OFF-AIR Antenna

[cparker]

LOS is everything with OTA antennas. Anything between you and the transmitter tower will attenuate the signal. I'm shooting directly through a 40 foot pine tree and still picking up my locals from about 45 miles. Trying to get stations at 100 miles you need height, good LOS from your antenna to their antenna, and a good antenna. I know a guy that picks up stations at about 90 to 100 miles regularly, but he has a 60 foot telescoping tower and a BIG antenna.

 

[charper1]

Great point about LoS. Most people think the biggest antenna always means best and also forget about proper aiming; OR even where their towers are located to begin with.

 

[cparker]

My OTA broadcast antennas are about 40 miles out and south of me. Toronto stations are about 55 miles away across Lake Ontario to the north. I can get them off the BACK SIDE of my antenna (the strong ones). If I spin the antenna around to the north I get them very nicely. But that's mainly because I'm looking across a lake. My antenna is only about 20 feet above ground level. (I have a ranch home... single story).

I know for a FACT that your reception at your house can vary widely at different locations on your roof, even at the same height. You can find a "sweet spot".

 

[Jimbo]

LOS is everything with OTA antennas. Anything between you and the transmitter tower will attenuate the signal. I'm shooting directly through a 40 foot pine tree and still picking up my locals from about 45 miles. Trying to get stations at 100 miles you need height, good LOS from your antenna to their antenna, and a good antenna. I know a guy that picks up stations at about 90 to 100 miles regularly, but he has a 60 foot telescoping tower and a BIG antenna.

I too am unfortunately shooting thru a big pine tree for my signal from Detroit, thier towers are about 60 miles, I have been considering taking the tree down, but the neighbor wants it just pruned Up from the ground, we share the tree on the property line.
I can live with it, I get the Detroit channels pretty good 90% of the time.

 

[fatpug]

Will Directv provide an AM21 free to new subscribers?

 

[raoul5788]

Will Directv provide an AM21 free to new subscribers?

Not normally they don't. If you don't have local channels in hd you have a much better chance of getting one.

 

[ONUOsFan]

Not normally they don't. If you don't have local channels in hd you have a much better chance of getting one.

Yeah, I'm having serious issues getting them to let me add one, free or not. Their system won't let them add it to my order.

After being transferred 8 times (and no, that's not an exaggeration), I was just told they couldn't help me and to try to talk to the tech or order it after my service is installed.