Best two antenna hookup

[techwriter]

Hi,

I recently replaced my old deep fringe VHF/UHF antenna with a HD9095P UHF antenna. I did not think that I would need a VHF antenna since all of the channels that I get are listed as being UHF digital stations.

I also replaced the coax and rotor wire and continued to use the AP8275 pre amp that I had recently installed. With the new antenna I can no longer get one station that has been one of my strongest stations. I checked everything and then discovered that their digital channel number is listed wrong. KSFY channel 13 in Sioux Falls, SD is listed as being digital channel 29 on the information that I found. I then learned that it is really digital channel 13. I am located on the southern end of zip code 56132.

All other stations that I get are now at 100% signal strength with the new antenna where they was at about 60-75% with the old antenna that the elements were starting to fall off of.

To get the one VHF signal from KSFY I plan to stack or mount next to the existing 9095 a VHF only YA1713 antenna.

I thought I might connect the two antennas to a Winegard CC-7870 Joiner Coupler and then place the 8275 pre amp in the coax after the joiner with the power supply located in the house as it is now. After reading other information on this forum. It looks as though I might be better off to install the 8275 on the VHF antenna and then install an AP4800 that I have on the UHF antenna and then connect the two of them to the joiner. That would mean running down an additional coax from the second preamp to a separate power supply placing the joiner coupler after the two power supplies.

My question is, what way or which way would work the best with the least signal loss? Also, If I stack the two antennas on a tripod on the roof. Is there a minimum distance that the two antennas should be away from each other? If I place the additional antenna along side the existing antenna in an additional tripod on the roof. Is there a minimum distance that they should be away from each other?

I should also mention that all of the TV stations that I get except for one has already completed the digital transition on or prior to the original February deadline. Since KSFY has completed the digital transition it looks as though they will continue as they are broadcasting VHF digital.

Thank you for your help and information.

[winegard]

Good morning techwriter -

The HD9095P antenna has a VHF antenna coupling connector built into the cartridge housing. All you have to do is run a cable from the YA-1713 to the HD9095P antenna and then you will have both the VHF and UHF signals on a single cable. From the HD9095P antenna simply run a coax cable to input of your existing AP-8275 preamplifier. This way you will not have the coupler loss in the CC-7870.

The antennas need to be separated by 3-4 feet either vertically or horizontally.

[techwriter]

Thank you for the fast reply and for the good information.

I had sent an email to KSFY to verify that they really are broadcasting VHF digital. They responded with a yes answer. They also informed me that the CBS affiliate KELO in Sioux Falls is also changing to VHF digital on the 12th. If I knew that many of them was going back to VHF I would have simply purchased the HD7698P.