All the reason they should dump VHF. Everyone went out and got UHF antennas and now people are going to have to either invest in upgrades or lose their local stations that are switching to lower channel numbers...

I can't specifically discusss the DB8, I have an original CM 4228 which I relocated down to Windsor. I find it is able to pull in the stronger VHF stations but not the weaker ones.

As spring is approaching I'm pondering which antenna to put on the roof for Buffalo stations. Is the beamwidth of the XG91 wide enough for me to receive all the buffalo stations from 7 in the SW to 49 in the SE? There are trees and a building blocking line of sight but I currently get 2, 4, 7 and 29 but not 49. This is done with 2 el-cheapo 4-bays ganged side by side with phaselines before the balun. (Lika a 4228) This setup is indoors at appr. 18ft agl.

I'm building a GH8N3 (Modular version) just for fun. Would this work better than the XG?

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b96/MagnaMagnus/Radar-Digital.png

I would put up that GH first and test with it, then decide on whether to try a different model. :) In Mississauga think of the 91XG as a problem-solver and not a first option.

Thanks for the quick response. The thing is, I'd like to go up on the roof once and be done with it. I don't mind spending the money on the XG if it means I wont have to go up on the roof again. I'm building the GH mostly for experimenting and tinkering and I believe it will be used for getting the TO/Hamilton stations.

Use the Search This Thread tool to the upper right beside Thread Tools and put in Cawthra and/or Lakeshore and/or other search terms to compare with what others in your area have used, then base your decision on their results. :)

Cawthra / Dundas area. Save and Replay installed a CM4221HD attached to the chimney, height approx. 30 feet pointed straight at Buffalo.

I’m getting all Buffalo and Toronto and CHCH Hamilton. Very strong signal on the weekend, I checked this morning due to the fog and the Buffalo stations were still locked, Toronto faded in and out a bit.

I seem to be in a very good spot, far enough from Lake Ontario to get some needed height but not too far. Buildings and trees in the area and neighbours yards but nothing tall enough to the south to case any problems. I’ll monitor performance to see if a slight adjustment towards Toronto is required but so far so good.

I was skeptical that I’d be able to see a difference in picture quality over Rogers HD which is pretty good in my area. Depending on the source it looked about the same. The NCAA basketball tournament with very bright lights looks similar. The golf tournament and driving television (Global) were remarkable on OTA, clearly superior to the Rogers feed. I don't watch golf but the pictures were really breathtaking.

Fog will always be a problem for UHF OTA channels. That just the nature of EM wave propagation at those frequencies.

You could probably nudge the antenna a little more east to get Toronto more consistently. Glad to hear you're having success!

I got my DB8 installed by drantenna a month ago and just yesterday it suddenly went out. No channels showing and still nothing today. What would be the first thing I should look for assumed happened here?
I'm going to try calling the installer and see if there's any warranty with his service but if I can fix it myself and check it before I go to him I rather do that. Any ideas?

^^^^
Cable & connectors, assuming the problem isn't with the TV.

When solviing problems, it helps to try to isolate where it is. For example, does the problem exist with another TV? Is there something else to use as an antenna to verify the TV tuner is working? You could also try checking the resistance between the cable center conductor and shield. There should be a low resistance.

checking the resistance between the cable center conductor and shield. There should be a low resistance.

Ahem! There should be INFINITE resistance between the center conductor and the shield of any coaxial cable.

For troubleshooting the DB8, contact the manufacturer's tech support. They have a simple procedure for checking the balun transformer that can be easily done with an ohmmeter.

If you have an amplifier installed, suspect it first....

Call your installer. This is not normal. I'm sure he'll be able to guide you through troubleshooting over the phone.

The advice of previous posters is a good do-it-yourself way to start.

1. Check your TV settings. Make sure your TV is still set on "Antenna" or "Air"
2. Try another TV or different outlet if possible.
3. Check your coax cables (especially the one in back of your TV) in case it got pulled strongly and the connector got loosened.
4. Visually check everything you can safely.
5. If you can't spot anything at ground level, maybe your installer will be willing to repair anything above ground that was his "fault" for free since it has only been one month. If he shows up and it turns out it is your TV setting (not his fault), then maybe you should throw him a few bones for his trouble (ie $40 or $50).

That would seem fair if I were an installer.

