My new TV antenna installation by Kemmer TV

[ReesR]

I have been proven wrong!

Channel 58 is receivable in Racine.  Even with only 11kw of effective radiated power and a directional antenna pointed west from Milwaukee.

Here is what happened.  This past summer I hired someone (I wont give any free advertising to that guy) to put up a bi-directional yagi antenna system for me.  Took him about an hour and a half to install a 10 foot tripod with a bi-directional uhf and a bi-directional vhf antenna on it.  Both of those were then combined with one vhf/uhf combiner/pre-amp.

Today Larry Neuens of Kemmer Antenna TV came over, spent 7 hours and discovered after much experimentation that the bi-directional uhf antenna would not receive channel 58 correctly nor digital 46.  The leads from the antenna were not installed correctly but even when they were the antenna just would not work properly.  So I had two major problems.

Two uhf yagi antennas were instead installed and a new lines was installed to the combiner from both uhf antennas which were pointed north and south.  In addition, a uhf only amplifier and special splitters were required in the house to make the whole house see the signals properly.

So, as of now, I am, for the first time, able to receive channel 58 analog and digital.  It appears now that the signal will be strong enough even for low signals during winter.  Time will tell, but I am at least now able to give it the nod that I couldn't before.

I now receive the following:

Ch 2 analog Chicago
Ch 4 analog/digital Milwaukee
Ch 5 analog/digital Chicago
Ch 6 analog (maybe for ever) Milwaukee
Ch 7 analog/digital Chicago
Ch 9 analog/digital Chicago
Ch10 analog/digital Milwaukee
Ch11 analog/digital Chicago
Ch12 analog for now Milwaukee digital soon
Ch18 analog (maybe for ever) Milwaukee
Ch20 analog Chicago
Ch24 analog (maybe for ever) Milwaukee
Ch30 analog Milwaukee
Ch32 analog/digital Chicago
Ch36 analog for now Milwaukee digital soon
Ch41 analog Milwaukee
Ch44 analog/digital Chicago
Ch50 analog/digital Chicago
Ch58 analog/digital (finally) Milwaukee
Ch60 analog Chicago (I think) it's Spanish
Ch63 analog Milwaukee

Jim Hall, I hope you don't take this as a chest bursting exercise.  You still need more power in my opinion.  But at additional considerable expense to me I was able to receive the signal.  But to be fair, not totally because of low power.  The uhf antenna installation really sucked to use some street language.  But after spending good $$$ to only find that the original installation was bad kinda makes me steam.  I had in good faith tried to make a good installation here only to be duped.

As a result, I think it is also only fair to publicly apologize to Jim Hall for my assumptions that I had a good antenna system.  

If anyone else has problems with receiving analog or digital television signals I can certainly recommend Larry Neuens who does business as Kemmer TV-Antennas, Inc.  He can be contacted in Sussex, WI at 262-246-6495.  He isn't cheap but he is really good.  He knows and is comfortable with analog as well as digital/HDTV.  He is not your typical tv antenna installer.  He is a pro.

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Rees Roberts
Racine, WI
reesr@wi.net

HDTV Receiver:  Sony KD-34XBR2
Bi-directional Yagi Antenna at 30 feet

[This message has been edited by ReesR (edited 09-27-2002).]

[MesaV]

I know of other people that have had Larry install their antennas and they were satisfied with his work also.  I have gleamed a lot of information from Larry myself and he has offered it freely.  I would also recommend him!

[Matt Heebner]

I am seriously considering a roof-top antenna installation. Just out of curiosity, what does a "basic" installation even go for? About how long does it take ? I can imagine it would only take about an hour tops...unless it is more complicated than I think.
I did my own triple LNB Directv oval, with all the wiring run, and aiming in less than three hours. However, I have the dish mounted to the brick above the front foyer, so I had a place to stand, and get it all hooked up. An antenna would have to go on top the roof, three stories up (I have a walk in attic above a two story house). I am not even willing to try getting a big antenna up there.
Anyone care to give me an estimation about these things.
Thanks
Matt

[ReesR]

why not give a call to Larry at number above?  I'm sure he would give you a ball park figure.