DB8 Antenna Advice Needed Please...Specifically Sacramento Area...

Vicki

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
May 25, 2004
704
0
Rocklin, CA--near Sacramento
...but I'll certainly appreciate help from anyone who has it to give!!! :D

I currently have a Stealth antenna which does pull in all the local stations that I can receive (below) except two I'm not yet mapped for. That information comes from antennaweb.com. The picture on most of my channels is WOW when I can get and lock a signal.

The problem is that I frequently get the "No Signal" message or I'll get a good signal but then it starts to pixelize, and/or the sound drops out, and/or the picture freezes and then the "No Signal" message comes up. VOOM is planning to upgrade my antenna with a DB8, apparently manufactured by Schneider. Have had two installers--El Jerko first, and now Good Guy, who seems competent and professional, but he's never installed this antenna before. He's getting ready to install one in Citrus Heights, and will give me his opinion after the install, but does anyone here have any knowledge or opinion of this antenna?

I don't know much about all this stuff :confused: --I'm trying hard to learn, but my brain is about to burst right now, and I just want to get and keep a good picture on High Def programs (which I usually have with VOOM channels, and sometimes have on the locals at this point) without sacrificing my ability to to receive SD programs broadcast locally.

Since we have VHF channels (in the low range) as well as UHF, I wonder if the DB8 is the right choice. My prior investigation indicated it might be a Channel Master 4248 or a Winegard...forget which number...but it was for a deep fringe area...amplified I think.

I live in a slight depression (not an actual valley) and there are lots of mature trees in the neighborhood.

Do you think the DB8 will solve my problems, or do you have any another recommendations?

DTV Antenna Type, Call Sign, Channel, Network, Miles From,Freq Assignment

  • red - vhf......KXTV..........10.........ABC.......40.9.......10
  • red - uhf......KXTV-DT.....10.1......ABC........40.9.......61
  • red - uhf......KTXL..........40.........FOX........39.........40
  • red - uhf......KTXL-DT.....40.1.......FOX.......39.........55
  • red - uhf......KVIE-DT......6.1........PBS........39.........53
  • red - uhf......KSPX..........29.........PAX........24.2.......29
  • red - uhf......KSPX-DT.....48.........PAX........39.3.......48
  • red - uhf......KQCA..........58.........WB........40.9........58
  • red - uhf......KQCA-DT.....58.1......WB.........38.6.......46
  • red - uhf......KMAX..........31........UPN........39.1.......31
  • red - vhf......KOVR..........13.........CBS.......40.9.......13
  • red - uhf......KOVR-DT.....13.1......CBS.......40.9........25
  • red - uhf......KCRA-DT.....3.1........NBC........40.5.......35
  • blue - vhf.....KCRA..........3..........NBC.........39.1.......3
  • blue - uhf.....KRJR-LP.......41........DAY........13.7.......41
  • blue - uhf.....KUVS..........19.........UNI.........54.9......19
  • blue - vhf.....KVIE...........6...........PBS........39..........6
  • violet - uhf...KMAX-DT.....31.1.......UPN.......39.1.......21


I apologize for the way this looks...I previewed it before posting and did all I could think of to make it legible (short of typing it in by hand, which I'm too tired right now to do), but nothing seems to work. :no It looks like a beautiful little table in the reply box and then turns out the mess you see above! :eek: Hope you can still interpret the info and have some input. Thanks in advance for any help you have to offer! :) :eek: :confused:

Vicki

Moderator edit: I cleaned it up for you, let me know if you don't like it-wasch_24
 
Vicki,
This antenna should work for your UHF DTV stations but will not work for the VHF counter parts. The VHF stations seem to be analog stations and the Voom STB wouldn't be able to tune them in. Are you splitting the antenna input to some analog TV's as well as the Voom STB?
Usually the SD programming is simulcast on the digital station so you will still be able to watch the SD programming on the Voom STB. If you are trying to split the antenna for other SD TV's then you are going to need a UHF/VHF combo antenna. I don't think that Voom will provide this because the VHF stations are analog and therefore would not tune on the Voom STB. One thing that is missing from your list is the azimuth to each tower. If they are more then say about 15 degrees apart then you may need a rotor to receive them all as the DB8 looks like it mat be directional.
 
