On 24 Dec 2003 09:16:09 -0800, (Jonathan
Epstein) wrote:

Hi,

I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong newsgroup, but you folks seem to know
more about antennas than anyone else on usenet.

The previous owner of my house installed a fairly substantial roof
antenna for radio reception, because his favorite FM radio station was
50 miles away. Here's a pictu
http://epsteinmania.com/jonathan/public/antenna.jpg

I now would like to receive HDTV off-the-air programming at my house.
It turns out that I will need to add about a 60-foot cable run to use
this existing antenna, but it seems that this would be the most
practical method. I'm actually in a pretty good TV reception area ...
when I typed my address into antennaweb.org, it says
that I only need a "small multidirectional antenna":
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/yellow.asp


So my questions a
1) can I jury-rig this existing antenna for HDTV OTA reception?
AND
2) how do I do it? E.g., to what part of the antenna do I attach an
RG6 cable, and what adapters if any are necessary.

TIA,

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan,

Of the two antennas shown in your first link, it is the upper antenna
that the former occupant used as wideband FM antenna. It is mounted
on the rotator.

The bottom, fixed antenna, is a multichannel medium directional TV
antenna.

Neither is particularly suitable to the HDTV purist, but given that
your needs are so low living in a large signal area, issues of
"purity" may be moot.

It would be simple enough to try one, and then the other. The lower
one may take some time on the roof in participating in the traditions
of 1950's era domestic engineering (twisting the thing until a relay
line of wife and kids affirm the picture is clear now). If you have
only one or several channels located in the same region, the fixed
(non rotatable) antenna will do fine.

Each antenna appears to have its own line, along with a control line
for the rotator. Simply follow those down to where they pass through
a wall into the family room and use them in the same manner as the
previous owner. If you need to lengthen either or both antenna lines
(control line too) there are barrel connectors available at Radio
Shack to mate lengths of line and simple add them a la extension cord
style. The lengthening of the control lines may take more attention,
ask a sales clerk that has at least some time in the saddle at the
store (or try different stores).

If you draw the antenna lines out of the wall and make the extensions
outside, tighten the connections firmly and wrap all metal bright work
with electrical tape in overlapping turns (about a foot or more of
tape for three inches of bright work). Start the tape with a margin
before and after the bright work, on the plastic of the actual cable,
so no rain penetrates through the back of the connectors. If the
connectors are hooded, start on the cable behind the hood and progress
to beyond the hood of the mated connector.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC