You could perhaps put a chunk of sheet metal (or wire grid) between the antenna and the direction of CJOH#8 to act as a signal reflector -- a form of mechanical attenuation, if you like.

mlord,


thanks, I may just try that! simple, yet probably very effective!at least for testing purposes...

it may also be a sure way to block interfering channel#22 from the same direction!

In theory, at least, it ought to help. Especially if you can ground the metal (so that it doesn't re-radiate the signal, doh!).

I installed my KitzTech amp on the mast with about a 4 ft. lead of Belden 1694A to the balun.

Results are good, but not a lot better than my 7777. I made a weatherproof enclosure and ran the 6v up a 30 ft. section of rotor wire.

Pics here:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1120

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1121

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=211&pictureid=1122


I am wondering how many mA of the power supply are making it all the way up to the amp. Perhaps I can up the mA a bit with a different power supply.

I have gained about 3 - 5 points on my 0-100 signal meter versus the 7777. But I am checking at night when I typically get stronger strengths anyway.

I'll check again midday tomorrow (when I typically lose some signal strength) and report back.

Presently I have a 10 dB GE in-line amp (with noise estimate at 6 dB) on my antenna, and about 40 ft of RG6 to one receiver. This type of amp goes at the antenna, with a power injector to an indoor outlet.

I will be installing a 0264DSB preamp soon.

Am I correct to assume it's NECESSARY to remove the existing GE amp, for the 0264 preamp to function?

In other words, you can never use more than 1 pre-amplifer.

The 0264 can only be connected directly to the antenna(s). So the GE amp will need to be moved, at a minimum. But since the GE is hurting the signal (+6dB of noise) more than helping, it should just be binned, really.

Cheers

yep, thats what I thought. I know in Montreal it was horrible, so I figure why not try it at the cottage, and it did seem to help increase the signal meter on some channels, but FAR from any useable gain!

thanks

Well I spoke to the head service rep of OTA equipment there at Winegard and explained my situation of recently going through two Winegard HDP-269 pre amplifiers within one week of each other. I did some fishing around on the internet and found someone else whom had blown their pre amp too, much in a manner as I had.
Winegard is sending out a replacement to me, which is wonderful that they back there equipment; but I can't help but think that there is an underlying problem somewhere.
When I get a chance I am going to upgrade my ground wire for my mast from 14 gauge to perhaps 8 guage copper.
Aside from that I'm not sure what else I could do.
I would like to thank mlord for his insight's and I am awaiting my KitzTech amp I purchased to come in to give it a try.
Mark

and I am awaiting my KitzTech amp I purchased to come in to give it a tryAnd hopefully not a fry!!!! :eek: :D :D

Just for the record, PanaMark, when you hook up your OTA gear you're making sure its in a completely powered-off state, right? I've had stuff like satellite SW21 and diseqc switches fail in the past while hooking them up "hot", and with OTA gear I just never take chances like that. Get everything grounded properly, then power it up for testing. I'm not saying that's what happened to your two Winegard HDP-269 preamps, just passing along the tip.

When I get a chance I am going to upgrade my ground wire for my mast from 14 gauge to perhaps 8 guage copper.
Aside from that I'm not sure what else I could do.
You probably already have a coax grounding block installed, but if not then definitely add one to the setup -- as close as possible to where the coax enters the dwelling. And ground it very well, outside of the dwelling.

Cheers

Not good news on the Kitztech for me. WGRZ and WUTV are dropping out now as they always do this time of day. I see no real improvement from my 7777.

Time to bite the bullet and buy the RC.

Not good news on the Kitztech for me. WGRZ and WUTV are dropping out now as they always do this time of day. I see no real improvement from my 7777.

Time to bite the bullet and buy the RC.

It will only gain you an extra 0.5 dB or so.. which may not be enough in the end.

Here, it makes the difference for sure, but that's just dumb luck really. :)

Bigger / higher / better antenna?

That's what I tried here *before* getting into expensive pre-amps.
And in the end, ALL of that was necessary, but still not enough.
The final tip was a newer/better tuner, and the combination now works well.

-ml

peano, being in your deepest fringe location for DTV (in the Kitchener area) you're pioneering some great trial-and-error preamp tests here, so my hat is off to you on behalf of your neighbouring site members.

I know that you're trying to squeeze out every last drop of gain so maybe you could test it this evening too? Also its too bad its the tropo time of year so maybe in the autumn you might test again?

It will only gain you an extra 0.5 dB or so.. which may not be enough in the end.



Do you mean I'll only gain .5 db with the RC over the Kitztech?

Higher is the only option left for me. I have an XG91 with extra directors outside 30 ft. up.

Higher is the only option left for meActually you have another option - with your 91XG UHF antenna being a yagi you could stack two of them vertically exactly 1 wave apart (~25") and feed them into the preamp. :)

Roughly calculating, you might get a 3dB gain boost by stacking them vertically (+2.5dB) and using an RC preamp (+.5dB).

Raise them up as high as possible and I think you'd see better results.

you're pioneering some great trial-and-error preamp tests here, so my hat is off to you on behalf of your neighbouring site members.



Thanks. I am having great fun with this really (except climbing the mast). Its just disappointing that seemingly large changes produce little or no improvement.

As for stacking the XG91s, yes that is an option, but very difficult for me to mount atop my mast. One is scary enough.

I am going to order the RC first and see what happens.

very difficult for me to mount atop my mast. One is scary enoughYep safety is the most important thing. That and the $$$ to do these kinds of tests! ;)

Do you mean I'll only gain .5 db with the RC over the Kitztech?

Higher is the only option left for me. I have an XG91 with extra directors outside 30 ft. up.
Yeah. The KitzTech amp has a 1dB (max, possibly lower) NF, and the RC has 0.4dB NF. So the best you can gain is only half a dB or so on that route.

I'm not familiar with the rest of your story, such as exactly which UHF (real) channels you're trying to sniff out. But perhaps there are better antennas for those specific channels?

EDIT: mm.. the antenna you have now does look rather excellent, but still I wonder what it's performance is like on the exact channels of interest?

-ml

I'm not familiar with the rest of your story, such as exactly which UHF (real) channels you're trying to sniff out. But perhaps there are better antennas for those specific channels?
Okay, WGRZ is on UHF 33, and WUTV is on UHF 14.

Definitely, the antenna you have is weak (http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html) on WUTV; a custom yagi could easily outperform it by several dB there.

For WGRZ, a multi-bay bowtie or Gray-Hoverman design could gain another 1-2dB, and perhaps do well for WUTV also. Those would be easier to aim, too.

Some ideas.

Okay, WGRZ is on UHF 33, and WUTV is on UHF 14.
...
For WGRZ, a multi-bay bowtie or Gray-Hoverman design could gain another 1-2dB, and perhaps do well for WUTV also. Those would be easier to aim, too.

peano: Do you visit Toronto much (it's only an hour away from you)?

I'll be there this weekend, and I could take along one of my GH8 antennas for you to borrow (extended loan). This antenna should equal the one you have for UHF33, and do far better than it for UHF14.

Worth a try, perhaps, and I think just about *everyone* on the forums here would love to hear what effect it has (or not) on your specific reception issues.

???