spas, you seem to be getting most of the channels available in your area so if you can mount it up higher you'd probably get the others. As for a strongly built antenna that performs excellently, my recommended antennas are in the Antenna Chart:

Thanks Stampeder...

I reviewed your antenna Decision Chart For OTA Antennas and had a couple of questions:

1) I live in the Dundas and Winstonchurchill area in Mississauga. Would I be considered Suburban or Near Fringe to get the Buffalo channels? Currently with my cheap ANT-3045 I am able to receive all of the Buffalo channels and the local Toronto based channels.

2) I want to get channels from 2 to 69 so I assume I need a VHF/UFH/FM antenna. I am leaning towards the Delhi VU932 or 3 or 4, do also need a pre-amp? The reason I ask, my cheal ANT-3045 has a pre-amp.

3) finally, can you recommend a few good retailers in the Mississuaga\GTA area that sells Delhi or Channel Master.

Many Thanks in advance!!!

Steve

Spas,

Get the antenna on the roof. My location Glen Erin/the Collegeway. You'll get OMNI's and MyTV. For DTV 4bay or similar is all you need. For CM check up around Dixie Matheson by Stage West. All the FTA stores have CM 4bay antennas. Alternative Antennas Direct, you can buy on-line.

Thanks RustyHD,

Actually I live just down the road from you on the Collegeway and Colonial.

Do you have a rotor with your antenna?

Thanks,
Steve

I've been a long lurker on the OTA sub forum and thought I'd share my current configuration to add to the knowledgebase. I currently have a Channel Master 4221 and 4228 stacked in the attic and pointing towards Buffalo. With this configuration I get the following reliably (i.e. signal dropouts are rare)
2.1
2.2
4.1
5.1
7.1
7.2
9.1
11.1
17.1
17.2
17.3
23.1
25.1
36.1
41.1
57.1
64.1
66.1

In addition I can lock in 49.1/2 and 26.1/2 sometimes but always with unacceptable dropout levels. I cannot get WUTV(FOX) at all.

This setup works very well for me and I was especially pleased that I managed to get 18 channels reliably even though the setup is in the attic (and the roof is covered in snow).

This project has been fun and once the US OTA switchover in Buffalo is complete I may try to tinker and see if I can get FOX. It has certainly saved me from having to go the Rogers HD route.

As an aside, it requires creative engineering to get a CM 4228 into the attic. It requires even more creative engineering to stack a CM 4221 on a CM 4228 in a cramped attic. Where there's a will, theres' a way.....

Just reread my message and noticed that I forgot to include channel 44.1 in the list. I receive this one reliably as well.

Cheers
Lester

Spas,

I use Antennas Direct LacrosseA with no rotator. I'm a 2 storey with the antenna on a 4ft mast above the peak of the roof. Antenna is aimed to maximize signal for 49.1. With that you get 29.1 and all the rest of the US channels. Toronto and Hamilton come in on the sides. If you use a 4bay either CM4221 or DB4 you will get similar reception for less $$. I use the Lacrosse because it doesn't look like an antenna. Then with the 4bay use a CM7777 preamp. Antennas Direct preamps are not as good. If you add a rotator you would likely get 26.1 as well. I'm thinking of a rotator for Paris Global and Kitchener CTV. I'll decide if WPXJ 51.1 doesn't come in if and when they start broadcasting. I get the analog version well so I'm hoping its just there.

rustyhd: isn't the pre-amp knocking out your toronto channels that are close by?

I have a question regarding the number of channels I will be getting if I go OTA.

Currently with my indoor antenna I am getting 7 HD channels.

5.1
9.1
23.1
25.1
44.1
57.1
64.1

How can I make sure before installation, which channels I will get? I don't want to spend $150 and figure out that I will be getting the same number of channels which I currently have.

Any suggestion / recommendation?

How you get the cable from attic to basement?

Thanks

Go to TVfool.
Just punch in your info (you don't have to fill in State).
http://tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29

Lester:

Those results are great. I'm in a similar boat as you, I get similar channels you listed all the time, but wutv and wnyo have been difficult. My two 4221s are mounted outside, but I might set up a 4228 and/or get a pre-amp to try an catch 29 and 49.

Hi Lester,
How did you phase the 4221 and 4228 together? If they are not exactly in phase, this may be why you're having a hard time getting FOX.
I used to have that set up, so I know, phasing 2 different antennas can be difficult.

