ota antenna install help

[pajer]

i just recently purcased the terk 44 clip on antenna to put on a dish, i currently have a dish 1000 pointing at 119,110,and 129 , also have a dish 300 pointing at 61.5. all have dish pro dual lnb's. it looks like i should run coax from the dish 300 lnb into the terk 44 input, come out with coax from the terk output into the dpp 44 switch and then run a coax from the dpp 44 to the input of the dpp separator and then put a diplexer between output 1 on the separator and then come out of diplexer into sat in and antenna in on the 622. is this correct?

[oljim]

What you should do is, junk the TERK, get a good ant and run a new cable from ant to the 622

[ChuckA]

So, what's a good antenna? If you know what is not good, you must have an idea what is.

[Jim Noyd]

i just recently purcased the terk 44 clip on antenna to put on a dish, i currently have a dish 1000 pointing at 119,110,and 129 , also have a dish 300 pointing at 61.5. all have dish pro dual lnb's. it looks like i should run coax from the dish 300 lnb into the terk 44 input, come out with coax from the terk output into the dpp 44 switch and then run a coax from the dpp 44 to the input of the dpp separator and then put a diplexer between output 1 on the separator and then come out of diplexer into sat in and antenna in on the 622. is this correct?This site may help you get to the direction - antennaweb.org

[oljim]

Go to www.antennaweb.org
see what they list for your address, then you can see what type (UHF or VHF) ant and how far away they are and what direction.
The clipon ant can not be pointed it is not going to work if stations are not in same direction as dish is. pointed

[ChuckA]

Been there and done that. I have a small antenna but I have been considering a larger one to mount in the attic. I assume that will require one with more power than recommended by antennaweb for an outside one.

[oljim]

Put it outside, attic can reduce signal by 1/2

[liferules]

You know, I was about to mount an outdoor OTA antenna but then on a whim (actually as a transition) bought the Winegard Sharpshooter SS-3000. It has actually very good reception, at least for me (~20-30 miles from the HD towers) and has allowed me to postpone the hassle of installing an outdoor antenna.

http://www.alabamatower.com/images/sharpshooter3000.png

BTW, I've tried several other indoor antennas without much good success... Just FYI....

and yes, I know, outdoor antennas are far superior to any indoor one, but just FYI for those who may want to try...

[DoyleS]

I would agree that the Terk antennas in general are pretty marginal and they sell at premium prices. Winegard and Channel Master make very good antennas. Choosing an antenna depends a lot on individual situations.
1. Distance- pretty much determines the gain of the antenna needed
2. Are all stations located in the same direction or do you a need broad pattern antenna?
3. Can you put your antenna outside or must it be in an attic?
4. Do you have ice and snow to contend with?
5. Most OTA is UHF so the antennas by nature are going to be smaller than conventional VHF/UHF antennas. No need to by a combo antenna unless you really want to receive VHF OTA.
I am in Northern California near the coast and we never have ice or snow. As a result, a Radio Shack Yagi antenna works great for me at 60 miles from Sutro Tower in San Francisco where 90% of the stations are located. If I was in the Northeast with ice and snow, I would want a more rugged winegard or Channel master antenna. I also might pick something with a smaller form factor, less likely to be damaged by ice storms such as a 4 bay bowtie antenna. Small clip on antennas can be ok if you are in the immediate metro area within 20-30 miles. For Attics, the Bow ties work well because of their shape and gain. They also have excellent front to back ratios which helps eliminate reflections and other interference. If you go to a winegard or channelmaster website you will see how they specify their antennas. Use these as the standard for comparing with other antennas you might be looking at. If it is going in the attic, there you could also choose Radio Shack as the construction strength and weatherability are not going to be issues. One other factor is that you can try it and return it if it doesn't work out. Mail order is great if you know exactly what you want and don't plan on returning it.

..Doyle