Channel Master Model 4228 & 4228HD Antennas

Here is a link on some antennas. It includes pics of the ones mentioned in the write up which includes the 4228. I remembered the 4228 as JohnnyG had mentioned it before and I wanted to see one. Sorry if it's a dup of what was already posted before somewhere else here. Also, I don't really know the significance of the gains you'll see in the comparison graphs, but I would think with what was mentioned here in this thread about hdtv service channels being in the 2-51 range, some weight has to be given to some of the other antennas out there that perform better in the low range.

Anyways here it is. There is some other good reading there also.


http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

 

That article says the 4228 is heavy (15lbs) but I always thought it seemed feather light! I'll have to weigh one when new stock arrives. Maybe it just seems light for something that size.

 

That article says the 4228 is heavy (15lbs) but I always thought it seemed feather light! I'll have to weigh one when new stock arrives. Maybe it just seems light for something that size.

I thought that sounded odd...just weighed one and it came in at 3.5KG, or 7.7 pounds.

 

I have an Channel Master 4228 antenna installed in my attic. I would like to add a mast mounted amplifier that connects the 300 Ohm connectors on the antenna. The grounding block would then have to connect the the 75 Ohm coax line that comes from the amp.

My concern is that the amplifier is not protected since the ground occurs down-line from it. Wouldn't the ground occur through the amp's power supply before it reaches the current reaches the grounding block? ...or amp power supplies cords only 2- prong?

Thoughts?

Should I get a amp that accepts 75 Ohm (i.e CM 7776) to avoid this issue?

 

The Channel Master 4228 is also good.

If you can find an old Hughes E8 or E86 DirecTv receiver when you are in the states, it has an OTA HD tuner in it and you don't need satellite service for it to work.

 

Howdy, Stampeder!
I popped in here since Stampeder told me that there is now an OTA HDTV thread here. I have been in the antenna business for over 30 years in the US, and have installed literally hundreds of antennas over the years. I also own a place in Ottawa, and frequently go acoss the border betwen Canada and the US.

HDTV has evolved very differently in Canada than it has in the US. In the States, HDTV was driven by over-the-air broadcasting, and cable TV and satellite followed after OTA broadcasting took hold: Since Canada has a much higher level of cable penetration than the US does, cable TV and satellite introduced HDTV to the public, and the Canadian OTA broadcasters are just beginning to build digital transmitters.

Many Canadians have been on satellite or cable TV for so long that they have forgotten all about terristial broadcasting, but those Canadians who live in GTA and Windsor who have access to OTA HDTV broadcasts from the US know how much better the uncompressed OTA HDTV signals look. Now, for the first time, Canadians outside of those areas will begin to see OTA HDTV, and are searching for answers as to how to solve reception problems.

I would expect that in 2 years or so, OTA HDTV transmissions will be much more common in the larger Canadian cities, however, expect that smaller communities will wait quite a bit longer before they see OTA HDTV.

The US has a few websites that help predict TV coverage, but those sites don't work for Canada, but a safe rule of thumb is that one can expect reliable digital reception at a distance of 80-100km from the transmitters when the proper receiving equipment is used.

Many Canadians are finding that there are few antenna distributors in Canada, and many are finding it difficult to buy the equipment that they need. One good bet is to seek out Wade Antenna in Simcoe, ON, a manufacturer of high-quality OTA antennas and mounting equipment. My impression of the company is that they make good products, and are well-regarded on both sides of the border, but that they aren't very market-savvy, and haven't really gotten their arms around the OTA digital revolution. Their VHF and combination VHF-UHF antennas are among the very best available, but their line of UHF-only antennas is not up to the standards set by Channel Master or Winegard.

The most highly regarded UHF-only antenna these days is the Channel Master 4228, which is an 8-bay bow-tie design that has a combination of high gain and a large receiving apature, making it ideal for fringe-area UHF reception. Yagi-type UHF antennas, while they are quite directional, are rarely suited to deep-fringe UHF reception, not because of a lack of gain, but because UHF signals scatter at distances of 50KM or more, and the receiving apature of a Yagi antenna is much smaller than that of a multi-bay type antenna.

