This is my station list after a week of having my CM 4228 installed.

NBC-HD 2-01
CBS-HD 4-01
CBC-HD 5-01
ABC-HD 7-01
CTV-HD 9-01
CBC French 25-01
WNYB-HD 26-01
FOX HD 29-01
PBS-HD 43-01
CITY HD 57-01,
SUN TV HD.

Plus other assorted digital channels.

I am not in front of my TV right now but this is the list off the top of my head. Hey Tom F1, I read your posts earlier and was worried that I could not pick up Toronto and Buffalo with the same antenna, but to my delight I seem to be receiving them fine. My signal is not the strongest but the picture seems to lock in fine. The weather seems to bother NBC and CITY and CTV dropped out earler in the week but we will see how it goes. I am addicted to the quality of the signal and now I find it hard to watch even my 480p DVDs. I will post some more experiences after I have played with the tuner a little more. Just in time for Super Bowl and no Canadian substituted commercials, how good is that!!!!!

I want to get an OTA set-up, but, will probably need two Antennas in order to get Toronto and Buffalo. I've read a lot of threads here but, what exactly.......if anything can be used to combine the signals into one cable? I know it may be possible to grab most channels with one antenna but I'd like to have High Quality Signal from both transmitters. What do people do in this situation?

My location is Oshawa, Ontario......40 foot tower right on the 401......all i really want to know though is how do you combine signals from two antennas?

See the posts in this thread by Tom.F.1 in Ajax, who is also running 2 antennas - I'm sure he can give you some great advice here. His results can be seen in this post:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=412670&postcount=128

FTA, Combining is easy, use a splitter backwards.
If your antennas are exactly the same, then just make your 2 leads exactly the same.

FTA: You may just want to try one antenna to start with. Since you are in Oshawa, you may find pointing directly a Buffalo will give you good Toronto signal as well. I'm in Whitby and while I have a different kind of setup, I'm pointing directly at Buffalo and only have a problem with Toronto in the severest weather which would probably be the case with a second antenna anyway.

I think I've previously recommended to someone in Oshawa, that Rochester stations are just as easy to pick up as Buffalo.
You might want to try it with one antenna, (4228 recommended) and see what you can get before spending more to combine, or you just might want a rotor instead.

2 story house with a CM 4228 in my attic, using an el-cheapo (5$ at princess auto) signal booster. I plan to mount it on my chimney or neighbor's tower when the spring hits.. All is hooked into a daytek 32" lcd with atsc tuner.

I am getting:
2-1 WGRZ-HD
2-2 WRRZ-SD
4-1 WIVB-HD
5-1 CBLT-HD
7-1 WKBW-HD
7-2 WNGS-SD (dont see any programming?)
23-1 WNLO-HD
29-1 WUTV-HD
29-2 WUTV-SD
43-1 WNED-HD
43-2 WNED-SD
43-3 WNED-Th

I also have a small rca UHF/VHF/FM antenna that lets me get 25-1 (french channel) and 9-1 (CFTO i think) but when combined together with a splitter i loose 2-1, 2-2, 4-1, 7-1 and 7-2 off the 4228 feed.

Any word on Omni? I've looked through the website but can't find mention of when they will go back on the air in DT.

I am currently living in Whitby in the Rossland and Thickson area, and I am planning on getting an OTA HD setup. Which channels could I pick up using a Jensen TV911C Indoor Antenna?

The WNLO analog broadcast tends to be the best of all the Buffalo feeds coming into Whitby (Rossland and Thickson). Would WNLO-HD come in clearly in this area?

- dlpfanatic

Hi and welcome here - first of all the area you are in (to the east of the GTA) is quirky for U.S. channels because it is a bit to the side of Buffalo signal patterns that shoot straight towards Mississauga/Brampton/Oakville, so I don't think an indoor antenna will be a great solution for the U.S. signals but I could be wrong.

Second, return that Jensen TV911C antenna for a full refund. In the OTA Equipment forum is a thread about indoor antennas that will be helpful, and of course there is also a thread there about the best of the indoor breed: the Zenith Silver Sensor and its clones.

Is an outdoor antenna a possibility?

An outdoor antenna is a possibility. It's just a matter of finding a trustworthy antenna retailer in the Durham Region--somewhere in which I can purchase one for a reasonable price.

