QC - South Shore, Eastern Townships, Northern NY and VT - Page 38 - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

marnop · 2012-03-15, 07:24 PM

Thanks for the help.

I bought a DB8 after making a few SBGH (one for the shop).
The DB8 gave the same results for Montreal. It now points to Mt Mansfield.

I am ordering the CM7777 from Amazon for $70.
I will post the results next week.

marnop · 2012-03-23, 08:15 PM

I mounted my new CM7777 preamp to the 20' pole at the balun on the SBGH.
The amp is inside near the TV.

The signal from Montreal has more than doubled fron 20%- to 40%+. I was hoping for more stations but only get CBC and SRC.
If I turn 40 deg to Sherbrooke I get TQ 24.1.

I have 200 feet of varoius trees in the way. Last year I had to move the pole about 90' from the house to get a clear LOS. When the leaves come out i may have to move again.

BOUVAL · 2012-03-23, 10:26 PM

Marnop,

You should try a 4 bay antenna with a reflector aimed at Montreal and you'll still get the Mt Mansfield channels.
.

marnop · 2012-03-24, 02:49 PM

You should try a 4 bay antenna with a reflector aimed at Montreal and you'll still get the Mt Mansfield channels.
.
Not likely. Mt Mansfield is 90 degrees from Montreal. I live in Eden.

Besides, I have a DB8 on another pole pointed to Mt Mansfield which is only 19 miles LOS. No problem there.
Maybe I should swap antennas.

BOUVAL · 2012-03-24, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Maybe I should swap antennas

Good idea Marnop, and put the CM7777 on the DB8 only.

Do we have your TV Foool ?

http://tvfool.com/index.php?option=c...pper&Itemid=29
.

marnop · 2012-03-24, 08:53 PM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b860c7f266ca8

Stephan26 · 2012-03-28, 02:37 PM

Hi guys. I'd like your opinions on what type of antenna i should get...I am completely new at this, so bear with me!

Here is my tvfool report:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b86c37cff38b4

I was thinking of a DB4 ? DB4e maybe to be able to get at the very least TQ, CBC, SRC, V, TVA, CBC, CBS, CTV NBC, GTV, FOX, PBS and hopefully ABC???

I would love to be able to have the antenna in my attic? Any suggestions or thoughts? Also, what is the difference on VHF and UHF? I thought VHF was dead? Do i need an antenna that does both?

Thank you!

Stephan26 · 2012-03-29, 08:30 AM

To complete my prior post, the folks over at TVFool are suggesting that i use a C5 antenna. My concerns, based on mostly my ignorance in the field of OTA, is that this C5 is a VHF antenna? Don't i "want" UHF signals?

Thanks for clearing it up for me.

marnop · 2012-03-30, 08:32 PM

Stephan26,
Since no one in your area has replied I can give you my experience.
The cheapest way is to build your own SBGH. I have built 3.
Even easier is to build a bow tie antenna.

I also bought a DB8 which is a little better reception than my own construction.
For some reason DB8 is cheaper than DB4.
In order to get good reception from Montreal I had to get an amp for the DB8. I still only get SRC and CBC with a 23 foot pole.

I have the SBGH aimed at Mt Mansfield only 20 miles away with good reception.

looking at your tvfool you can't get Montreal and Mt Mansfield both without rotating the antenna.
I don't think you can use the attic.

DjiPi · 2012-03-30, 11:53 PM

Stephan26,

I'm in St-Hubert and my antenna is in the attic. I can get everything I could possibly get (all your mentioned channels), rock solid, including ABC and all Montreal channels without the need of a rotor or multiple antennas.

I've built myself a CM-4221 clone as close as possible to specifications. It's 25 feet high above the ground (in the attic of course), so there is about 40 feets of RG6-Quad cable amplified by a CM-7777 (FM-Trap on). It runs through a 4way splitter, and one end has another cascaded 3way splitter for the 3 tuners on my computer. The rest is connected to TV sets.

So in the end, I end up with 5 ATSC decoders (3 in computer + 2 TVs) and they get their signal all the time rock solid.

