More stations

[branchbouncer]

I am trying to pull as many OTA channels as possible, time to pick some peoples brains here. I have had a CM 4228, DB 8, 42XG( I know it's small) and just made a Gray-Hooverman and it works the best of all that I have had. The current setup has me using a cable( and I assume antenna amp) PCT-MA2-1P. I am wondering if I spring for a CM 7777 with 26 db of gain it will help more than the PCT which has 15. I have qiute a few channels now with the PCT and the signal varies from the lowest at 40-50 to the uppers with 70-80 for the signal. Now you always hear that if the channel isn't there the amp won't help, but on most channels if I dissconnect the amp and do a rescan they don't even show up. Input on peoples experences would be great, not charts cause they all seem to be half a$$ and wrong.

 

[boba]

Where are you located?
What channels are you getting?

An amplifier can only increase the signal strength of the signals you are receiving. If the channel isn't available without the amp, it means the signal level is to low for the tuner to detect it. With the amplifier the signal is raised above threshold of the tuner. A stronger amplifier may help but it might also hurt by making a strong signal too strong for the tuner to handle.

 

[branchbouncer]

Location same as box on right(in my post above)--Massanutten Va at 1800' elevation side of small mountain facing east, channels that I get are in the thumbnails showed above, along with plot map from tvfool

 

[Voyager6]

You are doing very well picking stations up that are 80 to 90 miles away.:up The CM7777 will help the signal strength of the stations that you are already receiving. The only way I see you picking up additional stations is to add a rotor.

 

[branchbouncer]

You are doing very well picking stations up that are 80 to 90 miles away.:up The CM7777 will help the signal strength of the stations that you are already receiving. The only way I see you picking up additional stations is to add a rotor.

Thats my main concern is to strengthen the lower strength signals an pull ones that are more distant, that are not show in the plot map from tv fool but in the same direction He4ading to Crutchfield now for the CM 7778 as they don't have the CM 7777 in stock

 

[Voyager6]

Thats my main concern is to strengthen the lower strength signals an pull ones that are more distant, that are not show in the plot map from tv fool but in the same direction He4ading to Crutchfield now for the CM 7778 as they don't have the CM 7777 in stock

You can go to Solid Signal or to Summit Source.

 

[branchbouncer]

Crutchfield is local for me, and the return policy is great, if I notice little or no improvement from the amp I am currently using -no problem with the return

 

[riffjim4069]

I had two CM-4228's on the roof back at our place near Fredericksburg VA. Although we were in a low-signal area (next to a reservoir), we received programming from Richmond and Charlottesville (52+ miles) and Washington and sometimes Baltimore (55+ and 90+ miles) due to a quality low-noise UHF preamp (CM-7775) and hitting the sweet spot on my roof. Moving the antenna a foot or two could make a big difference.

Anyway, a few years ago I found a company in the UK who made an untra-low noise preamp. The CM-7775 UHF preamp had +26db gain and +2db noise. The one made by the company in the UK had +20db gain and only +0.4db of noise. In theory the ultra low-noise preamp would have given me the same results as my CM-4228 dipoles being 50% larger. I never did buy the preamp due to the price (especially after the conversion rate) and my DC and Richmond stations were rock solid. Plus, I figured that I would still have difficulty receiving the Baltmore channels 6-monhts out of the year due to the distance and my elavation.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/37619-ota-hd-question.html#post337640

Anyway, not too long ago I plopped a spare CM-4228 into my attic here in the Dallas area and it feeds the whole house without a preamp or amp. In fact, I am 35-miles from the towers and I just placed the antenna in an open area and pointed it toward the towers - viola! I even dug out an old Radio Shack bow-tie antenna and placed it on top of a 1st floor TV and it works perfectly. I never imaged television reception could be so easy.

Finally, I used Warren Electronic the last few times I needed antennas and preamps (although it has been a while). They had unbeatable prices, selection and shipping charges back then. Warren Electronics - Your OTA HDTV Reception Specialists

 

[branchbouncer]

Well just got back from Crutchfields, got a CM 7778 since it seems the CM 7777 is not going to be made much longer, I guess this is the replacement. Goona hook it up on the Gray (home made) and see if I can reach the 100 mile mark. Was nice seeing the snow on the Shenandoah Mts on the way over to Charlottesville. And the drive back was fun, specially the windy roads and Mr Lexus who wanted a little race, I think Mrs Lexus is still freaking, wonder where he's sleeping tonight

 

[truckracer]

I have been playing around with a radioshack vu120xr.
The problem I find is that it is too directional on UHF.
I have some station around 35 degrees apart. I aim the antenna half way between them for a compromised but good signal on both sets of stations.

I can aim and get a rock solid 100% on each set but not both.

 

[branchbouncer]

Pulling channels 24/7 with good strength

 

[Voyager6]

Pulling channels 24/7 with good strength

Are you using the CM7778 with the Gray-Hovermann antenna?

 

[branchbouncer]

Have used the Gray Hooverman/ CM 7778 and also a 42XG/ CM7778

 

[Bubba91]

your homebrew

I am trying to pull as many OTA channels as possible, time to pick some peoples brains here. I have had a CM 4228, DB 8, 42XG( I know it's small) and just made a Gray-Hooverman and it works the best of all that I have had. The current setup has me using a cable( and I assume antenna amp) PCT-MA2-1P. I am wondering if I spring for a CM 7777 with 26 db of gain it will help more than the PCT which has 15. I have qiute a few channels now with the PCT and the signal varies from the lowest at 40-50 to the uppers with 70-80 for the signal. Now you always hear that if the channel isn't there the amp won't help, but on most channels if I dissconnect the amp and do a rescan they don't even show up. Input on peoples experences would be great, not charts cause they all seem to be half a$$ and wrong.

hey branchbouncer

i am looking at making a homemade GH antenna and i was wondering is the range you get 80-90 miles just from your GH? if so was it an easy build. I am in Iowa and my stations options are like this: (1)Des Moines 65 miles away. (2) Souix City which i would prefer 70-90 miles or (3) Omaha 90+ Miles.

 

[branchbouncer]

Yeah the Gray Hooverman was pulling the Richmond stations for me, they are listed on TV Fool as being 87 miles away this is also with a CM 7778 amp, without the amp I was getting the stations but a couple weren't that stable the signal would bounce around. One thing though even with the hardware wire backing there is some wind load, it needs to be mounted well. Also the antenna doesn't work as good without the reflectors mounted on the hardware wire backing and the measurements of the materials needs to be as exact as possible