Will an attenuator help me?

[BigFella]

I'm looking for some advice from the OTA gurus here. I would like to get more ATSC OTA. I currently only receive KNBC-DT (36) and KDOC-DT (32) without loosing lock. I'm in 91354 (elevation of 1200'), 31 miles from the trans towers that are located on Mt Wilson (LA DMA). I have a CM 4228 ant with CM 7777 amp on a 12' mast mounted to the rooftop of my 2 story house. Antenna is pointed to 106 degrees (no rotor because all stations I want to receive transmit from the site). There are a lot of hills and mountains between me and the towers. Are the two stations the best I can do or will a different antenna or attenuator help me? Is multipath my problem? The stations I do receive will come in at about 60-75 signal strength on my Dish 622 DVR. Thanks in advance!

 

[Jim5506]

Possible you need a pre-amp instead of an attenuator. At that distance your signal is NOT too strong.

 

[BigFella]

Possible you need a pre-amp instead of an attenuator. At that distance your signal is NOT too strong.

Thanks for the response Jim. Note that I do have a CM 7777 amp. I guess I'm wondering if I (given the local terrain and close proximity of neighboring houses) may be experiencing multipath issues. Do attenuators help to correct multipath problems?

I should add that I've tried the antenna both with and without the amplifier and I received the same stations at the same signal strength, either way. In other words, the CM7777 is not adding any signal strength or any any other discernable benefit, but I left it on line anyway (because A) I paid the money and B) I would rather not go back up on the roof if I can help it).

 

[BigFella]

Thanks Rick,

I see that the 91XG has a specially tilt bracket for the 10 degree tilt trick. How would I tilt a 4228? I'd like to try that first before spending money on a new antenna.

 

[bhelms]

You won't have much luck with tilting the 4228 much in its own brackets without some accommodations due to the fact that the screen extends above and below the horizontal bars that mount the antenna. You could remove the bottom clamp and try to tilt it a bit by sticking a wood block, etc. between the lower horizontal bar and the mast until the top of the screen touches the mast. I'm not sure how much that will give you (5-10 deg.?) but anything beyond that will bend the screen and I wouldn't do that...