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Kiev Savoie
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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[quote]This is the antenna that I bought. Currently I have it mounted indoors. I plan on mounting it in the attic, but I am going to test it up there first! Like I said before I get great reception with that antenna and it only cost $35usd. [/quote]
Man that's a beast! it's directional i take it? Very Tempting...
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bbfarmht
Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 1273
Location: Where the Mississippi runs east to west!!
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Kiev Savoie wrote: | | Man that's a beast! it's directional i take it? Very Tempting... |
Directional- not really I am picking up tv stations in other cities Iowa city as well. the main stations I watch are in Davenport. Compared to the other antennas that I was using it rather small but considerably larger than the indoor antennas.
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jkruger
Joined: 24 Oct 2007
Posts: 2435
Location: Carlsbad, CA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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I found an open box deal on this one at my local radio shack for $30.00 cash.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103085
The transmitters are about 40 miles away and separated by about 30 degrees. I had to mount it very low on the roof to be as discrete as possible due to the ocean views in my area.
It pulls 95% from both locations.
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Kiev Savoie
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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hmm... looks like a good performer but i don't think i want to tangle with something that big. $30 is a great deal though. so many options, i should do some ebay searches and see what's readily available.
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Kiev Savoie
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
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| Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:42 pm Post subject: |
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mike that was a pretty cool site. I now know what DXing is!
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| MikeEby wrote: | Found an interesting site about the antenna I have on my roof. The mighty 7 foot diameter Channel Master 4251.
http://www.rocketroberts.com/cm4251/cm4251.htm
It been on my roof almost 10 years, Its big.. On my locals I get 100% signal.
Mike |
That web page made me get butterflies in my stomach. I didn't think there was a bigger antenna geek than me out there! I really wish I had photographed some of the antenna's I built and mounted on the balcony over the years.
I use to put them out at night and take them in during the day for the really big ones. Never got a complaint that way except for shortly after I got my ham license. I ran 100 watt's on 10 metres and apparently the lady's toaster downstairs was receiving me.  I had to stop running that here.
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:25 am Post subject: |
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| MikeEby wrote: |
Yep, outdoors is the only way to go to get a rock solid signal. BTW, Analog....that setup does not have a high of WAF. 
Mike |
Good thing I don't have a WAF. You should see some of my Saturday night setups. I plan on doing one tomorow  I need to do some PS3/HDFury1/HDFury2 testing. I think I have all the cables I need.
You know I kinda switched from being an antenna geek to a cable geek.
The other funny thing with that 4 bay bow tie was the fact when it was laying on its back ontop of the Ampro it was still pulling in some signals.
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Last edited by AnalogRocks on Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:45 am; edited 2 times in total
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:36 am Post subject: |
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| Kiev Savoie wrote: | | mike that was a pretty cool site. I now know what DXing is! |
I was DXing one day here in Toronto without realizing it.
I was talking to a couple of guys and I was using an indoor S shaped antenna out of necessity. ( There was a lightening storm going on ).
I asked where the two guys were located expecting to hear somewhere withing 25 miles of me and the one with the stonger signal replied Reykjavík. I paused for a second....thinking Reykjavík? Reykjavík?......... Iceland!
That was my longest DX via voice I ever did.
As for TV, we had cable system issues here for a while. We have a local provincial ( state) channel called TVO on UHF 19. THey signed off the air one night and all night long I was getting WOIO Cleveland comming in and out and this was just over the CATV system! It was pretty cool.
Shortly after that TVO started broacasting color bars at night to block the DX signal. Aparently without a contract to carry that signal on the CATV system there was some leagal BS to conted with. Still it was cool for a while. Good programming on WOIO too.
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Kiev Savoie
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:52 am Post subject: |
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I found this claim on ebay:
Although the DB2 was originally designed for outdoor use, it has quickly become one of our most popular indoor antennas due to its small size and extraordinary gain. The bowtie design provides strong gain across the entire UHF spectrum and it functions incredibly well in areas where a low profile antenna is required. In fact the DB2 was recently named "The highest performing indoor antenna" from HDTV Primer."
I think i'm sold. no power cords, no mounting and 11DB of gain i think.
I also ran across this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=110352292410
it looks like some interprising geek came up with a cheap design for a 4 bay bow-tie. I wonder how much gain it is losing with out a reflector though.
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Kiev Savoie
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:54 am Post subject: |
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I suppose you could just keep doubling the amount of bays with that design to increase reception, huh?
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:59 am Post subject: |
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| Kiev Savoie wrote: | I found this claim on ebay:
Although the DB2 was originally designed for outdoor use, it has quickly become one of our most popular indoor antennas due to its small size and extraordinary gain. The bowtie design provides strong gain across the entire UHF spectrum and it functions incredibly well in areas where a low profile antenna is required. In fact the DB2 was recently named "The highest performing indoor antenna" from HDTV Primer."
I think i'm sold. no power cords, no mounting and 11DB of gain i think.
I also ran across this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=110352292410
it looks like some interprising geek came up with a cheap design for a 4 bay bow-tie. I wonder how much gain it is losing with out a reflector though. |
You can certainly build a bow tie, if you want to add a refelctor use an overn rack. You can ususally grab one from a local scrap yard for a buck or free. Stand the bow ties off the oven rack about 1.2" to an inch and there's your reflector.
BTW your DB2 is esentiall what I'm running with my DB4 clone. The top two of the elements are blocked by the 2 paynes of glass the bottom two are doing most of the receiving I'd say.
Also if you need to you can add an amp to the antenna latter. Again that's hit or miss though. Also don't forget to order some RG6 QS ( Quad Shield ) cable to run to your tuner box. It makes all the difference! Especialy on an unamplified antenna.
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Kiev Savoie
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
Posts: 432
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:45 am Post subject: |
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I always thought quad shield was just a gimmick, but i'll take your word for it. i was looking closer at the ebay antenna. it looks like one side of the bow-ties are copper and the other side is aluminium? does that sound right? how are the V-shapes of each side formed? is it a single wire bent sharply into a V or is it two wires isolated from each other like a dipole?
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:50 am Post subject: |
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| Kiev Savoie wrote: | | I always thought quad shield was just a gimmick, but i'll take your word for it. i was looking closer at the ebay antenna. it looks like one side of the bow-ties are copper and the other side is aluminium? does that sound right? how are the V-shapes of each side formed? is it a single wire bent sharply into a V or is it two wires isolated from each other like a dipole? |
Mine are all aluminium, Copper is just a bonus. No QS cable isn't a gimic. My 50DB Philips came with a cheap cable I replaced it with QS and the signal got better. 
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