Bluebutterfly, try out a Channel Master 4221HD. Durham Radio is a dealer in your area.
To get the Toronto/Buffalo stations aim south/south west...a little trial and error will get you good results.
If you want exclusively american channels, point it south...in your location you should get all Buffalo and possibly Rochester N.Y. stations too.

Plug in your postal code at tvfool.com and you will get an idea of the channels you can get and where to aim your antenna. Good luck.

Just has a great experience with a local installer here in Durham Region.. Able Antenna service of Whitby.. Came over installed a 30 foot tower with a 10 foot mast and a CM4228 on top with a CM7777 pre-amp.. getting 23 channels..

2.1 - NBC-WGRZ BUFFALO
2.2 - NBC Sports
2.3 - RTN
4.1 - CBS-WIVB BUFFALO
5.1 - CBC-CBLT TORONTO
7.1 - ABC-WKBW BUFFALO
9.1 - CTV-CFTO TORONTO
17.1 - PBS-WNED BUFFALO
17.2 - WNLO-SD
17.3 - THINK BRIGHT
18.1 - CHCH - HAMILTON
23.1 - WNLO CW23 BUFFALO
25.1 - CBC French
26.1 - WNYB TCT JAMESTOWN
29.1 - FOX-WUTV BUFFALO
36.1 - CITS HAMILTON
44.1 - OMNI2-CJMT TORONTO
49.1 - MYTV-WNYO BUFFALO
49.2 - COOL TV
51.1 - ION BATAVIA WPXJ
51.2 - QUBO
51.3 - ION LIFE


Missing:

15.1 - SUN TV HAMILTON
53.1 - CITY
64.1 - OMNI1 TORONTO
65.1 - CIII GLOBAL TORONTO
66.1 - SUN TV TORONTO
67.1 - WGNS


Analog:

5 - CBC
19 - TVO
22 - CHEX
44 - Global

Im sure in the summer I will get much more with DX.. anyhow so happy I don't have a cable bill!

Congrats on the successful install!
I wouldn't worry about those missing channels. They'll come in when the channels boost their power next year.
I don't know of anybody in the eastern part of the GTA that is getting WNGS so don't hold your breath there.

You should be able to get Global, City, Sun, Omni from toronto and CH 11.1 from Hamilton, if you pan your antenna slightly to the west. But you might have to give up Ion. I've never had WNGS or SUN hamilton.

Yeah, in the wintertime (aka now, since DXing is pretty much done with for the year), ION is a sacrifice if you want all of TO + buff.
Come the switchover in 2011, maybe not. We'll have to wait and see :p

Hi to all, great forum. I'm new to the group and to Oshawa. I'm right on the lake and have no intentions of giving away my hard earned dollars to the cable company.

The house already has a UHF antenna, looks like an 8 bay type, but folds in the middle. I tried hooking up to my tv and reviewed only a few stations, either Toronto or Buffalo, depending upon which way I pointed it. Seems like only CBC was constant.

I've been reading all of the posts and I think that maybe I should just go out and buy a new antenna, maybe the CM4221HD that everyone seems to like and get good results from. I will also check the type of cabling and splitters and make sure that the cable is the RG-6 (?) type and unnecessary splitters are removed.

I've looked on tvfool and have a report of the potential stations out there and I'm attaching the link. If anyone is able to review the results and let me know whether my choice of antenna is sufficent and whether you think that I can receive both toronto and buffalo stations at the same time (I don't want to go the rotor route) it would be appreciated.

Oh, my house has a small tower attached, but the top of the tower is no higher than the roof. From what I've read here is that maybe I should add a mast, maybe as high as I can (20 ft?) to increase reception. I have a clear view across the lake, but towards the CN tower there are a few neighbour's trees, then its clear across to the tower.

Cheers, Edward

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3da362733297a869

Hi Edward, welcome to DHC.
That foldable antenna isn't known as a good antenna. :(
The only way you'll know if a 4221 will work is to try it. I suspect you'll have to compromise between Buf and Tor to get both, but then niether will be real good. I'd recommend 2 antennas.
And, on top of a tower, the most you can use is a 10ft mast. 1-1/4" emt conduit usually fits just fine. You'll want new set screws and/or clamp if your tower needs it. best is to look closely at the top, go buy what you need, then get to it. I highly recommend a fall protection harness and good shock absorber lanyard.

Thanks Tom.F.1,

I will share my results here after the weekend. I was planning on clamping the mast to side of the tower. Does that change how tall the mast can be?

I have thought of two antennas but am not sure if there is a problem hooking them together so that there is only one signal coming into the house. I will read back on some of the other related posts.

Thanks

- Edward

Check with the Oshawa by-law office re: mast/tower heights to be certain.

The '10ft rule' is more about stablity.. all the strain is on the mast at the point just above the tower. If you have a mast that's twice as long, it's putting (more than) double the strain on that point making it weaker.
If you want more height you should add a tower section, and then the standard 10ft (or less) mast above.

If you're uncertain about one vs two antenna setup, put up one to start. You can always add a second later on

Congrats on your successful installation WZ1. You should be able to pick up the missing Toronto stations (and stabilize the Buffalo ones if necessary) by moving to a two antenna system. Now that you're here and have "the bug" :) that is.

