Two antennas into one...can I do this?

[Ghpr13]

I've got a problem and a question. My problem is I have an antenna in the attic that gives me my OTA signal from about 13 different stations with no real problems, but the local ABC station, WHAS 11.01 will not tune in with out a lot of microblocking and freeze ups. Yet, according to "TV Fool", it's a strong signal and in the same direction as all the other signals I picking up. With me so far?
OK. One day when I wanted to record something on WHAS, I unplugged the attic antenna and plug in a old set of rabbit ears I had...WHAS tuned in with all it's HD glory!
Now my question is, can I put the rabbit ears up in the attic and using a splitter in reverse, connect both antennas to the one cable I have coming from the attic? Right now I'm using the tuner on my Samsung and my Philips DVDR, but I plan on ordering the 722k OTA mod later this month.
Here's the antenna I have in the attic:
HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!
Thanks all,
Ghpr13

 

[STL]

Your problem is likely the antenna. Get a quad bowtie antenna (which does a good job rejecting the multipath you get in attics) and use it instead. Combining the two antennas will make that multipath worse and liking work like you hope. If you have a splitter why not go ahead and try it?

 

[KAB]

I have two antennas together with no problems.

 

[Ghpr13]

Your problem is likely the antenna. Get a quad bowtie antenna (which does a good job rejecting the multipath you get in attics) and use it instead. Combining the two antennas will make that multipath worse and liking work like you hope. If you have a splitter why not go ahead and try it?

I have two antennas together with no problems.

STL,
Thank you for your reply.

KAB,
Could you tell me how you have them hooked up together? Is it like I wanted to do by using a splitter but in reverse?
Thanks,
Ghpr13

 

[gdarwin]

Never could pull in the Louisville stations with the antenna in the attic. Moved mine outside, no problems.

Another consideration - WHAS went back to channel 11 (VHF) during the transition. Make sure the antenna is pointed toward the Knobs.

 

[rglore]

I'm using the Radio Shack outdoor UHF antenna and have no problems with any Louisville station.

 

[harshness]

You need to be careful about putting up multiple antennas covering the same frequency. That's probably somewhat the problem you have now.

I'm suspicious that your antenna is a little too much for the application and you're experiencing multipath (signal coming from different directions that are out of phase with each other). Adding more antennas that aren't phased will likely make the problem much worse for all stations.

As WHAS broadcasts on VHF 11, going to a UHF antenna may not be in your best interests.

 

[gdarwin]

UHF here also - no problems picking up WHAS. I think the original problem us multipath.

 

[Peter Parker]

I see youa re getting good advice here but you might want to try asking this in the OTA forum.

 

[STL]

I didn't realize the channel you are lacking is VHF -- most places are all UHF after the transition. You could combine those two antennas -- without worrying about creating additional multipath issues -- using a special combiner. One that is make specifically to take a VHF and a UHF input and combine them -- like this:
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=UVSJ&d=Pico-Macom-UVSJ-UHF-VHF-Band-SeparatorCombiner-for-Antenna-(UVSJ)&c=Signal%20Combiners&sku=UVSJ
Hook up your rabbit ears to the VHF and the other antenna to the UHF. I used one back when stations still broadcast analog (and digital) to successfully combine a 4-bay bowtie (UHF) and a yagi (VHF -- because the UHF elements were removed).

 

[pamajestic]

It would likely work better if you use a Pico Macom UVSJ UHF VHF Band Separator/Combiner. It is designed to merge one VHF antenna with one UHF antenna into one cable. Put the rabbit ears on the VHF side and your other antenna on the UHF side.

Pico Macom UVSJ UHF VHF Band Separator/Combiner for Antenna (UVSJ) - Pico Macom - UVSJ

 

[sam_gordon]

I would not expect a splitter to work. I'm GUESSING you're overdriving the input on the TV. What signal strength are you getting for HAS? The problem with a splitter is it will simply combine the signal from your "main" antenna and the "rabbit ears". It won't replace ch. 11 from the main antenna with ch. 11 from the rabbit ears. If you want to do that, you need a Jointenna... Channel Master JoinTennas. It will subtract a specified channel from the main antenna and add it from a 2nd antenna.

I used to use one when my Fox affiliate was 90+ degrees off angle from the rest of the networks. It was great! And for $20???

