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  #46  
Old 07-11-2014, 11:55 AM
snelson903 snelson903 is offline
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Originally Posted by DavGoodlin View Post
Last week, I climbed up into the darkness of the garage attic and pulled out a rather interesting UHF helical I snagged off a 3-story roof several years ago. Attachment 176343I had attempted to get one of these several times only to be turned away by the queasy, litigation-shy and just plain ignorant to the $20 spot I offered. Breaking out WD40 for frozen wingnuts and emery cloth shined up harness connections for maximum conduction. I then climbed the tower and hoisted my Zig-a-log (LPV-ZU20) into place, connecting through the CM7777 mast amp, expecting some record-breaking performance. I was not disappointed. It was a tad less effective than the Jerrold, but had a significantly narrower beam. Again, nothing beats a parabolic CM4251 for UHF.

Update 10/1/12: During changeable rainy weather yesterday, the ZigaLog seemed to perform better on the "difficult channel WPPX" as the weather worsened. All the while the parabolic, located 40 feet away and at a lower elevation was having trouble holding the channel as is the norm during such weather.

Few antenna manufacturers of the glory days made their products as easy to identify as JFD. Originally JFD of Brooklyn NY seemed to make only signal splitters, couplers and other TV accessories. I have a few examples of those items and the boxes they came in. I have a few catalogs (out on loan) that covered much of JFD's late 1950s product line.
Here is an example of JFD's top-value UHF antennas that most manufacturers made, the 4-bay bow tie and corner reflector plus a mid-60s advertisement for JFD expressing frustration over a 1965 government mandate for all-channel TV stopping short of addressing antennas. Sound familiar? Attachment 176345

This ad proclaims a breakthrough VHF design noting 6 patents which would be a formidable competitor for the next 15 years! Many of these are still visible on rooftops due to rugged construction.Attachment 176418

This ad includes the "trapezoid" or helical design UHF antenna in a set-top version. My next post will feature a home-made replica of this little UHF wonder based on a 1970 JFD antenna I am still using. as a VHF performer. Hopefully, you can read the paragraphs supporting the "fight" against CATV coming to your area Attachment 176419

J F D Antennas were usually so well-constructed, many can still be seen today. The tell-tale mid-element capacitors optimized high-band performance. They also had the most bizarre lookwith Channel Master coming in a distant second in that category.

The antenna pictured Attachment 176344is one of the last LPV models JFD made before becoming history. A search of JFD turns up little more than a patent infringement suit with Channel Master and a superfund site in NC.
vary interesting antenna ,and creative too.
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  #47  
Old 07-11-2014, 01:09 PM
walterbeers walterbeers is offline
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Odd looking UHF Antenna

Here is an odd looking old UHF antenna that I got at the Early Television Convention in 2013. I use it with my big screen 50 inch plasma, and it works better than rabbit ears. Just had to use a matching transformer for the 300 ohm to the 75 ohm coax connector. It just sits on top of my Technics turntable, and brings in good hi-def picture.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 001.jpg (38.4 KB, 43 views)
File Type: jpg 002.jpg (36.6 KB, 34 views)
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  #48  
Old 07-11-2014, 03:52 PM
dieseljeep dieseljeep is offline
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Originally Posted by walterbeers View Post
Here is an odd looking old UHF antenna that I got at the Early Television Convention in 2013. I use it with my big screen 50 inch plasma, and it works better than rabbit ears. Just had to use a matching transformer for the 300 ohm to the 75 ohm coax connector. It just sits on top of my Technics turntable, and brings in good hi-def picture.
That's the old Radion "Bulls-Eye" UHF antenna. Very popular in the early days of UHF.
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  #49  
Old 07-11-2014, 06:02 PM
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DavGoodlin; That is quite a interesting group of antennas you found. I'm looking
forward to more on this, and thanks for posting it all....
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  #50  
Old 11-02-2015, 03:15 PM
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To continue with more from Jerrold, attached is a "showroom sample" Zenith antenna, circa 1979. This was used to sell its unique features up close.
The bowtie has a Z cut into it. The X-director element(s) is a classic Jerrold design as well.
Notice the notches in the director element so it can be shortened and optimized for high UHF channels.
This antenna seemed to be in production for only a few years, after which only Channel Master and Winegard survived the late 70s.
IMG_7217.jpg
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Last edited by DavGoodlin; 11-02-2015 at 03:46 PM. Reason: add pic
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  #51  
Old 02-01-2016, 03:28 PM
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Antennas I have photographed

