Thread: Having more than one antenna?

I am sure I am not alone with having a hard time picking up HD local's. In the room where I have my tv I have tried every inch of space that I could fit an antenna into. I am always faced with picking the channels that are most imporant. Some times I can pick up Fox,NBC and ABC but then can't get CBS etc. So Is there a device that would allow me to connect like 2 or more antenna's to it then send it to the tv in one feed? I know they make a box that you can send one antenna into and it will split it into 6 or 8 different outs. If anyone knows of something like I want plese help becasue I really don't know what to search for.

What ant do you have now. I would work on a better ant than more of them

Channel Master makes a device called a jointenna. You'll need one on the same freq as your CBS channel. You then connect the CBS antenna to its bandpass input (blocks all freqs but CBS) and your other antenna to the "all channels" input (passes all channels but CBS), then connect the jointenna's output to your receiver.

They cost about $30 for UHF channels.. a little less for VHF channels.

Since they only make single-channel jointennas, you have to have one for each additional antenna beyond the one that gets most of your stations... In my case, I only had one channel that was in a different direction than my local "transmitter farm," so I only needed one jointenna. Also, VHF channels are not as directional as UHF, so you should be able to get your VHF channels with the "all channels" antenna, regardless of orientation.

If you have more than one channel in a direction that's different from where most of your transmitters are, you'll need an additional antenna and jointenna for each, even if 2 of them come from the same direction (becuase jointennas are only made for 1 channel).

Jointennas can really add up $$$ if you need several, but are the only way to have unattended (DVR-friendly) reception of channels in muliple directions.

You can order them from warrenelectronics, and they require a 2-3 week turnaround, as they are custom built.

I have heard of people having success with multiple antennas for ATSC signals. It wraks havoc with NTSC.

What are the channels and in what compass heading.

what are you planning to do...and why

what is your zipcode.

the only problem with the jointennas is that it cuts down signal 5 channels either side of the channel you order...so you need to be careful with them.

Originally Posted by Rick0725

the only problem with the jointennas is that it cuts down signal 5 channels either side of the channel you order...so you need to be careful with them.

I was told that as well by several folks when I was first looking into jointennas. I think CM has recently refined their design. I have a ch 32 jointenna, and it works as advertised with ch 30 on the "all channels" input. If it was attenuating 5 channels out, my channel 30 reception would be badly degraded, but I still get a high-90's signal for it - oh, and it passes 32 from my dedicated 32 antenna, just like it was direct-connected, so loss is minimal ther as well. Perhaps one channel seperation (trying to get 32 and 31) would not work.. I think I read somewhere that they are spec'd for one channel seperation on UHF, and no channel seperation on VHF.

UHF JOIN-TENNA® (will pass VHF)
A JOIN-TENNA for each UHF channel
Effective channel trap and blocks out interfering channels (more than 5 channels away)-20dB attenuation

VHF JOIN-TENNA® (will pass UHF)
8 models-CH 6 to 13
Effective channel trap-20dB attenuation
Do not use to trap channels adjacent to the ones you desire.

do not use these often for more than 1 ch. ...can anyone clarify this for us?

I called channel master technical last week about a similar issue and they said there were no electronics they were aware to handle multiple channels.

Rick, looks like we were both right. The 5 Channel seperation is true for the VHF channels, with one channel seperation for the UHF channels, hence my success with using a channel 32 jointenna to get 32 of a dedicated antenna and 30 off my "all channel" antenna. I was wrong, however, about the seperation on the VHF channels, which I thought was adjacent, but is actually 5.

I had looked into a jointenna that would pass multiple channels as well, but, as you say, they are not made. On Channel Master's website, they do show a multiple jointenna setup though. To do it you connect your dedicated antennas each to a jointenna, then the "all channel" antenna to one of those jointennas, and that jointenna's output to the second joitnenna's "all channel" input. Here's the diagram from CM's website showing this application:
http://www.channelmaster.com/images/CouplerApps.gif

my intepretation is you could string together as many as you need, depending on the number of channel-dedicated antenna you would need.

I could see it getting rather crazy in some cases. My in-laws, for example, live smack-dab in the middle of three different DMA's. Some stations on some of the markets are closer than others, so to get the signal from the closest of each of the networks, they'd probably need 4 antennas, with 3 of them dedicated (each with a jointenna) to "off axis" stations.

First off I live in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area

Second off we already have 2 satellites from E on the roof so having an attenna join them is out of the question.

Last off I just wanted a easy way for me maybe to put a whole bunch a antenna's in the attic so I can have perfect singnal for all my local channels! I wanted something that would be easy and on the cheaper side, but like that first post said I can buy one for $30... Kind of on the high side

Also the zip code is 53150 I have a Terk (old crappy) antenna, but still picks up good for the most part. I had a Radio shack antenna I picked up and it workes better but I needed that for the big screen.

Thanks for the help!

And to be honest I am just sick and tired of this digital antenna crap. I set up my antenna one day and every channel is in the 70's and then the next day I don't get any or some are gone and the antenna has never moved. I have spent an entire day in my room trying to find a great spot for it, but there is never any luck. It is just driving me nuts.