Help a noob selecting an OTA antenna?

[eapeas]

My installer said that if I get an OTA antenna, he'll hook it up/set it up, free. He seemed like a very friendly, willing to help kinda guy.

Do you guys have any suggestions on OTA Antenna? I can NOT mount it on my roof, so either on the ground, next to my D* or an indoor. All stations are w/i 15 miles of me and my TV is right next to a huge bay window, so nothing in the way. Thoughts on the Radio Shack VU-90 XR (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=family&pg=1&summary=summary&cp=2032057.2032187.2032189.2032205&productId=2103085&accessories=accessories&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=features&searchSort=TRUE&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&y=9&s=A-StorePrice-RSK&x=12&support=support&tab=techSpecs)


DTV Antenna

Type CallSign Ch/Net. City/State Comp. Orientation Miles Freq
* yellow - vhf KFDA-DT 10.1 CBS AMARILLO TX 5° 8.1 9
* yellow - uhf KCIT-DT 14.1 FOX AMARILLO TX 7° 11.8 15
* green - uhf KVII-DT 7.1 ABC AMARILLO TX 351° 13.6 23
* green - vhf KACV-DT 2.1 PBS AMARILLO TX 351° 13.6 8
red - uhf KTMO-LP 36 TEL AMARILLO TX 6° 9.8 36
red - vhf KFDA 10 CBS AMARILLO TX 5° 8.1 10
red - vhf KAMR 4 NBC AMARILLO TX 2° 9.6 4
red - uhf K25GI 20 TBN AMARILLO TX 350° 5.7 20
red - uhf KTXD-LP 43 IND AMARILLO TX 6° 9.8 43
red - vhf KVII 7 ABC AMARILLO TX 351° 13.6 7
red - uhf KCPN-LP 33 MNT AMARILLO TX 7° 11.8 33
red - vhf KACV 2 PBS AMARILLO TX 7° 11.8 2
red - uhf KCIT 14 FOX AMARILLO TX 7° 11.8 14
* violet - uhf KAMR-DT 4.1 NBC AMARILLO TX 7° 11.8 19

[rahchgo]

If you are truly withing 15 miles of the broadcast anntenna, you might start with trying rabbit ears. I'm a little closer, but rabbit ears work fine for me. Remember, with a digital signal you won't have shadows or static like old rabbit ears. You'll have a great picture or you won't have a picture at all.

[Tower Guy]

My installer said that if I get an OTA antenna, he'll hook it up/set it up, free. He seemed like a very friendly, willing to help kinda guy.

Do you guys have any suggestions on OTA Antenna? I can NOT mount it on my roof, so either on the ground, next to my D* or an indoor. All stations are w/i 15 miles of me and my TV is right next to a huge bay window, so nothing in the way. Thoughts on the Radio Shack VU-90 XR (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?parentPage=family&pg=1&summary=summary&cp=2032057.2032187.2032189.2032205&productId=2103085&accessories=accessories&techSpecs=techSpecs&currentTab=features&searchSort=TRUE&custRatings=custRatings&features=features&y=9&s=A-StorePrice-RSK&x=12&support=support&tab=techSpecs)

The VU-90 XR will get the first four DTV stations fine. It's too small for NBC unless you get the antenna higher than the antennaweb assumption.

[dclaryjr]

My installer said that if I get an OTA antenna, he'll hook it up/set it up, free. He seemed like a very friendly, willing to help kinda guy.



I asked mine to just run some coax for me so I could do the antenna install later but he told me he would have to add it to Dish's invoice and I'd get charged big time.

[Race_Bannon]

I asked mine to just run some coax for me so I could do the antenna install later but he told me he would have to add it to Dish's invoice and I'd get charged big time.

Diplexors are your friend ;)

[dclaryjr]

Diplexors are your friend ;)

Could you expand on that for someone who thinks Ohm's Law has something to do with meditation?!:)

[Jim5506]

Diplexers are only your friend if your signal is strong on every station, otherwise diplexers may cause you to loose a channel or two. Every interruption of the cable from antenna to receiver introduces signal loss. Diplexers are two interruptions since they must be used on tandem.

[eapeas]

Update:

I started with a MANT410 amplified indoor antenna (keep in mind that my TV is right next to a HUGE bay window) and it didn't pick up squat.:nono2:


So, What are my realistic options at this point? Should I call my installer back (he said he'd set up my OTA free, I just pay for the part/supplies or I supply them) and have him set up xxxx antenna next to my D* antenna on another non-ground penetrating mount?

If so, provided I want AT LEAST ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, which antenna would you guys recommend. And yes, I really am w/i 15 miles of all the antennas, as posted in the first post.

TIA, again fellas!

[Jim5506]

Can you manually tune KFDA-DT 10.1 frequency ch 9? It is probably the strongest signal.

Can you get any analog stations with the indoor antenna?

Is your picture window facing north? What kind of siding or insulating materials are used in the house? Just brainstorming why no signal at all on rabbit ears.

Is KVII-DT still broadcasting off their building down by I-27 or have they moved out to the antenna farm?

I did not want to mount a tripod on my roof, so I got a telescoping pole mast and tied it to the peak of the roof eave and mounted my antenna on that, very little impact on the structure. I used a "U" shaped roofing bracket to hold the top of the mast and 4 screws to hold that.