antenna for 90403

[seamorg]

Hi, I need help in getting an antenna setup. My channels are VHF/UHF at about 28 mi and yellow zone.

I want to use single outdoor antenna for 3 tv sets. What is the best antenna for this? And please list your recommendation for everything else I need including: splitter type, j mount, cable type, grounding, etc.

[KNP 2516]

You situation lyes in the fact that you have television transmitters in all directions from your location and not all of them are 28 miles or less.'

KVCR is 69.79 miles
KSCI is 28 miles away
KBEH is 36.5 miles away
KPMR is 90 miles away
If you could get the signals from Bakersfield they would be 90 miles away also.

Your main signals would have to go over MT. Hollywood.

A Winegard HD 7094P High Defintion VHF/UHF/FM Antenna would probably get the job done for the local stations you wish to receive.

You would also need a antenna rotor and a pre amplifier.no less than a AP 2870

To receive signals more than 40 miles away you would need a Winegard 8200U antenna and a AP 2875 pre amplifier and a antenna rotor.

You would need one ground block to be attached to the antenna at ground level - before the coax goes into the house.

You would need a piece of RG 6 Quad Shield wire to go from the antenna to the pre amplifier - which should be mounted as close to the antenna within reason as possible.

You would need a piece of RG 6 Quad Shield to go from the pre amplifier to the ground block

You would need a piece of RG 6 Quad Shield to go into the house - somewhere in the basement - where you have access to 120 VAC power for the injector part of the pre amp.

You would then need a piece of RG 6 Quad Shield - out of the Pre Amp to the main 2 way splitter.

From the first 2 way splitter, you would want other 2 way splitters if you wanted to supply signal to more than 2 televisions.

Do not use 3 or 4 or 5 way splitters. Their loss is so high that you would loose most of the signal that you had for the long range reception just in the splitters.

Plenty of Crimp on wire connectors - not the squeeze or twist on type. They do not work for UHF reception.

A antenna rotor and what ever amount of 3 conductor wire to go from the motor control to the rotor box out on the antenna.

You would need a antenna mount kit to mount it to the side of your house.

1 length of mast pipe to go through the mounts - 1 3/4 or 2 inch would work best. I use galvanized electrical thick wall conduit. Also one piece of 1 3/4 or 2 inch pipe to go from the antenna rotor to the antenna - at least 8 to 10 feet above the roof.

A ground wire - 8 AWG to go from the antenna to a ground stake - pounded 4 feet into the ground. A ground clamp to hold the 8 AWG wire to the ground stake and a ground clamp to hold the wire to the antenna mast. A ground wire to go from the ground block to a separate ground, pounded 4 feet into the ground at a different location for the antenna wire ground block.

Do not connect any grounds to water pipes or gas pipes.

[Mikeysoft]

Why do you have two separate grounds?

[KNP 2516]

One for the antenna - bonded to the mast pole to direct the lightning strike to the ground as fast as possible.

The second in a different location, to ground the system to keep the lightning from going inside of the house.

UHF / VHF antenna's works best with a ground anyways because the earth, although a poor conductor - is a conductor. The ground waves of the transmitter signal follows the ground and the ground on the antenna helps to receive the signal.

[Mikeysoft]

Someone deleted KNP first long reply to question about 2 grounds and my reply saying NEC code states only one ground should be used and pointed out the Windgard's antenna manual shows only one ground and the manual also cited the NEC code.

[KNP 2516]

http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1171010.html

TV ANTENNA GROUNDING PROCEDURES

TV ANTENNA INSTALLATION

CHAPTER SIX: TV ANTENNA GROUNDING PROCEDURES



The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that every TV antenna installation be grounded. Also many areas have local antenna-grounding codes. Be sure that you are familiar with all of the grounding and other TV antenna regulations in your area. Grounding an TV antenna is not just the law, it is good common sense. Because the antenna is usually the highest point on the house, it is highly susceptible to lightning strikes.

Grounding the Mast

The NEC requires that the antenna mast and mount be grounded directly. No splices or connections are allowed in the ground wire between the mast and the ground rod. First, attach one end of a No. 8 or No. 10 copper or aluminum ground wire to the TV antenna mast. One of the bolts on the mount can be used as a fastening point. Masts that are painted or coated just have their coating scraped off around the area where they contact the mount. This will ensure an electrical connection between the mast and the mount. It is vital to get a good, solid connection. (Once the mast is attached to the mount, any scraped off portion that is exposed should be recoated with paint or other sealant.) Next, run the ground wire to ground as directly as possible. Standard wire staples can be used to secure the ground wire against the side of the house. Avoid making 90° or sharper turns with the ground wire. A lightning charge has difficulty making such a turn and therefore may discharge into the house. Make ground wire bends as smooth and as gradual as possible. The ground wire must be connected to a ground rod. Water pipes or plumbing fixtures are not acceptable. A good copper-coated steel ground rod driven at least 3 feet into the ground is required. Special clamps that provide a solid connection between the ground wire and ground rod should be used.

Grounding the TV Antenna Transmission Line

It is not just the height of an TV antenna that makes it susceptible to lightning strikes. TV Antennas and transmission line can accumulate static electrical charges that also increase the changes of lightning hitting an installation. To properly "draw off" this static electricity, a small device known as an antenna discharge unit must be included on the installation. The TV antenna discharge unit (also called a "lightning arrestor") is connected to the transmission line at a point close to where the transmission line enters the house. One end of a ground wire is attached to the discharge unit. The other end of the wire is connected directly to the ground rod. Installation of the TV antenna discharge unit is very easy, and detailed instructions come with each unit. An TV antenna installation is not adequately grounded unless both a mast ground and an antenna discharge unit are installed correctly

Is there anything else you would like to know - since you think that you know it all?

[winegard]

Your posts this weekend were not deleted by an admin. Our hosting company was performing a large server maintenance this weekend and we ended up losing some data between late Friday and mid-day Saturday. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and have passed your information along.

[Mikeysoft]

http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1171010.html
...
Is there anything else you would like to know - since you think that you know it all?

The code state "The" ground rod, not two separate grounding rods.

[KNP 2516]

http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1171010.html
...
Is there anything else you would like to know - since you think that you know it all?

The code state "The" ground rod, not two separate grounding rods.

Lightning is going to go where it wants to go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo%27s_fire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning

I worked next to a church on a hill and have seen ball lightning come off the spire of the church and roll down the roof and across the yard of the church into the side of the rectory.

You do what ever you think is best.

After you climb a couple of antenna towers, you come back and tell me how you think you want your antenna grounded.

[Mikeysoft]

... you come back and tell me how you think you want your antenna grounded.

I want my antenna grounded by how the experts say. A lot of study by the experts went into the NEC code and they know what they are doing. Everything should be grounded to the same ground used by the power service panel.

An 8 gauge wire is not going to help much for a direct hit. I'm sure the church spire was grounded and it didn't help much for a direct hit.

Grounding your antenna and a lightning arrester protects from the EMP cause by lightning, which is vary common. Having several different grounds causes serious problems.