 

[STL]

I have two antennas together with no problems.

Are your two combined antennas both UHF and pointed in the same direction?

 

[STL]

sam_gordon,
I don't think he need the device like you have since his one problem channel is VHF and all the others are UHF (right Ghpr13?). He can use the much cheaper $2 combiner that I and others have suggested.

 

[STL]

I used one back when stations still broadcast analog (and digital) to successfully combine a 4-bay bowtie (UHF) and a yagi (VHF -- because the UHF elements were removed).

Talking about this reminds me that I still have that VHF yagi connected in the attic. So just as I was thinking I would disconnect it, then I realized that VHF antenna is actually still in use grabbing FM signals for me! I use another special splitter to branch off the FM signals (and send them to my A/V Rec'r). Oh well, I'm not sure what I -- or anyone else -- would do with a big VHF yagi antenna these days.

 

[sam_gordon]

sam_gordon,
I don't think he need the device like you have since his one problem channel is VHF and all the others are UHF (right Ghpr13?). He can use the much cheaper $2 combiner that I and others have suggested.

Well, assuming he doesn't need to pick up the ION affiliate on Ch. 8. But you're right. A $2 experiment is better than a $20 one.

 

[KAB]

STL,

KAB,
Could you tell me how you have them hooked up together? Is it like I wanted to do by using a splitter but in reverse?
Thanks,
Ghpr13

Yep, splitter in reverse. To answer another question, one is a UHF, the other UHF/VHF. In service about three years.

 

[Ghpr13]

You need to be careful about putting up multiple antennas covering the same frequency. That's probably somewhat the problem you have now.

I'm suspicious that your antenna is a little too much for the application and you're experiencing multipath (signal coming from different directions that are out of phase with each other). Adding more antennas that aren't phased will likely make the problem much worse for all stations.

As WHAS broadcasts on VHF 11, going to a UHF antenna may not be in your best interests.

I am using the power unit that came with the antenna, I was wondering if by using the power unit I was really causing more problems. I've read about that in an AVS forum.

I see youa re getting good advice here but you might want to try asking this in the OTA forum.

Thanks, I thought about that. It does seem I'm getting a good amount of replies here. Would I be breaking any forum rules if I posted in the OTA forum too?

It would likely work better if you use a Pico Macom UVSJ UHF VHF Band Separator/Combiner. It is designed to merge one VHF antenna with one UHF antenna into one cable. Put the rabbit ears on the VHF side and your other antenna on the UHF side.

Pico Macom UVSJ UHF VHF Band Separator/Combiner for Antenna (UVSJ) - Pico Macom - UVSJ

Thanks! That seems do-able.

Are your two combined antennas both UHF and pointed in the same direction?

No. One is just a old VHF rabbit ears off of a portable TV.

sam_gordon,
I don't think he need the device like you have since his one problem channel is VHF and all the others are UHF (right Ghpr13?). He can use the much cheaper $2 combiner that I and others have suggested.

Yes, you are right. WHAS is back to using VHF to broadcast it's digital signal. The "Multi-Purpose" antenna I got from MonoPrice is up in the attic. When I had it down in the TV room I couldn't get any of the PBS stations. Up in the attic I get everything but WHAS. The rabbit ears are just laying against a wall kind of held up by my right speaker in the TV room. It's got one of those RF converters that you screw the antenna leads to and then you're able to plug it the RF cable input. Right now I pull the coax antenna from the attic out, and plug in the rabbit ears if I want to record something off of WHAS. 2 problems I have with the rabbit ears is 1) The WIFE, & 2) they keep falling down over every so often (plus the rabbit ears do kind of look like crap).

I want to thank everyone who replied. I really appreciate your time and knowledge, and please feel free to share some more. Right now I'm thinking I could try that $2 combiner and just try and see if that works for me. Wouldn't be very similar to the old days when analog signals were being broadcast in VHF & UHF depending on the station? Then we all had a UHF & a VHF antenna.

Ghpr13

 

[Ghpr13]

Yep, splitter in reverse. To answer another question, one is a UHF, the other UHF/VHF. In service about three years.

KAB,
Thank you very much!
Ghpr13

 

[Peter Parker]

I would say you can post in the OTA and might reach extra people. But I have to say you have reacheda wide audience here.