I have seen several posts regarding the Winegard 9032 UHF yagi, and I have to laugh, because I have recent replaced 2 of those antennas for customers with Channel Master 4228 antennas, with FAR superior results. Buying an antenna based on published gain figures does not guarentee adaquate reception. While I am glad that those people who have bought the Winegard 9032 are pleased with their purchases, to tout that antenna's superiority based solely on it's gain figure is to misunderstand how fringe UHF reception works.

 

The late, lamented CM4251 UHF Parabolic

.

Yagi-type UHF antennas, while they are quite directional, are rarely suited to deep-fringe UHF reception, not because of a lack of gain, but because UHF signals scatter at distances of 50KM or more, and the receiving apature of a Yagi antenna is much smaller than that of a multi-bay type antenna.

If only Channel Master would start making that 7' parabolic again...

 

I agree with you: the Channel Master 4251 was the best consumer UHF antenna ever made, but it was huge, heavy and acted like a mainsail in a stiff wind. Since that antenna was designed, however, UHF thansmitters and transmitting antennas have gotten much better, and few consumers would benefit from an antenna that large today. For those who would, and have the means to properly mount them, Wade Antenna still makes some very good UHF parabolic antennas meant primarily for the CATV market, and I'm sure that, with a little bit of coaxing, they would sell them to a consumer.

http://www.wade-antenna.com

 

Howdy, Stampeder! I popped in here since Stampeder told me that there is now an OTA HDTV thread here. I have been in the antenna business for over 30 years in the US, and have installed literally hundreds of antennas over the years. I also own a place in Ottawa, and frequently go acoss the border betwen Canada and the US.

Tiger! Great to have you here, and I bow to your experience and wisdom. Okay I'm not going to bow after all, but thanks for dropping in .

 

Which to buy: Winegard 9032 or Channel Master 4228?

Which one would you recommend? THE 9032 or CM4228?
I'm in Markham and would like to get the Buffalo and Toronto stations.
With a cheap RCA amplified indoor antenna I was able to get CBC,CTV, WIVB,OMNI, FOX and CITY. Of course I had to keep turning it to get all the stations. I would like to have an antenna that doesn't require a rotor.

PS. I just enabled PM and email replies. It was turned off earlier

 

Hands down, the Channel Master 4228 is the better fringe area antenna: for your purposes, it also has a wider beamwidth, which will make it a bit less likely to require a rotator to work, but I would still include a rotator if you are looking for signals from more than one direction, especially if you are 60km or more from the signals.

 

Channel Master 4228 is advised for UHF

Without taking a shot at anyone's choice of antenna, my research on the question of best antenna for UHF reception also seems to dovetail with Tigerbangs practical advice, namely the CM 4228 8 bay bowtie.

I found the following link comparing the gain of various antennas across the channel spectrum and thought people might find this interesting:

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

And this is from someone who is running his system with a Rat Shack Yagi (Toronto West End) so no bias on my part. See my other posts for a summary of my reception if interested.

 

Without taking a shot at anyone's choice of antenna, my research on the question of best antenna for UHF reception also seems to dovetail with Tigerbangs practical advice, namely the CM 4228 8 bay bowtie.

I found the following link comparing the gain of various antennas across the channel spectrum and thought people might find this interesting:

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

And this is from someone who is running his system with a Rat Shack Yagi (Toronto West End) so no bias on my part. See my other posts for a summary of my reception if interested.

Actually there is alot of interesting info on that site here too: http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ISSUES/erecting_antenna.html

BTW what are all you people doing up at this time? Don't you people have to work???

I'm watching Conan in HD that's why I'm up!!!!!!!!!

 

Good! My first choice was always the CM4228 but some people recommended the 9032. Can you confirm the pricing on the CM4228? I will ask my friends if they want to get it too.
I'm not sure how many other people on this forum have expressed interest in getting it from you, but would 3 orders be enough for you?

 

VHF combo antenna?

Do you think it is worth getting a combo VFH/UHF antenna? This is for the GTA. The antenna installer recommended one. A CM4242. But he doesn't have as much experience with UHF OTA HD.

I'd like to ask people "in the know" here. I would get more stations, but analogue feeds aren't optimal for my 51 inch rptv.

The gain on the 4242 is not as good as a UHF only 4228. http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

I'm leaning against it. My reasons include analogue quality and potential interference with UHF signals. But maybe it is worth it. I don't have any knowledge here. So it is a bit of a guessing game for me.

Please advise.

thx

kw........

 

OTA Antenna shootout: CM4228 wins again!

