ON - Scarborough, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa - OTA - Page 120 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

HWP · 2012-04-14, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s32ialx

HWP,

when you say "channel range of channels 14 to 51" do you mean channels 14-51 or depending on where I am I could get only 14 up to 51... in either case recneps said my Kross can go up to 83 would that not be better?

What I was more it less wondering is if it would be beneficial if i purchase another kross on maybe there 8bay for $30 and an amp (But which one? I don't want to break my ATI Tuner nor my Antenna(s). )

No an antenna tuned to receive up to 83 would not be better. There are no channels above channel 51. So the best antenna should be a uhf antenna that peaks at or near channel 51. If your antenna is tuned to go up to channel 83, it would make me suspect that the antenna is designed for TV viewing in a different continent other than North America. Our OTA channels are from 2-51. So quality antennas here would not be cut to obtain channel 83. If you want to achieve your OTA potential and minimize dropouts, you might want to read-up on the Welcome threads and Knowledge Base threads here. Check out Stampeder's Antenna Chart. and read through this thread.

Welcome Thread: Read Before Posting
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=125161

Knowledge Base
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=41102

Antenna Chart
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...5&postcount=11

bigcam406 · 2012-04-14, 07:06 AM

s32ialx:you are in a prime location being up on that hill.(im familiar with area) im wondering why you wouldnt of purchased an quality indoor antenna to try.just wondering.

colinbarfoot · 2012-04-16, 05:09 PM

I am located just South of Taunton East of Lakeridge, my set-up (by Able) is 2 stacked 4221 (mod done) aimed approx due south and towards CN tower ~ 15 - 20 degrees between with a Direct Antennas C5 on top aimed directly at WBBZ inputs from UHV and VHF into amp inputs. Running CM amp. There is only a few inches separating the antennas on my roof mounted tripod mast - not sure If i want to go with a longer mast for potential imact on the roof.
Depending on which TV (I think main floor antenna has too long a run or degraded cable) I can get ION 10 months/ year and WBBZ above 10C temperature wise, CHCH again 90% or more)

I have posted my details in the past on this forum but I am at 43.907966,-78.982205 per TV fool I get everything shown except Ch 35 (26 is found as 15 on 1 TV 26 on the other)

Is there something I can do with Aiming one of the 4221's to get Ion more reliably, or a slight change to direction of the C5 to improve CHCH without losing WBBZ?

I need to borrow a ladder or call Able to adjust so I don't want to try it and see too often.

Regards

Colin

HWP · 2012-04-16, 05:50 PM

I'm sure Able did the best job they could given the specifications you gave them ("...best possible antenna setup without resorting to a rotator?").

The efforts people go to to avoid a rotator...

Seriously, if you put a rotator up there you could have perfect aim whenever you want it. For the majority of your channels it doesn't matter where your antennas are aimed. So you could be pointed right at ION, or right at CHCH and it wouldn't matter to any of the other channels except WBBZ.

At my house we have five TVs and an HDHomeRun with the dual tuners. Only one TV has the rotator beside it, but you would never know. Only CHCH and WBBZ are affected by aim at my place. So no matter where the antenna is TV viewers in the other room have no idea where the antenna is pointing unless they happen to be watching CHCH or MeTV. There has never been a conflict.

Consider it...especially since you have to go up there yourself again or pay someone else to go up.

With a rotator, you would have a YA-1713 fixed on WBBZ below the rotator and maybe an Antennas Direct DB4e with its strength and wide beam width for the rest. After CHCH and CTV2 go to UHF, your VHF antenna will only be needed for WBBZ.

If you want to be able to dx with your VHF antenna put it above the rotator.

Keep your pre-amp.

WBBZ might get stronger with a better antenna. My experience with WBBZ says you need perfect aim to get a steady signal except for during the hot summer season. If you have a roof tripod consider a YA-1713. Make sure you have a good mount.

You could sell your C5 for almost full price in the Items for Sale thread on this site.

Best of luck. Post back what you end up doing.

