It's just a matter of not just buying the antenna but installing the mast pipe to mount it on and grounding it properly. You really don't need a tower for a TV antenna. This seems to be making a comeback to eliminate cable & dish monthly bills which add up in a years time.
Kevin, I just saw your video and recognized the Pittsburgh stations. I used to get all the Pittsburgh stations plus Johnstown from an antenna before the wonderful transition to digital broadcast TV in 2009. I now depend on direct TV for the local stations because I could no longer get them from my antenna. I live in northwest PA amongst the hills in a valley (we say hollow). I heard you state you lived in southwestern PA so I was curious how far you were from the TV stations in Pittsburgh and if your area was very hilly. I have been through Washington county and it's in mountainous foothills as we are up here. Signal guides state that I am approximately 64 miles from stations. I remember when it was free TV and that's why we had to put up with commercials. Now we pay for TV and still have to put up with commercials. Great channel and good idea with the TV tower to make it easy to repair or maintenance.
Distance from stations is more important to me then how many channels you get.The amount of channels depend on how many are in your area. We only have about 5 local stations here but with the right antenna setup I can pull in Madison,WI bout 70 miles away.The Madison stations are a lot stronger then what if here locally. Thanks
The reason you do not see many old towers is that a many guys died when they would go up the tower and the rusted tower broke and the guy fell to his death. They scrapped a huge amount that were around.
When I was a kid in the early 60s we built antennas like this on a 1 by piece a wood to get UHF. We had a VHF TV with a UHF converter back then. We had two of these type antennas on an old ladder bolted to the house. One faced east west and the other north south to get everything in our area. There was equal lengths of ladder line 300 ohm tv wire going to each antenna. At the junction was the TV 300 ohm ladder line or open wire TV cable going into the house to the TV UHF converter box. Where it converted to VHF channel 3 to feed the old round screen Zenith TV set. Grandma loved L. Welk show and the music on there. And Grandpa would watch it with her. Grandpa later changed the antennas and put some chicken wire o the back side of a new set him and I built together. BTW my Grandpas first UHF TV antenna was a blown out 500 watt light bulb hooked to the 300 ohm wire and put in the attic to get channel 20 in Springfield Illinois. Thanks for the antenna design it made me remember many good times with my Grandpa. 73s Jimmy, WX9DX
I have a CM-4228 It's great I pickup an easy 44 station or more with plenty of variety.(currently 60 channels with some repeated channels and a couple of Spanish stations) I wasn't watching anything on cable. So I asked my wife if what she was watching was worth $125 a month. So first I went through various small antennas, then after doing my research, I ordered the CM-4228 through Home Depot which seemed the cheapest at around $90. I also the Channel Master LTE line filter to get rid of cell phone static which got me more stations and clearer stations. Also you want the RG-6 cables and connector, and other cable or connectors is a waste of frequencies So I got rid of cable, But if you want to keep cable, it's not a problem as long as your cable box has a HDMI outlets I did get ROKU so I'm good.
The Channel Master CM-4228HD TV antenna is the best antenna you'll ever own. I use mine with the Channel Master CM-7778 preamp and CM-3418 indoor distribution amplifier. Basically I could run my own MATV TV System and supply my apartment building with free over-the-air digital HD TV. The best quality picture you'll ever see on a HD TV and you can't go wrong with Channel Master. Currently getting 27 channels in the Montreal area 16 of which are U.S. Border Stations. $0 dollars a month TV!
Hello, I enjoyed this video. I think if you slowly rotate your antenna, then keep rescanning , you should be able to pick up more stations. I have the CM 4228 (previous generation) and I easily get about 50 channels.
Could you repeat the channel count, except backwards? That was incredibly helpful, but I'm wondering, why didn't you go into detail about why I cannot get your Pittsburgh channels here in the innermost regions of outer Wyoming?
Kevin, Although this is an excellent antenna, it is primarily designed for UHF channels. Since VHF Lo and High band exist in your area, you should install an all-band antenna. Also avoid using an amplifier if possible. Local cell towers and FM broadcast stations can overload the amp and degrade reception.
