Hi John.
On Nov 19, 6:31 pm, John Smith wrote:
Rich Grise wrote:
My current UHF antenna is a 14" Radio Shack clip lead clipped from the
center of my coax to the venetian blind. I have to hand-adjust it
for the channel, weather conditions, phase of the moon, etc. I can
do this because I can _see_ an indication of signal strength.

LOL ... talk about trolls! That HAS TO BE THE BEST TROLL OPENING LINE I
HAVE EVER SEEN!

Well, with this new Fascist "No More Free TV" crap, I'm gonna need
a real UHF antenna. My budget is exceedingly limited, but I have
a supply of materials (GTAW filler rod, with some coppery-colored
coating, so it solders like a dream, and is as stiff as piano wire)
to build an antenna with.

Well, that is the second best ...

But I've been searching the web for some weeks now, and I can't
seem to find any kind of formula, except there was this program
I downloaded - LPDA.EXE, which runs on DOS. Unfortunately, it's
in Russian or Polish or Uzbekistani - one of those East Yurp
languages. Here's a screen snap:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...rog-Output.gif

hmmm ....



Which I went through pretty much by-guess-and-by-gosh - can
anybody read that stuff?

There are a lot of factors I don't know about, like "Tau", and
all of the specific designs on the web are flat - something is
telling me I want one of those pyramid-shaped ones, but I really
don't know the difference (between that and flat) - it's probably
something to do with bandwidth or F/B ratio or whatever.

My local library has no ARRL Antenna Book (!), and did I mention
I have a seriously limited budget?

So, how do I pursue this? It'd be nice to have a program that will
calculate the whole thing for me, but am I dreaming? If I want to
send myself to Log-Periodic School, where should I start?

Or, does anyone have a UHF-TV log-periodic design that they'd share? :-)

Thanks,
Rich

Ever heard of amplifed rabbit ears?

Regards,
JS

It's not a troll. I bought a fair good UHF-VHF antenna,
assembled it and sat it on a saw horse in the driveway
for test, and it tested perfect for 3 channels + ch.34 .
So I set her up using a roof mount and LOST ch.34,
and no amount of rotating got it back.
(I was a pro antenna/tower installer as a kid).

Next I'm going to tape wire on 1/8" panelling and do
experiments ... ugh, I hate trial and error.
Ken

Ken S. Tucker wrote:

...
It's not a troll. I bought a fair good UHF-VHF antenna,
assembled it and sat it on a saw horse in the driveway
for test, and it tested perfect for 3 channels + ch.34 .
So I set her up using a roof mount and LOST ch.34,
and no amount of rotating got it back.
(I was a pro antenna/tower installer as a kid).

Next I'm going to tape wire on 1/8" panelling and do
experiments ... ugh, I hate trial and error.
Ken

OK brother, you may not be what I accuse you of ...

But darn, the antenna you bought was designed with certain parameters in
mind ... I would seriously doubt you are going to vastly increase
performance with the route(s) you have described here ...

Sorry if I made a joke. But, my advise to you would be, if you saved
your receipt, take it back! DON'T HACK THE ANTENNA!

Chat with buddies or someone who has had better experience(s) (or,
varied experiences) with a better antenna, one which would serve you better.

Without expensive instrumentation and experience of years of
experimenting, it is hard to accomplish what I perceive your goals to be ...

I would never say anything is impossible, just what I feel is the best
advise I can provide you with in hoping for your best success.

Wish you the best,
JS

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:45:19 GMT, Rich Grise wrote:

But I've been searching the web for some weeks now, and I can't
seem to find any kind of formula, except there was this program
I downloaded - LPDA.EXE, which runs on DOS. Unfortunately, it's
in Russian or Polish or Uzbekistani - one of those East Yurp
languages. Here's a screen snap:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...rog-Output.gif

Which I went through pretty much by-guess-and-by-gosh - can
anybody read that stuff?

Hi Rich,

Someone else has already provided the translation, so that will take
care of some of the wholes in data entry and reading.

There are a lot of factors I don't know about, like "Tau", and
all of the specific designs on the web are flat - something is
telling me I want one of those pyramid-shaped ones, but I really
don't know the difference (between that and flat) - it's probably
something to do with bandwidth or F/B ratio or whatever.

Tau is related to the shape of what you call the pyramid, or more
actually to the angle of the taper. This defines the smoothness of
matching across the span of frequencies you entered into the program.
As you can see, it also relates to the available gain. Another
correlative is it also relates to its length. All of these things are
trade-offs that lend to the rule of choosing what you want most and
giving up on the rest.

I note elsewhere that you wanted something about 1 foot long. There
is a Tau that will give you this boom length, and you got it on the
first guess.

So, how do I pursue this? It'd be nice to have a program that will
calculate the whole thing for me, but am I dreaming? If I want to
send myself to Log-Periodic School, where should I start?

You should start building what your screen shot gave you IF that is
the span of frequency you need (already questioned by other
correspondents).

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:45:19 GMT, Rich Grise wrote:

My current UHF antenna is a 14" Radio Shack clip lead clipped from the
center of my coax to the venetian blind. I have to hand-adjust it
for the channel, weather conditions, phase of the moon, etc. I can
do this because I can _see_ an indication of signal strength.

Well, with this new Fascist "No More Free TV" crap, I'm gonna need
a real UHF antenna. My budget is exceedingly limited, but I have
a supply of materials (GTAW filler rod, with some coppery-colored
coating, so it solders like a dream, and is as stiff as piano wire)
to build an antenna with.

