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.