's definitely helped with my analog issues. I still need to tweak it a bit more. On the digital front I now get OMNI1 and CITYTV in HD. Does anyone know why I don't get OMNI2? TV Fool shows both OMNIs coming from the same tower.

I got an RCA ANT751 and it's definitely helped with my analog issues. I still need to tweak it a bit more. On the digital front I now get OMNI1 and CITYTV in HD. Does anyone know why I don't get OMNI2? TV Fool shows both OMNIs coming from the same tower.

OMNI2 HD is hard to receive for many people because it is channel 66 near the extreme high end of the UHF range. If you check the techies' antenna design/analysis graphs on the OTA Antenna R&D forum you will see that many antenna designs have a "fall off" of capability at this end of the range.

I think that OMNI2 is supposed to change to channel 17 after the transition in a year or so (according to this (http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/DTV_PLAN_Dec08-e.pdf/$file/DTV_PLAN_Dec08-e.pdf) see CJMT-TV-2) which should make it easier to receive with almost any antenna.

I think that OMNI2 is supposed to change to channel 17 after the transition in a year or so

Actually, the latest Industry Canada data shows it moving to channel 20. This can be found in stampeder's table, which is updated daily with the latest Industry Canada data:

http://www.user.dccnet.com/jonleblanc/Canada_TV_Stations/ON.html

Great, thanks for the help.

First off....I'll like to thank all that contributed and helped in my quest to transfer my OTA tower setup from the GTA to Ottawa. My install was done today by R&R satellite, very knowledgeable guys and friendly. Here are some pics of the install

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/ikennedy/IMG_2406.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/ikennedy/IMG_2407.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/ikennedy/IMG_2408.jpg

I am using a channel master cm4228 and a CM 3020 deep fringe, on a 37ft tower with a 10ft pipe, and a pre-amp cm7777. My location is orleans east ottawa


http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/ikennedy/IMG_2409.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/ikennedy/IMG_2411.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c279/ikennedy/IMG_2412.jpg

My results:

Digital channels:
My results: 41 channels in all, here are some of them
CBOT (CBC) 4.1 ...........100%
CBOFT-D (SRC) 9.1 .........100%
CITYHD 17.1 ................100%
CKXTDT3 ( Sun tv ) 20.1 ......100%
OMNI1 HD 27.1 .......100%
WCFE HD (PBS) 57.1 ........100%
WCFED1 (PBS) 57.2 .........95%
WCFED2 (PBS) 57.3 ......95%
OMNI2 HD 66.1 .......95%

Analogue channels:

CBC 4.0
GLOBAL 6.0
CTV 8.0
CBC FRENCH 9.0
PBS 11.0
CTV 13.0
OMNI 14.0
TVO 24.0
CIVO TV 30.0
CTS 32.0
CFGS TV (V) 34.0
TVA 40.0
A CHANNEL 43.0
OMNI 60.0
CITY TV (IND) 65.0

Lima: Nice setup! Good work on the PBSs. You should also easily pull in 23 (18.1,18.2 & 18.3). You need to work on getting Watertown (7.1, 7.2 & 50.1, 50.2) now!

Looks like the tower is attached in the backyard. Did R&R say anything about Ottawa bylaws and a side yard bracketed tower?

First off....I'll like to thank all that contributed and helped in my quest to transfer my OTA tower setup from the GTA to Ottawa. My install was done today by R&R satellite, very knowledgeable guys and friendly. Here are some pics of the install


Thanks for sharing the great pics! I'm green with envy over the tower.:p

I have a YA1713 and a CM4228HD that I still have to mount somewhere....just not wanting to make holes in my roof....

Actually the bigger LG tv downstairs pulls in 18.1, 18.2 and 18.3, bu the smaller LG doesn't. R and R came out to the house first time and we looked at the by-laws together.

You can't install the tower on the side of the house, it has to be at the back and 10ft from the property line, that is why we chose the spot in the pic, we had to cut into the deck to spike the tower down.

Both antennas are on a rotor, so I'll work on it over the weekend turning it around to see what else I can get. What am getting so far though is great, all at 100% or slightly below. The signal is split into 3 areas in the house

Thanks for the update, lima.
I thought you had given hope on the R&R contact I had provided.

I would love it if you could give some feedback for R&R and the prices in the "OTA: Ontario Parts, Sales, Service, Installers" thread.

I had given up until finally I got a call back out of the blue

OK that's nice to know. When i looked at your original picture, I had thought about putting it around that area but it looked like too many things were in the way... making a hole in the deck, plus the BBQ and upstairs window... is the tower only buried in the ground and attached around the eaves ?

The tower is attached to the ground using 3 pipe spikes and at the top using brackets. It's the same way I had in in Toronto for the last 4yrs

I managed to pull in 18.1, 18.2 and 18.3 last night, but still no CBS, ABC, and NBC. Also my VHF antenna is suppose to have FM, I don't see no fm stations

Your CM7777 features an FM trap, you may want to double check the setting to see if it's enabled and dropping your FM frequencies.

from the CM7777 manual:
If you are using the antenna for FM radio signals as well as TV, then select the “OUT”
position on the FM trap switch.

I think the default setting is "IN".

I managed to pull in 18.1, 18.2 and 18.3 last night, but still no CBS, ABC, and NBC. Also my VHF antenna is suppose to have FM, I don't see no fm stations
There is no NBC to be had. The nearest NBC is Mount Mansfield on channel 14, which is the same as OMNI2 analog, so no dice on that one before OMNI analog shuts down next August.

CBS/Fox Watertown wqould be a long shot in Orleans. By next month, you may occasionally get the new WWNY(CBS-HD, Fox-SD) repeater on WNYF from the same tower as 18.1, but it will be using one tenth the power of PBS, so if you only get WNPI once in a while, I doubt you'll get WNYF (CBS/Fox) at only one tenth the power.

ABC Watertown only broadcasts with 25kW on channel 21, so that's an infrequent visitor to the Ottawa area as well.

While true regular viewing of Watertown is not really possible, near regular evening viewing (tropo) is. I have received CBS, Fox, ABC & CW (7.1 & 7.2, 50.1, 50.2) most evenings this summer. 7.1 kicks in after sunset and 50.1 a bit later. For near regular evening reception you do need extreme measures such as single cut antennas and a good preamp. but it does appear often in the Orleans area. I am only 2 miles or so southeast of lima20. Also, Lima20 has a nice looking tower and doesn't have to deal with my tree issues.

In fact my "hobby" redeemed itself in front of my wife last week. she was watching Castle on Rogers cable ABC and complained "why is the picture so bad". I then flipped to my single cut 21 antenna and she happily watched the rest of the showed in perfect HD on 50.1. Finally some vindication! Probably got a couple of free trips to the roof with that one. That and Star Trek reruns at 10:35 on Fox seems to have made her happy. Go figure.

I also receive WNPI & WCFE pretty well all the time on one of my antennas, so I am hopeful for the WNYF repeater on 18. We will know in a couple of weeks.