Winegard MS2000 Antenna
- Thread starter Lil Joe
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 6
- Views 12K
-
WELCOME TO THE NEW SERVER!
If you are seeing this you are on our new server WELCOME HOME!
While the new server is online Scott is still working on the backend including the cachine. But the site is usable while the work is being completes!
Thank you for your patience and again WELCOME HOME!
CLICK THE X IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE BOX TO DISMISS THIS MESSAGE
From antennaweb and TV Fool - Home I would guess the metrostar won't do what you want. Your broadcasters are all UHF and basiclly you have broadcasters at 360 and 25 degrees. I would try a Channel Master 4228 aimed around 12degrees to try and pickup both locations.
The TVFool report for that ZIP code shows signal strengths that are too weak for such a small antenna. Being on top of a hill should help a lot, but hills in general mean greater chances for multipath interference -- weak signals bouncing off nearby hills and arriving later (or earlier!) than the main signal. By design, an "omni" antenna isn't going to reject these false signals. Digital tuners generally don't deal with multipath well. In addition, the MS2000's pre-amplifier will boost the false signals along with the real ones, exacerbating this issue.
Full disclosure: I had an amplified "omni" antenna (not the MetroStar) for eight years of reasonably good analog reception. When we bought an HDTV early this year, about half the dozen digital signals we get had so many dropouts that they were unwatchable. We've since replaced it with a hand-built 4-bay UHF antenna coupled with a small VHF-high Yagi, both in the attic. Nothing drops out at all now, not even any transient block noise. Signal levels are significantly better and (even more importantly) more stable. We don't need a pre-amp.
Because of the hills, please visit TVFool.com and enter your street address to get a report on signals at your specific location. You can save this report to your computer as a PNG file and attach it to your next message here so we can get a look at your situation. Your address won't be in the report. I'm thinking a directional, all-channel antenna is best, but need to see this report before making any recommendations as to which one.
Full disclosure: I had an amplified "omni" antenna (not the MetroStar) for eight years of reasonably good analog reception. When we bought an HDTV early this year, about half the dozen digital signals we get had so many dropouts that they were unwatchable. We've since replaced it with a hand-built 4-bay UHF antenna coupled with a small VHF-high Yagi, both in the attic. Nothing drops out at all now, not even any transient block noise. Signal levels are significantly better and (even more importantly) more stable. We don't need a pre-amp.
Because of the hills, please visit TVFool.com and enter your street address to get a report on signals at your specific location. You can save this report to your computer as a PNG file and attach it to your next message here so we can get a look at your situation. Your address won't be in the report. I'm thinking a directional, all-channel antenna is best, but need to see this report before making any recommendations as to which one.
1. I don't think the MS2000 will be adequate from 40 miles away. Being at the top of the hill is a plus, but I'm still not sure this antenna would be up to the task from 40 miles.
2. Almost everything on the TVFool report for your zip code is within a 25º arc. I think directional would be better here, and you may not even need a rotor if you aren't going to try to pull in out-of-market channels. Most directional antennas can handle a 25º arc, as you can aim an antenna to be no more than 12-13º skewed from the tower. Aim a directional antenna at about 0º, due north (about 9-10º magnetic) and you should have a good shot at everything within that arc. I think a 4228 might be a good choice; the 91XG might be a little too strongly directional. If you don't care to try for the most distant channels from other markets, I don't even think a rotor is indicated here.
3. As Don M. mentioned, multipath is a very real concern with omnidirectional antennas, particularly in areas that are hilly and/or have a lot of tall trees and buildings nearby.
4. Unless being on top of the hill provides a lot of additional gain, a preamp may be helpful here -- especially if you'll be splitting the signal into the house. But by all means, try it without one first, and if it's good enough without it, save the money. If the signals are weak, buy one. I don't think you'd have any overloading concerns. My TVFool results are mostly in the -102 to -108 range, and I only needed a preamp with my 91XG because I wanted to split the signal three ways.
5. All of your Pittsburgh digital locals are UHF. After 2/17/09 there will be some digital VHF stations reachable (channel 5 and 7) but these are both CBS and you'd already have that already covered with KDKA so you may not want to bother with VHF, especially since that would require more antenna hardware (or a combo antenna for 2-51) and a rotator.
2. Almost everything on the TVFool report for your zip code is within a 25º arc. I think directional would be better here, and you may not even need a rotor if you aren't going to try to pull in out-of-market channels. Most directional antennas can handle a 25º arc, as you can aim an antenna to be no more than 12-13º skewed from the tower. Aim a directional antenna at about 0º, due north (about 9-10º magnetic) and you should have a good shot at everything within that arc. I think a 4228 might be a good choice; the 91XG might be a little too strongly directional. If you don't care to try for the most distant channels from other markets, I don't even think a rotor is indicated here.
3. As Don M. mentioned, multipath is a very real concern with omnidirectional antennas, particularly in areas that are hilly and/or have a lot of tall trees and buildings nearby.
4. Unless being on top of the hill provides a lot of additional gain, a preamp may be helpful here -- especially if you'll be splitting the signal into the house. But by all means, try it without one first, and if it's good enough without it, save the money. If the signals are weak, buy one. I don't think you'd have any overloading concerns. My TVFool results are mostly in the -102 to -108 range, and I only needed a preamp with my 91XG because I wanted to split the signal three ways.
5. All of your Pittsburgh digital locals are UHF. After 2/17/09 there will be some digital VHF stations reachable (channel 5 and 7) but these are both CBS and you'd already have that already covered with KDKA so you may not want to bother with VHF, especially since that would require more antenna hardware (or a combo antenna for 2-51) and a rotator.
Winegard ms2000
I'm using Philips US2-940 antenna which has been getting most channels, but have weak signals on most digital channels. When I enter my address& zip code to check the stations,my address is the same as one in another county, still same road name & zip code. AntennaWeb lets me correct this and some of the results are;KDKA-3 degrees-32.8 miles. WTAE-34degrees-19.7miles WPXI-4degrees 30.6miles WNPB-164degrees-24.8miles. There are more and if I was better on the computer I could make a better list. I will do more research. Thanks for all the help. Oh, the other address like mine is miles away and down by the river, I am a lot higher in elevation. Lil Joe
I'm using Philips US2-940 antenna which has been getting most channels, but have weak signals on most digital channels. When I enter my address& zip code to check the stations,my address is the same as one in another county, still same road name & zip code. AntennaWeb lets me correct this and some of the results are;KDKA-3 degrees-32.8 miles. WTAE-34degrees-19.7miles WPXI-4degrees 30.6miles WNPB-164degrees-24.8miles. There are more and if I was better on the computer I could make a better list. I will do more research. Thanks for all the help. Oh, the other address like mine is miles away and down by the river, I am a lot higher in elevation. Lil Joe
