Yup you should have went and got a channelmaster4221HD,
and maybe a pre amp to get WGRZ. The clone antenna has
got to be your problem because I know people getting WGRZ
with amplified rabbit ears all around mississauga with the
weather rising.

I'm not really insisting. I don't have much choice in the matter. It's up there and being suspended 30 feet in the air, I have no clue how to remove the pole and antenna safely from the tower safely :S

Sorry if I sounded mean or anything, no intention of coming off as so.

That was why replacing antenna was the last course of option, and I'd have to wait awhile (probably until WGRZ is back anyways in the summer...) Would attenuation of really strong 32 WNLO do the trick?

I do have a preamp, CM7777. And I recently moved it up the mast to the antenna so it should be working at peak effeciency, but I noticed absolutely no difference. I'll snap a shot of my setup. The 7777 IS weatherproof right?

Thanks for the tips though. Would a prototype SBGH with NARODs do the trick?

@little-infinity,

I stacked 2 CM4221HD antennas last weekend. Not sure if it works better or not as there is a lot of tropo happening. On my Sharp tuner, 80-90% is booming. WGRZ is 85%, WKBW 85%, WIVB 80%. These were slightly weaker with 1 CM4221HD. I'm using CM7778 preamp, which is slightly lower power than the CM7777. Remember, a preamp cannot create signal, it only boosts what the antenna sees to get it to your TV. I know someone in Clarkson with CM4221HD on chimney mount, single storey house. 2-1 is no problem. I would suggest you get one and try it say half way up. Mines aimed 155 degrees by compass.

Hi All,

Just realized that this is my very first post here, have been visiting the awesome site to read on OTA but first post..wow I m excited and hope to contribute as I learn.

I recently moved to Brampton (Mavis + Steels), before this was in Toronto in an apartment building with clear site to CN tower and was able to pick up most of the channels with CM4221 clone bought from XS Cargo.

At the new place in Brampton, previous owner had 4221 type antena mounted on the brick wall and can currently pick up most of buffalo channels but no Toronto ones (City TV, CTV, Omni, Sun etc). I do have the previous antena but they are not same make and after reading here am not sure if stacking would be good idea.

My question is do I need to upgrade to CM4228 to get channels from CN tower and Buffalo or do you think little bit of tweaking will help. Thanks all.

Probably tweaking.

The 4228 won't help with the Toronto stations as it will just narrow your reception beamwidth. (more gain, but more directional) (more is better in the case of using one antenna to get stations from both areas).

And like me if that doesn't work, just trash the clone for scrap metal and get a 4221 instead ;) [I'm down by the Lakeshore and I have issues with WGRZ in particular]

Try aiming it slightly east of Buffalo, and find that magic compass direction that will let you get stations from both markets. For our area, that magic direction should be somewhere between 120-150 degrees.

Thanks for sharing your own experiences, since last scan I did start receiving WGRZ with moderate signal strength and no drop outs. I will for first time get on the roof and try tweak it. As for the compass, I don't have one and would appreciate if you can recommend one which I can get may be from same place as wehre I would go for extension mast; I am thinking of raising current set up by 2-3 feet to see if that helps and not sure where to get mast from, may be Save and Replay.

Honestly, I don't think you need a compass. Use Google Earth, use satellite view to locate your house and some landmarks and you'll have a very good idea which direction is which.

Well this is great.

Went out today, got back and found that almost all our DTV channels are gone.

CBC WNED and WNLO are the only ones left, with CFTO pixelating really badly.

All the analog channels are snowy, with only CBC and TVO watchable.

Antenna or preamp damage from the storm/rain? I thought the CM7777 is weatherproof! Can someone back me up on this and tell me what is/could be going on? I heard it banging on the pole a couple times, but I thought the build of the 7777 is great.

My preamp isn't mounted on the mast, could it be loose connections?

My preamp isn't mounted on the mast, could it be loose connections?That would be my guess. If it was flailing around in the wind and rain then the coax connectors probably became separated and/or waterlogged.

Hmm okay. I'll switch to the backup 20-year old radio shack archer antenna in the attic. At least we'll get a few analogs with it.

As for the build quality of the 7777, should I be worried at all about damage?

Edit: yeah it just got worse, TVO analog is flashing badly, no digital.

When anchored firmly and all waterproofing safeguards are taken, the 7777 will not have outages in windy, wet weather over many years of use.

What waterproofing safeguards?

The instructions manual describes how it must be mounted solidly and weather boots used on the coax leads that are connected to it. There's a ton of further reading on waterproofing in here:

OTA Waterproofing, Sealants, Adhesives, Paint (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=104181)

Thanks for the advice!
I hope it's not too late.

Hmm okay. I'll switch to the backup 20-year old radio shack archer antenna in the attic. At least we'll get a few analogs with it.

As for the build quality of the 7777, should I be worried at all about damage?

Edit: yeah it just got worse, TVO analog is flashing badly, no digital.
I would disconnect the power immediately to possibly prevent damage to the amp.

The 7777 is a good performer, but it's delicate. If it isn't mounted to something, and could possibly flail around or turn upside down, it won't last.

Wait until the wind and rain die down, then remove it from outside before another frost sets in. Otherwise, if there's water in the enclosure, the unit will be toast (if it isn't already).

I assume I should open it up and check?

Yes. Disconnect the power for now, get it off the tower and inside the house and you may be able to salvage it by drying it thoroughly.

I guess it was a mistake to try and move it upstream to the antenna. I foolishly did to try and get WGRZ but to no avail, and now apparently it has made things significantly worse.

Thanks again for the tips guys, I'll be out there tomorrow.

I guess it was a mistake to try and move it upstream to the antenna.
No, it wasn't a mistake. Pre-amps belong near the antenna, as their purpose is to overcome line loss. You just need to ensure they're mounted to a mast in a secure manner.

Though I'd question if you require that much amplification in your area. You'd likely be better off with a lower-gain amp.

Thanks!

While we get this sorted out, do you think that UTUBE defect coat hanger antenna will work with pulling all the Toronto UHF local digitals in my area? Check my TVFOOL a few posts up. All are in the green zone. Gonna place this in the living room 1st floor beside the TV, so not expecting anything fantastic. Just something that works temporarily.

My dad mostly cares about the TO channels right now, WNLO and WNED will probably come in too. The others can wait.