I am not sure about the comment someone made about guys falling off towers is why they do not see many. If someone climbs a tower, they should have a safety belt. Someone falling is their own ignorance for not taking steps to use a safety belt. You, see cell towers they are not going away. In the south they are plenty of tv antenna towers around. But as for HDTV Antenna there is no such thing. You can use an old antenna long as it is in good shape. I much rather have the old large antenna.
Thanks for your video, good information to choose one of antenna. I have been installing this model many times, they were all good. The price is quite more expensive now. I could get it $98-115 before. On Amazon $145 now. I don't know I should start to buy other model ..
i have this antenna and its the best one ive tried. i cannot get Lexington kentucky NBC or Knoxville Tennesee . although im in between both cities i get both CBS and fox channels from both cities ..
it helped but if you use the rotor you might get other channels lol I agree with you I have clear TV a crappy antenna in the window and get like 8 channels which is OK I get all locals and I have wifi so I have net flix but I can't believe people pay that much for channels they never watch
The settings on your tv should allow you to hide or skip some of those unwanted channels. Basically, you get all the networks; most in HD, plus some other programming that are in SD. No better or worse than paid tv except for almost no sports.
I see your from Pittsburgh like me haha. where do you live? (dont give your exact address obviously) lol. BTW you could probably receive wtov if you got a vhf antenna. It actually still broadcasts on vhf channel 9 unlike the other stations. Also a vhf antenna could bring in fox 8 wwcp on from laurel mountain depending on where you live. wwcp also carries watm (abc) on 8-2 from penn state.
nice thanks .. I have a channel master amp coming I'm looking a one of these antenna also why not match it all up I have a clear stream 2v and a 4v I like but all can still be better
so do i need a booster when the signal is low on a cloudy day? I live close to many broadcast towers within 20 miles to me the closet being 7.1 miles. thanks :)
Boosters are mainly for long runs or large splitters. Like 4 or more tvs. I found out letting your antenna do the work by using a better gain antenna but as close as you are you should not need a booster period. Also try turning antenna to get the strongest signal.
More than likely that duplicate channels that you're getting under another Channel A affiliate of another Market. See if you're in between towns you may very well get to markets. The easy way to do it and figure out where they're at is put the call sign into the search bar of your computer and it will tell you where that station is located. Something else that may be beneficial as there is a website called TV fools yes believe it or not that you put in the ZIP code or your actual address and it will tell you on a compass type diagram which direction the stations are in and naturally you have to have your rotor calibrated in order to use that compass. If you did your scan at night you will tend to bring in stuff you may not get during the day that is far away. There is something that is called tropospheric ducting and when that is happening you can get stations from hundreds of miles away if you know where to aim. It's a phenomenon of Mother Nature. Very much like skip on the CB or ham radio. It's fun to play with and you have an excellent receiving station to play with long distance signals. I'm envious. Be aware that when tropo as working you have to rescan to pick up those Faraway stations. During your scan you may see that it gets stuck as it is moving forward it may instantly pick up stations at that point and move on or it may not. If it is not a reliable signal the television cannot decode it and it will think about it a minute and either scan it in or skip it. That is the delays that you see. Get your headings and scan in that direction. The next they will be gone. I live in Corpus Christi tx. I had several stations down there i cant remember like 130 air miles away san Antonio about the same dist. North Victoria tx 81 air miles and one from Houston tx 180 miles. I have single yours is two together i have no amp. And i am 15 feet off the ground. Other than possible immediate line of sight issues you have a far better set up and you could easily get it of course if they're out there to get. You have to be patient and wait for conditions. I was previously a ham operator and have a 45-foot tower I need to get my antennas go faced with a reflector in a rotor up there. Playing with long-distance also none of this DX is more of a challenge then anything. It's not for Reliable TV
I have a ??? do I have to put this Antenna way up high over the roof I have a few trees around me and dose it have to point to 2 different stations I have about 5 different stations about 30 miles or less around me. about 4 stations is all in the same place just about and one is off in a different place it is hard to line them up to get them all I will find about 15 channels and some will go off at day time and come back on at night any thing you tell me would help
The reason why you get good channels at night because the signal bounces off the moisture in the air do you have the channel master 8-bay antenna a good antenna is #1 above them trees would be nice the higher the better. Look into a booster that will help to my setup was worth every penny. thank you for the comment.
