# Best OTA ???



## the300 (Jan 22, 2010)

What are the best, as in most powerful OTA antennas available ? I am looking for one that could possibly pick up signals from 75-100 miles if that is possible.
Another related question i have is, Do the antennas pick up the signal directly from the transmitter or will they pick up the signal to where it reaches ?

Thanks !


----------



## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

This seems to be the deepest fringe OTA antenna that Solid Signal sells:

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...tenna-(CM3671)&c=TV Antennas&sku=020572036719

* UHF 60+ Miles

* VHF 100+ Miles

* This is a Large Directional antenna and yields a beam width of about 30 degrees.

An amp might be in-order too, and of course a nice high mounting.

As for your second question, you might want to read up on electromagnetic radiation, radio waves and the like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_propagation


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

the300 said:


> What are the best, as in most powerful OTA antennas available ? I am looking for one that could possibly pick up signals from 75-100 miles if that is possible.
> Another related question i have is, Do the antennas pick up the signal directly from the transmitter or will they pick up the signal to where it reaches ?
> 
> Thanks !


There are various antennas out there, but none of them will pick up ground wave on UHF over 60 miles without some help from the troposphere, unless of course, your house is on top of a mountain. Assuming you have no LOW BAND channels to pick up (transmitters on channels 2 through 6), your best bet would be a XG91 UHF antenna, a Winegard YA 1713 Hi VHF yagi, and a channel master 7777 preamp (which has one input for the UHF antenna, one for the VHF antenna, and one output for coax to your TV, and will amplify the signals enough to overcome your coax downlead loss, and any loss from splitters at the TV end. There is no guarantee if you will be able to consistently pick up signals over 60 miles, but if they are available, this setup will pick em up. Just get it as high as possible, unless you are already on top of a hill with unrestricted site. Check out http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29 and enter your info. On the resulting chart of stations, look at the NM(db) column. With the above setup, you should be able to lock any station with a NB(db) over 0. At night, and during spring and fall, you may pick up stations well beyond that level.

With a lower gain antenna, subtract the difference between the XG91's gain (or the Winegard depending on channel) from the gain of the antenna you purchase and Subtract that from the charts NM(db).


----------



## the300 (Jan 22, 2010)

Thanks, Looks like I may just have to get Basic cable or file a waiver to get all my network channels.


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

DirecTv doesnt carry any locals for your zip code?


----------



## the300 (Jan 22, 2010)

No, for some reason they don't. I don't understand why either. We really only have one local station within a 100 mile radius. 
It looks like subscribers in larger metro areas can get locals, I dont know why we can't.


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

That is odd, because in Arkansas, the Little Rock locals are carried by DirecTv all the way to the Oklahoma border, which is 145 miles away, and even up into Northwest Arkansas, when they can actually pick up Fort Smith, Ar AND Springfield, Mo locals with an antenna. I would think they would at least allow you to watch the Memphis spot beam with the exception of the two networks you can get OTA. I know the beam should reach you, I get a good signal on Memphis' spot, and I am 150 miles west of it.


----------



## the300 (Jan 22, 2010)

When I look at the map of locals coverage I see a small yellow spot over my area. And the rest of my area is able to receive locals. Maybe its just because no-one in my area has complained enough to get them.
I mean, I could get locals through basic cable if I had too. I just don't understand why other subscribers in other areas who can also get locals this way, as well as a few other ways can get their locals through Dtv and I can't ?


----------



## Airou (Jan 28, 2010)

the300 said:


> What are the best, as in most powerful OTA antennas available ? I am looking for one that could possibly pick up signals from 75-100 miles if that is possible.
> Another related question i have is, Do the antennas pick up the signal directly from the transmitter or will they pick up the signal to where it reaches ?
> 
> Thanks !


It depends on your location. Check out www.antennaweb.org

_________________
Free To Air
FTAList


----------



## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

75-100 miles ? 
In what kind of terrain?

start with www.tvfool.com and see what's even available.

In general though, max range of a 30 foot AGL antenna with a transmitter tower of 2000 feet is usually about 60 miles, maybe as much as 75 miles. 75 miles is definately pushing it though.


----------



## the300 (Jan 22, 2010)

Looks like I will be filing a coiple of waivers ..........


----------



## LlenB2520 (Feb 10, 2010)

Hey great topic. Just wanted to add one more candidate for long range antennas I didn't see mentioned. The Winegard HD8200 is a beast of an antenna, comparable to the CM3671 that was mentioned, and it's MADE IN USA. w00t!

Check out the specs: http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD8200U

Just a warning, the gain chart at the bottom cannot be honestly compared against other manufacturers, since they arrive at these figures in different ways.


----------



## PokerJoker (Apr 12, 2008)

The HD8200 is a monster (15 feet long) but it was discontinued by Winegard over a year ago.


----------

