Most of the time I'm watchin reruns on DirecTV these days. It seems like the local stations are actually putting on some new shows this summer. I get good reception of local channels, with one problem...

I've got a terk (long white bar) antenna in my attic doing a wonderful job pulling in most OTA channels. I have to keep it aimed a specific direction to get the majority of channels, though. There in another direction I can aim it that will improve reception of two more channels, but it's too much trouble to climb into the attic to move that antenna. It doesn't lend itself well to mounting on a remote controlled rotor pole.

Has anyone had any luck daisy chaining OTA antenna together? For 30$ or so I can get another small antenna for the attic that I can point to my second source direction. Will a simple cable splitter let me have both antenna work as one, or will I get interfering signal, perhaps?

Thanks in advance,

Dave

You could use a remote controled a/b switch to switch from your different antennas> I think this would work best.

Dave

Also, for $30-60 you may be able to get a better antenna that will cover you totally. Terk's are kinda quirky. And if you found a single antenna that worked, you could probably sell the Terk for $30-50 considering they are typically at least $100 retail.

I doubt any single antenna will will get me the reception I desire. I once had a large top-of-the-line roof antenna mounted on a pole on the roof. I lived atop the highest hill around, but could only get good reliable reception by aiming the antenna toward the source. I eventually bought a rotor for it, and had to move the antenna if I wanted stations from a different direction. I live in a smallish town. 50 miles east there are 4 stations. 50 miles southwest there are two. I have never been able to get stations reliably and clear from both directions with one antenna.

My new residence came with a spacious attic. It's fairly high up. I was delighted to find that my terk, in the attic, could pull in all the easterly stations very clearly. The southwest stations come in, but with a poor image. I do not want to put an antenna on the outside of the roof. I've got enough room in the attic to install a second terk, or another directional antenna. I know my existing terk will pull in the southwest stations if I face it that direction. I just don't want to have to keep aiming it.

So... I'm still interested in daisy chaining antennas. Does anyone know that it won't work, and if so, why?

Dave

Check out this forum. They may have better answers.

[Link: hometheaterspot.com]

David B.,

I have not daisy chained like you are talking about, but I have been able to get around this particular OTA problem using a combiner and tuned notch filters. As I recall, it worked surprizingly well...it's been years, though.

Hi DavidB,

I know of of folks who've used a jointenna to combine two antennas. It's available at starkelectronic.

If you get good reception with your terk then you are very lucky considering the distance from the broadcast towers.

Something to consider would be the Silver Sensor which is directional and good with multipath. It is a set top unit that is about $40. Of course, you can also use a double bowtie from RS for about $20.

Since you mention that you have enough space in your attic, you might want to consider a remote controlled rotor, e.g., CM 9521. Works great for me. More info about this and antennas at my site.

Thanks,
Errol

Keohi HDTV
[Link: keohi.com]
Your Friendly HDTV Tips Site

Thanks, Errol.

I've got the room, but the way the terk mounts doesn't make it easy to use with most rotors. I used a rotor in a former home, and it worked "fine". It was just a bit more trouble than a true couch potato wants to go thru to change a channel, though. I'd much rather solve my reception problem in the attic, and transparently to my home theater setup.

I've discovered that my southwest reception hopes may be slimmer than I first thought. I'm on the east slope of a hill in town, but near the top and not at it. I've got line-of-sight to the eastern stations, but a little hill crest to look over looking southwest. I asked my top-o-the-hill neighbor how his western reception was, and he showed me. It was perfect. My conclusion? I'll need to get higher up if I want those southwest channels. "Seeing" over the hill is everthing, it seems.

It all may become a mute point, though. While looking into getting roadrunner high speed internet service, I found a reason to lose my terk and get local via cable. Roadrunner is $40 by itself, or $30 if I'm already a cable TV customer. For $9.95 I can get the minimal "basic" cable service which includes 15 assorted area channels, including the southwestern ones I'd been trying to get from my terk. So, anyone got a cable modem they would trade for a terk antenna?

Dave