Hi Craig, Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.
>>The antenna you have does look good. Karl recommended the 8-bay antenna which is also very good. I've used that 8-bay on my tower since TV went digital. It's aimed at Boston stations around 40 miles away, and the local stations are 90 degrees off the side of the antenna. Boston stations read over 90 percent on the receiver, yet the local stations which are two miles away off to the side are slightly lower. That antenna is very directional. Channel Master CM-7777 is about the best preamp.<< I forgot to mention that the preamp I have is the CM 7777. I do have translators I get off Megler Mt that are 12.1 miles away, and they are strong, but I don't get eveything I want from them. Some have not gone ditital as yet. All of the Gray's River ones are digital, so they have more sub channels. At 12.1 miles away (LOS), I get: 17D (NBC) 1.8 KW ERP 94% 21A (FOX) 12.1KW 23D (PBS) 5.7KW 100% 26A (ABC) 23 KW 34D (CBS) .586 KW 62% The Gray's River translators have ABC in Digital which has the best signal (no lock), Ch 38, and has METV for their sub channel. A friend 4 miles North of me gets that Gray's River tx at 81%, but he doesn't have the hill blocking him. >>What I would do is move the antenna around to see if there is a sweet spot. Would also get a 20' pipe of the largest diameter that the antenna will mount and guy wire it. Height makes a difference, and a length of pipe would stand up to your 100mph wind.<< Would that extra 5 feet make any difference? I have temp raised the antenna up to 25 feet in the Summer and still no difference in signal. The TV Fool info says I would have to go up to 100 feet to make any difference. That hill is about 2 miles away nd may be a few hundred feet high. >>Do you get different reception in winter vs. summer? Leaves can absorb signal. << I have not noticed that much of a difference and there is nothing blocking the antenna to the N/NE from my house to the hill. So no leaves of others things in the way. The Spruce trees are a long ways off. >>So far the best receiver I've had for TV is the current TiVo unit. Tried a few others including a rather expensive PHD-8VX. It was almost as good as TiVo. http://www.epvision.com/HDTVSTB/phd8vxmain.htm<< Thanks. I am looking for a good portable TV to try and find the sweet spot if possible. I need a digital portable TV anyway. >>Back in the 1950's a person in NY state had a similar problem as you do, a hill in the way. What he did was made a rhombic antenna on that hill aimed to New York City and connected directly to another rhombic aimed to him. That was a passive reflector and allowed him to receive TV. Kind of a cool trick.<< These Grays River tx are lp too, running from 500 w to 1KW ERP and that doesn't help either. Again thanks. I may try the 8 Bay as it would not be as tight of a pattern as the Yagi. Patrick Patrick Martin Seaside OR KGED QSL Manager _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com