My Home Antenna

Why I Chose an Allband with Rotator.

Stations are various directions from my home. Pretty much North North West is Goose Bay with channels 2,7,13 and soon 11, maybe. Then my channel 5 is North North East. Channel 29 (soon 16) is West North West, as is my feed to Keani on channel 14 from our studio. Then channel 33, is another direction again, as is channel 4 on top of the Hilton. If I want to see Jerry Prevo's channel 35, I have to look South. So, it is clear, to get a clear picture, I must have a separate antenna for every channel, way too expensive, or I buy a consumer all band with a rotator.
Rotators are uncommon here in Anchorage, but the difference is astounding. If you don't have cable, if you use satellite TV, or want the best possible quality off air reception, without a rotator you will be forced to compromise quality. That's all there is too it. For example, if you are in the Valley, you can't tune in translator channels 9 or 66 from Lazy Mountain, or 29 at Mt. Susitna or 12 from Grubstake, or even peak up for good quality from Anchorage channels 4 and 11 and still have optimum results on 2,7,and 13. In fact, even though channels 7 and 13 transmit from the exact same antenna, and I can see the tower from my home, best reception of the two channels requires turning my antenna more than 15 degrees.
I got my Antennacraft antenna and rotator from Frigid North for about $50. I also got 100 feet of cable TV type "quad" shielded coax line (Belden 75 ohm type 1189A), 100 feet of three conductor antenna rotator cable a mast and tripod roof mount.
Click on image(s) to enlarge.
Assembly was a snap. I bought a small tripod stand and a pipe mast. I didn't want to drill into the roof, so I bought a sheet of 3/4 ply wood and some sand bags to keep the whole affair from blowing away in the wind. Before hoisting the wood to the roof, I drilled it to mount the tripod, tested the rig with a set of bolts from the hardware store, and painted it so that it might last several tens of years. I hack sawed the 3 meter pipe mast, fitting a piece to go in the tripod to the rotator, another to hold the antenna into the rotator. The tripod allows compensation for tilted roofs. Work that out before you drill holes and mount the stuff. I didn't, so I jammed bolts into the rotator to get it straight. I installed wires in the rotator that will run to a control that sits on the TV. Then I connect the coaxial cable to the balun that came with the antenna. Balun means "balanced to unbalanced", which is a device to connect a coax having a shield and one hot inside conductor to device, here the antenna, having two hot conductors. Next, having all the wires connected, I mounted the pipe into the rotator, a pipe into the antenna, and the antenna into the rotator. Here is a close up view of the rotator. And here is the finished work.
Next, run the wires down to the TV and you are done. Remember, the longer the co-ax cable, the more signal is lost. And splitters do exactly that, each two way split cost 50% of the signal, plus a bit extra (entropy tithe?) for some signal energy turned to heat in the splitter.
Results! A captured frame of our Channel 29 signal.
Click on image(s) to enlarge.
We live near Hillside Drive and Alatna, in the Anchorage Hillside. Many Hillside locations are NOT line of sight to our main Channel 5 Eagle River transmitter. This captured frame demonstrates very little ghosting and a strong noise free signal on our channel 29 signal from Mount Susitna. It looks very good. Other channels are also improved.
Channel 5 with Rabbit Ears Compared to the Outdoor Antenna. The left captured frame show our main transmitter Channel 5 off air using the outdoor antenna, the right using rabbit ears in the usual configuration in a vertical V shape atop the TV.
Peak signal readings as delivered to TV set through 80 feet of co-ax and FM filter. Readings in dBm/v taken 1/15/2002 18:15hr. with Sadelco FS Meter Ser#1464. You will note that turning the antenna toward channel 5 reduces signal strength on all other channels as expected, though signals are still strong. However, picture quality off peak on some channels becomes very poor in spite of the strong signal. 0 dB/mv is considered adequate strength for good TV reception. The Sadelco does not cover UHF.
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  TV         Peak   	Oriented toward
Channel	    Reading 	    CH 5

CH 2		+35.0		+33.5
CH 4		+47.7		+34.5
CH 5		+16.2		+16.2
CH 7		+27.5		+15.8
CH 11		+37.5		+26.5
CH 13		+23.5		+14.5
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NOTE As of Jan-10-2002: Winds the last couple of days, clocked at over 100 MPH in nearby neighborhoods have not yet damaged the antenna, although the orientation changed. A simple twist of the control compensated, without a visit to the roof.

Links for more info.
Connecting connectors to coax. An OK site that also sells stuff. You can do it with only wire cutters and a crimp tool. I have seen the tools for under $10.
Doityourself Repeats some of what I have said.
coax loss chart with much info.

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My Home Antenna

Why I Chose an Allband with Rotator.

NOTE As of Jan-10-2002: Winds the last couple of days, clocked at over 100 MPH in nearby neighborhoods have not yet damaged the antenna, although the orientation changed. A simple twist of the control compensated, without a visit to the roof.

Links for more info.

All original material on this site copyright Fireweed Communications Corp. 2002 All rights reserved.