Your mileage may vary, but you might expect relatively good results considering the fact that my setup is far from being the most efficient available (especially for the attic location).

And yes, you would "want" an UHF antenna. If you are as close as me from Montréal, no need for a special VHF antenna for TVA and CTV if your UHF antenna has modest VHF gain. However if you are after WVNY, that's another story... Have a look here for recommended antennas based on your situation.

Stephan26 · 2012-03-31, 01:53 AM

Hi folks.

Thank you both for the input. I appreciate it. St-Hubert is really close to me, we are about 20km apart maybe (st-jean-baptiste). So i should expect something pretty decent as far as connectivity. My only issue is with the antenna choice. I've been suggested a C5 from the helpful folks at Tvfool mentioning that i should point it kinda between Montreal and Mansfield. There was even a respond on Tvfool from a rep of Antenna Direct that mentionned that the C5 would be a good choice for both UHF and VHF even though it is known as a VHF antenna...

I've looked at the chart and notice that the C5 is listed as a Medium Yagi? What is that? I could get a "Good" reception from what it says. Would i be better off with 4221HD which seems to say it would be "excellent" in my case...

I would like to put it in the attic like your installation, which i guess would be fine since you seem happy with the results...

arrrrrrghhh...So many options in antenna choices...

Thanks for the feedback folks!

Yagi · 2012-03-31, 10:50 AM

The C5 is a combined VHF and UHF antenna. Its gain is certainly not impressive, particularly in UHF. Also, a combined antenna does not give the flexibility of combining a UHF antenna pointed, say, between Mount Royal and Mount Mansfield, and a VHF Yagi pointed precisely at Mansfield (for ABC).

I would recommend a CM4228HD (or clone) which is a high-gain UHF antenna with some gain in VHF-high. You should be able to receive everything in UHF, plus TVA and CTV on VHF, and you might even be able to get ABC on channel 13. A preamp is always nice to have. If you need more gain for ABC, then you can build a channel-13 Yagi easily (or buy one) and install it in the attic and use a VHF-UHF joiner (or the separate inputs of the preamp if you have one).

DjiPi · 2012-04-02, 10:38 PM

Stephan, since you have so many options, why not simply build yourself a CM-4221 clone, which is so easy to build; just throw together some screws, electric wires, metal coat hangers (or more wires), a 2x4 and a cardboard covered with aluminum foil. Buy a balun and your good to go !

This cheap solution could help you decide if your location gives you what you expect. Who knows, you might end up like me, putting your quick-and-dirty build into the attic having surprisingly good results... And never bought what I was supposed to !

But you should get yourself a good preamp anyway; if your plan to receive your TV through OTA is set then you'll most certainly require it anyway.

Kraven · 2012-04-04, 10:38 AM

DJiPi suggestion is the best option... build your own antenna, this way you can find out first hand what best suits you.

Here is what I did: bought a few balums from Dollorama for 1$ each then used coat hangers, a piece of 2x4 and some stripped down rg-59. It was far from pretty but it was effective.

I must have built at least 10 different models/prototypes before I settled on the current one.

Needless to say I enjoyed the experience, and it was inexpensive to boot.

Cheers, K

PS- Still don't know why, but my "whiskers" antenna, lying on its back on top of the fence only gets ABC and at 90%.

Dave Loudin · 2012-04-04, 04:00 PM

When it comes to plans for whisker or bowtie antennas, please consult member mclapp's thread and website.

2012-03-15, 07:24 PM	#556
marnop Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vermont, 74 mi SE of Montreal Posts: 9	CBC and SRC quality Thanks for the help. I bought a DB8 after making a few SBGH (one for the shop). The DB8 gave the same results for Montreal. It now points to Mt Mansfield. I am ordering the CM7777 from Amazon for $70. I will post the results next week.