Check out this thread of Ontario OTA installers/vendors/sales/service:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=23984

Which channels could I pick up using a Jensen TV911C Indoor Antenna?as stampeder said dont use that antenna.. for kicks i tried a similar one and didn't get one channel in oshawa.. so in whitby i doubt you would either.

Update,
(in oshawa, adelade/ritson)
I put my CM4228 on the roof with a rotator,

depending where i point it i get the channels quoted below plus:
9-1 cfto hd
25-1 cbc french
57-1 cityhd
66-1 sun tv

i can get all but 57 and 66 at the same time pointed south.. i bet with a good preamp i could also get those.

Hmmm... if a preamp helps you get those 2 missing stations you could scribe the mast and antenna to mark the sweet spot, take down the rotor, put the antenna back up aimed on that mark, sell the rotor if you like, and bob's your uncle! :)

The below image represents a best guess on my part of what a CM4228 in Pickering could pickup

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/409100587_260e470125_o.jpg

This is a pure guess. I am hoping that someone with a little more knowlege about the recpection area around here could help me. I have the two images in photoshop and I can adjust the scale of the CM4228 reception area. If somone could tell me where the "tip" reaches then I can adjust it.

Thanks for you help.

P.S. Why? you ask. well I need this to help me decided if I am going to outlay the cash for an instalation.

Well, I got rid of my Jensen 911C antenna and have considered a different antenna - the RCA CANT501 from Future Shop. Living in Whitby (Rossland and Thickson area), these are the analog channels that I have received consistantly with older antennas:

- CBLT (CBC) ch. 5
- CFTO (CTV) ch. 9
- CH ch. 11
- WNED (PBS) ch. 17
- TVO ch. 19
- WNLO (The CW) ch. 23
- CBLFT (SRC) ch. 25
- WUTV (FOX) ch. 29
- CTS ch. 36
- CIII (Global) ch. 41
- Omni 1 ch. 47
- My Network TV ch. 49
- SUN TV ch. 52
- City TV ch. 57
- Omni 2 ch. 69

Does anyone know how well the RCA CANT501 will fare on an ATSC tuner in my area?
Any feedback from more experienced OTA HD users would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

- DLPfanatic

DLPFanatic, if you are not concerned with the Buffalo HD then that indoor antenna may work but my personal opinion is that you should go with an outdoor antenna as even with an outdoor antenna, reception of the Buffalo stations can be dependent on the weather and such. I actually have a Squareshooter 2000 mounted in my attic that gives me pretty good results but I do lose NBC sometimes. I'll probably move this antenna outside this spring in hopes of improving performance across the board. I'm not saying this is the answer for you however as location and height seems to be the two most critical factors in what will work. Read Stampeder's antenna chart for a good idea of what will suit your needs.

Also dlpfanatic you will find all the info you need in the OTA Equipment & Vendors forum threads about Indoor Antennas, Zenith SIlver Sensors, Winegard Sharp Shooters, etc. etc.

These Results threads are not for those kinds of antenna info questions, thanks.

degem,
That is very original approach to estimating possible reception. I applaud the ingenuity. Unfortunately your technique is flawed for a few reasons:
Firstly it is based on the antenna manufacturer's theoretical gain, which rarely is replicated in the field. As well, you have shown the CM 4228's top-down profile, but rf transmissions propagate in 3-dimensional space and you would have to consider the side-profile as well. Very complicated considering you don't know how the signals are arriving at your location (ie directly/multipath/reflected/diffracted etc.)
It does not take into account broadcast tower height, transmitter profile/contour, and power. These all vary greatly even from broadcasters co-broadcasting from the same tower.

A flat map doesn't take into account topographical features which can eclipse reception.
Local effects to your house (buildings/trees etc.) will increase or decrease your expected reception greatly.Net effect?

I think you should stick with estimating by reading the reception of fellow DHCer's in your vicinity. That is why these threads exist. I understand your apprehension about laying out cash for an installation; I was there once too.

I can only say that if you are comfortable from the reception results of those around your area, your planned antenna would have decent elevation relative to your surroundings, and your view to Buffalo (or even possibly Rochester) is not highly obstructed you would probably be okay, especially if you are planning an outdoor installation.

If you think you might have obstructions in your immediate surroundings, post some pictures here showing your proposed antennas view to Buffalo/CN Tower, and we can help you.

Good Luck