[TowerTalk] New TV antennas

[Roger (K8RI)]

Jim WB5OXQ inb Waco, TX wrote:
> Anybody know if a new line of TV antennas are comming out since channels 2-6 are not used anymore. 

Where did you get that idea? 

Even here in Michigan we will have at least two active digital stations 
on Ch 2.
 Nation wide I believe there will be on the order of 20-30.  A quick 
search will show the listings after the change.  Low band VHF is not 
going away.  Only high band UHF, above 56 is leaving.

There will be an *eventual* migration from low VHF to get away from 
propagation problems (IE band openings), but that may take years.
>  smaller higher gain should now be possable with a managable size.
>   
OTOH I use the biggest UHF antennas I could get, put them at 90 feet, 
Antenna mounted preamps,  pointed them at the weakest stations and they 
do well on channels 5 through the top of UHF *without* a rotator. They 
may be a long way from optimal on low band VHF but all VHF stations are 
within 30-40 miles and there is enough signal for "picture perfect" 
images.  That and on UHF I'm getting reliable reception out to between 
90 and 100 miles.  I have one antenna pointed due South which may be 
turned slightly to SSW so I can get the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo stations 
so long as I don't lose Lansing.  I use a separate antenna pointed 330 
degrees for Caddillac and Traverse City which are between 60 and 90 
miles.  http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/Tower26.htm shows the one 
pointed 330 degrees while the one pointed South is almost invisible.  In 
http://www.rogerhalstead.com/ham_files/Tower30.htm the one pointed South 
shows as a dark line just to the right of the one pointed to 330.  As 
you can see they are just above the Diamond 144/440 antenna and about 30 
feet below the 144 (2 12L) and 440 (2 11L) arrays on a cross boom.  
There is also a crossed, folded dipole about 8 feet under the AV640 at 
the West (Left) end of the shop.

But again to emphasize, low band TV is NOT going away any time soon and 
definitely not with the change to digital.  OTOH with the change to 
digital it's like "musical channels". Most, but not all are changing 
frequency.  Assignments may or may not change in any specific area. Many 
are running multiple channels of lesser definition within their 
allocation.  They can fit two SD stations in the space of one analog.  
Some PBS stations are dropping to low res and running even more.

Just do a search on TV channel allocation after the switch to digital 
and you should find a table that lists all proposed changes. Of course 
there are some mistakes in it. Enter your address into the search and 
it'll even tell you what you need for an antenna.  Of course that is 
based on the worse  case scenario, so it is a bit pessimistic.
It tells me I will only get about 5 stations and need antenna mounted 
preamps.  I receive over 20 stations far beyond the range they list and 
I don't need any preamp or even VHF antenna for the VHF stations.  They 
also have two local stations listed as being 40 and 50 miles away when 
they are less than 15.


73

Roger (K8RI)
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