Specific antenna question for Detroit area locals

[satnewb]

I know there's a few of us on here. Currently I have a diginova boss on the garage roof. No complaints except for Fox2. It's always been an issue dating back to the days I was installing these things for Dish. I would say 75 % of the time it's fine, and the rest of the time it's not. I can go on the roof every 6 months and get slight improvements but I'm never above a 55-60 signal strength at the closest tv to the antenna, which is about 50 feet of cable away. I'm about another 60 feet to an amplifier in the basement and then it splits 5 ways to TV's in my house, and through an underground burial cable to several more next door at my neighbor's.

I realize this is a non-standard installation, but it's been working reasonably well for several years, except when it doesn't. I'm confident if I had a better antenna for vhf I would be able to eliminate most of my issues. It's difficult to find any vhf specific reviews on Amazon so I figured I'd ask here.

What antenna are you folks using that is pulling in the vhf frequency for Fox2 reliably. I'm in 48047 zip code and the antenna is mounted probably 16 feet up.

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[907TECH]

Looked at a rabbitears report, I would go with a mid size combination VHF high/UHF antenna such as the Winegard HD7694P. Your Televes has no VHF gain. You could also probably get by with a smaller combo such as the RCA 751 or similar, which has a wider receive beamwidth.

 

[primestar31]

Here's one that will work for Fox2, which is RF7: https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs/30-2476/deep-fringe-directional-antenna/dp/71Y5462


Here's the slightly smaller version:

https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs/30-2475/fringe-directional-antenna-vhf/dp/48Y8141

Get the larger one, if you are really splitting it as much as you say. It has twice the gain as the smaller one. Either are great antenna's for VHF-high.

IF you can't see the links I posted, disable your ad blocker, and hit REFRESH

 

[907TECH]

For the OP, just remember that while the Newark VHF High Yagi's are good antennas, and one of, if not the only VHF High only Yagis out there, they will not pick up your UHF signals. You would need 2 antennas.

 

[satnewb]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Gonna go ahead and try the Winegard mentioned above. Don't really wanna have to deal with 2 separate antennas and a combiner.

 

[Jim5506]

Good choice. Best wishes.

 

[satnewb]

Will update with results when it's installed. My neighbors are in Florida until May. As far as I can recall he has 6 TV's in addition to my 2 tuner tablo and additional 5 TV's. So 12 separate feeds.

 

[Comptech]

Here's one that will work for Fox2, which is RF7: https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs/30-2476/deep-fringe-directional-antenna/dp/71Y5462 Best anteena I have owened!


Here's the slightly smaller version:

https://www.newark.com/stellar-labs/30-2475/fringe-directional-antenna-vhf/dp/48Y8141

Get the larger one, if you are really splitting it as much as you say. It has twice the gain as the smaller one. Either are great antenna's for VHF-high.

IF you can't see the links I posted, disable your ad blocker, and hit REFRESH

 

[Comptech]

For the OP, just remember that while the Newark VHF High Yagi's are good antennas, and one of, if not the only VHF High only Yagis out there, they will not pick up your UHF signals. You would need 2 antennas.

Wrong, works great on UHF also.

 

[satnewb]

Wrong, works great on UHF also.

Well now I'm confused...

 

[907TECH]

Wrong, works great on UHF also.

Well now I'm confused...

The VHF Yagis are not designed to receive UHF signals. Yes, they will probably get you OK reception on UHF, some of the time, on some of the stations, but the receive pattern is likely to be unpredictable. The better option is going to be sticking with an inband antenna designed for VHF high and UHF. Since you are receiving VHF 7 sort of OK now most of the time, you do not need a great deal more gain on VHF, the 2475 and 2476 are almost overkill. You can kill both birds with one stone using the Winegard. I would worry about not picking up some of the weaker UHF stations if using a VHF high Yagi.

 

[Comptech]

Trust me, I get 30 plus UHF stations here, coming of the side of it, Throw your antenna handbooks away. You need longer elements For VHF, granted. But the shorter wavelenth UHF still comes into the antenna. Now would a UHF be better? Yes, but not much with this one.

 

[Tower Guy]

Throw your antenna handbooks away. You need longer elements For VHF, granted. But the shorter wavelenth UHF still comes into the antenna.

Using a VHF antenna on UHF is unpredictable. Yes, it will pick up some signals, but the VHF antenna will have no UHF directivity. The lack of gain in the forward direction will reduce the strength of the UHF signals and pick up reflections coming from all directions.

I would consider an ANT 751 before attempting UHF reception on a VHF antenna.

Note that Solid Signal, an antenna specialty store in Novi, MI, is close to the poster.

 

[satnewb]

Amazon delivered the Winegard today. Had it installed and up and running within an hour. I'm seeing about a 30 point gain in signal strength on vhf.

Thanks everyone.

 

[907TECH]

Amazon delivered the Winegard today. Had it installed and up and running within an hour. I'm seeing about a 30 point gain in signal strength on vhf.
Thanks everyone.
[/QUOTE]
You are welcome! Hope the beamwidth is good enough to gather the perimeter stations OK... How are all your UHF coming in?

 

[satnewb]

No noticeable signal degradation on uhf.

 

[rabbitt83]

No noticeable signal degradation on uhf.

Are u getting Cbet 9 Windsor
Clear


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[satnewb]

It comes in pixellated in the garage. No signal anywhere else. Really all I care about are the big 4 and pbs so it's not an issue.

 

[Ypsiguy]

I am betting you have a Winegard HD7694P. I am aiming mine at Southfield from 25 miles away. It is indoors and works great on getting virtual channels 2, 4, 7, 20, 50, 56 and 62. When WPXD gets back to full power, I should have virtual 31 as well.

 

[satnewb]

Yeah 7694P. I believe it pulled in 59 channels when I ran the scan. Channel 18 has like 5 sub-channels, Channel 14 has 12, plus Channel 31/38 etc.