TV Antennas have held an interest for me, since I was a small child, I have always "looked up" whenever possible, to see antennas in different areas. I find I still look for them, when I'm out and about, especially walking from my truck to the home, at Estate Sales. When I see one I like, and I'm safely able to (I.E. not driving, I will snap a picture with my cell phone! Here are a few I have taken, in the last several months. The antennas not on towers, are in the Suburban Detroit Metro area, where I live, and the fringe area tower units, are in outlying areas, some near mid-Michigan.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Archer_Type_SC_Shores_MI.jpg (143.6 KB, 64 views)
File Type: jpg Suburban Hi-Lo.jpg (122.4 KB, 70 views)
File Type: jpg TV Combo FM Yagi Nashville_20140809.jpg (70.0 KB, 70 views)
File Type: jpg Bedspring type GR Rapids_20140823.jpg (73.6 KB, 67 views)
File Type: jpg Twin Antennas_Flint_MI.jpg (105.8 KB, 73 views)
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  #52  
Old 02-02-2016, 08:39 AM
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Dave

The first is a classic Radio shack (Antennacraft-made) design, now used by Channel Master since CM limited their line significantly.

The second is fairly new.

The third pic is an old VHF setup for channels in opposite directions so a rotor is not needed.

The fourth one is very interesting, a stacked folded dipole with multi-element reflector array. I have seen those but the camera was not handy.

The fifth picture seems to show a Zenith on the left, on the right is the good old CM crossfire VHF topped with CM's version of the 4-bay bowtie.

Looking through some JFD literature, I noted that the longer elements were not only 1/4 wavelength for low band VHF but were at 3/4 wavelength for high band also.
That is how the stacked conical antennas functioned on high band with no short elements.

Thanks!
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Last edited by DavGoodlin; 02-02-2016 at 08:51 AM.
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  #53  
Old 02-02-2016, 06:16 PM
Olorin67 Olorin67 is offline
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My house has a wall plate in the living room for some kind of antenna..one of these days I need to climb up in the attic to see what's up there.
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  #54  
Old 02-02-2016, 07:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Olorin67 View Post
My house has a wall plate in the living room for some kind of antenna..one of these days I need to climb up in the attic to see what's up there.
Your place is old enough for that to be a radio antenna.
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  #55  
Old 02-02-2016, 07:52 PM
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Picture #4 is an early 50s Channel Master 2 stack "Champion", which was available in single bay, double and quadruple stacked versions. Each bay consisted of 2 high band folded dipoles and a low band dipole, backed by 5 reflector elements. If you happen to have a Jan '54 Radio Electronics (15GP22 screen shot on cover) it is pictured on page 22 CM ad.

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  #56  
Old 02-02-2016, 09:03 PM
Olorin67 Olorin67 is offline
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Possible could be a radio antenna, Tom, I suspect its TV, though, It looks newer, if it was original to the house they would have lined up up with the power outlet 6 inches away from it., has a 50's or 60s style wall plate, 2 slots, almost the same size as a 2 prong power socket, but set vertically in the middle of the plate. Its a bit odd, doesn't match other antenna outlets I've seen.
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  #57  
Old 02-10-2016, 10:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Olorin67 View Post
Possible could be a radio antenna, Tom, I suspect its TV, though, It looks newer, if it was original to the house they would have lined up up with the power outlet 6 inches away from it., has a 50's or 60s style wall plate, 2 slots, almost the same size as a 2 prong power socket, but set vertically in the middle of the plate. Its a bit odd, doesn't match other antenna outlets I've seen.
Curious - can you post a picture?
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  #58  
Old 02-20-2016, 03:28 PM
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I picked up this UHF antenna at an estate sale today. I don't know the age but guessing by all the other items in the house it probably is from around 1950-1970. Any ideas?

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  #59  
Old 02-20-2016, 04:07 PM
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dtvmcdonald dtvmcdonald is offline
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No idea what it was sold as, but its a fairly "standard idea" design related
to the very common Radio Shack double bowtie. I've simulated and actually
tested many related designs similar to both the RS and that one ... and they
are truly stellar performers. The strange shape of the driven element actually
simulates AND TESTS .... as quite optimal, clearly better than flat (if you need to cover a wide frequency range).
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  #60  
Old 02-20-2016, 10:22 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
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Originally Posted by pendulum View Post
I picked up this UHF antenna at an estate sale today. I don't know the age but guessing by all the other items in the house it probably is from around 1950-1970. Any ideas?
Radio Shack 15-1629

http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1974/h083.html

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