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HDTV Antenna
Posted by: lipskidder
Date: May 07, 2007 10:44AM
Two questions:

1) Is there a great place to shop for antennas?

2) People talking about mounting them in their attics. Wouldn't the roof block the signals? I mean antennaweb asks you if you have lots of trees around your home. Wouldn't a roof be in the way as well?

Bonus question:
Is there a place to find a wall mount for my New Sony Bravia without having to ask Sony? Are a lot of mounts universal?
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: Don C
Date: May 07, 2007 10:56AM
My antenna is sitting on top of the TV which is in the basement. I presume that the signal comes through the windows in the next room, although it could be coming through the concrete foundation. The house is in sight of the hills on which many of the OTA antenna are located.

I think I got this antenna at Target. Signal isn't too bad. Occasionally it will stop for a second, or break up, but it comes right back. Picture quality is better than the analogue signals from the cable box!

Wife and I have a debate about keeping HD from the cable company. The cable HD gives us one Public Broadcasting channel while OTA we can access 5 public channels and we can get most of the local channels on HD with the antenna.

Don't know about your other questions.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: Will Collier
Date: May 07, 2007 11:08AM
The Channel Master 4228 works fine for me, bought it at Fry's. Mine is on a vestigial roof mount from the 70's, but a friend who put one in his attic told me it worked great. Pointing is important; look up your signal sources at antennaweb.org and get a compass.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2007 11:09AM by Will Collier.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: May 07, 2007 11:18AM
The dry wood in the roof does not reduce the signal much. The outer living ring of a tree beneath the bark, and the leaves, can have a lot of water which is responsible for most of the attenuation of signals. This is why antennaweb mentions trees. The best location is 6' to 10' above the top of the roof but sometimes a location in the attic away from the 120 V lines in the walls is good enough.

I can not recommend any specific antenna because I have not seen a really good site with tests of them.



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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: rz
Date: May 07, 2007 12:00PM
A lot really depends on how far you are from the signal source. I am about 16 miles from the towers where I am, and Florida is very flat. I use a very small amplified antenna that sits on top of my entertainment center and usually have no problems.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: deckeda
Date: May 07, 2007 12:22PM
Quote
lipskidder
Two questions:

1) Is there a great place to shop for antennas?

2) People talking about mounting them in their attics. Wouldn't the roof block the signals? I mean antennaweb asks you if you have lots of trees around your home. Wouldn't a roof be in the way as well?

Take a look at [www.antennasdirect.com]. They have their own designs and also sell some others. And there are other places that have a wide variety, such as [www.starkelectronic.com]

The big problem with attic installs isn't the wood, but the roofing tar or shingles block nearly half the signal. That, and on the roof is higher yet.

Google a bit and you'll learn what makes a decent HD antenna, suited for your area. And remember, there is no such thing as an "HDTV" antenna, they are all UHF or VHF.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: SLM
Date: May 07, 2007 12:36PM
FWIW Antennaweb is sketchy at best, tells me I can only get three stations and recommends a high powered antenna when I can get 10 just by using a $30 set-top antenna I got from Target.



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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: billb
Date: May 07, 2007 12:54PM
In the attic is a compromise to being blown away/damaged by wind, outside.

And yes, trees can be a problem, more so when wet and windy.
Above them is best, but that can mean a tower.

An oft overlooked part of the signal equation is the reception capabilities of your receiver. Some are much much better than others.

Lots and lots of variables.


Years ago I had a little black and white portable Goldstar TV that could get a New Hampshire station from the beach on Cape Cod(Woods Hole) , with just the little round loop antenna that came with it.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: blusubaru
Date: May 07, 2007 04:38PM
No powered antenna here. Just your regular, run of the mill $20 rabbit ears with the bonus circle in the middle. ShortCircuit City. I'm within 90 blocks of the majority of the broadcasts in town.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: RAMd®d
Date: May 07, 2007 05:35PM
Signal strength *is* the key, particularly if you don't have a good, big, outdoor antenna.

A single layer of asphalt shingles will reduce antenna performance about 35%. Depending on signal strength, that could be irrelevant, or a deal breaker. But I think it's worth a shot.

If nobody worries about appearance too much, you could put the Channelmaster 4228 behind a screen near a window. It's fairly flat and is a big version of the TV top UHF antenna that looks like a little oven rack with a bow-tie in the center (only the 4228 is a BIG UHF antenna with four bow-ties.

It's not much at all for VHF signals (it's a UHF antenna) but it will allow for more creative locating than a standard VHF-yagi type combo.

Also, a signal preamp/amp might help with a fairly large antenna.






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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: Forrest
Date: May 07, 2007 06:14PM
A roof mounted antenna will give you the best signal strength, but it must be securely mounted (usually to a chimney) and you must run a ground wire from the antenna to ground to protect against lightning. It's a lot simpler to mount the antenna in your attic - you don't need a 15 foot ladder to get to the roof, etc. I choose an attic mounted antenna because I have aluminum siding on my house - which blocks the TV signal.
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Re: HDTV Antenna
Posted by: Jp!
Date: May 08, 2007 07:53AM
It was easier to put my 14 foot antenna on my roof than try to take that mast into my attic. Plus, the design of the attic makes for very little room.

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