70 mile, vhf/uhf antenna

krisman

SatelliteGuys Guru
Original poster
Jan 9, 2009
127
0
tn
i am looking for a good long distance range, around 70 mile, uhf antenna that i can also get vhf with for my nbc and cbs channels. to be mounted about 15 feet. i need to replace my old rusty antenna. any recommendations?
 
thanks, i appreciate it. do you think i will need a rotor with this antenna? i mean my old one does get blown around in the wind pretty good and i dont know if a rotor would be good in wind. but it is also just on a single pole, should i be using a different setup for the new one?
 
Unless you need VHF-LO (2-6), I wouldn't recommend the Winegard 8200. While it's a great antenna, it's huge and has the wind resistance of a sail. You will need a very strong mount, especially if you are planning on using a rotator.

As far as the Winegard 7698, it is also a great antenna, but cannot not match the deep fringe performance of separate antennas. For less money than the 7698, you can have a state of the art antenna system, that is light, and offers little wind resistance.

The 2 antennas and rotor in the photo are only mounted to a chimney and are very stable. The UHF performance of the Antennas Direct 91-XG is hands down better than any combo antenna. For VHF-HI, the Winegard YA-1713 is an excellent performer for the price.

Hope this helps.;)
 
do you have to have special mounts to use 2 separate ones like that? and dont they have to be spaced just right above one another or something? or can you just mount them wherever you want without interference?

and both of these should reach about 55-65 miles with no problems right?
 
The antennas should spaced about 4 feet apart to avoid interfering with each other. I recommend the Channel Master 7777 pre-amp to combine the 2 antennas and amplify your weak signals. This should provide enough signal to split around 4 times. If you are only running 1 TV and less than 100 feet of cable, you may get by without a pre-amp. A low cost UVSJ (3.99 plus shipping) can be used to combine the 2 antennas onto 1 downlead cable.

I cannot use an amp with my setup because of all the strong local channels. Even without an amp, just about everything within 70 miles is receivable. Everything down to WUTB-DT, except for 1 channel is reliable 24/7.
 

Attachments

  • Radar-Pre.png
    Radar-Pre.png
    111.8 KB · Views: 305
thanks a lot, now the only thing i really need help with is the rotor. is it actually worth having? how handy is it for picking up a lot more channels? and not just duplicate channels?
 
thanks a lot, now the only thing i really need help with is the rotor. is it actually worth having? how handy is it for picking up a lot more channels? and not just duplicate channels?

You'll have to go to tvfool.com and then decide for yourself. Click on "TV signal Locater" and enter your address and antenna height (or at least your zip code) then you will be able to see all the stations in your area, as well as how for away they are, what network they carry and what direction from your home they are.
 
well just in case i need one, which is the best to get? i would like to have one that just ran off of coax if they make one.
 
wow thats pretty scary. i do have a tree or 2 thats about 30 feet away, maybe i should mount the antennas a bit higher than 15 feet? and what about a tower? would a tower like base be better than a single pole base?
 
A tower is a big expense and unless you plan on attaching it to the side of your house you'll need a crane to install it. Also consider if your willing to climb it to install and adjust the antenna. I wouldn't go with a tower unless you have to. if you post your zip code it might be easier to predict what you'll need.
 
A tower is a big expense and unless you plan on attaching it to the side of your house you'll need a crane to install it. Also consider if your willing to climb it to install and adjust the antenna. I wouldn't go with a tower unless you have to. if you post your zip code it might be easier to predict what you'll need.

You don't need a crane to install a tower. For TV reception, Rohn 25 weighs 40 pounds per section. You put it up 10' at a time. 40 pounds is light enough to go up without a gin pole.

My Rohn 45 weighs 70 pounds per section. I put it up without any help. I use my garden tractor with a rope and pulley to lift the sections.
 
You don't need a crane to install a tower. For TV reception, Rohn 25 weighs 40 pounds per section. You put it up 10' at a time. 40 pounds is light enough to go up without a gin pole.

My Rohn 45 weighs 70 pounds per section. I put it up without any help. I use my garden tractor with a rope and pulley to lift the sections.

To suggest this method of tower construction to any novice that browses forums like this is totally irresponsible and would be a recipe to get someone maimed or killed.If you're in the tower construction business you have the responsibility to only recommend proper tower construction methods performed by qualified personel.Shame on you.
 
I've been happy with the Radio Shack XR-190 antenna's performance. I used to live in the San Francisco Bay Area and now live in the Sacramento area. This baby does a good job of picking up KICU (Ch. 36 - San Jose), KFTY (Ch. 50 - Santa Rosa), KQED (Ch. 9 - San Francisco), KNVB (Ch. 24 Chico), and KNTV (Ch. 11 - San Jose) from my new home. A few years ago, I was shocked to pick up one Fresno UHF station from here, but that was when there was a Tropospheric effect was taking place.

As for mounting the antenna up high, I've been successful in using TV masts and guy wires. You should use caution though - especially in areas with frequent high winds. If they are not properly tensioned, the whole assembly will snap at some point. There was a bad wind in the Sacramento area last January and my TV mast assembly was one of the casualties. It was snapped at about 1/3 of the way down from the top. The Radio Shack XR-190 was damaged and I replaced it with a HDTV 8-Bay antenna.
 
Last edited:
well this is my link for tvfool, i just entered my road, because i am the highest house on the road, at 15 feet high antenna

TV Fool - TV Signal Locater

i think i should be all set on channels according to this, but i need some help on how to point it if you dont mind.

also, im ready to buy the antennas, but i would like to buy locally at radio shack if i could just to help local economy. Antennas Direct 91-XG and Winegard YA-1713. should i buy these online or is there a way i can buy the same thing in a radio shack brand?
 
Sorry I can't recommend a rotor, I've never used one. I was considering buying one for a while until I read this, it made me decide against it for sure:

hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/glossaryR.html#rotors
Glossary R to Z

I have a rotor and it works great!!! I mainly use it to do tv dx, you only really need it if you have stations in 2 different directions otherwise most people dont need one.
 
***

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)