Hey, is anyone in Scarborough able to pick up 22 CHEX - and - is the programming different then CBC Toronto? It is -1.5 in TVFool for me.

Don't bother with chex, unless you want oshawa news.
The rest is pretty much all the same as CBC.

I spoke with the folks at Durham Radio and they were using the same folding antenna that I have. I adjusted the antenna in line with the results from tvfool (180 for Buffalo and 252 degrees for TO), and ran new coax cable from the antenna into the house and I had very good results, 39 channels, 25 of which were digital/HD. Here's what I got:

2.1 wgrz (NBC)
2.2 wgrz (universal sports)
2.3 wgrz (rtv)
4.1 wibv (CBS)
5.1 cblt (CBC)
7.1 wkbw (abc)
9.1 cfto (ctv)
11.1 chch
17.1 wned
17.2 wned
17.3 wned
23.1 wnlo
25.1 cblft (French)
29.1 wutv (fox)
36.1 cts
41.1 ciii (global)
44.1 onmi2
49.1 wnyo (CBS)
49.2 cooltv
51.1 ion tv
51.2 qubo
51.3 ion life
57.1 city tv
64.1 omni 1
66.1 ckxt (sun)

5 CBC
9 ctv
11 chch
12 chex
19 tvo
22 studio 12
25 cbfl
36 cts
41 global
47 omni
48 ? A little snowy
52 sun
57 city
69 omni


Overall I am really happy with the reception. Ion does not come in very well during the day but is solid at night. Thanks to everyone who has posted questions and results as it was because of this that I was able to figure out what to do. Goodbye cable.

Just an update to my install .. It turned out the pre-amp was defective, I have had it replaced and now recieve all channels at 90-100% all the time...with the exception of CITYTV that will not come in at all (analog is fine). On a side note I am also getting WQLN on and off from Erie, PA.. as well as the Rochester stuff at night!

Here are a couple pictures of the install: Pimp My Gear! (Photos of OTA gear) (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=24755) Post #579 & 580

Just an update to my install .. It turned out the pre-amp was defective, I have had it replaced and now recieve all channels at 90-100% all the time

OK, now I'm just jealous. WQLN and Rochester ?!?!

Yup Erie, Rochester, Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto all on a single CM4228!!

Currently, with an indoor antenna, I'm getting in:

Digital

2.1 NBC
2.2 Sports
2.3 RTN
4.1 CBS
5.1 CBC
7.1 ABC
23.1 MyTV
44.1 OMNI 2
49.1
49.2 Cool TV

Analogue

5 CBC
9 CFTO (CTV)
22 CHEX OSH
25 CBC-Fr
41 Global
47 OMNI
57 City-TV
69 OMNI 2

Although I tend to loose most channels in the cooler weather. 5.1 is fairly consistent and one of the only two Canadian stations I can get in digitally.

I'm sort of waiting to see what Canadian stations are available after the switchover. I would like to get Global, CTV and City since they re-air most of the US shows. I can get City fairly well on analogue but the digital signal is just too weak.

I'm a little concerned that some of the channels I currently get analogue I won't be able to get digitally. Canadian broadcasters seem only interested in serving the major cities. I would hate to loose off-air channels because Canadian broadcasters decided to be cheap about things. And not everyone wants to have to put up a roof-top antenna. (Fortunately, I still have satellite so I don't have to rely upon off-air.)

@writerpatrick - Do you get the Buffalo stations consistently, regardless of the weather? If so then do you really need the Canadian channels since they are very little of value unless you want to see the local news or, perhaps, the Olympics on CTV in 2010.

I'm a little concerned that some of the channels I currently get analogue I won't be able to get digitally. Canadian broadcasters seem only interested in serving the major cities. I would hate to loose off-air channels because Canadian broadcasters decided to be cheap about things. And not everyone wants to have to put up a roof-top antenna. (Fortunately, I still have satellite so I don't have to rely upon off-air.)
Patrick,
You'll get much better reception of Toronto channels after the transition date. Most of the toronto stations are on temporary (transitional) transmitters. After the cutover date, they will be changing channels and going to permanent transmitters.
Currently, only CBLT, CBLFT and Omni 2 are on permanent setups.

I finally got around to putting up my second antenna that I have aimed at buffalo. This afternoon I had amazing signals and had fox (on 31) as well as a new channel I had never seen before 67. I was getting DTV 3, 8, 10, 13, 21, 31, and 67. Now I have lost 8,21,31 and 67. :( I am aimed at about 190 degrees so some of this stuff is pretty far away. I am using a deep fringe channel master (huge antenna!!!!) at a height of about 25 feet.

I have a preamp but didn't get it mounted. I wonder if it would make a difference in the signals.

Those were all most likely dxing stations.
They're all rochester channels (except for 67, which is buff, but ridiculously weak)
You may be able to pick them up normally, but I'd wait until next week when it cools off and the weather stabilizes. That will tell you what your true baseline is.

The preamp probably wouldn't hurt, either, if you do want to keep rochester on a regular basis. (how long is the cable from antenna to tv? are there any splits?)