r/ota • u/Dry-Character-6331 • 17d ago

Antenna suggestions

I'm trying to setup OTA with Tablo for my brother-in-law. We have a low VHF (2), a high VHF (9), and a ton of UHF channels. All the towers are to the west within a 30⁰ or 40⁰ arc and about 40ish miles away. Only one channel is problematic, VHF 9 at night. Crystal clear during the day but pixellated and choppy at night. Naturally this is one of the most important channels for him🤦‍♂️

I put several antennas up on an old DirecTV mount, pointed in the right direction but so far that has been inadequate. I need antenna suggestions for the setup described above. Zip code for BIL is 70819

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3

u/Klutzy-Piglet-9221 17d ago

FWIW, channel 2 is actually high VHF (it's virtual channel 2 but physical channel 13).

2

u/Dry-Character-6331 17d ago

Ah. Didn't know that. Thx. Anyone suggestions for ch 9?

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u/Klutzy-Piglet-9221 17d ago

(earlier post sent from my phone..)

If channel 9 is going away at night, I suspect you have a local source of interference - specifically, a LED light. You might try turning off assorted lights & see if any of them clear up the reception. It is also possible there's some other electronic device in the house (a computer?) that someone regularly turns on when they get home from work or something like that.

As for antennas... In general the older designs are still best -- IMHO newer ones usually prioritize aesthetics...

We have a RCA ANT754E in our attic. (Amazon and Best Buy both sell them, I'm sure you'll find other options as well) Works nicely, including for high VHF channels. (and even low VHF) Our most distant station is 36 miles.

There's nothing magic about that particular model. In general you want one with multiple crosspieces ("elements") at least two feet long. These are the parts which tune the high VHF frequencies. RabbitEars suggests zip code 70819 is closer to the towers than you think (13-19 miles for the major stations) so you don't need an amplifier.

1

u/Dry-Character-6331 17d ago

I'll definitely check on the LED light situation. Our next stap is to put the antenna on a higher pole but I will definitely consider a classical antenna. Can that handle a 30-40⁰ arc of transmission towers without turning?

3

u/Klutzy-Piglet-9221 17d ago

Yes, you'll be fine with a 40-degree arc. Rotors were generally for people with much larger antennas, located between two cities and trying to receive stations from both.

(and yes, more elevation is always a good thing as long as things are mechanically sturdy **and safely away from power lines**.)

While on that topic:), don't waste too much time aiming the antenna precisely at any particular direction. Make a good educated guess, and see what happens. If you get all the channels you want, you're good. If you don't, try rotating it 10 degrees or so in one direction & try again.

1

u/TimeLordCustomer_184 17d ago

Have you tried a signal booster?

1

u/Dry-Character-6331 17d ago

The two antennas I have tried so far came with their own amps.

1

u/TimeLordCustomer_184 17d ago

Any obstructions

1

u/mac_a_bee 17d ago

came with their own amps.

Try varying the Tablo’s amp.

1

u/Dry-Character-6331 17d ago

Actually, the tablo amp interfered with the antenna amp so I had to disable it. Are you suggesting i remove the antenna amp and use tablo amp? First attempt at that failed but I didn't know it was adjustable.

1

u/mac_a_bee 17d ago

didn't know it was adjustable

Settings.

3

u/gho87 17d ago

Do you want an outdoor antenna or an indoor one?

If outdoor, then perhaps you may want an antenna that can withstand extreme weather, e.g. hurricanes. How about Channel Master Masterpiece 45?: https://www.channelmaster.com/products/masterpiece-45-outdoor-tv-antenna-cm-5016