want to put up tv antenna but need help

[airplane1]

Hi everyone, I`m new on here and new at OTA tv so I dont know if i`m posting this at the correct place :) . my question is can I get stations 72.6 miles away? I can get 5 local stations with small radio shack indoor antenna for like 32.00. I can get two of them almost as clear as when I had dish network. the closest ch is not good, it`s channel 27 ABC in harrisburg PA. the reason I`m asking about the 72.6 mile station is it`s ch 17 WB out of Philly PA. I like that station.

I checked the antenna web that everyone talks about on here and if I put in my zip it shows I can get it but when I put in my exact address it disapears.

Please help me, I can mount my antenna anywhere I want cause I dont live in a development and I have a ranch home and will be putting it on the roof or either on a 38 ft tower I got from a home near me that the people just wanted it taken away.

thanks for your help,
AP

[Mike Johnson]

Welcome to DBSTalk! :welcome_s

What's your zip code? I'd like to take a look at your location so I can give some more specific advice.

If you use a good quality, high gain UHF antenna (assuming that all the digital stations in your area a UHF), I would think you'd have a good chance of getting that station even at 72 miles. The Channel Master 4228 for about $50 is a good choice. (It looks like a piece of fence, but it works well.)

My rooftop antenna is mounted about 30ft above ground, and I receive my digital stations from about 60 miles away.

Http://www.hdtvprimer.com has some good info on erecting your own antenna and on HDTV in general.

[airplane1]

Hi, Thanks for responding. my zip is 17038. I dont know if my tv is HDTV ready or not and I dont know if I need a box of some sort with antenna put up. I dont have a box now just hooked the tabbit ears straight to tv. when get everything I want what is best for system.
AP

[FTA Michael]

Head over to www.antennaweb.org right away. IMHO, it's the best resource for OTA antennae and reception.

[airplane1]

I did go on the web site your saying. just don't know what I need, should I get a uhf only antenna or a combo uhf and vhf antenna? I see channel master has a combo antenna that is good for 100+ miles on vhf and 60+ on uhf. would this be good for my zip 17038 and do I need a amp with it or not. I will get a rotor for it. Is 50ft to far to run the coax from antenna to where it enters the house and is the coax that is in my home from 10 years ago when I had cable OK to hook into where it comes in my house? that way I wont have to run all new coax. I need lots of help please. I know nothing at all so what all do I need?

Thanks for the help,
AP

[FTA Michael]

First, you generally need an amp only when your cable run gets too long. If you apply an amp to a fuzzy picture, you get a louder fuzzy picture. :) Start without one; they're not that hard to add later.

Second, my personal advice is to get every bit of antenna you think you'll ever need. You don't want to get an almost-good-enough antenna, go to the trouble of putting it up, then wonder whether your marginal stations would have worked better with the better antenna.

Sometimes older cable coax isn't as good as good ol' RG6, but sometimes it is. You can test whether it'll be a problem by first hooking up a TV (more) directly to the antenna, then checking how it looks when you have both the antenna and the TV plugged into the existing coax. That way you'll see whether it makes a difference and whether it's enough of a difference to rewire the house.

[airplane1]

Thanks, Does anyone know the best place to get antennas and other parts I need? I want to order online.

AP

[Antennaguy]

A good site to find the channels used in your area is www.tvradioworld.com/region1/usa/usastates.asp. It appears that the only digital TV station in your area on VHF is the local Harrisburg CBS affiliate which is using channel 4. All others in Harrisburg and Philadelphia are transmitting on UHF. I would use a UHF only antenna as they tend to be much more compact and wind resistant. It is the VHF part of the antenna that have the long rods which bend easily and add a lot of weight. The CBS affiliate in Philadelphia is on UHF and if you successfully receive it, you may could do without the Harrisburg channel 4 or you could put up a separate smaller antenna for the local 4 with a switch.
An interesting site for antennas and such is www.starkelectronic.com. They have detailed specifications on many antennas and stock other supplies. I ordered one antenna from them with no problems.
It sounds like you have a good start with the tower and I envy your location with many cities within possible reception range with a rotor. Here in far west Texas I only have a shot and one metro area and a few mountain top translators across the desert.
Have fun and feel free to post any questions.

[airplane1]

thanks antennaguy,but I dont understand vhf or uhf, what is the difference :confused: ?what is the best long range uhf antenna out there?

