newbie checking in

[Mike S]

hello everyone. i'm a longtime AM-FM-Shortwave-TV DXer but not an electronics engineer, so my understanding of the principles is not very in depth. But I have absorbed some of the basics and love to experiment. Probably my favorite hobby-related thing to do is make antennas- ask my wife, we are burdened with a variety of metal wood pvc and wire contraptions. Other than that I like writing, photography, hanging with my family and I'm currently trying to teach our Jack Russell Terrier how to catch a frisbee. Looking forward to some stimulating discussions here!

[Sandy G]

Welcome ! Nice t'have ya !

[old_tv_nut]

Welcome! Post some pix of your antennas some time.

[DavGoodlin]

Hi Mike S

Welcome to the TV funhouse. I also refuse to pay for what's in the air, being a cheap krauthead.

Here is a picture of an attic antenna I made. AR 4-bay hor.jpg The one element is droopy but it works like a champ.

I beats the hell out of anything advertised "indoor" and works on VHF-Hi as well.

There is no forum here for antennas yet. But "digital-flat panel format" has some good discussions

[earlyfilm]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

Here is a picture of an attic antenna I made. Attachment 174785 The one element is droopy but it works like a champ.

Wow! You made a DB-4! I'm using a DB-8 (two of those stacked vertically) and get all the Washington, DC TV stations from 70 miles away, except for the two that stayed on mid-band VHS, with it just sitting inside on top of my TV on the 2nd floor.

James

[DavGoodlin]

I have been following antennas and reviews and it seems the 8-bay (like your DB8) is the all-around best DTV antenna for the money.

[wkand]

Neat antenna Dave. Are you using welded wire fencing as the "grid reflector " behind the active elements, or is that a custom grid you created?

Also several of you mentioned reading about antennas. What are some good information resources?

[DavGoodlin]

Yes, the fencing is vinyl covered welded wire. 1" x 2" mesh

This is the best tool for previewing a location;
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/
and tvfool.com using "callsign lookup" is good for targeting a specific channel

The best resources I found are germane to this type of antenna.
http://www.antennahacks.com/
http://www.hdtvprimer.com

A yagi is also good, but more useful in open-flat areas like the UK. BTW, the yagi works better at my location due to flatness and lack of multipath.
I found this site very helpful when selecting a yagi
http://www.aerialsandtv.com/atvschoi...ials.html#XB16