Mike, I used the Search This Thread tool in the blue bar to the upper right and used each station name one by one to see how people have done with receiving them. ;)

Hi, because I only watch tv 3-4hrs a week, I want to go OTA
I live in the Gatineau Region (5min from ottawa downtown)
I have a old antenna and can get these channels

4 and 4.1 (cbc with HD)
6(global) (blurry)
9 and 9.1 (radio-canada with hd)
11(very very poor signal)
13(ctv)
14(blurry)
30(tele quebec)
32(christian channel i think)
34(tqs)
40(tva)
43 (blurry)
60(omni1) (some times ok)
65(city tv) (some times ok)

First, I am looking for the best outdoor antenna. I have an old 3 story high home with is about 35 feet high. So my antenna will be at least 40feet high on the top of my roof.

My questions:
1-Will I get more channels with the a very good outdoor antenna with a amp. (will i get FOX, PBS)?
2- Which antenna would you recommend? I look on the net and the Terkv38 seems the best one. Money is not a real issue (but not more than 250$)

Thanks Guys

AntennaLady, because of the hills in Gatineau, your exact location will make a huge difference to your reception results. I recomend using a tool like Google Earth to determine your exact co-ordinates (in decimal degrees) and then use TV Fool (http://www.tvfool.com/) to see which American stations you have any hope of receiving (I would ignore the results for Canadian stations as it doesn't have very good data for them). If you can publish the results from that, it would help us determine what your best next step would be.

AntennaLady, see the links here before buying an antenna. These will tell you which ones are best:

My coordinates are according to google earth:
45.47040
-75.70960
my antenna will be at least 30feet high
I don't know how to post a image
Thanks

Here`s my result
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn211/AntennaLady/Radar-All2.png

Well spring has finally arrived in Ottawa and with it, the Watertown channels. This time in digital. 100% solid flawless reception for two hours running so far of Harry Potter movie on channel 21 ABC WWTI digital. Also solid flawless HD reception of the basketball game on channel 35 CBS affiliate. Also 100% reception on the sub signal WNYF. Also got WWTI-2 which is the CW affiliate. Never even knew it was there. Also WPBS on channel 41 but not as strong - probably since its past my antenna's cutoff.

WWTI-DT 100%
WWNY-DT 100%
WWTI-2 100%
WNYF-SD 100%
WPBS-1 72%
WPBS-2 72%
WPBS-HD 72%


my location - Downtown Ottawa Lees Avenue 12th floor apartment building facing south. Clear horizon no obstructions toward the south.
my antenna - home made antenna Yagi 8 element with custom home-mage gaasfet preamp

This is not surprising since today was sunny and not windy, and the air is calm, and it's not winter anymore. As usual Watertown stations light up about an hour after sunset.


http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa3.jpg
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa2.jpg
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa1.jpg
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa6.jpg

Three hours - havent lost any of the channels - still at 100%. Here are some shots of the SDs


http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa4.jpg
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa5.jpg

Great screenshots! Thanks for showing us! Do you have a shot of your homemade Yagi?

There's a picture of my antenna in the do-it-yourself forum here:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=657072&postcount=220

The only thing different is that I etched a preamp onto the end near the feedpoint of the driven element. Otherwise it is exactly the same

PS I have a bad feeling the channels will not be there tonight since the wind is above gale force here in Ottawa late this afternoon.

Getting a level of 22% on WWTI and 36% on WWNY tonight. Not as much as Saturday night, buut the weather wasnt great today so you can't expect much. This is with the same 8-element yagi. Channel 16 analog is in color and watchable but snowy. This is an average night for spring/summer reception I think. If I had more gain in the antenna I might be able to get WWNY consistently, but WWTI seems weaker, and since it is channel 21 it is right next to 22 which is Radio-Canada HD.

Mountain Lake PBS getting 100% reception as usual with the same 8 element yagi. Logo at the bottom right of the screenshot

http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/mlakepbs.jpg

Gerry, FYI - I have a hard time some nights picking up WWTI from Kingston. There is an analog channel 21 WXXI in Rochester that runs interference with them on nice nights.

tlamothe - yes they have a lower transmit power it appears. Tonight Im getting a great signal on WWNY channel 35 and the Fox affiliate but WWTI is only at 40% -- I expect this will be the common summer nighttime level for here in Ottawa. You know it might be possible to get WWTI here too but the antenna would have to get about 10 dB more of clean gain.