This is from a post at HTS, and the included link below provides a lot more detail on the comparison tests of antennas presented at the PBS 2005 Technology Conference.

Kerry Cozad's presentation describes actual on-air range measurements for several of the most popular indoor and outdoor antennas for both the VHF and UHF channel frequencies.

For the few antennas tested, the CM-4228 8-Bay Bowtie was the clear winner, not only in the UHF band, but it also provided 8-9 dBd of gain for CH7-13 and 2 dBd of gain for CH2-6.

http://hdtv.forsandiego.com/messages/1/3476.html?1118216319#POST18823

 

They didn't test it against a 9032 Now that I'd like to see PBS do!

 

That's interesting: it's what I have been saying about the 4228 for the past 34 years! I have no idea why the 4228 is such a successful design, but who wants to argue with success?

 

Tips on CM4228

Well, I finally got off my butt and pulled my CM4228 out of the basement. I bought a 3 foot tripod and a 10 foot galvanized fence top rail for the mast. Set it up on the ground quickly and scanned for Digital stations and I only got five (CBC and WNED).

Coincidentally, I tuned into CBC in time to see the Nature of Things in HD. WOW!!!!

I have DirecTv HD (dowrezzed and it shows), Dish Network HD and Rogers HD. The OTA on the 8VSB module of the Dishnet 6000 was awesome.

But I digress. I am now willing to risk life and limb to mount my tripod on the top of my two story home. I am concerned about future leaks in the roof and would appreciate any tips on how I can avoid them. Any other tips would also be appreciated.

I am located in northwest Brampton, BTW.

 

CM4228 modifications for better gain ?

I read this on http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/cm4228.html that if you were to Replace the feed lines with two baluns and a splitter would probably yield a higher net gain.

Has anybody tried this ?

Is the Baluns just a 300 to 75 ohm impeadance adaptor if so I might try this and see if I get better results ?

As the 4221 4 bay gives better gain than the 4228 over channel 60.

Scroll down to net gain and you can see by chan 70 its a 3 db gain for a smaller antenna ? http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

 

Give it a try and see… but I doubt it. A splitter had a 3dB insertion loss. The way the antenna is made with the two arrays ganged up is the right way… but give it a test and see… let us know!

 

Trick to Extend the High-Frequency Response of the 4228

Although it isn't documented in the literature any longer, you can extend the high-frequency response of the 4228 by as much as 6 db at channel 69 if you modify the antenna as follows:

1. locate the score marks on each tine of each bowtie
2. cut them at the score marks using a pair of wire dikes.
3. this is going to to involve a total of 32 cuts: 4 on each bowtie.

The result is a BIG improvement on UHF channels above 60 while giving up some gain at lower frequencies. This proceedure was documented in the product literature years ago, but after the USA phased out broadcasting above channel 69, I guess that Channel Master figured it was unnecessary. Since a number of Canadian cities plan DTV broadcasting above channel 60, and some US cities have DTV channels up that high (Philadelphia, for one), knowing about this modification can definitely help!

 

Since a number of Canadian cities plan DTV broadcasting above channel 60, and some US cities have DTV channels up that high (Philadelphia, for one), knowing about this modification can definitely help!

Do you remember if the article discussed what happened to the low end roll off after the modifing "cut's" were applied? Particularly where it occurrs? Right now the 4228 is also a good VHF-High antenna which I shouldn't need in Southern Ontario since as far as I know there will be no digital transmitters in range in that band after the transition is complete. Also Fox Buffalo on 14 will revert to 29 at high power in a few years. That means CBC HD on 20 will be my low marker. I could use the extra high end gain right now to get Toronto 1 on 66 and by next summer OMNI and Global should be on 64 & 65 also at very low power. I've been thinking about getting a 4221 just for that reason. If I knew that clipping the bow ties a little would turn my 4228 into a great UHF only antenna I would go that route.

 

Even without the modification I mentioned earlier, the 4228 is STILL the best all-around UHF antenna in the business: I think that you can be pretty sure that you won't have much of a problem getting what you are looking for with or without the modification.

 

Caveat about High Frequency Trick

Just one note of caution, if it hasn't occurred to you yet:

Please be aware that the first option that Yaamon presented is reversible, meaning that you can put things back the way they were whenever you like (did you write down how things are before you made the changes?).

The second option about trimming the bowties is NOT reversible. Got that? OK.