Original install picture. Yes, I need VHF as we have digital stations on RF channels 5(lp),8,10,12 locally in addition to UHF.

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/VU-190XR.html

The old boy has done its job for 15 years. Hope the new Channel Master CM-5020 will last as long because I don't plan on being up on the roof much.

Missing a few VHF elements from winter snow and ice storms.

but on close inspection she still looks pretty good. The outdoor transformer Balun failed from cable damage after some fasteners broke from age and weather.

Easily replaceable but it's time for a total replacement.

The new guy, ready for OTA action once it's mounted on the mast.

The old preamp mast block looks to be in good shape but I'll see if the new technology HDTV tuners can eliminate the multi-path issues I needed the pre-amp (off axis antenna pointing) for originally.
Those bright shiny F connectors were sealed with 3M(TM) Scotchkote Electrical Coating FD
IMO, one of the best electrical sealants ever made.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...ing-FD-15-oz-Can/?N=5002385+3294648449&rt=rud

 

A couple of suggestions:

Replace hardware with stainless. Preferably 316 SS. e.g. studs on rotor, antenna clamps
use anti-sieze
Snadblast and powdercoat the rotator brackets.

replace some of the rivets with screws. ChanelMaster likes to use metal rivets with aluminum and they rust.

Change the short mast to fiberglass.

You don't have pics of the new one. The HD-8200U did something wierd electrically/mechanically at one of the ends. I think it was the mounting of the shortest element.

I have to re-so my install too. Not getting constant gain with the CM-7777.

 

Keep the front UHF antenna - it could come in handy at a later date. I'm surprised that your location has so many VHF freqs. I only have a channel 7 (~174MHz), but my UHF antenna pulls it in with very good signal strength.

 

A couple of suggestions:

Replace hardware with stainless. Preferably 316 SS. e.g. studs on rotor, antenna clamps
use anti-sieze
Snadblast and powdercoat the rotator brackets.

replace some of the rivets with screws. ChanelMaster likes to use metal rivets with aluminum and they rust.

Change the short mast to fiberglass.

You don't have pics of the new one. The HD-8200U did something wierd electrically/mechanically at one of the ends. I think it was the mounting of the shortest element.

I have to re-so my install too. Not getting constant gain with the CM-7777.

Tks.

New antenna, not mounted yet.

I noticed the rivets. Think I'll try some sealer on those to slow down the rust.

 

Tis a fine antenna indeed. May it serve you well for many years. Here in the greater Cleveland, Ohio suburbs I have only one VHF station (Channel 8) but I have discovered some real interesting stuff on OTA TV. All in all I get about 30 stations with a small makeshift antenna literally tacked to the living room ceiling. I would love to put up a large array with rotor just to see what else I could find. Years ago I was getting stuff from Canada with a good outdoor antenna long before digital TV came about. Wishing you all the best with this new antenna system.

Ron

 

Tis a fine antenna indeed.

Ron

I hope so too as the old antenna would still be up there if the wife wasn't complaining about losing her 'Soap Opera' channel.

 

I hope so too as the old antenna would still be up there if the wife wasn't complaining about losing her 'Soap Opera' channel.

The wife thing huh? Similar on this end. Every year Spectrum Cable has contract negations with the local OTA TV stations to carry their OTA programming. Every year the contract negations break down with one or more stations. This year it was with Fox 8 TV and Fox * we really like because they have hours of good local news. I don't want my news cast originating in NYC. So when contract negations broke down I just added an indoor antenna. Showed the wife how to use the indoor antenna and shift off cable input. Eventually after a month or two they settle their contracts and whichever channel was in dispute is back on the cable.

Years ago when the NFL began their blackout policy the old roof top mast really came in handy. When a browns game was blacked out here in Cleveland I could get it out of Toledo or Youngstown OTA. Not that I was ever overly fond of the Browns I could see games blacked out here in Cleveland.

Ron

 

Keep the front UHF antenna - it could come in handy at a later date

I have UHF frequencies in my area too. Some frequency assignments change August 1st.

I'm really surprised that both channel 3 and 4 physical are used.

ATSC v3 is going to mess everything up again.