I should point out that the Hepburn DX forecast is nil for Ottawa but we are still getting great reception of WWNY - HD.

Oops I spoke too soon. WWTI just bumped up to about 90% and is now watchable. Just a bit of blocking once every 10 seconds or so. Here are the screenshots.

So this summer looks pretty good for anyone in downtown Ottawa on the 10th floor -ish up facing south with no obstructions. Lots of good reception of all the major nets (ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, PBS) except NBC

http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa11.jpg
http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc44/gbriggs12/aaa10.jpg

AntennaLady, Sorry to take so long to get back to you. To be honest, I think from your location you are going to have troubles picking up the US stations.

You are in an excellent location to receive the local stations however, and a small VHF/UHF combo antenna should be adequate. The two towers are 130 degrees apart for you though, so you will want a rotor. Alternately you could probably join the signal from two antennas though make sure you use very directional antennas to minimize the number of reflections you pick up since you back onto the Gatineau hills (for this reason I don’t recommend an omni-directional antenna).

If you do try for the US stations, I would recommend a CM4228 (http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/cm4228.html) combined with a Delhi 10Y7S (http://www.wade-antenna.com/Wade/cutchannel.pdf) using a Jointenna (http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/GlossaryG.html#jointenna) for WWNY. This should also pick up most of the locals but it won’t receive 4.0 or 6.0 very well (though you are so close to Camp Fortune that they may come in anyway). The former isn’t an issue as you will be able to get 4.1 but 6 is a problem as it isn’t likely to go digital any time soon. You could also combine a small VHF antenna with a Jointenna for channel 6, but this will add to the complexity and reduce the overall signal strength. When all is said and done, there is no guarantee that it will receive the US stations reliably, so it would be a risky move.

update - WWNY and WWTI are gone now. WWTI went first and WWNY held on an extra half hour but also disappeared. They are now sitting around 20% and 40% like last night. Just out of reach

update update - WWNY is back (around 80%) but WWTI is still gone. So not as reliable as I thought they would be.

Hey Roger, thanks for the tip
I bought a indoor amplified antenna from x-cargos on merivale road (for 20$) and I can get without anny noise all the channels (better than cable!!!)

4.0 with 4.1 (CBC)
6.0(global)
9.0 and 9.1 (radio-canada)
11 (ABC)
13 (CTV)
14 (OMNI2)
24 (TVO)
30 (Tele-Quebec)
32 (kind of christian schannel, always forget the name of this channel)
34(TQS)
40(TVA)
43(A channel)
60(omni1)
65(city tv)

however, I can see a picture behind the noise on the channel 2,21 and 22,46,48,57. I can't figure out what channels are these?

2 may be Global from Bancroft, same as 6, or possibly 2 SRC from Montreal if you're in the east end of Gatineau.
57 is likely PBS from Plattsburg

22 is SRC digital, so I doubt you'd be getting a real analog signal there with an indoor antenna.

46 and 48 may be intermodulation products from your amplifier. (There is a TVO on 48 from Vankleek Hill, but that's not likely it if you don't also see TFO on 39 from Vankllek Hill). 46 Global Montreal is very low power, and it's not likely to be that.

TVl

>>channel 2,21 and 22,46,48,57.

Tvl-

She might be pointed east somewhere on the east-facing side of the Gatineau hills. 2 and 46 would be the Montreal stations you mentionned. 21&22 are an off-tune imd product like you mentionned, 57 is obviously WCFE, but 48 is probably Vankleek Hill TVO and the reason she has no 39 is that 40 is too strong an adjacent, since she is near Camp Fortune. If she can get channel 32 without any static I would think she has a shot at PBS on 18

She might be pointed east somewhere on the east-facing side of the Gatineau hills. 2 and 46 would be the Montreal stations you mentionned.

I agree with your other points, but 46 is unlikely if she's not getting 17 or 35. ( I can see 35 suffering from adjacent local 34, but 18 is far enough away not to interfere with 17). Don't forget, you can't get a clear signal on 46 with an indoor antenna even in Montreal.

TVl

If she can get channel 32 without any static I would think she has a shot at PBS on 18

I am not sure if I understand your logic on this one. 32 is broadcast from the Rogers tower in Herberts corners (along with 11, 14, 43, 60 and 65) which is about 30 km away and should be easy to receave. 18 is broadcast from Norwood, NY which is about 130 km away and is behind a hill so she doesn't have LOS.