I would aim for the 4 station then maybe play with it to see if their is a possible sweet spot to pick up all 5. The higher the better, but if that not feasible for you, then do try a signal booster. Ace Hardware has a 24 db Monster Cable signal amp for under $40 or cheaper online. www.acehardware.com/departments/lighting-and-electrical/home-electronics/audio-visual-cable-adapters/3261393?x429=true&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrszdBRDWARIsAEEYhrdrsraqwAkGCGeJxoIMq__TJiiMwcwf4tF8npxqgLQIx6ksyfuQixQaAhZbEALw_wcB
Trees aren't near as big an issue if they are 30 40 50 yards away further the better. Do not expect good signal when they are 5 feet away. Look for the W above I had a long post regarding skip which is known as tropospheric ducting. On these particular frequencies. It is not an ionosphere bounce like on HF. Get a good antenna get it high and put an amp on it Sila all connections with tape on the coax and amplifier. What you scan it at night you may not have the next day. TV reception is better at night. It would not be impossible to have regular Dependable television on a good antenna at a good height from 85 or so miles line of sight is the name of the game. Also a good DB gain antenna and do not be fooled by those hundred and fifty mile antennas. Mine is homemade and that is not elaborate and I have received tropospheric ducting from almost 200 miles away
Brenda, There are several things you may want to check on your set up. The cables and connectors are color coded. Your signal is only as strong as your weakest connection. So BLUE coded RG6 cable and connectors are best and rated for the widest frequency of 5 - 2,3Gh(2300Mh) If you have splitters, they will state a frequency range Old school units are generall, 5 - 900Mh. The RED coded are 5-1,004Mh. I'd suggest up remove anything that isn't coded Blue from your antenna to your tvs Also Buy concise lengths of cable(don't use 100 foot when 25 foot will work due to loss of signal.) If your cable comes thru a wall mounted jack, be sure the the plastic insert is Blue!!!! The ring on the cable ends should be Blue!! Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Walmart should have what you need, but they also have the cheap crap that will give you a cheap crappy picture. My cable company Harness was generally RED coded. once I changed it out to Blue, I get a beautiful picture and more channels. As for Height, get it as high as you can. All of the "$39" antennas are shown mounted on the side of the house. This is not desirable. Your Antenna should be over the peak of the roof. So if you have one of those kits with the short stand, mount it near the peak of the roof so that you have the best signal possible. Away from trees and obstructions as much as possible I was 10 feet higher before Hurricane Flo(Long story), so I've lost some long distance stations. I don't have a tower YET, But will soon as I can find a deal, so my antenna is 20 feet off the ground, about 7 feet over the roof. I have a Channel Master Extreme 8 bay which survived Hurricane Flo with a little tweaking and newer stronger pipe sections I am a TVholic and have been Cable Free for 1 year and 8 days. On that note, I have several Roku units for my tvs How long have you had "Internet" service?? Check with your provider, ONCE I CONTACTED SPECTRUM, The swapped out my our Router for a 16 x 4 unit and also gave me a router, so my Wifi is loaded for bear! I was getting download speed of 19Mbps but now get over 100 Mbps
Yes he had it.it was 19.1. I live near the Ohio West Virginia border and that channel is one of the Pittsburgh channels I'm not getting along with wqed.need to find a good long range vhf high antenna so I can get those.any recommendations anyone?
It's just a matter of not just buying the antenna but installing the mast pipe to mount it on and grounding it properly. You really don't need a tower for a TV antenna. This seems to be making a comeback to eliminate cable & dish monthly bills which add up in a years time.
That is for sure thank you for the comment.
Kevin, I just saw your video and recognized the Pittsburgh stations. I used to get all the Pittsburgh stations plus Johnstown from an antenna before the wonderful transition to digital broadcast TV in 2009. I now depend on direct TV for the local stations because I could no longer get them from my antenna. I live in northwest PA amongst the hills in a valley (we say hollow). I heard you state you lived in southwestern PA so I was curious how far you were from the TV stations in Pittsburgh and if your area was very hilly. I have been through Washington county and it's in mountainous foothills as we are up here. Signal guides state that I am approximately 64 miles from stations. I remember when it was free TV and that's why we had to put up with commercials. Now we pay for TV and still have to put up with commercials. Great channel and good idea with the TV tower to make it easy to repair or maintenance.
