OTA antenna at home

UHF antennas like the bowtie units work find with UHF, however, unless you are fairly close or have great line-of sight, they won't help with the high-band VHF.

A little primer:

TV channels used to be:
Low-band VHF: 54 and 88 MHz, containing channels 2 - 6
FM Radio
High-band VHF:174 and 216 MHz, containing channels 7 - 13
UHF 14-69

During the pilot as TV stations started broadcasting HD, in the Portland area they were all in the UHF band, so I started down this road with this:



which was fine for all HD broadcasts before the big switch-over in early 2009. However, at the switchover, three of the Portland stations decided to use the upper VHF bands (8, 10, 12), and guess what? I was unable to receive those stations.

I subsequently purchased a high-band VHF/UHF antenna, and put it on a 35' pole with a rotator and mast-type amplifier.

(new mast, old antenna)

This image shows the old antenna, where the new one is a horizontal Winegard like this:



Using antennaweb.org, you can define your location and antenna height (below or above 30'); a map displays your location and the transmitting towers available to you in your area.

Distance, trees and hills get in the way as does bad weather, so we struggle with channel 2 which is on UHF 43. Such as life for a cord-cutter in a rural setting.

Here's a list of my stations; I show this because the list contains both the HD channel AND the VHF/UHF channel.


Stations Antenna
KGW-DT 8.1 NBC
RF Channel: 8
31 miles at 41° Blue

KODT-LP 14 A1
RF Channel: 14
17 miles at 212° Blue

KOPB-DT 10.1 PBS
RF Channel: 10
31 miles at 41° Blue

KPTV-DT 12.1 FOX
RF Channel: 12
31 miles at 41° Blue

KATU-DT 2.1 ABC
RF Channel: 43
31 miles at 42° Violet
KOAC-DT 7.1 PBS
RF Channel: 7
38 miles at 188° Violet

KOIN-DT 6.1 CBS
RF Channel: 40
31 miles at 42° Violet

KPDX-DT 49.1 MNT
RF Channel: 30
31 miles at 41° Violet

KPXG-DT 22.1 ION
RF Channel: 22
31 miles at 41° Violet

KRCW-DT 32.1 CW
RF Channel: 33
31 miles at 42° Violet

KRCW-LD 32.1 CW
RF Channel: 5
31 miles at 42° Violet

wa8yxm wrote:
First check your local covenants and restrictions and ordinances. Some places outdoor antennas are banned thanks to the effort of cable/sat TV companies.

As directed by Congress in Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission adopted the Over-the-Air Reception Devices (“OTARD”) rule concerning governmental and nongovernmental restrictions on viewers' ability to receive video programming signals from direct broadcast satellites ("DBS"), broadband radio service providers (formerly multichannel multipoint distribution service or MMDS), and television broadcast stations ("TVBS").

The rule (47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000) has been in effect since October 1996, and it prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal.

https://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

NOTE.. You need to know what transmiters are around you

Bow Tie jobs work well for UHF.. not so good for VHF Hi and not at all for VHF low (2,3,4,5,6) Batwing (RV) works well for all the above with Wingman.

This is why I suggested a Channel Master of the proper range.

snowman, if you have 30 min and a ballum, build this coat hanger OTA

you will be as good as tha RV batwing

there are youtubes that show simple wiring from 14" coat hanger lengths bent in 7" Vs.



IIRC that radio shack amp ($15) will also give it a big boost

hang it high in attic facing sears, and you will get almost all OTA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

Fizz wrote:

I made the Bow Tie version as a test before buying a 'real one'. It picked up everything around me. I bought the cheapest I could find, $17 and it works great.

Link doesn't work.

BOW TIE ANTENNA
This one works

I have ordered a Winegard Sensor lV OTA (batwing) antenna to replace the worthless omni-direction OTA factory installed antenna. Living in Wyoming (especially where I am) presents some problems when trying to get OTA TV unless you live in one of the two cities that have TV stations. I am about 75 or 80 airline miles from the closest one of those cities and most of my camping is done in remote locations. My main need is to get the news and weather reports while out camping.
I'm also planning to cut the cable at home and replacing that with an OTA antenna. Been a ham since the 50s, so have played with antennas all my life.

I made a single bay Gray-Hoverman for less than $10. It has no reflector. Used 1/2" pvc and aluminum wire. Put it on painters pole on the trailer and back side of chimney at home. It works very well.

Gray-Hoverman

Thanks. This would be in Naperville, so closer than you.

I live west of the Fox River. The stick and brick uses an old outdoor antenna mounted in the attic of a two story home and gets all the HD channels. I also have a Wally World flat antenna sitting under another TV and it picks up everything except channel 2. The batwing in the 5er also picks up everything including channel 2. The TV in the barn is on rabbit ears and it doesn't work very well.

Getting the right flat antenna was a hit or miss proposition. The one I am using successfully did not work at Dads place which is much closer however we did find another cheaper one that worked very well at his place.