A DB8 is an 8-bay antenna which are very useful long-distance UHF antennas. Has a range of about 60 miles. Moderately directional.
 
Vicki, I'm in Rancho Cordova with the Stealth with amp. I'm in a new neighborhood with tile roof and my antenna is not higher then my roof. I use to get break ups and no picture until I added the Terk 5x8 multi-switch (amplified) right before I ordered Voom in anticipating 5 Voom receivers.

After that never had an OTA problem and now with the Scan feature I get all the Sacramento consistently and some San Francisco channels.

7.1 KGO
9.1 KGED
26.1 KTSF
38.1 KCNS
43.1 KCSM
65.1 KKPX
66.1 KFSF
channels except 5.1 KPI:mad:breakups), but ABC
Now I will try to adjust the antenna for better signal
 
WickedDyno said:
A DB8 is an 8-bay antenna which are very useful long-distance UHF antennas. Has a range of about 60 miles. Moderately directional.
Thanks for the info WickedDyno. I may have to go with a UHF/VHF though because I want to get analog on two other TVs I have without boxes.

Vicki
 
Taron1 said:
Vicki, I'm in Rancho Cordova with the Stealth with amp. I'm in a new neighborhood with tile roof and my antenna is not higher then my roof. I use to get break ups and no picture until I added the Terk 5x8 multi-switch (amplified) right before I ordered Voom in anticipating 5 Voom receivers.

After that never had an OTA problem and now with the Scan feature I get all the Sacramento consistently and some San Francisco channels.

7.1 KGO
9.1 KGED
26.1 KTSF
38.1 KCNS
43.1 KCSM
65.1 KKPX
66.1 KFSF
channels except 5.1 KPI:mad:breakups), but ABC
Now I will try to adjust the antenna for better signal

OHH, OHH, OHH!!! That's exciting!!! :yikes :yikes :yikes Did you install it yourself? If I decide to stick with the Stealth and try the multiswitch, can you give me tips on how to do it? :D

My box scanned in 5.1, but it gets no signal. :(

Vicki
 
Hey Vicki,

I had the same problem too when I bought the DB8. I thought that it is a fully ominidirectional antenna. I tried rotating the antenna in different directions and I can only get strong signals either from the Sutro Tower side or San Jose. I live in Fremont, CA. The trick I did to make it work and receive very strong signals (90+ on my HD Tivo) from both sides is I installed the other half (4-bay) facing the opposite side instead of the entire 8-bay facing only one side. One 4-bay facing towards the Sutro Tower and the other 4-bay facing towards San Jose. Presto! I get most of the stations with very strong signals.

-twelly
 
Thanks for the input Twelly. I finally left VOOM the end of October because the installers kept bringing antennas which were not the upgrade that I was finally approved for. Since I was leaving the country for a month and didn't want my dogsitter to have to either deal with my installation problems or be without TV, I cancelled. When I heard the news about the DVR and that some of the problems with installation and PQ seemed to have settled down, I was ready to jump back in.

With the current news, I have decided that if they are still sending a signal after the funding runs out (supposedly 1/31/05), then I will give them another try. I've got to hand it them...when I got a picture that didn't break up, it was AWESOME!!! :yikes :clap @party

I'm hoping a miracle happens, and I'll be able to give it another go, and that they can get it right next time! If the miracle comes off (or I see enough signs to make me think it's a possibility), I may be back on this thread again, as I want those OTA HD programs and will do whatever is necessary to get them, even if it means going up on the roof myself...and I'm way too old for that sort of thing!! !sadroll ;)
 

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