Mad Scientist antenna farm redux

[rgreenpc]

Well after many aganizing days I have come to the following conclusion -

I am a nut job.

See previous posts I have written regarding what I was willing to do to get WB from Orlando.

Well I can, BUT I have to manually unplug the Local antenna.

It would see the Clermont antenna doesnt like the other antenna - we ( Floyd and I ) replaced cables, combiners, etc

Each is fine in its own right but not when combined.

I may try to put a 17 Jointenna on clermont - thats the last thing I can try

[Floyd]

Like the mad scientist said, we tried probably 20 different combinations of things to try and get WB/17d from Clermont. He does live way out over there, but my digital signal meter wouldn't even register a signal, and it starts reading at -30db, so most of the problem is that there just isn't enough signal to work with. It's amazing that we were able to get it to work at all, and is a testament to the tenaciousness of the digital format.

We were using a mast-mount pre-amp that brought the signal up to -5 or -10, and that worked as a single antenna. Any attempt to combine the Clermont antenna with another antenna failed to produce reliable results, whether pre-amp or post-amp combiners were used. It might have been some type of phase cancellation, since the antennas were on separate masts. We ran an extra coax to the receiver and tried an A/B switch, but even the switch induced enough loss to degrade the signal quality(S/N) to an unusable level.

Maybe if we had a 50' tower.........

[OccamMD]

seems odd the switch caused problems. Did you guys get a spectrum analyzer on, or just a power meter?

[rgreenpc]

just a power meter

[OccamMD]

Well at least you gave it a good shot. Maybe your switch only broke the center of the coax signal and still had the shields tied together. This may have created a path for it to interfere. I would think you would want one the terminates input A when it switches input B and breaks both leads, shield and center.

[rgreenpc]

I today ordered 2 CM Join-tennas for 24 and 17 ( the 2 HD signals that my 8 bays are designed for )

I have been speaking with a buddy in Atlanta , and they have the same issue we do - good HD but very divers antenna locations.

He usesd 3 UHF 8-bays ( each with its own join-tenna ) and a YAGI for VHF - all combined to 1 CM7777 prempa and gets everything with 85% strength or better.

So what I plan to do is attach a Join-tenna to the clermont ( with a 17 pass ) a 24 on the Holdiay 8 bay then join them to the Riverview Yagi and then into a preamp.

If this works ( will be about 2 weeks to get them in ) I will post my findings - as it is I have to manuall swap cables to watch Clermont - but JAYMER..... it looks great <G>

[OccamMD]

Sounds like a good idea, It sounds like his YAGI is separate for VHF only, yours is combined so you may want to run 2 cables from your riverview yagi.

Best of Luck.
Ray

[rgreenpc]

well - as WB here is going HD - I will be repositing antennas .....

1. 8 bay to WTSP ( probably move the one pointing at clermont )
1. 8 Bay at Riverview
and 1 3020 at riverview for 7 / 12

I will join the 2 8 bays with a CM 0538 that has a jointenna 24 to one side ( finally came in )

then combine with the 3020 - the 10 will have a 7777 preamp on it

[rgreenpc]

and for those who wanted to know - ( floyd et al )

Adding the join tenna stopped the signal loss issues on 7 -

[teampozer]

How much did that jointenna run ya? And, did you get it from Warren Electronics? I'm looking to do the same with my north facing UHF yagi. Isolate channel 24 and combine it with my all channel Riverview pointing VHF/UHF antenna.

[rgreenpc]

The jointennas are about $26 dollars from Warren ( and they take 2 weeks to come in as they are assembled at the factory with the correct ( crystal? ) -

Here is my proposed wiring plan.

1. Output of my 8 bay for CBS into the jointenna - combine with the riverview 8 bay and then combine that with the 3020 for 7 and 12.

Not sure if I want to preamp it at that point or only preamp the CBS etc - guess I can do trial and error.