If you're going to consider a rotator but you're afraid about the quality of newer rotators, there is a Digital Home member called Southgate and he is an OTA hobbyist near you. He has several vintage rotators from the 1970s and 80s. He cleans them up and gets the ready for another thirty years in the sky. Mine is from him.

s32ialx · 2012-05-11, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigcam406

s32ialx:you are in a prime location being up on that hill.(im familiar with area) im wondering why you wouldnt of purchased an quality indoor antenna to try.just wondering.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...de6503288f64b6

I don't see the benefit of a indoor antenna when the skies are basically clear if it is put up high enough, putting it indoors would add just another layer reducing quality.

bigcam406 · 2012-05-12, 09:52 AM

if its a personal preference,then i see whynot.but im getting 20 channels reliably using an indoor Terk,facing north,as i have a 4 storey building right next to me,blocking signals from the southwest,using signal deflection off another building a quarter mile away.if your skies are clear,then an indoor antenna will work fine imo.

onebat · 2012-05-20, 07:31 PM

Hi, I have been reading as much as I can on this and other forums.

I live in Ajax near the lake, have one line of three storey town houses one block south, then the lake. There should be 50ft or so run of cable. Modern TV ( only one)
I was going to choose the CM4221, now I have read of DB4e. I intend to mount on a J pipe (ex satellite) on a 10ft mast that will clear the evestrough on the south west corner of house about 25-30ft up. pointing south, I want Buffalo and T.O.

TV fool report http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...db1a8a39d87438

Any opinions on either and where could I buy a DB4e locally?

Jase88 · 2012-05-20, 11:57 PM

^^^
To be clear: Do you intend to mount a j-mount on top of a 10' mast? Or the other way around? If the latter, I don't recommend that. If the former, why? For the added height?!

onebat · 2012-05-21, 08:43 AM

To be clear and when I re read it I was not.

I have a J mount which supported a satellite dish about 15 ft from the ground mounted on a brick wall. I want to clear the roof line and evestrough and be able to point antenna direct south. The cable to the satellite dish will extend about 12 ft, thats all the play I have.

The antenna's I am considering do not weigh more than the original dish and set up.

considering a CM4221HD or now I have read of the DB4e and wonder which is best.

bigcam406 · 2012-05-21, 12:46 PM

you have a great location.im wondering why you want to aim it south,i'd be aiming it southwest.as far as the DB4e,ive read positive reviews,as apparently the new design is optimized for the 14-51 channel spectrum,but as far as getting CFTO(9),which is a vhf station,it could be iffy,but your location might enable you to receive it anyways.what preamp are you going to use?

recneps77 · 2012-05-21, 01:20 PM

Db4e will work nicely. No concerns for VHF, CFTO is strong and CHCH will be moving to UHF.

Mine is pointed SSW (perhaps a little S of that, SSSW?

) and receive everything across to ION without issue.
Only thing is WGRZ was a little weak in the winter.. pre amp may have helped. NBC hasn't really had anything I watch lately, so not a big deal.
If NBC is vital, an 8-bay's extra little bit of gain will help, perhaps at the expense of the flexibility of db4e's wide pattern.

onebat · 2012-05-21, 02:43 PM

I read most of the threads on here and thought the consenus was, point south for buffalo stations and get T.O from the side.

Should I point it directly between Buffalo and T.O?

NBC is not an issue at the expence of 60 degrees that the db4e will give me.

If the mast is not rigid enough I will have to re think moving the J mast higher up to under the roof line, would still need a 4ft mast even then.

Any direction (pun) will be appreciated.

onebat · 2012-05-21, 02:45 PM

I had not considered a preamp, was going to see what the reception would be with out one.

Do u recommendone?

recneps77 · 2012-05-21, 04:16 PM

Due south or SSW, depends on how you tweak reception. The wide angle will pick everything up regardless, just depends on which you need to be a bit stronger for your exact location.

I'm not using one, working fine.
I'd say try without, you can always add later.

onebat · 2012-05-21, 05:32 PM

I ordereda db4e, should be here this week, hopefully.