Distance from stations is more important to me then how many channels you get.The amount of channels depend on how many are in your area. We only have about 5 local stations here but with the right antenna setup I can pull in Madison,WI bout 70 miles away.The Madison stations are a lot stronger then what if here locally. Thanks
The reason you do not see many old towers is that a many guys died when they would go up the tower and the rusted tower broke and the guy fell to his death. They scrapped a huge amount that were around.
When I was a kid in the early 60s we built antennas like this on a 1 by piece a wood to get UHF. We had a VHF TV with a UHF converter back then. We had two of these type antennas on an old ladder bolted to the house. One faced east west and the other north south to get everything in our area. There was equal lengths of ladder line 300 ohm tv wire going to each antenna. At the junction was the TV 300 ohm ladder line or open wire TV cable going into the house to the TV UHF converter box. Where it converted to VHF channel 3 to feed the old round screen Zenith TV set. Grandma loved L. Welk show and the music on there. And Grandpa would watch it with her. Grandpa later changed the antennas and put some chicken wire o the back side of a new set him and I built together. BTW my Grandpas first UHF TV antenna was a blown out 500 watt light bulb hooked to the 300 ohm wire and put in the attic to get channel 20 in Springfield Illinois. Thanks for the antenna design it made me remember many good times with my Grandpa. 73s Jimmy, WX9DX
Thank you Jimmy for sharing and for watching.
Looks like outstanding reception! Did you try it without the booster too? I loved the way your video ended with the stop! ;)
It doesn't work as well without the booster so i suggest using one, thanks so much for watching.
I have a CM-4228 It's great I pickup an easy 44 station or more with plenty of variety.(currently 60 channels with some repeated channels and a couple of Spanish stations)
I wasn't watching anything on cable. So I asked my wife if what she was watching was worth $125 a month. So first I went through various small antennas, then after doing my research, I ordered the CM-4228 through Home Depot which seemed the cheapest at around $90. I also the Channel Master LTE line filter to get rid of cell phone static which got me more stations and clearer stations.
Also you want the RG-6 cables and connector, and other cable or connectors is a waste of frequencies
So I got rid of cable, But if you want to keep cable, it's not a problem as long as your cable box has a HDMI outlets
I did get ROKU so I'm good.
Thanks for sharing.
The Channel Master CM-4228HD TV antenna is the best antenna you'll ever own. I use mine with the Channel Master CM-7778 preamp and CM-3418 indoor distribution amplifier. Basically I could run my own MATV TV System and supply my apartment building with free over-the-air digital HD TV. The best quality picture you'll ever see on a HD TV and you can't go wrong with Channel Master. Currently getting 27 channels in the Montreal area 16 of which are U.S. Border Stations. $0 dollars a month TV!
I love it save money.
Hello, I enjoyed this video. I think if you slowly rotate your antenna, then keep rescanning , you should be able to pick up more stations. I have the CM 4228 (previous generation) and I easily get about 50 channels.
Thank you John I will do that.
Could you repeat the channel count, except backwards? That was incredibly helpful, but I'm wondering, why didn't you go into detail about why I cannot get your Pittsburgh channels here in the innermost regions of outer Wyoming?
Because Pittsburgh is in Pennsylvania?
Kevin, Although this is an excellent antenna, it is primarily designed for UHF channels. Since VHF Lo and High band exist in your area, you should install an all-band antenna. Also avoid using an amplifier if possible. Local cell towers and FM broadcast stations can overload the amp and degrade reception.
good information thank you
I am not sure about the comment someone made about guys falling off towers is why they do not see many. If someone climbs a tower, they should have a safety belt. Someone falling is their own ignorance for not taking steps to use a safety belt. You, see cell towers they are not going away. In the south they are plenty of tv antenna towers around. But as for HDTV Antenna there is no such thing. You can use an old antenna long as it is in good shape. I much rather have the old large antenna.
Thanks for the comment and watching.
Thanks for your video, good information to choose one of antenna. I have been installing this model many times, they were all good. The price is quite more expensive now. I could get it $98-115 before. On Amazon $145 now. I don't know I should start to buy other model ..
