What happened to VHF antennas?

wkomorow

Pub Member / Supporter
Original poster
Jun 7, 2004
756
22
Berkshire, MA
I have been looking for a good deep fringe VHF only antenna - it looks like I waited too long - they all seem to have been discontinued. I can get a UHF VHF combo crossfire rated to deep fringe and hook it up to the VHF terminal on the preamp, but it seems like such a waste. I have tried summitsoure and solidsignal. Are they no longer being manufactured? There are plenty of VHF channels.
 
Just bought Winegard YA 1713 from solidsignal.com. Waited 2 weeks to be shipped, but finally received it yesterday. Will install this weekend.
 
YA-1713 is about as good as it gets now that Wade-Delhi has discontinued its peerless VIP-series antennas. AntennaCraft's Y10-7-13 is reputed to be better in areas with a channel 13, but it's not built as well as the Winegard high-bander.

For those who aren't way out in the fringe, five-element high-banders will do the trick. I've got an AntennaCraft Y5-7-13 in the attic that pulls in a dropout-free signal on channel 11 from 66 miles away, but that's in a dry climate. YMMV. In addition, Winegard recently re-started production of the YA-6713, the five-element antenna it discontinued more than a year ago. Look for availability in a couple of months.
 
With the digital transition, there are more UHF stations, and fewer VHF stations. So it makes sense to sell combo UHF/VHF antennas, or maybe UHF antennas, but not VHF only antennas. I don't know how many places, if any, have only VHF stations now.
 
Unfortunately, Cleveland has 2 :(. FOX and CBS.

I can top that, we have 6,7,11,12,13. I am having the greatest problem with 11 from Springfield.

Thanks, I will look at some of the other sites. I need one that includes the low VHF band, because 6 CBS is not HD on Dish.
 
With the digital transition, there are more UHF stations, and fewer VHF stations. So it makes sense to sell combo UHF/VHF antennas, or maybe UHF antennas, but not VHF only antennas. I don't know how many places, if any, have only VHF stations now.
And the vast majority of what's left in VHF is all VHF-Hi, which can use a smaller antenna than is required with VHF-LO.
 
I can top that, we have 6,7,11,12,13. I am having the greatest problem with 11 from Springfield.

Thanks, I will look at some of the other sites. I need one that includes the low VHF band, because 6 CBS is not HD on Dish.

I am not sure why you don't want a combo antenna as with the channels you list you will still be missing ABC (26), The CW (43) and PBS (34).

You are having trouble with 11 because it is not in the same direction as Albany. You do however get 12 which is also an NBC channel.
 
I am not sure why you don't want a combo antenna as with the channels you list you will still be missing ABC (26), The CW (43) and PBS (34).

You are having trouble with 11 because it is not in the same direction as Albany. You do however get 12 which is also an NBC channel.

I have a perfectly good UHF antenna - 16 bay that does great with channel 26, 34, 50. As you may know 43 is a directional antenna not pointed toward the berkshires, so we can not get it. I also get 28, which is WYNTs repeater very well - its about 5 miles away. I sometimes get 27 from Worcester and often 29 from Utica

I have a rotor on the small VHF antenna I have now and point it southeast when I want to get Springfield. Most people in my area do get channel 11, I just can not and I think a better antenna will help, though there is an issue with towers that my be contributing to my problems. Before the digital transition, I was able to pick up channel 3 in Hartford without a problem. People a bit higher in the mountains than I am used to pick up Boston stations (was told by an installer that channel 4 and 5 from Boston was not uncommon to pick up)

The reason that I want channel 11 is that it is from Springfield and therefore Massachusetts based news - all the news channels I get now are from Albany - sort of tired of hearing about prostitution, police brutality, government take-overs, etc. (it's like living in the Congo) - I would like to hear some real news for a change :) Seriously, it would be nice to get news about the statehouse and what is happening in the Bay State.
 
THEY SELL THEM HERE

I have been looking for a good deep fringe VHF only antenna - it looks like I waited too long - they all seem to have been discontinued. I can get a UHF VHF combo crossfire rated to deep fringe and hook it up to the VHF terminal on the preamp, but it seems like such a waste. I have tried summitsoure and solidsignal. Are they no longer being manufactured? There are plenty of VHF channels.


I know of a website that still sells VHF only antennas, even for fringe areas. Might cost a little more for shipping but here they are.

Oak Entertainment Centers and Home Office Furniture, TV Antennas, Audio/Video, Satellite, Cable, DSS HDTV Antenna VHF FM TV Aerial High Definition Digital
 
I know of a website that still sells VHF only antennas, even for fringe areas. Might cost a little more for shipping but here they are.

Oak Entertainment Centers and Home Office Furniture, TV Antennas, Audio/Video, Satellite, Cable, DSS HDTV Antenna VHF FM TV Aerial High Definition Digital


I decided to order a crossfire extreme vhf/uhf antenna - it is seriously back ordered but as long as it gets here before the snow flies - I will give it a try. Thanks everyone for the help.
 

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