Ahem! There should be INFINITE resistance between the center conductor and the shield of any coaxial cable.

Not if there's something at the far end. I'd expect to see a balun or short, depending on the antenna. If he sees an open circuit, there's a faulty connection somewhere. About the only coax fed exception would be a quarter wave vertical, where you'd expect to see an open circuit. Of course, a short could also indicate a shorted connector rather than an antenna.


A technician might have a time domain reflectometer (TDR), which can show where a fault is on a cable.

Make sure your pre amp is pluged in if you have one my system is dead no signal if I unplug the power amp. good luck

I just check the cable from the DB8 to the splitter outside my house and it's indeed disconnected. I can't connect it back since I need lengthen the cable to reconnect it. As I thought the installer did a sloppy job and it shows. I've called him today and left him a message. I have 5 year warranty after the install so I don't think it should be a problem.

The installer gave you a 5 year warranty?

That's unusual considering the hardware may have, at best, a one year warranty.

Did the cable actually come out of the connector? That suggests poorly prepared cables.

When you say disconnected do you mean that the coax pulled out of the F-connector at the end, or do you mean that that the F-connector is still on it but came unthreaded and undone? If it pulled out of the F-connector I have to wonder if the installer cut everything to size and did not attach the coax into place anywhere (such as with several locations using black tape or fasteners). That would have left the entire weight of the cable hanging from the uppermost F-connector, which is a recipe for failure regardless of which crimping method was used. Maybe that was the case?

I don't know. Compression connectors (eg. Snap 'n Seal) are pretty darn strong. I agree that crimped connectors generally suck.

I just installed my system over the weekend and have some questions.

Chimney Mount on a one-story bungalow - 10foot pole.
Two CM 4221hd (one facing Toronto the other at 90 degrees facing south.
No amps or pre-amps

TVfool : http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d8d1714ca6fca53

Signal Strength Results:
2.1 - 31%
2.2 - 31%
2.3 - 30%
4.1 - 37%
5.1 - 50%
7.1 - 33%
9.1 - 43%
17.1 - 45%
17.2 - 45%
17.3 - 46%
23.1 - 51%
25.1 - 41%
29.1 - 35%
29.2 - 35%
41.1 - 40%
44.1 - 50%
49.1 - 15%
49.2 - 16%
57.1 - 42%
64.1 - 44%
66.1 - 39%

All channels except for 49.1 & 49.2 show quality of 100%. 49.1 & 49.2 show 55%.

Now I have read here some people getting signal strengths in the 80's and 90's. Am I getting half due to the use of a splitter on the two antennas?

Due to spacing limitations I can not get the required 30 inches between the two CM4221's. I have tried both with 3 inches of spacing and at 24 inches and it does not seem to change the results. Could this be causing the issues?

I figured I would be able to pick up the signals from Hamilton. Is there anyone else in the Clarkson area picking up Hamilton along with Buff and TO?

I'm planing on splitting this signal to 6 tv's. Will I need an amplified splitter?

Thanks

Hi bparanoid and welcome to the fourm.

great results so far. I have a few suggestions.

90 degrees apart is way too much, you loose 3 dB on each that way. try it at 30-40.
I would point the upper antenna directly at NBC and the lower, toronto, antenna 30 degrees east of that. Toronto stations are a lot closer so you don't need to point directly at TO.
The idea is to get the antennas to add together 'Sum' for more gain. That way you might get hamilton and 49 better.
And, if you need more space between the antennas, you can move the top one up a foot or more by attaching the clamp at the bottom instaed of in the middle. It gets you one more ft of height and makes more room on the pole.
then, depending on how long the cable run is, you need a pre-amp or a distribution amp.
The CM3414 is a 4 way dist amp, if you can get that 25-35 ft or less from the antenna, works great, and you can use a 2 way splitter after the amp on the shortest runs.
If you have a long cable run before the split point, then you need a CM7778 and a 4 or 6 way splitter after the power supply.
If cables are run on the outside of the house, you can put the 3414 dist amp outside, but you'll need a power inserter to send it power up the coax, like the pre-amp. Just be sure to seal connections.
I have my dist amp high up on the outside wall so its only 35 ft from antennas, then run to 4 outlets. some of those have a split for 2 tuners.
And, of course, make sure the mast and the coax are grounded.

Good luck,

Tom