I'm getting me a new antenna soon. and I really have them narrowed down to these two. My house is here in Texas on some very flat land and from my second story balcony i can see out for probably 3 miles and I want to get a roof mount antenna since i already get 21 digital channels and 3 analog channels with just rabbit ears so im hoping i can get in even more and also use this antenna for fm reception for some very weak stations.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11113388&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032189
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3766859
really like the second one but i thought i should get some opinions first.

The second one is UHF only. I believe there is a high VHF in Dallas.

I would think a high gain UHF/VHF combo would be better:

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=hd8200u&d=Winegard-HD8200U-Heavy-Duty-Platinum-VHF%2FUHF%2FFM-HDTV-Antenna-(HD-8200U)

Have you also thought about a rotator?

I already have a rotator just no mount. Florence is near Georgetown round rock and Austin kinda in that general area.

Try this site to predict your results;

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

The Winegard 8200 is one of the few broadband designs (Lo-V, Hi-V and U)left from the analog era. Its also about the most serious DX antenna available along with its arch-rival the Channel Master 3671.

If you try out the first one in the first link, you may find it to be a bit better than rabbit ears but it is a very small broadband and therefore not very directional.

The second one is a VERY good (an old 4-bay) UHF design and might actually get your Hi-V stations as well as killer UHF.

You will probably need the 8200 just to get KCWX, your only channel on low band VHF. Its for you to decide what to spend.

If I were to get that four bay antenna would there be much advantage getting the 8 bay instead of the 4 bay one?

Whoo it's my hundredth post!!

I got a MONSTER of an antenna parked on the side of my house. its as tall as the house.. Hope to one day get it back on the roof, or some cash :D

SR

Wow that thing must be huge was it part of an over the horizon radar or something?

If I were to get that four bay antenna would there be much advantage getting the 8 bay instead of the 4 bay one?

Whoo it's my hundredth post!!

Congrats! A bigger antenna will get you stronger signals and maybe even more
distant stations. This worked for me...

I have 3 antennas [lo-V, hi-V and UHF] mounted together *improperly* on one mast 28 feet in the air. Just don't have any more space for another mast.

However I'm almost in a direct line between Philadelphia [39 miles] and Baltimore
[52 miles] and I can receive all the stations from both cities with good reliability.
I also get a York, PA and two NJ stations as well from the side lobes.
Attached pic.
So it should work for you too.

Cliff

If I were to get that four bay antenna would there be much advantage getting the 8 bay instead of the 4 bay one?

Whoo it's my hundredth post!!

:yes: I think the 8-bay will work for better for VHF Hi-band. At your spot, just aim due south. You may not even need the rotor, as Cbenham notes above. Im in a similar location and I aim east for Phila and all the local DMA channels come in as well!

Here is a comparison of different 8-bay models.
http://www.antennahacks.com/Comparisons/CM4228_vs_DB8_vs_HD8800.htm

thats what doing right now im putting up a 40' tower i have a 48 diepole antenna that iv had for yrs never used it i got a rotor off ebay . want to put some other ant up there to while im doing it ,only concern im thinking about is im going to have to probley use a booster the tower is 75' to 100' feet away from house.

I aim east for Phila and all the local DMA channels come in as well!


I'm scratching my head on that one... what are DMA channels? :scratch2:
jr

thats what doing right now im putting up a 40' tower i have a 48 diepole antenna that iv had for yrs never used it i got a rotor off ebay . want to put some other ant up there to while im doing it ,only concern im thinking about is im going to have to probley use a booster the tower is 75' to 100' feet away from house.

I'd about give my EYETEETH for a nice 30-40' triangular tower to mount my bigazz Winegard FM & a rotaterator on...This area is FM DX HEAVEN...I'm right in the middle of a huge valley that goes from roughly Pennsylvania to Georgia... I just ain't got the scratch to lay out the $2K the Rohn people want for one..We had cable TV in this town from like 1965 on...Something to do w/the "Great Society" stuff, the Gummint bringin' the Modern Miracle of TV to us bassackwards Hillbillies, so all the TV masts are LONG since gone, you just don't find 'em. Now, if I wanted one of those GINORMOUS "Satellite" dishes, that's another story...Billie Joe & Poovie Mae might not have had the scratch to buy their snot-nosed young 'uns shoes, but, by Gawd, Billy Joe was the FIRST one in the Trailer Park to have hisself not one, but TWO of 'em...

