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!

A co-worker who has Directv at his cottage and also has the Directv local stations available told me that the Local Stations are digital but not HD coming down from the Satellite.

Can anyone with Directv verify this ?

-Don B

To the RTI installer.

I'm considering buying 2 CM4228 antennas and stacking them horizontally (side by side). The reason for side by side is to make the antenna more directional, example half the beam width, 3db gain and 3db increase in F/B ratio). Also hoping to pull in Buffalo, Syracuse, Watertown and various Canadian cities from Rochester.

To phase the two antennas I was planning to use two equal length 300 ohm twin leads which would either connect to the 300-75 converter or directly to the preamp (if the preamp has 300 ohm input). I've heard some have used two 75 converters connected to a coupler to combine them but if anything is out of phase then the antenna subtract and produce two split beams instead.

Also in order to stack them some type of rectangular frame would need to be made. The frame with the antennas would be balanced using counterweights because it would be placed on a rotor. The rotor I have is the top of the line ($1000) unit intented to move a giant ham antenna and has a digital control unit that allows 1 degree increments (example enter in a vector and the computer controls the position).

Please share you thoughts on my idea and any suggestions or tips would be appreciated.

Were you able to get the Channel Masters or did you stick with the ANT711? I was thinking of getting a ANT711 as well.

I guess we're lucky in the phoenix metro area. I've installed a couple thousand antennas in the past 15 years.

I have had the greatest success when using a conventional antenna for attic and even rooftop installs. It takes a bit of work to unfold the antenna in the right direction but I have found that if you are 20 miles direct view to the towers, even a Channelmaster 5646 will run 4 TV's sharp as a tack. We have used the Radio Shack $34 antenna (they used to call it the UV-70 or 90) for a number of years as well - a bit larger with more gain for both U & V.

The antenna is mounted to the upper rafters with a standard side mount mast clamp and schedule 40 PVC to keep it above the romex (to eliminate static on lower VHF's). We mount it closest to the side of the home where the transmission towers are, with as little metal obstructions in front of or behind. In a troublesome area we get on the cell phone and talk picture quality with the guy downstairs as we adjust it to eliminate ghosting and increase gain. Pretty straight forward. Very rarely do we amplify a system.

We have had tremendous success with the Wineguard HD7210 Ghostkiller for behind the mountains/in the mountains up to 55 miles away on up to 4 TV's. The Ghostkiller is excellent down a corredor with high rises as well.

Bowtie antennas, rotors, omnidirectional, amplified antennas, 12 foot boom antennas - a lot of hocus pocus IMHO. We try to make them work if they're existing but have found nearly all nothing but a waste of time - too much adjustment, ghosting from the omnidirects, low gain on UHF/ too much on the VHF side on the monster antennas.

The problems we don't encounter here are the challenge of try to get two broadcast areas (stacking), thick forest that kills UHF and tons of hills and mountains (although we have some).

There isn't much you can do for some problems though - Microwaves, leaking transformers that emit RF, towers on the other side of power generating or distribution stations fire/police/cab transmitting stations etc. You can add filters to some of this but it won't kill it all.

I don't see a point or purpose for grounding an antenna in an attic. If lightning hits the antenna it has already passed go and collected $200. I don't imagine antennas build up static charge in attics either. If there is a true purpose for grounding let me know. I'm not that old and I still need a tip or two.

Point the antenna at the Towers, keep it off the floor of the rafters, use only RG-6 and make good fittings. Keep it simple.