Pre-amp and antenna Questions

[jtrippe]

I have a Winegard HD8200U hooked up to a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp in my attic. (Zip 36092) I want to make sure my setup is correct. I have the pre-amp power supply really close to the antenna and plugged in in the attic. I have another amp at the TV. Should I remove the amp at the TV and move the 7777 power supply to the living room from the attic? Does this make a difference. I've made sure all of my cables are shielded RG-6 and I've got a cable run of about 35 feet from pre-amp to TV. I'm just trying to improve my reception of channels from Birmingham.

I also have a CM 4228 in that same setup combined with a slitter/combiner aimed towards the Montgomery stations. I used to use the 4228 exclusively and got the Birmingham UHF staions pretty reliably. When I got the Winegard I faced it towards Bimingham and moved the 4228 around towards Montgomery. The winegard doesn't get the Birmingham stations as well as the 4228 even though it has a higher mileage rating. The stations I want are all in the same area/direction and less than 80 miles away. (6-1, 21-1, 23-1, 42-1, 68-1) Should I just go with the Winegard and remove the 4228?

Any other advice? Wife won't let me put antennas on the roof or outside.

 

[Tower Guy]

I have a Winegard HD8200U hooked up to a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp in my attic. (Zip 36092)

Your stations are so widely scattered that neither antenna that you have is likely to work well.

Depending on where you live in 36092, WAIQ may be too strong for a 7777 preamp.

The HD8200U is only useful for WBXM or WUOA.

Consider this instead. Mount your 4228 on a rotor, aim your HD8200U at WSFA, try your 7777 with the 4228 on the UHF input and the HD8200U on the VHF input. The distribution amplifier should be removed from the system.

 

[jtrippe]

Thanks for the advice. I'm mainly trying to get the Birmingham stations as I have Dish HD locals for Montgomery. When I aim the 8200 towards Birmingham I get most of the Montgomery locals on the back side. If I wanted to concentrate on Birmingham which antenna(s) should I use? Or should I use both, the 8200 on the VHF input and the 4228 on the UHF.

Other considerations: I have a Winegard HD7698P and AP-8700 pre-amp lying around. Will those make a difference in my situation?

So, you're saying remove the distribution amp at the TV? Do I move the 7777 power supply from the attic to at the TV?

 

[DRCars]

I have a Winegard HD8200U hooked up to a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp in my attic. (Zip 36092) I want to make sure my setup is correct. I have the pre-amp power supply really close to the antenna and plugged in in the attic. I have another amp at the TV. Should I remove the amp at the TV and move the 7777 power supply to the living room from the attic? Does this make a difference. I've made sure all of my cables are shielded RG-6 and I've got a cable run of about 35 feet from pre-amp to TV. I'm just trying to improve my reception of channels from Birmingham.
...... snip .....

35 ft. is not a very long run of cable. You may not need the CM7777 at all since its primary function is to overcome signal loss thru the cable. However, if you do find it is necessary to use the CM7777 put the "power supply" close to the TV (not in the attic). You shouldn't need the other (distribution) amp (RE:"I have another amp at the TV"). I have found that the CM7777 has enough power to supply 2 or 3 TV's without need for another amp as long as there is not long (50-100ft.) cable runs involved. There are ways (splitters) to use the other amp to distribute the signal to other TVs if you need to.

EDIT:BTW, I looked at some of the channels that you listed (for zip 36092) at TVFool.com (6.1, 22.1, 42.1) and they appear to be rather hard to get. Depending on just exactly where in that zip code area you are they could be very very difficult to receive (even with outside antenna). Anyway, you might want to take a look at TVFool.com using your exact address.

DRCars

 

[jtrippe]

Will try your suggestions. Thanks.

 

[jtrippe]

I removed the 4228 and any other splitters in the setup completely. I hooked the 8200 into the 7777 and then hooked up the power supply at the TV. I got results this time. 6-1 was near 80% and 68-1, 13-1, 42-1 and 21-1 were all between 65-75% 23-1 never got above 57% nor was it watchable. This moring the numbers were a little lower.

I was also able to get some signal on 7-1(7) and 10-1(10). I was using TV fool the whole time so I thought maybe moving the antenna to the west a little would gain strength for the others and lower for 7 and 10. I don't care about getting 7 and 10. When I hit a point where 68-1 was dropping stregth I went back to its peak. I can still get 7 and 10 somewhat so maybe there is room to point the antenna a little more the West. Not allot of rooom to move the antenna around in my attic.

Two more questions:
1. I've got a little more head room in the attic. Will raising the antenna 2 more feet really make that much of a difference?
2. Would a Winegard AP-8700 UHF/VHF preamplifier possibly outperform the 7777 in my case? I've got one lying around sometwhere.

 

[DRCars]

.....snip.....

Two more questions:
1. I've got a little more head room in the attic. Will raising the antenna 2 more feet really make that much of a difference?
2. Would a Winegard AP-8700 UHF/VHF preamplifier possibly outperform the 7777 in my case? I've got one lying around sometwhere.