2012-03-23, 08:15 PM	#557
marnop Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vermont, 74 mi SE of Montreal Posts: 9	CBC and SRC reception I mounted my new CM7777 preamp to the 20' pole at the balun on the SBGH. The amp is inside near the TV. The signal from Montreal has more than doubled fron 20%- to 40%+. I was hoping for more stations but only get CBC and SRC. If I turn 40 deg to Sherbrooke I get TQ 24.1. I have 200 feet of varoius trees in the way. Last year I had to move the pole about 90' from the house to get a clear LOS. When the leaves come out i may have to move again.

2012-03-23, 10:26 PM	#558
BOUVAL Join Date: May 2011 Location: Vimont, Laval, Qc. Posts: 626	Vermont reception Marnop, You should try a 4 bay antenna with a reflector aimed at Montreal and you'll still get the Mt Mansfield channels. . __________________ Mes photos: http://s1140.photobucket.com/albums/n574/BOUVAL-OTA/

2012-03-24, 02:49 PM	#559
marnop Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vermont, 74 mi SE of Montreal Posts: 9	Vermont reception You should try a 4 bay antenna with a reflector aimed at Montreal and you'll still get the Mt Mansfield channels. . Not likely. Mt Mansfield is 90 degrees from Montreal. I live in Eden. Besides, I have a DB8 on another pole pointed to Mt Mansfield which is only 19 miles LOS. No problem there. Maybe I should swap antennas.

2012-03-24, 08:53 PM	#561
marnop Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vermont, 74 mi SE of Montreal Posts: 9	Montreal signal http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b860c7f266ca8

2012-03-28, 02:37 PM	#562
Stephan26 Rookie Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: St-Jean-Baptiste, Qc, Canada Posts: 11	OTA in South Shore/Monteregie? Hi guys. I'd like your opinions on what type of antenna i should get...I am completely new at this, so bear with me! Here is my tvfool report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b86c37cff38b4 I was thinking of a DB4 ? DB4e maybe to be able to get at the very least TQ, CBC, SRC, V, TVA, CBC, CBS, CTV NBC, GTV, FOX, PBS and hopefully ABC??? I would love to be able to have the antenna in my attic? Any suggestions or thoughts? Also, what is the difference on VHF and UHF? I thought VHF was dead? Do i need an antenna that does both? Thank you!

2012-03-29, 08:30 AM	#563
Stephan26 Rookie Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: St-Jean-Baptiste, Qc, Canada Posts: 11	To complete my prior post, the folks over at TVFool are suggesting that i use a C5 antenna. My concerns, based on mostly my ignorance in the field of OTA, is that this C5 is a VHF antenna? Don't i "want" UHF signals? Thanks for clearing it up for me.

2012-03-30, 08:32 PM	#564
marnop Rookie Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vermont, 74 mi SE of Montreal Posts: 9	OTA in South Shore/Monteregie? Stephan26, Since no one in your area has replied I can give you my experience. The cheapest way is to build your own SBGH. I have built 3. Even easier is to build a bow tie antenna. I also bought a DB8 which is a little better reception than my own construction. For some reason DB8 is cheaper than DB4. In order to get good reception from Montreal I had to get an amp for the DB8. I still only get SRC and CBC with a 23 foot pole. I have the SBGH aimed at Mt Mansfield only 20 miles away with good reception. looking at your tvfool you can't get Montreal and Mt Mansfield both without rotating the antenna. I don't think you can use the attic.

2012-03-30, 11:53 PM	#565
DjiPi Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: St-Hubert QC, Attic CM4221 clone, CM7777, Viewsonic 47", WMC 7 (3 tuners), 2 XBox 360 as receivers Posts: 279	Stephan26, I'm in St-Hubert and my antenna is in the attic. I can get everything I could possibly get (all your mentioned channels), rock solid, including ABC and all Montreal channels without the need of a rotor or multiple antennas. I've built myself a CM-4221 clone as close as possible to specifications. It's 25 feet high above the ground (in the attic of course), so there is about 40 feets of RG6-Quad cable amplified by a CM-7777 (FM-Trap on). It runs through a 4way splitter, and one end has another cascaded 3way splitter for the 3 tuners on my computer. The rest is connected to TV sets. So in the end, I end up with 5 ATSC decoders (3 in computer + 2 TVs) and they get their signal all the time rock solid. Your mileage may vary, but you might expect relatively good results considering the fact that my setup is far from being the most efficient available (especially for the attic location). And yes, you would "want" an UHF antenna. If you are as close as me from Montréal, no need for a special VHF antenna for TVA and CTV if your UHF antenna has modest VHF gain. However if you are after WVNY, that's another story... Have a look here for recommended antennas based on your situation.

