antenna ?

[mckennaiii]

Plan to get the Direct TV Slimline HD Dish model AU9S / HR20 HD-DVR receiver and Plus HD DVR package.

Local college broadcast their sports and other programing but is not carried by Direct TV or Dish Network. Sky Angel does carry their station. But I don't want to have get Sky Angel just to get this one channel.

I live about 7-10 miles line of sight from their local broadcast tower. From what I understand I will be able to pick up this station with a OTA antenna. Naturally a indoor one would be prefered but an outside one is not out of the question. Bottom Line: I need for this local college channel to come in nice and clear with no issues if possible.

Local Direct TV installer said he would do this for me.

Any recommendations in regards to the correct antenna to get will be appreciated.

I checked out the antennaweb.org site and it states for me to get the local college channel I need a large multidirectional antenna or a small directional antenna with pre-amp.

[cdizzy]

Type in your address in to this page and it will tell you what channels you could receive by using certain antennas.

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx

EDIT:I guess it would help if I read the last statement. But as far as I know, this is the best way tell.

[veryoldschool]

:welcome_s To DBSTalk.

Is this station digital? if not then the HR-20 won't pick it up.
7-10 miles doesn't need much.
If you're only interested in it, almost any indoor antenna should work [rabbit ears for VHF and a loop for UHF.
Please post your zip code and the station you want so I can check antennaweb cause something doesn't make sense.

[mckennaiii]

I went back and checked out the antennaweb.org site and for the channel I want to pick up it states I need a [Green - UHF].
So I guess now I need to hunt down a green -uhf indoor or outdoor antenna.

[mckennaiii]

The station is not digital.

Zip Code = 24572

Station = WTLU - CA - Channel 19 - Lynchburg, VA.

[Carl Spock]

The HR20 does not have a normal NTSC tuner in it. It's only an HD off-the-air tuner. It won't receive this station.

I agree. A decent indoor antenna should work and certainly would be my first thing to try. Use your VCR for a tuner. Hook up the UHF antenna to it. You'll then have to hook up this VCR to your TV in any of the normal ways: line in to the TV, line in through a home theater receiver or even cable in to the TV. Unfortunately you can't record these programs on your HR20 but at least you can watch them.

[mckennaiii]

since the programs can't be recorded from this local channel on the HR20, can they still be recorded on a vcr?

[Carl Spock]

Sure.

[veryoldschool]

since the programs can't be recorded from this local channel on the HR20, can they still be recorded on a vcr?
VCRs [or all of my old ones] have the NTSC analog tuner while the HR-20 has the ATSC digital tuner.

[K4SMX]

WTLU has a construction permit for digital television on CH 43. You might call them and ask how far along they are with this. They could even already be operational. Your HR20 won't list it in the Guide, but if your TV has a built-in ATSC tuner, hook up any old antenna to your TV's antenna input, do a scan for digital channels only, and see if you can pick it up. It'll be listed as CH 19-1, etc. in your TV's channel guide.

[mckennaiii]

Thankx Stew in Florida.
Just sent WTLU an email in regards to the status of the digital tv permit.
I guess now I need to start looking for a real good indoor antenna.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[mckennaiii]

thankx veryoldschool.

Welcome To DBSTalk.

[Stuart Sweet]

I think that at this point all stations have to at least be in the construction phase with their digital signals, and very soon they will have to be broadcasting or lose their licenses.

[ncxcstud]

Thankx Stew in Florida.
Just sent WTLU an email in regards to the status of the digital tv permit.
I guess now I need to start looking for a real good indoor antenna.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I have had great success with this antenna (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131034&cp=&sr=1&origkw=indoor+hdtv+antenna&kw=indoor+hdtv+antenna&parentPage=search) from Radio Shack. I live approximately 27-30 miles from the towers in Columbia, SC (I'm in Lexington, SC - zip code 29072) and I can maintain a steady signal strength of around 60+ on all channels.

Granted, there's a lot to go into that...SC isn't very hilly at all, so that might help out a lot.

But, you wanted a suggestion, and I suggest that antenna to everyone :).

Plus, if it doesn't work, you just take it back within 30 days.

[K4SMX]

Regarding indoor antennas, you should be aware that if you place a UHF antenna anywhere near where people are moving around, you can get serious but temporary multi-path reflections that with an NTSC signal would only cause "ghost" images, but with an ATSC signal will cause the picture to drop out completely momentarily. It would be much better to put a small outdoor antenna up in the attic, pointed at the station.

[mckennaiii]

Response from WTLU:
To answer your original question, we are not a “Must Carry” for the DBS systems in the local market and still will not be when we build out the Digital Channel facility. That being the case this will not help you with that issue. However, you can try to pick us up currently on UHF Channel 50, as the Digital channel will not be on the air until 2009. Since WTLU is not a Full Power station, it will not be added to DirecTV or Dish Network even with the new digital channel, as it will not be a Full Power station either, and therefore not a must carry on these DBS systems.

[K4SMX]

Looks like it's NTSC analog for you my friend. The station apparently thinks you are closer to their translator station on CH 50 than the main transmitter on CH 19. So you'll need some type of UHF antenna forever to get this station, including after 2009 when they go digital.

[techrep]

Looks like a job for a Silver Sensor, if you want small and pretty, or a DB2.

Info http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=23638

Silver Sensor http://www.amazon.com/Zenith-ZHDTV1-HDTV-UHF-Digital-Antenna/dp/B00006FXR9

DB2 http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=TD-DB2

[ebockelman]

You may also want to consider a Channel Master 4220 (http://www.warrenelectronics.com/antennas/4220.htm) in the attic. I'm roughly the same distance from our towers as you are from yours. I put a 4220 in the attic and it's rock solid. (Its size makes it very easy to install up there.)