[FTA Michael]

The very short version is that in North America, VHF is the channels 2-13, and UHF is the channels 14 and up. They're designations for ranges of electromagnetic frequencies, and all this broadcasting stuff is a really open-ended subject of inquiry. Here are two quick links to get you started:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UHF

From the UHF page, "In the United States, UHF stations (broadcast channels above 13) originally gained a reputation for ... having a weaker signal than their VHF counterparts (channels 2–13). ... However, with the emergence of additional broadcast television networks (Fox, UPN, WB, and i), ... the distinction between UHF and VHF stations has virtually disappeared in the United States. Most HDTV stations broadcast their over-the-air signal in the UHF band."

[Antennaguy]

In reviewing your original post, you did not specifically state that you wanted to receive digital TV. I suspect that if you do not know whether or not your current TV set is HD ready, that it is not. It could be interesting to go ahead and set up your antenna for use of only analog channels at first. If your analog reception is good, it is very likely that digital reception would also be good. It is also easier to judge the quality of analog reception as you are familiar with signal quality descriptions such as excellent, slightly snowy, etc. In the digital world you either lock on to a station or do not. The "signal quality meter" on digital TV sets and set top boxes is usefull but takes into account multipath (ghosts) and other parameters.
When you are ready to switch to digital and HD reception there are many choices possible. You could get a digital set top box and display the picture on your current TV. Of course, the picture will still be standard definition but it is the best picture possible on analog sets (even better than satellite as it is not as compressed). Later you could move up to a HD monitor for that set top box. All of the major electronics retailers now have digital set top boxes. Be aware that the ones which also receive satellite TV may not be fully functional if you choose not to subscribe to their service. You could also jump all the way in and get a HDTV with built in digital tuner.
In regards to your inquiry about the best long range UHF antenna. Most likely the 8 bay units such as the Channel Master 4228 or Winegard PR8800 have the highest gain (capture the most signal). This type of multi-bay antenna is also compact and wind resistant. They do however tend to receive signals from their back almost as well as from their front (one web site even describes them as bi-directional). If you do not have any mountains or tall buildings in the area this would not be a problem. I personally have mountains to my back and receive to much of a ghost through the back of these multi-bay antennas. The other option is a Yagi type such as the Channel Master 4248 or 3023. I find this type to be much more directional and if you are going to have a rotor it will allow you to zero in on a signal.
Finally as above mentioned, I would run new RG-6 quad shield cable directly in a window or such from the antenna at first. You could later compare the results to attaching the antenna to the old cable installation. Do make certain that there are no splitters in the house if the cable TV was available in more than one room.
Have fun!

[airplane1]

Again thanks for the info, I live in PA about 15-20 miles from Harrisburg zip 17038. I only have an older non digital non HDTV set. I do want to get a HDTV with digital tuner this spring.

When is all this digital broadcasting supposed to be done?

If I get my HDTV can I use it with off air or will I need to use my old tv till the tv stations in my area go digital?

My cable has a splitter on the outside where it goes into the house in a weather tight box, I want to run at least two tvs so I wold like to use the splitter if you think it would work.

I think I decide on a Channel master VHF/UHF 3671 deep fringe so as to be able to get the Philadelphia CH17 WB (72.6 miles away). anyway I hope this works and as the digital comes available I will change antenna to UHF only. How does this sound?
I guess though I dont need a VHF antenna because my stations are mostly UHF.

I thank every one for there help and I am going figure this out eventually with all the help on this forum. :)

[airplane1]

Hi again, Just seen a Uhf antenna that sounds good. it is the Winegard HD-9095P deep fringe.

Anyone have any knolage of this antenna?

[Antennaguy]

It appears that most if not all of the major TV stations in your area are already broadcasting on an alternate digital channel. This by no means indicates that all shows are in high definition, just digital copies of the standard format. If you are planning to go the route of a HDTV with built in digital (ATSC) tuner, I believe most would also have the analog (NTSC) tuner included as well. Some set top boxes have both types of tuners, while others are only digital.
I looked up the Winegard HD 9095P on their web site and it has excellent specifications. Also, in looking up the location of your zip code it does appear that you have mountains to the NE of your area and would want an antenna with a high front to back ratio to avoid the type of multipath ghosting that was discussed above.
As far as the splitter is concerned, splitting a TV cable is like splitting the output from a water hose, some contents go both ways. Again, only experimentation can show if the loss is acceptable. I would personally avoid signal amplifiers in your area as there are many TV stations, as an amplifier can cause the stronger channels to bleed over into the weak ones.