2012-03-31, 01:53 AM	#566
Stephan26 Rookie Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: St-Jean-Baptiste, Qc, Canada Posts: 11	Hi folks. Thank you both for the input. I appreciate it. St-Hubert is really close to me, we are about 20km apart maybe (st-jean-baptiste). So i should expect something pretty decent as far as connectivity. My only issue is with the antenna choice. I've been suggested a C5 from the helpful folks at Tvfool mentioning that i should point it kinda between Montreal and Mansfield. There was even a respond on Tvfool from a rep of Antenna Direct that mentionned that the C5 would be a good choice for both UHF and VHF even though it is known as a VHF antenna... I've looked at the chart and notice that the C5 is listed as a Medium Yagi? What is that? I could get a "Good" reception from what it says. Would i be better off with 4221HD which seems to say it would be "excellent" in my case... I would like to put it in the attic like your installation, which i guess would be fine since you seem happy with the results... arrrrrrghhh...So many options in antenna choices... Thanks for the feedback folks!

2012-03-31, 10:50 AM	#567
Yagi Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Montréal (Rosemont) Posts: 231	The C5 is a combined VHF and UHF antenna. Its gain is certainly not impressive, particularly in UHF. Also, a combined antenna does not give the flexibility of combining a UHF antenna pointed, say, between Mount Royal and Mount Mansfield, and a VHF Yagi pointed precisely at Mansfield (for ABC). I would recommend a CM4228HD (or clone) which is a high-gain UHF antenna with some gain in VHF-high. You should be able to receive everything in UHF, plus TVA and CTV on VHF, and you might even be able to get ABC on channel 13. A preamp is always nice to have. If you need more gain for ABC, then you can build a channel-13 Yagi easily (or buy one) and install it in the attic and use a VHF-UHF joiner (or the separate inputs of the preamp if you have one). __________________ Pansat 9200HD, DVB-S2 (8PSK) kit, 1-m dish CM 4228HD, Delhi 10y13s, Winegard AP-2870

2012-04-02, 10:38 PM	#568
DjiPi Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: St-Hubert QC, Attic CM4221 clone, CM7777, Viewsonic 47", WMC 7 (3 tuners), 2 XBox 360 as receivers Posts: 279	Stephan, since you have so many options, why not simply build yourself a CM-4221 clone, which is so easy to build; just throw together some screws, electric wires, metal coat hangers (or more wires), a 2x4 and a cardboard covered with aluminum foil. Buy a balun and your good to go ! This cheap solution could help you decide if your location gives you what you expect. Who knows, you might end up like me, putting your quick-and-dirty build into the attic having surprisingly good results... And never bought what I was supposed to ! But you should get yourself a good preamp anyway; if your plan to receive your TV through OTA is set then you'll most certainly require it anyway.

2012-04-04, 10:38 AM	#569
Kraven Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Shore, QC Posts: 530	DJiPi suggestion is the best option... build your own antenna, this way you can find out first hand what best suits you. Here is what I did: bought a few balums from Dollorama for 1$ each then used coat hangers, a piece of 2x4 and some stripped down rg-59. It was far from pretty but it was effective. I must have built at least 10 different models/prototypes before I settled on the current one. Needless to say I enjoyed the experience, and it was inexpensive to boot. Cheers, K PS- Still don't know why, but my "whiskers" antenna, lying on its back on top of the fence only gets ABC and at 90%.

2012-04-04, 04:00 PM	#570
Dave Loudin Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: King George, VA Posts: 358	When it comes to plans for whisker or bowtie antennas, please consult member mclapp's thread and website. Last edited by stampeder; 2012-04-05 at 02:10 AM.

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