Homemeade TV antenna

[1D10T]

I built this antenna

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joearnold/3399193845/sizes/l/

by watching a youtube video proclaiming it to be as good or better than most
commercially available set-top units. It does fine - I get as many channels
as a friend's $79 RCA antenna with an amplifier. The problem is that it's
too directional and I'd like more 'reach' for some transmitters that are
about 50 miles away. One channel I want is only fair for analog, but NG for
the digital channels they provide. Would an amplifier help there?
I'm a raw newbie in this area and would sure appreciate any advice or
suggestions. I'd like the satisfaction of doing this myself. Is there such a
thing as paralleling two of them?
TIA
Joe Arnold

 

[ng_reader]

"1D10T" <Joe@digital.net> wrote in message
news:LT6Fl.28974$b9.8326@bignews6.bellsouth.net...

I built this antenna

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joearnold/3399193845/sizes/l/

by watching a youtube video proclaiming it to be as good or better than
most commercially available set-top units. It does fine - I get as many
channels as a friend's $79 RCA antenna with an amplifier. The problem is
that it's too directional and I'd like more 'reach' for some transmitters
that are about 50 miles away. One channel I want is only fair for analog,
but NG for the digital channels they provide. Would an amplifier help
there?
I'm a raw newbie in this area and would sure appreciate any advice or
suggestions. I'd like the satisfaction of doing this myself. Is there such
a thing as paralleling two of them?
TIA
Joe Arnold

For the price of another PT 2x4, you could find out...

 

[geoff]

1D10T wrote:

I built this antenna

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joearnold/3399193845/sizes/l/

by watching a youtube video proclaiming it to be as good or better
than most commercially available set-top units. It does fine - I get
as many channels as a friend's $79 RCA antenna with an amplifier. The
problem is that it's too directional and I'd like more 'reach' for
some transmitters that are about 50 miles away. One channel I want is
only fair for analog, but NG for the digital channels they provide.
Would an amplifier help there? I'm a raw newbie in this area and would
sure appreciate any advice or
suggestions. I'd like the satisfaction of doing this myself. Is there
such a thing as paralleling two of them?

Well it really doesn't quite 'do fine' then. At least not for what you want.

Would the $79 antenna do what you want ?

Or you could make up two antennae, and buy or make a combiner so you could
point each at each source.

geoff

 

[1D10T]

"geoff" <geoff@nospam-paf.co.nz> wrote in message
news:FtednR2AiM4ofHbUnZ2dnVY3goidnZ2d@giganews.com...

1D10T wrote:
I built this antenna

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joearnold/3399193845/sizes/l/

by watching a youtube video proclaiming it to be as good or better
than most commercially available set-top units. It does fine - I get
as many channels as a friend's $79 RCA antenna with an amplifier. The
problem is that it's too directional and I'd like more 'reach' for
some transmitters that are about 50 miles away. One channel I want is
only fair for analog, but NG for the digital channels they provide.
Would an amplifier help there? I'm a raw newbie in this area and would
sure appreciate any advice or
suggestions. I'd like the satisfaction of doing this myself. Is there
such a thing as paralleling two of them?


Well it really doesn't quite 'do fine' then. At least not for what you
want.

Would the $79 antenna do what you want ?

Or you could make up two antennae, and buy or make a combiner so you could
point each at each source.

Thanks Geoff
I learned yesterday that the one channel I want is only transmitting
digitally at 50% power until 6/12. So... that means my $4 antenna *is* as
good as the $79 one - it doesn't get Channel 7 either. I am going to make
another as you suggest. BTW - the $79 one doesn't get 2 channels that I do,
and I've yet to add a 28db amplifier. What started me on this is that I
refuse to pay $40+ for a satellite system that won't provide locals.
Thanks again.
Joe Arnold

 

[Alex]

"1D10T" <Joe@digital.net> wrote in
news:0j%Gl.31154$9a.15274@bignews1.bellsouth.net:

"geoff" <geoff@nospam-paf.co.nz> wrote in message
news:FtednR2AiM4ofHbUnZ2dnVY3goidnZ2d@giganews.com...
1D10T wrote:
I built this antenna

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joearnold/3399193845/sizes/l/

by watching a youtube video proclaiming it to be as good or better
than most commercially available set-top units. It does fine - I get
as many channels as a friend's $79 RCA antenna with an amplifier.
The problem is that it's too directional and I'd like more 'reach'
for some transmitters that are about 50 miles away. One channel I
want is only fair for analog, but NG for the digital channels they
provide. Would an amplifier help there? I'm a raw newbie in this
area and would sure appreciate any advice or
suggestions. I'd like the satisfaction of doing this myself. Is
there such a thing as paralleling two of them?


Well it really doesn't quite 'do fine' then. At least not for what
you want.

Would the $79 antenna do what you want ?

Or you could make up two antennae, and buy or make a combiner so you
could point each at each source.

Thanks Geoff
I learned yesterday that the one channel I want is only transmitting
digitally at 50% power until 6/12. So... that means my $4 antenna *is*
as good as the $79 one - it doesn't get Channel 7 either. I am going
to make another as you suggest. BTW - the $79 one doesn't get 2
channels that I do, and I've yet to add a 28db amplifier. What started
me on this is that I refuse to pay $40+ for a satellite system that
won't provide locals. Thanks again.
Joe Arnold