I will put it up and see what I have got in the next week or so.

thinking of getting mast from home depot.

If the mast does not work I will need a longer ladder, mine is a 20ft only. A 25ft would be sufficient.

I will post my results and progress.

Thanks for the advise so far.

2012-04-16, 05:50 PM	#1789
HWP Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto, East York (Greenwood & Mortimer) Posts: 1,143	I'm sure Able did the best job they could given the specifications you gave them ("...best possible antenna setup without resorting to a rotator?"). The efforts people go to to avoid a rotator... Seriously, if you put a rotator up there you could have perfect aim whenever you want it. For the majority of your channels it doesn't matter where your antennas are aimed. So you could be pointed right at ION, or right at CHCH and it wouldn't matter to any of the other channels except WBBZ. At my house we have five TVs and an HDHomeRun with the dual tuners. Only one TV has the rotator beside it, but you would never know. Only CHCH and WBBZ are affected by aim at my place. So no matter where the antenna is TV viewers in the other room have no idea where the antenna is pointing unless they happen to be watching CHCH or MeTV. There has never been a conflict. Consider it...especially since you have to go up there yourself again or pay someone else to go up. With a rotator, you would have a YA-1713 fixed on WBBZ below the rotator and maybe an Antennas Direct DB4e with its strength and wide beam width for the rest. After CHCH and CTV2 go to UHF, your VHF antenna will only be needed for WBBZ. If you want to be able to dx with your VHF antenna put it above the rotator. Keep your pre-amp. WBBZ might get stronger with a better antenna. My experience with WBBZ says you need perfect aim to get a steady signal except for during the hot summer season. If you have a roof tripod consider a YA-1713. Make sure you have a good mount. You could sell your C5 for almost full price in the Items for Sale thread on this site. Best of luck. Post back what you end up doing. If you're going to consider a rotator but you're afraid about the quality of newer rotators, there is a Digital Home member called Southgate and he is an OTA hobbyist near you. He has several vintage rotators from the 1970s and 80s. He cleans them up and gets the ready for another thirty years in the sky. Mine is from him. __________________ OTA, HD7697P, CM7778, Rotator, CM3218, TiVo, HDHomeRun Apple TV, Netflix, Teksavvy, Unblock-us, Wind, MagicJack

2012-05-20, 07:31 PM	#1792
onebat Rookie Join Date: May 2012 Location: South Ajax Posts: 7	Antenna choice? Hi, I have been reading as much as I can on this and other forums. I live in Ajax near the lake, have one line of three storey town houses one block south, then the lake. There should be 50ft or so run of cable. Modern TV ( only one) I was going to choose the CM4221, now I have read of DB4e. I intend to mount on a J pipe (ex satellite) on a 10ft mast that will clear the evestrough on the south west corner of house about 25-30ft up. pointing south, I want Buffalo and T.O. TV fool report http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...db1a8a39d87438 Any opinions on either and where could I buy a DB4e locally?

2012-05-20, 11:57 PM	#1793
Jase88 Moderator Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kitchener, ON Posts: 4,109	^^^ To be clear: Do you intend to mount a j-mount on top of a 10' mast? Or the other way around? If the latter, I don't recommend that. If the former, why? For the added height?! __________________ DMX 68' tower, HyGain HAM 5 rotator, Antennas Direct 91-XG & C5, Channel Master 7777 preamp, Siemens surge protection

2012-05-21, 02:43 PM	#1797
onebat Rookie Join Date: May 2012 Location: South Ajax Posts: 7	Not South for buffalo? I read most of the threads on here and thought the consenus was, point south for buffalo stations and get T.O from the side. Should I point it directly between Buffalo and T.O? NBC is not an issue at the expence of 60 degrees that the db4e will give me. If the mast is not rigid enough I will have to re think moving the J mast higher up to under the roof line, would still need a 4ft mast even then. Any direction (pun) will be appreciated.

2012-05-21, 02:45 PM	#1798
onebat Rookie Join Date: May 2012 Location: South Ajax Posts: 7	Pre Amp I had not considered a preamp, was going to see what the reception would be with out one. Do u recommendone?

