OTA in West Bend

[murdoc]

Do I need line-of-site to recieve HD OTA broadcasts?  I want to put an antenna in my attic because my homeowner's association will not allow an antenna in the back yard or on the roof.  Will this still pick up OTA HD channels?  I do not have any tall buildings or trees as far as I can tell in the direction that I need to point the antenna.  I do have the West Bend airport in the way though.  Please let me know what I should do for this.  I need to have HD in time for Packer's season.

[dlhoppe]

I have a large Winegard antenna in my attic.  It works great (except for Fox, what else is new) although I can't rotate it for other markets. I currently use two antennas arrayed together to get Milw and Green Bay. I plan to install a tower outside with a rotator sometime before the summer is over.

I live on School Rd just north of Paradise Dr.  That's very close to where you are.  If you're going to do the attic thing, I'd recommend as large an antenna as you can get in there with a preamp. I'm currently not using a preamp, but I could use a few more decibels for a couple of low-power stations. They're border-line when the weather is bad.

Hope that helps!  Good luck.

[foxeng]

Originally posted by murdoc
I want to put an antenna in my attic because my homeowner's association will not allow an antenna in the back yard or on the roof.

By federal law, HOA's can't deny you an outside antenna for OTA TV or sat TV. Check out http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html for your complete rights on this issue. You may be surprised what federal law WILL allow you to do, no matter what your HOA says or had you sign.

[borghe]

put the antenna on your roof.. if they yell at you afterwards print up the FCC mandate that foxeng linked to.

It is illegal for them to tell you you can't put an antenna or satellite dish on your roof.

[StarvingForHDTV]

I have an antenna in my attic that works great.  Buy a stronger antenna than you think you need.  I went with the 8 bow tie channel master for south central Mequon.

Your results will vary.  I would try it out at least.  If it doesn't work, put it outside and battle with your neighbors.

Good luck,

Starving

[Todd Wiedemann]

From czabe.com this morning:

(for those that don't know, Steve Czaban is a sports contributor to Bob & Brian's morning show on Lazer 103. He's nationally syndicated on FOX Sports Radio in the evenings)

"The Cuban Missile Crisis" of HDTV - 07/29/04

   1. Showdown Looming
      I suppose that in every man's life, there comes a time when you are bound to tangle with your homeowners association about something. For me, you can see by the photo where this dispute it heading. On my roof, you can proudly note the steerable HDTV antenna that has brought me countless hours of network programming and sports in glorious 1080i format for the last 3 plus years. It was only yesterday, however, some three years after installation of said antenna, that some nosy-body at the "Association" came by and hung a "violation" notice on my doorknob. Well. Let me say right now, this antenna will NOT come down without a fight. In fact, I have been told by almost a dozen people now with similar instances, that the FCC has made a specific ruling on this called the OTARD rule, that grants homeowners like myself relief from overzealous homeowners associations who would otherwise prevent me from receiving these glorious and free over the air digital HDTV signals. Having done some research, I firmly believe I am in the right. While the association would like me to attic mount the antennae (hell, so would my wife, and truth be told I would have as well) the fact of the matter is that doing so does not permit for sufficient reception of the somewhat weaker digital signals (I tried an attic antennae to begin with, since I was too much of a pussy to go climb on my roof!). Given this reality, my reading of OTARD rules, says that I certainly have a right to keep this antenna. And while unfortunately my house sits on a corner exposing the backside to traffic, the antenna is mounted on the REAR of my roof and not visible from in front of my house from the street. I have been given 30 days to remove the glorious HDTV receptor. That is not going to happen. Any advice or anecdotes in your experience with this kind of thing is welcome. My people are contemplating the next move. As Charlton Heston once said before the NRA: "... from my cold, dead fingers!"

[tazman]

Hey Todd,  where's your FTA dish?  Is that on the roof also?  I feel your pain man:bang:

Too bad those people @ Global Communications don't have their setup on a trailer and for rent?  Move that baby right into your back yard!:mad:

[Todd Wiedemann]

Originally posted by tazman
Hey Todd,  where's your FTA dish?  Is that on the roof also?  I feel your pain man:bang:

Too bad those people @ Global Communications don't have their setup on a trailer and for rent?  Move that baby right into your back yard!:mad:

Hey, taz ...

My 90cm FTA dish is on the roof of my second story. I have no neighbor problems, I was just relating the story of an actual member of the media getting hasseled for an HD OTA antenna.

I should take pictures of my roof. I smile every time I drive up !

Anyway, I'll take an antenna/dish farm anyday. It's WAF that's the problem !!

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by Todd Wiedemann
I should take pictures of my roof. I smile every time I drive up !

Please post a picture for us.

Thank you,

Starving

[Todd Wiedemann]

Originally posted by StarvingForHDTV
Please post a picture for us.

Ok.

I hope the rain doesn't last all weekend !

[dlhoppe]

Got my tower installed over the weekend and moved my winegard CA-8100 from the attic to the tower with a rotator. Wow!  Getting everything from Milwaukee and Green Bay very solid. Signal strengths in the high 90's execpt for WITI (90-92). Getting some channels from Madison, Chicago, Rockford and Wausau as well, but only some of them are solid enough to watch.

I installed a pre-amp on the tower, but learned very quickly that it was too much gain. Only worked if I turned the antenna away from the broadcast towers a little. I ended up removing the pre-amp and I still have enough signal to spread it through the house with some splitters along the way. Go figure. Anyone wanna buy a pre-amp? :cool:

Now I just have to hope and pray that Fox gets their HD act together for the regular season. :rolleyes:

[easylistener]

How big of a tower did you get?  Who installed it for you.

[dlhoppe]

It's a TACO DMXB 32' bracketed tower with a 6' mast on top (antenna about halfway up the mast at about 35'). I installed it myself. It was a reasonably easy job. I assembled it on the ground and two friends, my girlfriend and I raised it with a block and pulley setup and a couple of guide ropes.  It's bracketed to the house at about 20' off the ground. I've been up to the top a couple of times now. It's surprisingly sturdy and stable up there. Although I must admit to being a "white-knuckler" at that height.  :eek:

[tazman]

Getting everything from Milwaukee and Green Bay very solid.

I'm jealous:guns:   You gotta be up on Barton hill to be getting that kinda reception.  That model number you posted for Winegard CA-8100.  Is that an older antenna, cause I couldn't find it on their web site.  I also have a Winegard antenna model HD7084P.  It's their second largest, also 35' up on a tower and I don't get that kind of reception.  I'm down here by the Fair grounds, south of you.  I tried amplification also and it didn't work for me either.  Glad to hear you got it out of the attic and things have improved for you.

[dlhoppe]

I'm actually in the town of Trenton a couple miles east-southeast of West Bend. I am up on a small hill though, which helps I'm sure.

Yes, the CA-8100 is an older model that's out of production. I bought it back in 94 or 95 if my memory still serves me well. It was the biggest one they made at the time. I believe the current HD8200P is the closest model performance-wise to the CA-8100. It's big! That's for sure. Don't know how I ever got it in the attic. It was a real job taking it apart and folding up the elements to get it out of there.

I'm surprised you're not getting similar performance with your antenna and tower. I know it's pretty flat where you are so you're not hiding behind any hills. What kind of tuner are you using? What stations are you having trouble with?