New Home Setup?

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reubenray

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Dec 30, 2018
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Bella Vista, Arkansas
I will be moving into a new home in about a month and I want to set up an OTA system which will supplement my Dish Network system. I am hoping to have a CM 4228 along with a CM7777 preamp in my attic which is what I had at my last two homes. I will have the antenna facing a gable end which will have vinyl siding on it. But those where in flatland country. I am now in NW Arkansas which is not mountainous, but it is certainly not flat either. Attached is my RabbitEars report.

RabbitEars.Info
 
Which set of channels are you trying to receive?
You have Fayetteville and Fort Smith to the SSW and Joplin/Pittsburgh KS. to the NNE.
A few of your stations are strong enough to be easily received with an antenna in your attic, but the more challenging stations probably will be intermittent with an attic antenna - put it above the roof.
The pre-amp very well may NOT compensate for the loss of signal by being in the attic.
 
After loosing my sat signal after storms for extended periods of time I am checking back into an ota antenna again. I am looking at options for an outdoor mast and antenna. This will not be my main TV watching method, but something to watch during storms especially to keep updated on the storms. So it is not necessary to be able to reach all of the major network stations. The NBC/FOX station will be the easiest with the others either being Joplin or Fayetteville/Ft. Smith stations. They are about the same distance. If I go with the Joplin stations the roof line will not be in the way of the antenna. But the main reason for this is for the weather info which the Fayetteville/Ft. Smith may give me better local weather reporting.

I would like an antenna that would be the least obtrusive if possible, but also would be able to reach everything if needed.
 
reubenray said:
This is in post #1.
Click to expand...
Sorry, didn't notice the report at first look.

That antenna and plan should maybe get you the top 10 channels or so, with the possible exception of KAFT, which is on RF9. The CM 4228 doesn't have any real gain on high VHF (they claim it does, but the new balun filters it out), IF it's the newer CM4428HD, also marketed as the "EXTREMEtenna".

Go ahead and try it and see what happens. Just be aware that putting it in the attic, will cut signal levels by at least 1/2.
 
I dug out my old $3.99 UHF table top antenna I got from Radio Shack about 40 years ago and tried it. I put it on my deck that faces East and tried it. It picked up the channels that are due East of me plus the one's from Joplin for a total of 13 channels. So I took the antenna inside and it still picked them up. Right now it sitting on top of my bedroom TV stand where it is facing North toward the Joplin stations.

After getting in the attic to explore it would be very hard to get the coaxial cable to the walls that I would need to come down in for the TV. If the inside antenna does not work during storms I will put it outside. But I don't think I would need the CM4228 which is four times the size of the one I am using now. The Joplin stations may be easier to pick up due to the contour of the land. There are several taller hills between me and the Ft. Smith towers.
 
reubenray said:
After getting in the attic to explore it would be very hard to get the coaxial cable to the walls that I would need to come down in for the TV.
Click to expand...
Consider putting the antenna AND a wireless network tuner such as a Tablo dvr, or just a HDHomerun up IN the attic, IF you have power available up there. The network tuner can then be picked up at each tv set with a Roku, or Firestick, or even some tv's themselves have apps that'll pick it up. HDHomeRun FLEX DUO - SiliconDust OR: Tablo Products
 
After checking with some neighbors and seeing the chance of losing some channels on Dish I am looking at this again. I now plan on having an telescoping pole with a router. I checked the locations using the Winegard app and none of the three locations will be blocked by the house roof. The thing I need to figure out now is what antenna to get. I am tempted to try this one.

Amazon product ASIN B07N6JZ4T8View: https://www.amazon.com/FiveStar-Strongest-Motorized-Rotation-Installation/dp/B07N6JZ4T8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=ota+antenna+router&qid=1631462192&sr=8-2
 
reubenray said:
After checking with some neighbors and seeing the chance of losing some channels on Dish I am looking at this again. I now plan on having an telescoping pole with a router. I checked the locations using the Winegard app and none of the three locations will be blocked by the house roof. The thing I need to figure out now is what antenna to get. I am tempted to try this one.

Amazon product ASIN B07N6JZ4T8View: https://www.amazon.com/FiveStar-Strongest-Motorized-Rotation-Installation/dp/B07N6JZ4T8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=ota+antenna+router&qid=1631462192&sr=8-2
Click to expand...
Don't GUESS what antenna to get. Click on this link, and run a report on your coordinates for your house. You can get that from Google Maps. Post the RESULTS link here so we can see the terrain prints and such: RabbitEars.Info
 
reubenray said:
It is in post #1.
Click to expand...
Whoops, I clicked on "What's New" and only noticed your post directly above, not that it was post #11, sorry! It seems from your test nearly any antenna that's not too directional should work fine for you. That Amazon antenna may work for you, BUT, I wouldn't put it outside if I was you. I don't think it'll last all that long in the weather.
 
I have decided to go with the same setup I had at the last two houses. It worked great then even in the attics and the towers in different locations. It is the CM4228 paired with a CM7777.
 
reubenray said:
I have decided to go with the same setup I had at the last two houses. It worked great then even in the attics and the towers in different locations. It is the CM4228 paired with a CM7777.
Click to expand...
The 4228 is a quality antenna, unfortunately it is not the best choice for you. With the 4228 you are likely to end up choosing which one city to aim your antenna, and probably not receive the opposite direction at all. In addition, your one VHF station will be iffy. This is because the 4228 is a UHF only antenna.

You would be much better off with a bidirectional antenna such as the 2MAX. The 2MAX also has a VHF dipole that you can aim separately to optimize the VHF signal strength.
 
Tower Guy said:
The 4228 is a quality antenna, unfortunately it is not the best choice for you. With the 4228 you are likely to end up choosing which one city to aim your antenna, and probably not receive the opposite direction at all. In addition, your one VHF station will be iffy. This is because the 4228 is a UHF only antenna.

You would be much better off with a bidirectional antenna such as the 2MAX. The 2MAX also has a VHF dipole that you can aim separately to optimize the VHF signal strength.
Click to expand...
The only VHF channel is a PBS that I do not watch. This will not be my main go-to for watching TV, but for having something on if I loose channels due to storms.
 
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I've got the 4228 antenna and can receive channels as low as VHF 7 at times from about 70-80 miles away. I've also got a more local Hi-VHF channel 11 station that's around 20 miles away that picks up well if it's aimed directly line of sight. The 4228 does have Hi-VHF capabilities, but I'm sure you can do much better with antennas more designed for those frequencies. My guess is that it's those metal connections going across the face between the elements that are long enough to pick up High VHF.
 
TNGuy84 said:
The 4228 does have Hi-VHF capabilities
Click to expand...
There's a BUNCH of different revs of the 4228 antenna over the last 20 years. The newest one since like 2015, that also uses the name "EXTREMEtenna" has next to no VHF capability. That's because the built-in balun filters it out. IF you remove that balun, and replace it with an old-school 300 to 75ohm balun, it'll then do High VHF, though still not as well as a regular VHF antenna.
 
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