2012-04-14, 07:06 AM	#1787
bigcam406 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: south oshawa Posts: 211	s32ialx:you are in a prime location being up on that hill.(im familiar with area) im wondering why you wouldnt of purchased an quality indoor antenna to try.just wondering.

2012-04-16, 05:09 PM	#1788
colinbarfoot Rookie Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 5	I am located just South of Taunton East of Lakeridge, my set-up (by Able) is 2 stacked 4221 (mod done) aimed approx due south and towards CN tower ~ 15 - 20 degrees between with a Direct Antennas C5 on top aimed directly at WBBZ inputs from UHV and VHF into amp inputs. Running CM amp. There is only a few inches separating the antennas on my roof mounted tripod mast - not sure If i want to go with a longer mast for potential imact on the roof. Depending on which TV (I think main floor antenna has too long a run or degraded cable) I can get ION 10 months/ year and WBBZ above 10C temperature wise, CHCH again 90% or more) I have posted my details in the past on this forum but I am at 43.907966,-78.982205 per TV fool I get everything shown except Ch 35 (26 is found as 15 on 1 TV 26 on the other) Is there something I can do with Aiming one of the 4221's to get Ion more reliably, or a slight change to direction of the C5 to improve CHCH without losing WBBZ? I need to borrow a ladder or call Able to adjust so I don't want to try it and see too often. Regards Colin

2012-05-12, 09:52 AM	#1791
bigcam406 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: south oshawa Posts: 211	if its a personal preference,then i see whynot.but im getting 20 channels reliably using an indoor Terk,facing north,as i have a 4 storey building right next to me,blocking signals from the southwest,using signal deflection off another building a quarter mile away.if your skies are clear,then an indoor antenna will work fine imo.

2012-05-21, 08:43 AM	#1794
onebat Rookie Join Date: May 2012 Location: South Ajax Posts: 7	To be clear and when I re read it I was not. I have a J mount which supported a satellite dish about 15 ft from the ground mounted on a brick wall. I want to clear the roof line and evestrough and be able to point antenna direct south. The cable to the satellite dish will extend about 12 ft, thats all the play I have. The antenna's I am considering do not weigh more than the original dish and set up. considering a CM4221HD or now I have read of the DB4e and wonder which is best.

2012-05-21, 12:46 PM	#1795
bigcam406 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: south oshawa Posts: 211	you have a great location.im wondering why you want to aim it south,i'd be aiming it southwest.as far as the DB4e,ive read positive reviews,as apparently the new design is optimized for the 14-51 channel spectrum,but as far as getting CFTO(9),which is a vhf station,it could be iffy,but your location might enable you to receive it anyways.what preamp are you going to use?

2012-05-21, 01:20 PM	#1796
recneps77 Veteran Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Whitby Posts: 2,815	Db4e will work nicely. No concerns for VHF, CFTO is strong and CHCH will be moving to UHF. Mine is pointed SSW (perhaps a little S of that, SSSW? ) and receive everything across to ION without issue. Only thing is WGRZ was a little weak in the winter.. pre amp may have helped. NBC hasn't really had anything I watch lately, so not a big deal. If NBC is vital, an 8-bay's extra little bit of gain will help, perhaps at the expense of the flexibility of db4e's wide pattern.

2012-05-21, 04:16 PM	#1799
recneps77 Veteran Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Whitby Posts: 2,815	Due south or SSW, depends on how you tweak reception. The wide angle will pick everything up regardless, just depends on which you need to be a bit stronger for your exact location. I'm not using one, working fine. I'd say try without, you can always add later.

2012-05-21, 05:32 PM	#1800
onebat Rookie Join Date: May 2012 Location: South Ajax Posts: 7	ordered antenna I ordereda db4e, should be here this week, hopefully. I will put it up and see what I have got in the next week or so. thinking of getting mast from home depot. If the mast does not work I will need a longer ladder, mine is a 20ft only. A 25ft would be sufficient. I will post my results and progress. Thanks for the advise so far.

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