1. I have seen stranger things happen, especially on marginal signals. I would give it a try, but be sure that I could get it back to exactly where it was before (the ol' bird in hand saying applies here).

2.Since you have one (AP-8700), if you have the time try it, let us know if it helps. My CM7777 seems to pinch the central core of the coax wire rather weakly and I had noticed that exercising the connection seemed to help when certain channels began to degrade slowly. I lathered a layer of solder on the central core of the coax and that seems to have corrected that problem.

Good Luck!

DRCars

 

[jtrippe]

1. I have seen stranger things happen, especially on marginal signals. I would give it a try, but be sure that I could get it back to exactly where it was before (the ol' bird in hand saying applies here).

2.Since you have one (AP-8700), if you have the time try it, let us know if it helps. My CM7777 seems to pinch the central core of the coax wire rather weakly and I had noticed that exercising the connection seemed to help when certain channels began to degrade slowly. I lathered a layer of solder on the central core of the coax and that seems to have corrected that problem.

Good Luck!

DRCars

I will try your suggestions and post my results. It may not be until this weekend though. The end facing Birmingham is really close to my hot water heater. Should I move it away from that. I'm just wondering of that interferes. However, if I move it back from the heater, the backend of the antenna hangs over the AC unit. Not much room to avoid these things.

 

[boba]

I'd much rather have it hanging over an airconditioning unit than being blocked by a steel tank full of water,

 

[Jim5506]

Any reason why these antennas are not outside in free air.

 

[jtrippe]

Any reason why these antennas are not outside in free air.

The wife won't let me.

 

[oljim]

Put antenna outside, get a new wife

 

[jtrippe]

Put antenna outside, get a new wife

Please tell me you are kidding.

 

[Jim5506]

Send her to a spa for the weekend, put up the antenna outside and see how long it takes her to notice.

 

[castle rock kid]

80 miles is a long way away to receive signals with a inside antenna, If you can get that puppy on the the roof with at least a 10 foot mast and a rotator I would think your signal would improve 30, 40 or maybe 50%

 

[jtrippe]

I know having the antenna outside will get me much better performance. But having a 14 foot long antenna on a 1500 square foot house isn't exactly pleasing to the eye. I would still have to overcome my wife and the HOA. If I just put the antenna up without her knowing before hand I am asking for trouble. She is very smart and observant. She's already tired of me constantly going up to the attic to work on it. We have a 13-month old so she needs all the help she can get. With regards to the HOA, I can get my locals through Dish and an attic mounted antenna. I'm using the Winegard to get Birmingham locals instead of Montgomery because Montgomery doesn't have a MyNetwork affiliate and Birmingham has that plus The CW and This TV in HD. Montgomery is getting the CW in HD next year but no MyNet on the horizon. Anyway, I haven't read the law on antennas and sats in while (my law practice never deals with these issues) but my understading is that the HOA could prevent the antenna because I can get Montgomery locals.

This morning the signals from Birmingham were booming. At 7:00am I was able to get:
WUOA (23-1) 74-79%
ABC33/40(33-1) 82-84%
NBC13(13-1)89-94%
FOX6(6-1)91-95%
The CW(21-1)96-100%
MyNet68(68-1)84-80%
CBS 42(42-1)98-100%

I bet the signals will be gone soon as they never last during the day time. I may still raise the antenna a couple more feet to the top of the attic to try to improve signal. I bet I would get these stations all day if the antenna was outside. Wish I could do that.

 

[boba]

IF CW is your main reason for the Birmingham signals I would go with the CM4228 aimed at about 330 degrees with the CM 7777 connected. Locate as high as possible in the attic and hope for the best. Your really asking a lot 70 miles from the broadcast towers in an attic so you are losing signal through the roofing materials. It looks like 13 is the only VHF channel in your listing and the 4228 might pick it up.

 

[jtrippe]

IF CW is your main reason for the Birmingham signals I would go with the CM4228 aimed at about 330 degrees with the CM 7777 connected. Locate as high as possible in the attic and hope for the best. Your really asking a lot 70 miles from the broadcast towers in an attic so you are losing signal through the roofing materials. It looks like 13 is the only VHF channel in your listing and the 4228 might pick it up.

I'm really going for the CW and Mynet plus VHF low WUOA 23-1(6). The Winegard seems to be outperforming the 4228 now. I've got a couple feet more head room in the attic that I'll try to use this weekend.

 

[boba]

Sorry TVFool for me shows WUOA as ch 6 analog and 6.1 is WBRC FOX broadcasting on UHF ch.50. It is your market and you know it better than someone guessing from a web site.

 

[jtrippe]

Sorry TVFool for me shows WUOA as ch 6 analog and 6.1 is WBRC FOX broadcasting on UHF ch.50. It is your market and you know it better than someone guessing from a web site.

No problem. Weird thing is I get FOX 6 on channels 6 and 50. The UHF frequency is 50 but it used to only show up as 6-1. Now it also shows up as 50-1. It is my strongest Birmingham signal. I'm getting the same weird thing for TBN 45-1(46) showing up on 46-1 and 45-1.

TV Fool is wrong for WUOA. It is VHF frequency 6 but real 23-1.