Glad it helped Peter thanks for the comment.
i have this antenna and its the best one ive tried. i cannot get Lexington kentucky NBC or Knoxville Tennesee . although im in between both cities i get both CBS and fox channels from both cities ..
it is the best one for me also i got alot of channels with it.
it helped but if you use the rotor you might get other channels lol I agree with you I have clear TV a crappy antenna in the window and get like 8 channels which is OK I get all locals and I have wifi so I have net flix but I can't believe people pay that much for channels they never watch
your right thanks for the comment.
Appreciate the video I will definitely be getting this Omni directional antenna for sure, great video bud👍😁💪😎💪👌
It's still working great Jason thanks for the comment.
No problem I love the platform you built too I'd love to have one just like it, it's way past cool it's the perfect setup for sure👍😎
what a gorgeous rig
The settings on your tv should allow you to hide or skip some of those unwanted channels. Basically, you get all the networks; most in HD, plus some other programming that are in SD. No better or worse than paid tv except for almost no sports.
Thanks for the comment and watching.
Wow, you got a lot of Channels!
very helpful....nice job!
Glad it was helpful!
I see your from Pittsburgh like me haha. where do you live? (dont give your exact address obviously) lol. BTW you could probably receive wtov if you got a vhf antenna. It actually still broadcasts on vhf channel 9 unlike the other stations. Also a vhf antenna could bring in fox 8 wwcp on from laurel mountain depending on where you live. wwcp also carries watm (abc) on 8-2 from penn state.
Dilliner PA. thanks for watching Casey Walt.
nice thanks .. I have a channel master amp coming I'm looking a one of these antenna also why not match it all up I have a clear stream 2v and a 4v I like but all can still be better
Thank you for the comment.
I apologize for the typos but it's readable. I was voice texting it reading as it went it changed it before I hit send
Thank you for all your comments Wes Walker.
so do i need a booster when the signal is low on a cloudy day? I live close to many broadcast towers within 20 miles to me the closet being 7.1 miles. thanks :)
you won't need a booster....
Boosters are mainly for long runs or large splitters. Like 4 or more tvs. I found out letting your antenna do the work by using a better gain antenna but as close as you are you should not need a booster period. Also try turning antenna to get the strongest signal.
There are 2 Type of AMPS. 1= A Pre-Amplifier (For Signal Booster) and 2= Antenna Amplifier (For Long Distance Wire)
how does it do with your VHF channels?
Works great.
This antenna is good for high VHF, 7-13. I have one VHF station on ch12 and it does fine.
will this antenna pickup 100 miles,with booster. thanks
It should.
If you aim it properly, it will likely get stations now broadcasting from the moon... just aim it straight up.
@@ClintonMeyerushkev - LOL
i can get about 3 times as much channels at n8ght why is that
It maybe because of the moisture in the air.
More than likely that duplicate channels that you're getting under another Channel A affiliate of another Market. See if you're in between towns you may very well get to markets. The easy way to do it and figure out where they're at is put the call sign into the search bar of your computer and it will tell you where that station is located. Something else that may be beneficial as there is a website called TV fools yes believe it or not that you put in the ZIP code or your actual address and it will tell you on a compass type diagram which direction the stations are in and naturally you have to have your rotor calibrated in order to use that compass. If you did your scan at night you will tend to bring in stuff you may not get during the day that is far away. There is something that is called tropospheric ducting and when that is happening you can get stations from hundreds of miles away if you know where to aim. It's a phenomenon of Mother Nature. Very much like skip on the CB or ham radio. It's fun to play with and you have an excellent receiving station to play with long distance signals. I'm envious. Be aware that when tropo as working you have to rescan to pick up those Faraway stations. During your scan you may see that it gets stuck as it is moving forward it may instantly pick up stations at that point and move on or it may not. If it is not a reliable signal the television cannot decode it and it will think about it a minute and either scan it in or skip it. That is the delays that you see. Get your headings and scan in that direction. The next they will be gone. I live in Corpus Christi tx. I had several stations down there i cant remember like 130 air miles away san Antonio about the same dist. North Victoria tx 81 air miles and one from Houston tx 180 miles. I have single yours is two together i have no amp. And i am 15 feet off the ground. Other than possible immediate line of sight issues you have a far better set up and you could easily get it of course if they're out there to get. You have to be patient and wait for conditions. I was previously a ham operator and have a 45-foot tower I need to get my antennas go faced with a reflector in a rotor up there. Playing with long-distance also none of this DX is more of a challenge then anything. It's not for Reliable TV
I have a ??? do I have to put this Antenna way up high over the roof I have a few trees around me and dose it have to point to 2 different stations I have about 5 different stations about 30 miles or less around me. about 4 stations is all in the same place just about and one is off in a different place it is hard to line them up to get them all I will find about 15 channels and some will go off at day time and come back on at night any thing you tell me would help
The reason why you get good channels at night because the signal bounces off the moisture in the air do you have the channel master 8-bay antenna a good antenna is #1 above them trees would be nice the higher the better.