Hi Lester,
How did you phase the 4221 and 4228 together? If they are not exactly in phase, this may be why you're having a hard time getting FOX.
I used to have that set up, so I know, phasing 2 different antennas can be difficult.
I didn't really use any sort of scientific approach to getting the antennas in phase. I did make sure that the each antenna had the same length of coax going to to the splitter. However, because of cramped attic space I couldn't stack the antennas in the true technical sense of the word but rather had to offset them slightly horizontally from a true stacked position. This may be affecting things. Also, due to ther offset, they may not be in precisely the same vertical plane (which I know is important in stacking) so that another strike against reception quality.

I had since seen another space in the attic where I may be able to accomplish a true stacked arrangement while at the same time reducing overall coax cable length so I will be going up there to try that in the next few weeks.

Lester

on the 4228, there are wires that join the 2 sides together.
There are none on the 4221.
So, using equal lenth coax will make them out of phase.
You have to compensate for the difference in the antenna feeds, or use 2 antennas of the same design. I had much better results after making sure they were in phase.
I don't remember exactly, but i think the difference in length was about 8 inches.

on the 4228, there are wires that join the 2 sides together.
There are none on the 4221.
So, using equal lenth coax will make them out of phase.
You have to compensate for the difference in the antenna feeds, or use 2 antennas of the same design. I had much better results after making sure they were in phase.
I don't remember exactly, but i think the difference in length was about 8 inches.
How did you figure out the difference of eight inches? And, in addition which antenna received the longer length of coax (or does it matter)? If you point me to the method used to arrive at the length difference it would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Lester

How did you figure out the difference of eight inches? And, in addition which antenna received the longer length of coax (or does it matter)? If you point me to the method used to arrive at the length difference it would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Lester
I have a 4221 and a 4228 joined together with exactly the same cable lengths - and have no phase issues whatsoever. However, they are aimed in different directions - so this may impact the need for the eight inches??

Stu

I went through the whole phasing experiment in the 'tips and tricks' thread.
If you look the the 2 different antennas, it's really obvious the length from the bowties to the balun is obviously different.
Using a station that could be picked up on both independently as a source (FOX), I started with the lead from the 4221 longer and wrote down levels. I trimed off 1" and measured again. I kept on triming and measuring till I was obviously past the peak. Then I replaced the lead that was too short with one that was the optimum length. I didn't really measure the difference between the 2, I was more concerned with making it work.
Anyway, it worked pretty good, but still got very rare dropouts on FOX or NBC.

Since I moved to Mississauga I have to setup the new antenna.

I'd like to use a 8 bay antenna like CM 4228 for Buffalo's and a simple UHF on my roof or chimney of 2 storey house.

It looks like that the antenna need to point to southeast for Buffalo's stations (~135 degrees) and northeast to CNT (~80 degrees)?

So I need two antennas (I don't want to use rotor)?

And how to conbine two signals in one cable with min. signal lose?

I'd like to use a pre-amp. like CM 7777 but I never see it so I don't know how many input port it has.

Thanks for any advise.

Hi Marc, try the Search This Thread tool to the upper right and use Mavis first to see those posts, then Eglinton to see those. You should come up with a pretty good survey of what to use and what to expect in your area. :) I've moved your post into this thread that has tons of info on Mississauga OTA reception.

Goforit,

Preamp has no affect on Toronto stations. The antenna points directly at Grand Island to maximize 49-1. Toronto stations come in on the side and are lower in signal strength than all Buffalo channels. Also Toronto signals very low strength so no overloads.

I went through the whole phasing experiment in the 'tips and tricks' thread.
If you look the the 2 different antennas, it's really obvious the length from the bowties to the balun is obviously different.
Using a station that could be picked up on both independently as a source (FOX), I started with the lead from the 4221 longer and wrote down levels. I trimed off 1" and measured again. I kept on triming and measuring till I was obviously past the peak. Then I replaced the lead that was too short with one that was the optimum length. I didn't really measure the difference between the 2, I was more concerned with making it work.
Anyway, it worked pretty good, but still got very rare dropouts on FOX or NBC.
I did not have a lot of time this weekend but I did manage to try out a couple of cable lengths before being pulled away for other stuff. I checked cable length differences of 8 inches and 9 inches and neither of those appeared to give as good reception as having both antenna coax cables be of the same length. Of course, I do have these mounted in the attic and attics, as I have come to realize from reading here, can do strange things to signals.

One other thing I did try was to flip the balun on one of the antennas around to see if there was a phase problem there. Upon flipping it the signal levels immediately dropped and some channels disappeared altogether. So I reverted the balun and everything recovered.

Cheers
Lester