roof antenna for HDTV? - Page 2

margz3 · 10-05-2009, 01:53 PM

This is a great site for antenna reviews.

http://www.hdtvantennalabs.com/tv-antenna-type.php

You can find out what zone you are in from Antennaweb and can get reviews at this site. Its important to get the correct type of antenna for your area in order to get a signal. You need to know whether to get an omni, multi or directional antenna. (We have a camper in the middle of the boonies and need a new antenna, so have looked into this alot!!)

Jan in CA · 10-05-2009, 07:04 PM

Well see, you learn something everyday!

hartleystudio · 10-05-2009, 10:06 PM

Thanks! We have been on that site and looked at the information several times. I was just wondering if anyone had one and if it helped them get better reception or if we should save our money.

My husband is a plumber by trade but does construction jobs on the weekends and has classes in the evenings. I hate to put him on a project here unless it's going to be really useful.

Right now we have cable tv as a back up. I HATE Mediacom and want to cancel but sometimes the broadcast signal is so bad that we have to resort to cable. I'm thinking that maybe we just dump cable and if the signal is bad, we just turn the dumb thing off an play a board game!!

margz3 · 10-06-2009, 02:31 PM

Everyone at the campground who has one gets great reception, and quite a few stations. If the weather is really bad, they sometimes have issues, but not very often.

Our antenna is old and broken (which is why I did the research!) But we haven't been camping this year, so I didn't bother to get one myself. Many of my neighbors replaced theirs last year with very good results.

Knitting_Guy · 10-10-2009, 04:06 PM

As the stations are so far away, thus the signal is weak, you'll want to get the largest high gain antenna you can afford, as well use a high quality amplifier.

The amplifier should be of the type that mounts on the antenna mast just below the antenna, with the power box inside.

If you're stations all come from the same direction you won't need a rotor, but if they come from different directions a rotor will be of great help unless you want to use a phased array (multiple antennas pointing in different directions).

hartleystudio · 10-10-2009, 06:08 PM

Thanks Mason! I think one antenna will be fine, I think all the stations we are having trouble with come from the same direction. I was hoping my husband wouldn't have to run power to the attic for an amplifier but it looks like that is unavoidable. We don't have a chase and he will make a giant mess making/patching holes.

It's been pretty good lately and it's getting pretty cold here so I'm guessing DH won't want to be up on the roof for too long....may have to wait for spring.

Knitting_Guy · 10-11-2009, 02:36 AM

Quote:

I was hoping my husband wouldn't have to run power to the attic for an amplifier but it looks like that is unavoidable.

He shouldn't have to do that for the amp. The amp mounts on the pole and the power supply feeds through the antenna wire. No need to do anything else. The power supply can be at the television location and plugged in there.

hartleystudio · 10-12-2009, 04:00 AM

Oh, thanks! I always hate it when he has to run any kind of cord in the wall. I love him and he's an excellent craftsman at other people's houses but ours never seems to get totally done. I guess it's partially my fault too, it's not like I don't know how to use a screwdriver. I just hate patching drywall!!