Hey everybody,

I am interested in improving my HDTV reception to an ATI HDTV Wonder card for my HTPC. I am currently using the antenna that came with the card, which seems to be an OEM knock-off of the Silver Sensor. This is an unpowered antenna, so I've been using a Provo 20dB amp with it and about 40ft of continuous RG-6 coax. The antenna is mounted just outside a second-storey window and pointed pretty much directly at the antenna cluster on Grand Island, NY. UPN, FOX, and PBS are all very strong (upper 80's), but the other down-town Buffalo stations aren't so great. NBC doesn't even show up in an autoscan. For now the Silver Sensor seems much more directional than the more omni-directional RCA ANT711 that I bought at Radio Shack, which is going back.

I had hoped to buy two CM4228s, and set them up according to RTI Installer's instructions in this thread. However, the opening to my attic is 20" by 28", and 35" on the diagonal. Pretty tight squeeze for the 39.5" square CM4228! Also, I only have a maximum of 5ft clearance at the peak, so I can't mount them vertically above each other. I think I will instead try this setup with two CM4221s. At 20" wide, I think I can get them up there, and will have to live with the reduced range. Solidsignal.com has them at $22.49US each and $23.95US ground shipping to the U.S. I've heard that for $5 you can have items held at the Lewiston UPS depot and then drive across the border to pick them up. It's only a 20 minute drive for me across the border, so I figure I can wrap this all up for under $100Cdn, since they haven't been too tight lately at the border for duty when you're driving across, except for alcohol or tobacco.

I would appreciate some input on my plan before I go ahead with it. I would like to be able to receive all of the stations listed below. I've calculated my range and bearing to each station as follows:

My location:
Latitude: 43° 11 Min.25 Sec.
Longitude: -79° 15 Min. 20 Sec.

47.82 Miles, 132.7 degrees - 240kW - WGRZ 2/33 - 42 43' 6"N, 78 33' 47"W
48.56 Miles, 138.8 degrees - 790 kW - WIVB 3/39 - 42 39' 33"N, 78 37' 33" W
49.9 Miles, 139.7 degrees - 358 kW - WKBW 7/38 - 42 38' 15"N, 78 37' 12"W
20.18 Miles, 123.1 degrees - 156 kW - WNED 17/43 - 43 1' 48"N, 78 55' 15"W
20.18 Miles, 123.1 degrees - 1000 kW - WNLO 23/32 - 43 1' 48"N, 78 55' 15"W
20.35 Miles, 125.8 degrees - 35kW - WUTV 29/14 - 43 1' 32"N, 78 55' 43"W
31.92 Miles, 348.1 degrees - 38 kW - CBLT 5/20 - 43 38' 33"N, 79 23' 15"W

I expect I will need both 4221s to pick up the Buffalo cluser (~135 degrees) and Grand Island cluster (~124 degrees). But what about CBC? Would a third antenna pointed north (348.1 degrees) help, or would this just increase multipath issues? I have read the information about "notching out" just the one channel on a possible additional antenna. Any input from all of you is always appreciated. Particularily if the 4221s are a better option for me than the CM4248 Yagi. Thanks again for any advice!