Look into a booster that will help to my setup was worth every penny. thank you for the comment.
I would aim for the 4 station then maybe play with it to see if their is a possible sweet spot to pick up all 5. The higher the better, but if that not feasible for you, then do try a signal booster. Ace Hardware has a 24 db Monster Cable signal amp for under $40 or cheaper online.
www.acehardware.com/departments/lighting-and-electrical/home-electronics/audio-visual-cable-adapters/3261393?x429=true&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrszdBRDWARIsAEEYhrdrsraqwAkGCGeJxoIMq__TJiiMwcwf4tF8npxqgLQIx6ksyfuQixQaAhZbEALw_wcB
Trees aren't near as big an issue if they are 30 40 50 yards away further the better. Do not expect good signal when they are 5 feet away. Look for the W above I had a long post regarding skip which is known as tropospheric ducting. On these particular frequencies. It is not an ionosphere bounce like on HF. Get a good antenna get it high and put an amp on it Sila all connections with tape on the coax and amplifier. What you scan it at night you may not have the next day. TV reception is better at night. It would not be impossible to have regular Dependable television on a good antenna at a good height from 85 or so miles line of sight is the name of the game. Also a good DB gain antenna and do not be fooled by those hundred and fifty mile antennas. Mine is homemade and that is not elaborate and I have received tropospheric ducting from almost 200 miles away
Brenda, There are several things you may want to check on your set up. The cables and connectors are color coded. Your signal is only as strong as your weakest connection.
So BLUE coded RG6 cable and connectors are best and rated for the widest frequency of 5 - 2,3Gh(2300Mh) If you have splitters, they will state a frequency range Old school units are generall, 5 - 900Mh. The RED coded are 5-1,004Mh. I'd suggest up remove anything that isn't coded Blue from your antenna to your tvs Also Buy concise lengths of cable(don't use 100 foot when 25 foot will work due to loss of signal.) If your cable comes thru a wall mounted jack, be sure the the plastic insert is Blue!!!! The ring on the cable ends should be Blue!!
Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Walmart should have what you need, but they also have the cheap crap that will give you a cheap crappy picture.
My cable company Harness was generally RED coded. once I changed it out to Blue, I get a beautiful picture and more channels.
As for Height, get it as high as you can. All of the "$39" antennas are shown mounted on the side of the house. This is not desirable. Your Antenna should be over the peak of the roof. So if you have one of those kits with the short stand, mount it near the peak of the roof so that you have the best signal possible. Away from trees and obstructions as much as possible
I was 10 feet higher before Hurricane Flo(Long story), so I've lost some long distance stations. I don't have a tower YET, But will soon as I can find a deal, so my antenna is 20 feet off the ground, about 7 feet over the roof.
I have a Channel Master Extreme 8 bay which survived Hurricane Flo with a little tweaking and newer stronger pipe sections
I am a TVholic and have been Cable Free for 1 year and 8 days.
On that note, I have several Roku units for my tvs
How long have you had "Internet" service?? Check with your provider, ONCE I CONTACTED SPECTRUM, The swapped out my our Router for a 16 x 4 unit and also gave me a router, so my Wifi is loaded for bear!
I was getting download speed of 19Mbps but now get over 100 Mbps
do you get CW too?
Not sure on that one.
Yes he had it.it was 19.1. I live near the Ohio West Virginia border and that channel is one of the Pittsburgh channels I'm not getting along with wqed.need to find a good long range vhf high antenna so I can get those.any recommendations anyone?
There is no difference between an HD and non HD antenna
Thanks for the info Phillip.
Nope! It's just UHF/VHF Signal Broadcast in Digital Form!