Requesting Help - OTA Locals w/Dish Network Installation

[clarkzone]

I am a frustrated potential Dish Network customer who apparently knows more about OTA HDTV than most people involved with the Dish Network service, but sadly not quite enough to know if I can actually achieve what I want. Any advice or guidance anyone can provide is greatly appreciated.

What I want: Dish Network service (including their HDTV package) using the 811 box, plus all local channels in the Washington, DC metro area via OTA antenna placed in the attic of my 2-story home in zip code 22066. End result from the user's perspective - Dish Network HDTV channels (4, I believe) plus ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, maybe FOX and WB via OTA, all accessed relatively seamlessly on my Sony HDTV via the Dish remote. That doesn't seem like too much to ask.

Problem - I can't find anyone who can tell me if it will REALLY be possible to install an antenna in my attic that will reliably and consistently pick up all the local channels listed above and feed them to my TV through the Dish 811 box. The intent is to install the antenna in the attic and "set it and forget it". Anything that requires changing the position of the antenna to pick up different stations is not an option.

Is it possible to achieve what I want? (I currently have a small indoor antenna and can pick up all the local channels, but need to physically move the antenna all around the room to different positions for each different channel).

If so, what brand/type of antenna would you recommend for this set up?

Where would I look to find someone knowledgable about this to install it and make it all work - the company Dish has contracted with to do installations appears to be totally clueless about this stuff.

Sorry for the length of this post but I no where else to turn - I am frankly shocked that with so many HDTVs sold that there is so little expertise in the market on how to actually get the benefits from them.

[kevinw]

Yes it will work- reliably - it should be
Having just helped someomn from the DC area today, a medium UHF antenna in your attic or on your roof will work.

Can't help on an install, but it is not that hard. try the yellow pages- ask for references.

http://www.antennasdirect.com/ see DB2
http://www.channelmaster.com/
http://www.winegard.com/

All of thes manufactures/retailers have good products.

[clarkzone]

Thanks for the quick reply and info.

Any advantage to the antennasdirect DB4 over the DB2? I have the room in the attic for the larger one and prefer to ensure that I get all the OTA signals I can.

Thanks.

[LeeS]

Kevin is right on with his recommendation. ( I think I'll retire :))

Look at this link and the polar pattern of the Winegard 4400 bow tie. It is good out to 45 miles, very similiar to the DB2. Remember that mounting the antenna in the attic will cut way back on the gain.

http://www.winegard.com/offair/pdf/pr-4400.pdf

Note how the polar pattern is widest at about mid range. That is where you want to be. Your stations are spread between 111 and 121 degrees. If you are lucky you can get that 10 degree spread without a rotor. Too much gain (DB4) or too little can put you in the narrow part of the beam. The antenna would still work but you would most definitely need a rotor.

AntennasDirect has a 90 day no questions asked money back guarantee. If the DB2 doesn't cut it get the DB4.

Bow ties are very good for multipath rejection. (a good thing)

I have a medium directional in my attic, two story, 12 miles from transmitters. 811 pulls 85-90% on all stations (7). Wood beams with composite shingles. No major obstructions. I'm lucky, all stations are at the same bearing.

The only concerns are WB at 111 degrees and NBC at 121 degrees. You may get one but not both. The only way to know is to try it.

What part of the install is troubling you? Running the cables? Look at my pictures in the Gallery. I have my antenna suspended by 'string' from the beams :) Very high tech. It has been that way more years than I can remember. Before satellite or cable.

I just ran my cable through the attic to the wall my TV is on, out through a hole, down the outside wall and back in through another hole. Don't forget the grounding block somewhere along the way. Drip loops where necessary.

If the TV is on the second floor and against an inner wall, that is easy too, but an installer can take the hassle out of that.

If you have an installer do the work and you need to change the antenna, that should be easy since all the wires have been run for you.

RG6 is fairly cheap, a tool to crimp the ends and a few connectors.

Good Luck,
Lee

[clarkzone]

LeeS - thanks for all the info - very helpful. To answer your primary question, my big concern/furstruation is around the fact that almost no one involved in the purchase or installation of the entire setup (HDTV retailer, Dish Network, satellite TV installer) seems to know much of anything about how to get the optimal setup for HDTV at my house. Despite everyone knowing that OTA is implemented on almost every configuration, it appears that the content suppliers (Dish, DirectTV, and Cable) have no interest in supporting its use - even though they (with the exception of cable) offer no alternative.

Based on your recommendation I think I will go with the DB2 antenna to start with. Hopefully I'll get what I want in terms of channels and give up the WB if necessary to keep everything else.

One last question - do I want the cable from the OTA antenna to connect to the outdoor connection on the Dish Network dish? Or do I want it to connect directly into the 811? I'm thinking that having it connected to the outdoor connection might enable me to also use the antenna with another TV in the house via my existing Samsung HDTV decoder.

Thanks again for your assistance - you've assured me enough to take the plunge to get all this stuff installed.

[LeeS]

One last question - do I want the cable from the OTA antenna to connect to the outdoor connection on the Dish Network dish? Or do I want it to connect directly into the 811?
My personal preference is to go directly from the antenna to the 811, via the grounding block etc.

Many have used diplexors to piggy back the OTA onto the SAT signal with success and some not. I'll let someone else weigh in on the diplexor subject.

Unless the other TV is a HD unit, I wouldn't bother. I don't think you will like watching analog SD TV off the antenna. Get your local SD from Dish and use the OTA for your digital TV (HD) locals.

IMHO,
Lee