 

I have UHF frequencies in my area too. Some frequency assignments change August 1st.

I'm really surprised that both channel 3 and 4 physical are used.

ATSC v3 is going to mess everything up again.

There are a lot of stations repacking down to VHF or VHF low. VHF works better in the wide open boonies for a solid signal in bad weather where watching local TV for warnings is important.
https://www.rabbitears.info/repackchannels.php

Being in the glideslope for PDX I sometimes get very bad aircraft reflections that can cause several second dropouts. This forced me to move the antenna off the towers to get a clean signal with early generation tuners. Everything I have now is 5th gen so it's much less of a problem, I hope. ATSC 3 is dropping 8VSB modulation so hopefully the multi-path issues will be gone but I sure other problems will be seen with external converters for existing sets.

https://www.tablotv.com/blog/what-cord-cutters-need-know-about-atsc-3/

 

It bothers me that I do not understand the new TV modulation system. When I got my associates degree it was in RF communications, so I understand NTSC (Never The Same Color) very well. I have had electrical enginers argue that digital signal needs a different antenna because they were, well, digital. They still use an RF Carrier, I do not believe that much has changed. I am posting not to hijack this thread, but to watch it, It is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I used to have an outstanding antenna, now it is rabbit ears, my disability has truly laid me low.

So, watching with interest.

 

It bothers me that I do not understand the new TV modulation system. When I got my associates degree it was in RF communications, so I understand NTSC (Never The Same Color) very well. I have had electrical enginers argue that digital signal needs a different antenna because they were, well, digital. They still use an RF Carrier, I do not believe that much has changed. I am posting not to hijack this thread, but to watch it, It is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I used to have an outstanding antenna, now it is rabbit ears, my disability has truly laid me low.

So, watching with interest.

The RF side is still classical EM so nothing changes on the antenna side besides making sure the signal bandwidth is very linear in all desired degrees of freedom from the base carrier signal vs a NTSC signal. This is handled on the transmitter side so receive antenna need no modification usually unless there are RF signal path distortion issues that requires higher gain and/or tighter directional patterns on the receive side.

Once you leave the RF domain the modulation systems can have almost infinite variation. ATSC 1.0 was designed to allow for older transmitter/antenna infrastructure designed for analog modulation to be reused with mainly just an exciter replacement to provide the tighter RF requirements to deliver a 19 Mbps digital bit pipe to the receiver. This raw digital channel is used to send broadcast packets with data stream identifiers for video bit stream packets, audio bit stream packets, and data bit stream packets into a single transport (MPEG-2 Transport Stream) PSIP mechanism much like a one-way Ethernet cable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG_transport_stream

ATSC 3 is a completely different beast with different transport streams that are IP internet centric.

On Linux (and other OS types) there are several programs that can analyze the raw MPEG-2 Transport stream from a standard DVB api device (computer ATSC tuner card or network device like the HD HomeRun).
http://dvbsnoop.sourceforge.net/
https://wiki.videolan.org/Main_Page/

Then there is the encoding of the original AV source and the decoding of the MPEG-2 Transport stream for viewing on the local receiver. A very complex subject that maybe this video can help with.

 

It's still on the burn barrel but I've decided to add a 5MP CCTV IP camera on the pole for the security system before remounting the antenna on the roof.

Junk box camera pole mount.

Test view.

The antenna and connections have been weather prepped with Scotchkote Electrical Coating FD. Now it needs to stop raining so I don't slip off the roof.

 

Nice. Powder coat and change the carriage bolt to SS.

 

Nice. Powder coat and change the carriage bolt to SS.

I'll likely be dead before the rotor fails and/or the bolts rust to the point of mechanical failure with this light antenna.

 

Antenna and new CCTV cam are up on the mount. So far (knock on wood) no multi-path issues from planes.

 

Looking good up there. The rotor is a nice touch.

Ron

 

Looking good up there. The rotor is a nice touch.

Ron

The night-vision cam birds-eye view:

 

Wow! That antenna is bigger than an airplane. <G>.

 

Really good night vision to boot. Pretty slick.

Ron

 

Pretty strong antenna, it's taken a beating this week.