advice on ota

[moviemax]

hello. new member here. A friend of mine got a dish 211 but wants an ota antenna. I have an extra antenna that was left at my house that was part of a voom system. can it be hooked to the back of his 211 and work or can someone reccomend another antenna to buy? I appreaciate any help you can give me.

 

[Ken P.]

Yes, in fact E* is bringing back the roof top pterodactyls to receive HD Broadcasting soon... But, and let me stress BUT... Customers are responsible for having the off-air antenna installed themselves or by a retailer.

 

[moviemax]

thanks for your help. i have the one antenna im going to try and i also bought an antenna made by terk at circuit city. its the biggest one they have. whats the best location to install an ota?

 

[bhelms]

Where it picks-up the most signal, both quantity and quality...

You'll need to do some expermenting to arrive at that best spot. If your property has no obstructions, that could be almost anywhere, but the closer to your set the better. Otherwise make sure it's a clear "look" from the input end of your antenna in the direction of the towers you're trying to receive. There are many ways to mount it. Pick one that makes sense to you. Higher is better for signals, but worse for just about every other consideration, e.g., wind loading, lightning, cable length, etc. Definitely stay FAR away from power lines of any sort, mostly for safety but also due to interference, and make sure the system is properly grounded. If you're unsure about any of this - better have a professional handle it. Good luck!

 

[sprintcarcrazy]

My last Terk antenna is thrown in the woodpile, paid $70 for it. Now I have about 5 zenith silver sensors, about $20 and they work great for each TV. One in attic is picking up stations 65 miles away.

 

[navychop]

moviemax:

Sorry about your getting a Terk. See if you can return it. They are good looking, overpriced junk. Get a Channel Master. Prices are lower for Channel Master & Winegard, and they may not look as sexy- but they work a whole lot better.

 

[Cokeswigga]

I have a Winegard HD-9095 which I recommend to anyone trying to get stations that are 70 miles away!
I had it mounted at the highest point on my house, and it's 10 feet up from there. I suggest to put it up as high as you can and use guy-wires

 

[gdarwin]

I have a Winegard HD-9095 which I recommend to anyone trying to get stations that are 70 miles away!
I had it mounted at the highest point on my house, and it's 10 feet up from there. I suggest to put it up as high as you can and use guy-wires

Same here and I'm 20 miles from the transmitters. Great antenna.

 

[oljim]

Only a JERK will sell you a TERK

 

[Mike500]

Only a JERK will sell you a TERK

Terk has recently been acquired by Audiovox.

Like Channel Master, almost everything they sell is trendy and made in China, Korea or Taiwan. Channel Master is better than Terk.

As one who has installed and seen antennas for over 40 years, I prefer Winegard. All Winegard antennas are Made in USA in Burlington, Iowa. They are a class act. Their components, including the plating on their steel parts do not rust as readily as the Channel Master stuff.

I prefer to install Winegard for antennas I sell, but I have installed many customer purchased ones. My own Winegard is 8 years old and has gone through heavy winds and ice storms that has down many many power lines and trees. It looked liked a recurve bow once, but it worked still. When the ice was gone, it returned to its original shape, just as it was the day I first installed it.

 

[navychop]

Thank you for the info on Winegard. I've read good about most of their stuff. I guess I have a slight bias against them because of the junk they sell for mounting on RVs. But I'll remember that bit about the plating.