One thing I've been reading lately is that the FCC may try to get more TV stations to move to VHF, including the VHF low band. There is a lot of demand for UHF for smart phones, etc.

I never understood why the TV stations seemed to prefer UHF. Range seems a little better on VHF, including VHF low.

I'd be somewhat happy to see TV back on VHF.

Keep this in mind when purchasing a new antenna. UHF-only may be OK for a while, but maybe you'll need a VHF antenna soon. We already have one or two VHF digital stations here in the SF Bay Area. I've had a big UHF-VHF antenna for many years, long before DTV, so I never had to make any change.

i had a nice tripod tower once before ,but it was attached to the house sitting on a nice concret pad was about 40' too,but when the flood of 96 came and my west basement wall 34' long colapsed and fell into the basement it pulled the tower down with it and part of the face off the roof and it all colapsed together .now the tower im putting up is different ,its ack. a older break over light pole from the 50's about 25' tall then i just add 2 10' foot galvinized inch & hafe steel pipe to it with 3 guide wires to the ground . it turned out looking pretty good its been all sand blasted and painted it sits on hafe ton cement bolted down ,the best part if i want to work on it or make changes just remove one nut and the pole bends over at the 25' foot point and i never leave the ground .

i had a nice tripod tower once before ,but it was attached to the house sitting on a nice concret pad was about 40' too,but when the flood of 96 came and my west basement wall 34' long colapsed and fell into the basement it pulled the tower down with it and part of the face off the roof and it all colapsed together .now the tower im putting up is different ,its ack. a older break over light pole from the 50's about 25' tall then i just add 2 10' foot galvinized inch & hafe steel pipe to it with 3 guide wires to the ground . it turned out looking pretty good its been all sand blasted and painted it sits on hafe ton cement bolted down ,the best part if i want to work on it or make changes just remove one nut and the pole bends over at the 25' foot point and i never leave the ground .

That sounds JUST PERZACTLY like what I'd LOVE to have..As far as SWL antennas go, I own 2 lots here, I could put up a BICHIN' longwire acrost the back part of the property...I had an EXCELLENT one that was about 50-70' long, but the tree I had it terminated on got "Terminated" itself a couple of years ago in a windstorm...

I'm scratching my head on that one... what are DMA channels? :scratch2:
jr

yeah whats DMA channels do i have them ? do i want them ?

That sounds JUST PERZACTLY like what I'd LOVE to have..As far as SWL antennas go, I own 2 lots here, I could put up a BICHIN' longwire acrost the back part of the property...I had an EXCELLENT one that was about 50-70' long, but the tree I had it terminated on got "Terminated" itself a couple of years ago in a windstorm...

i here ya if i have the chance id like string up alot different types of antenna's

I have an unconventional long wire about 60' long and 30' high, goes from the top of the house chimney to a tall metal pole at the back of the shop. I'm using antique ribbed glass antenna insulators. It's unconventional in that it has lead ins at both end! Sort of an inverted "U". That way I can use it in the shop or in the house.

I'm scratching my head on that one... what are DMA channels? :scratch2:
jr

Just FCC lingo for Designated Market Area.
These are the air channels you are "supposed" to be receiving.
If you use the website link I noted, you will usually see the first few show up in green, those are usually your "locals', but I have been able to get some channels that don't even come up on that list. The ones that are pink say "no reception", not true if you use a good antenna.

Bigger the better.
On top is the Channel Master 4251. On bottom the Wade VIP307.
Just make sure they are well anchored!
The Wade is a great FM DX'er too.
And be careful, the newer Channel Master 7777 (only one input version) is terrible (read as it has severe parasitic oscillation ond no signal passes). Word is Channel Master knows about it.
DXing here is fair alot of the time but when the band opens, it's FUN!

The ultimate setup there! and I like the flamingo.

I heard they use Owl decoys in poultry farm country south of here on the
DelMarVa peninsula to keep buzzards from landing on antennas!

Today I got another antenna a rotator a bunch of cable and a mast I don't kniw the model but its an antennacraft that was purchased at RadioShack by my grand pa in the 70s and it has been in a tree for 15 years it was never actually hooked up to a tv…
This is it sitting on a full-size bed!
It is missing one element but I think it will be fine176566
Ps I also got the antennacraft u4000