OTA antenna for the attic!

[stanleyjohn]

I dont prefer to go up onto my house roof so thinking of adding a ota antenna into the attic.Can anyone recommend one?how about radio shack!.Also would adding a rotor to it make it better.I haven't had a antenna on a roof in many many years and looking to snag whatever ota i can get here in s/central Ct.

 

[boba]

I dont prefer to go up onto my house roof so thinking of adding a ota antenna into the attic.Can anyone recommend one?how about radio shack!.Also would adding a rotor to it make it better.I haven't had a antenna on a roof in many many years and looking to snag whatever ota i can get here in s/central Ct.

Please provide at least your zipcode. You know where you live but we don't a zipcode allows us to go to a site like TV Fool and find out where your broadcasters are located and how far away they are. What is your roof constructed of asphalt shingles aren't much of a problem but metal roofs or underlayment block radiowaves.

 

[Zorak]

I think your performance will be very location and construction specific and using one of the online sites is a great suggestion to get a feel for what you can get. I set up a quick Radio Shack VHF/UHF antenna (the largest one I could get in the car) with a rotor in NC and is works perfect for all the locals and I can get some of the other longer distance stations, but my impression from talking with colleagues is that those with a roof antenna get better weak signal performance, which is logical. However, if it will get the stronger signals you are looking for, it will last a lot longer than an outdoor setup and you don't have to climb the roof. Good luck....

 

[Larobpra]

I had a homemade antenna in the attic for a while 2 years ago while the roof was being done. With the rotor off the roof antenna and the AntennaCraft pre-amp it got decent reception, but not like what I get with the on the roof setup. Reception dropped noticeably after the new roof went on as compared to the old roof. So back up went the big outdoor antenna. Then again, my roof is such that I can get to the antenna without using a ladder.

 

[stanleyjohn]

Thanks all!! Zip is 06441 (lat 41.45 lon -72.60 elv 600ft) and my home is a typical wood frame colonial with asphalt shingles.

 

[Bob2011]

Those coordinates show you are at the top of a hill at tvfool.com. If that is correct then you have prime line of sight to the Hartford stations and even LOS to Springfield and Long Island. There is only one VHF-Lo station in the area and that is a repeater for the main UHF PBS station so you can go with a VHF-Hi/UHF antenna. If you are only going for the locals then a DB4 bowtie antenna or the HBU22 at Radio Shack would do well plus fit in your attic. A larger outdoor antenna on the roof should be able to pull in half the NYC stations at your location. Its something to consider.

 

[xtgold]

oceanstate joblot has a 40 incher I put in the attic on a rotor.
That is about the biggest I can use with the rotor.
In the old days rule of thumb was 1 inch per mile,but inside the attic I get about 1/2 that range.

 

[xtgold]

I only get the nyc stations on those hot nasty summer days during daylight hours (uhf skip)

 

[stanleyjohn]

Looking good Thanks!.I enjoy the old tv shows and the only network i dont get yet is Antenna Tv which wtic puts out on 61.2.I will present results after i get things set up.

 

[stanleyjohn]

Been doing alittle searching and wondering if for me using an indoor type HDTV antenna would be ok.Since the location inside where it would go would be in my bedroom on the 2nd floor.Looked at Radio shack and found this one! IT can be used outside but indoors would work also plus no need to get a rotor!just turn by hand.Heres what i found! any opinons welcome. RadioShack® Amplified Outdoor HDTV Antenna - RadioShack.com

 

[xtgold]

I only get the nyc stations on those hot nasty summer days during daylight hours (uhf skip)

This A.M. I am getting NY and NJ channels from CT shoreline.
I haven't seen that effect since the hot nasty days of summer.
Must be warm weather headed this way.

 

[radio]

It may be of little hope, but if you find one of the old Radio Shack (made by Antennacraft) units like I use (and frequently find at garge sales, RV dealers and on the 'net) you wouldn't be disappointed! In the old days of analog TV, I got 60-70 miles of GOOD reception, and am currently getting multiple markets without a rotor. As far as I know the only one ever "shaped" like this was the radio shack or antennacraft, so if you ever see one, GRAB it! And, good luck with your project in the meantime!

 

[xtgold]

I assume it came with a power supply,so if you find one used make sure that is included.

 

[radio]

So true! You still "can" get what they call the power inverter from summit source and others! Good Point, however. One Ebay seller had one, wanted TWICE what the asking price in that ad was, and didn't have the power supply. Needless to say, I didn't buy it.

 

[xtgold]

If it's a common voltage,you might be able to adapt one from a different source.
I have an inline amp that is dead,but I am hanging onto it just in case I can use the power supply
inserter for something else.

 

[radio]

Slightly off-topic, but...I was tempted yesterday to take pictures of the insides of the famous "Mini-State" antenna which RCA used to put out, and now is under a different name, I think. This is the "larger" garbage can style unit with the wired remote control and amp. A small motor rotates the elements in teh dome. In all honesty, I can see why, when I owned one (the one I had open yesterday had died) it was nowhere near as powerful as the old Radio Shack/Antennacraft RV antenna shown in the ad I posted earlier here! There is one driven DIRECTIONAL element laying flat on styrofoam in that dome, small "directors" glued-in, and a divided band of aluminum around the outer edge of the styrofoam drum. Really not much "meat" there to grab signals, and certainly not very "directional" even though it has a rotor! Apples to apples, the one I posted by antennacraft has more actual working "elements" and is likely tuned-better to begin with, and is THEN amplified.