But I've been searching the web for some weeks now, and I can't
seem to find any kind of formula, except there was this program
I downloaded - LPDA.EXE, which runs on DOS. Unfortunately, it's
in Russian or Polish or Uzbekistani - one of those East Yurp
languages. Here's a screen snap:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...rog-Output.gif

Which I went through pretty much by-guess-and-by-gosh - can
anybody read that stuff?

There are a lot of factors I don't know about, like "Tau", and
all of the specific designs on the web are flat - something is
telling me I want one of those pyramid-shaped ones, but I really
don't know the difference (between that and flat) - it's probably
something to do with bandwidth or F/B ratio or whatever.

My local library has no ARRL Antenna Book (!), and did I mention
I have a seriously limited budget?

So, how do I pursue this? It'd be nice to have a program that will
calculate the whole thing for me, but am I dreaming? If I want to
send myself to Log-Periodic School, where should I start?

Or, does anyone have a UHF-TV log-periodic design that they'd share? :-)

Thanks,
Rich


Why don't you sell your house and move to a place next to the TV
transmitter station. You will only need a piece of wire then.
Or the bare finger.
Must be wet, of course.


w.

Rich Grise wrote:
Are the channel frequencies going to be all changed around?

Here in the Tyler, TX area, the TV stations are continuing
their analog broadcasts on their previous channels. Their
digital signals are on different channels. When the switch-
over comes, they plan to switch their digital channels over
to their previous analog channels.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

Rich Grise wrote:
I've heard that there's no "signal strength" meter or anything - it's
either there, or not.

Some of the converter boxes have a signal strength
indication. My "Insignia" box does. It allowed me
to find a sweet spot for channel 10 DTV reception
using RS rabbit ears.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

John Smith wrote:
Ever heard of amplifed rabbit ears?

I bought one, a Phillips MANT310/MNT310F - didn't work
as well as the non-amplified RS one I already had.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

Rich Grise wrote:
My current UHF antenna is a 14" Radio Shack clip lead clipped from the
center of my coax to the venetian blind. I have to hand-adjust it
for the channel, weather conditions, phase of the moon, etc. I can
do this because I can _see_ an indication of signal strength.

Well, with this new Fascist "No More Free TV" crap, I'm gonna need
a real UHF antenna. My budget is exceedingly limited, but I have
a supply of materials (GTAW filler rod, with some coppery-colored
coating, so it solders like a dream, and is as stiff as piano wire)
to build an antenna with.

But I've been searching the web for some weeks now, and I can't
seem to find any kind of formula, except there was this program
I downloaded - LPDA.EXE, which runs on DOS. Unfortunately, it's
in Russian or Polish or Uzbekistani - one of those East Yurp
languages. Here's a screen snap:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...rog-Output.gif

Which I went through pretty much by-guess-and-by-gosh - can
anybody read that stuff?

There are a lot of factors I don't know about, like "Tau", and
all of the specific designs on the web are flat - something is
telling me I want one of those pyramid-shaped ones, but I really
don't know the difference (between that and flat) - it's probably
something to do with bandwidth or F/B ratio or whatever.

My local library has no ARRL Antenna Book (!), and did I mention
I have a seriously limited budget?

So, how do I pursue this? It'd be nice to have a program that will
calculate the whole thing for me, but am I dreaming? If I want to
send myself to Log-Periodic School, where should I start?

Or, does anyone have a UHF-TV log-periodic design that they'd share? :-)

Thanks,
Rich

Log periodics are not necessary for sub-octave operation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

In article , Rich Grise wrote:
My current UHF antenna is a 14" Radio Shack clip lead clipped from the
center of my coax to the venetian blind. I have to hand-adjust it
for the channel, weather conditions, phase of the moon, etc. I can
do this because I can _see_ an indication of signal strength.

I did the same thing and I was surprised how many digital chanels I got.
I was at a dollar store and saw the RCA UHF/VHF loop/ears for $5 and
that gave me considerable better reception.

greg

In article , Rich Grise wrote:
My current UHF antenna is a 14" Radio Shack clip lead clipped from the
center of my coax to the venetian blind. I have to hand-adjust it
for the channel, weather conditions, phase of the moon, etc. I can
do this because I can _see_ an indication of signal strength.

Well, with this new Fascist "No More Free TV" crap, I'm gonna need
a real UHF antenna. My budget is exceedingly limited, but I have
a supply of materials (GTAW filler rod, with some coppery-colored
coating, so it solders like a dream, and is as stiff as piano wire)
to build an antenna with.

But I've been searching the web for some weeks now, and I can't
seem to find any kind of formula, except there was this program
I downloaded - LPDA.EXE, which runs on DOS. Unfortunately, it's
in Russian or Polish or Uzbekistani - one of those East Yurp
languages. Here's a screen snap:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...rog-Output.gif

Which I went through pretty much by-guess-and-by-gosh - can
anybody read that stuff?

There are a lot of factors I don't know about, like "Tau", and
all of the specific designs on the web are flat - something is
telling me I want one of those pyramid-shaped ones, but I really
don't know the difference (between that and flat) - it's probably
something to do with bandwidth or F/B ratio or whatever.

My local library has no ARRL Antenna Book (!), and did I mention
I have a seriously limited budget?

So, how do I pursue this? It'd be nice to have a program that will
calculate the whole thing for me, but am I dreaming? If I want to
send myself to Log-Periodic School, where should I start?

Or, does anyone have a UHF-TV log-periodic design that they'd share? :-)

Thanks,
Rich

Ever hear of the BOW TIE. Its a sort of Fractal antenna. Having a wide band.
It could be improved by making it a full fractal.

greg