is there a consensus as to which channels can be received in this area


stoney creek

Is the guy in Post #668 near you? I used the Search This Thread tool to the upper right beside Thread Tools and put in Stoney Creek.

lower or upper stoney creek?

Latest/final set-up:

Right now I'm watching MLB baseball on FOX 29 in glorious 720p HD- beautiful picture.

Here are the 25 channels I get with the antennas stationary/aimed at BUF:

2.1
2.2
2.3
3.0 (snowy)
4.1
5.1
6.0
7.1
9.1
11.1
13.0
15.1
17.1
17.3
19.0
23.1
25.1
26.1
26.2
29.1
36.1
41.0
44.1
57.1
64.1

Hey Goforit - try tuning in 49.1 HD & 49.2 SD - WNYO . I'm on the mountain and it comes in good for me.
I'm also playing with a 4bay aimed at Erie for a few more channels.
Cheers RO

Hi Principal:

Usually at night I can get 49, and then strangely, ION (51.x) too. I'm pretty satisfied- do get WQLN occaisonally, but also Rochester. Satisfied with all major US networks from BUF plus TO w/o using a rotor.

I haven't been able to secure any of the ION channels yet... nor Rochester.
I've attached a CM 2 bay ant. right behind my 8 bay which is facing Toronto, and if the wind is right I can pick up WQLN 54.1 in Erie from time to time. Hmm, if I took the screen off the 4228 I might have a better chance at Erie, yes? I,m like yourself and many others here... tinker & play with the hardware until it hurts :)
Maybe I'll hack a 4228HD and try for Batavia/Rochester

I have tried both- 4228HD and 4221HD. The 28 is great for picking up FOX 29, but the aim is only a few degrees. My latest set-up is to stack and hack two 4221HDs. ION is pretty cool- 1 main channel and 3 sub channels- one shows movies and one is for kids- cartoons. I would be very interested in your 4228HD hack and results- since I still have one that is not being used.

I have a CM-4228HD mounted on a tripod with a ten foot pole on my roof here in Waterdown. I tried pointing in towards Toronto and Buffalo based on plotting a straight line to each major transmitter using Bing Maps:

http://i43.tinypic.com/2ii8whc.jpg

Here is what I am seeing:


Channel Signal Station Toronto Buffalo
2.1* Digital NBC (WGRZ) - 45
2.2* Digital NBC (WGRZ) - 46
2.3* Digital Retro TV (WGRZ) - 49
4.1* Digital CBS (WIVB) - 65
5 Analog CBC Poor/Fuzzy Poor/Fuzzy
5.1* Digital CBC HD 85 -
6* Analog Global Poor/Fuzzy Poor/Fuzzy
7.1* Digital ABC (WKBW) - 61
9 Analog CTV (CFTO) Poor/Fuzzy Poor/Fuzzy
9.1* Digital CTV (CFTO) 35 -
11 Analog E! (CHCH) Good Good
11.1* Digital E! (CHCH) 70 78
13 Analog CTV (CFTO) Ok/Grainy Ok/Grainy
15.1 Digital Sun (CKXT) 48 58
17.1* Digital PBS HD (WNED) - 87
17.2 Digital PBS SD (WNED) - 87
17.3* Digital ThinkBright(WNED)- 87
19 Analog TVO Good Poor/Fuzzy
23.1* Digital CW (WNLO) 68 72
25 Analog CBC French Good Poor/Fuzzy
25.1 Digital CBC French 60 -
26.1 Digital TCT (WNYB) 36 62
26.2 Digital TCT HD (WNYB) 36 60
28 Analog TVO Kids Poor/Fuzzy Poor/Fuzzy
29.1* Digital FOX HD (WUTV) 42 77
29.2 Digital FOX SD (WUTV) 42 77
36 Analog CTS Ok/Grainy Good
36.1 Digital CTS HD 50 91
41 Analog Global - Poor/Fuzzy
44.1 Digital OMNI.2 38 -
45 Analog Sun (CKXT) Poor/Fuzzy Ok/Grainy
47 Analog OMNI.1 Ok/Grainy -
48 Analog OMNI.1 Poor/Fuzzy -
52 Analog Sun (CKXT) Poor/Fuzzy -
57* Analog City TV Ok/Grainy -
69 Analog OMNI.2 Ok/Grainy Poor/Fuzzy

* - Stations I am primarily focused on


I would like to get the starred stations as clear as possible. I am thinking about getting another CM-4228HD and have one antenna at Toronto, one at Buffalo and feeding it through a CM-7777 pre-amp. Does that make sense as a logical next step?

Thanks,
Colin

We learn as we go along...

I am in a similar reception boat as you. The 4228HD is great for distance, but lacks beam width (getting signals on the side). The 4221HD that is hacked is pretty close to the 4228HD, and is much better in getting signals on the side. I've tried various set-ups with both types of antennas.
There are numerous configurations you could try, my final one was two 4221HDs hacked and stacked with a rotor. I never did try two 4228HDs stacked or ganged though.

Now a question to ask is, would a stacked 4228HD have greater beam width than a single 4228HD?

Colin,

Based on your location (TVfool information), you will need two antennas (CM4221HD) - one points to CN tower, one points to Buffalo. Combine the two antennas using a Winegard coupler CC-7870 (or A-B switch, reverse 2-way spliter) and a pre-amp (optional but recommended).

I have tested that combination from my location and it works well. I use a single CM4221HD to pick up 51.x (ION) station from Batavia, about 86 miles from my location, another CM4221HD for Buff/Hamilton/CN tower.

Just make sure you have LOS/height for your antenna, and optimize your aiming directions...

See my setup under 'pimp my gear'- post 380 and 388.

@kooguy I already have a 4228HD that I got based on the antenna chart, my location, etc. I was thinking of either a 4221HD or 4228HD with a CM-777 to both combine and pre-amp the signal (the web site seemed to indicate that it could combine 2 UHF signals). I am also reading @goforit's posts and wondering if I should have just got a 4221 in the first place.

Not sure if this is possible:


4228HD-\
-- CM-7777 -- Television
4221HD-/

Is there any risk to combining a 4221 and a 4228?


4228HD-\
-- WG 7870 -- CM-7777 -- Television
4221HD-/

Thoughts?

colin,

Use the same antennas if you are using 2-way splitter in reverse... Otherwise lot's of trial and error to get things right. The pre-amp don't care much once it is on the other end.

However, I was told that this device, CC7870 don't care much about cable length or antennas. I have tested it using the same antennas but different cable length.

I'll try to combine a CM4221HD and 91XG (Yagi's) using CC7870 tomorrow and report back the results.

I'm a returning OTA consumer - I grew up on OTA TV and have recently moved out of the city to a house that has a big antenna. I just picked up an LCD TV and I'm exploring my OTA options. I'm located just south of Hamilton, close to the Hamilton Airport. I currently receive the following:

2-1, 2-2, 2-3 (very poor signal, usually no reception)
4-1 (50%)
5-1 (100%)
7-1 (50%)
9-1 (100%)
11-1 (100%)
15-1 (100%)
17-1, 17-2, 17-3 (very poor)
23-1 (100%)
36-1 (100%)
44-1 (100%)

Analogue: 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 19, 25, 28, 36, 41, 45, 47, 52, 57, 69 (most of the analogue are pretty snowy)

So, any suggestions on hose to improve my signals? The current rotor does not work, so I don't know if repositioning the antenna will help. Should I go buy a 4228 and a rotor?

See photos here: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=107706

I use 2 combined CM4228's with a 7777 pre-amp feeding both. The Buffalo ant. is around 45 ft. AG with the Toronto one 3 ft. below that (it shoots through trees about 150 ft. away).
Here's a double plot showing my aims. Notice that the Hamilton tower (2 red arrows at 60°) fits nicely at the edge of the weak "side" lobes, so as to not be over-powered (thats why the Toronto aim is a little north of the CN tower)\
It seems to work out well with minimal drop-outs on the weaker stations.
Cheers - RO

Colin,

I just finished combining CM4221HD and 91XG using CM7870, no issues at all. I have a distribution amp on the other end since my cable run is over 50' to some TVs. You can certainly use a CM pre-amp or something like that on the other end.

I know a DHCer have combined CM4228Hd and CM4221HD, but I couldn't find the thread for it. It is doable, but not easy...

@kooguy, @principal thanks for the great information! I am thinking I'll pick up the pre-amp next, check out the results and then look to a second antenna and a combiner.

I was wondering if anyone in the Port Dover and Simcoe area is using OTA and what stations they are getting?

I'm thinking about hooking up the tower again and getting a new HDTV. I've only read a post from Jarvis. I'm very glad I found this forum.

goforit, you have two 4221HDs stacked at Buffalo and getting T.O. on the side? How well?
Or do you have a dedicated antenna for T.O.?

Going to pickup two 4221HDs tomorrow and hack them. I still can't decide whether to gang or stack. According to the faq, ganging on the same mast looks tricky in getting the aiming right vs mashup of strong/weak. If you remember, I'm in the same general area, west Hamilton Mountain.

ancaster:

I have tried various set-ups with 4221HDs and 4228HDs. I can get all BUF and TO stations except wnyo and ION with stacked/hacked 4221HDs aimed for Buffalo. Global digital (41.1) is flakey, but I do get the analog station. I did try one 4221HD aimed for TO and one aimed for BUF with good results, but WUTV became flakey. It depends on what stations you want to get. Another option might be to get an 91XG, which has shown good results by peano in the Kitch-Waterloo thread.