ID an old antenna please?

[bobrok]

Hello,

This is my 1st post on the forum. If I need to be redirected to a different thread let me know.
I acquired this old antenna from out of the rafters in a garage so I know it's been out of the weather for quite a long time. Outside of the one element being broken off (I still have the element) I have no idea what type of antenna this is and would like to know if it is only VHF or if it is UHF as well. I can pick up digital 7.1 and 7.2 and a snowy analog channel 11 all from a distance of at least 75 miles or more from the TV towers, but that's about all I can get and I know there are more signals out there, at perhaps the same distance.
Most likely this is not a UHF antenna, but I need someone's expert opinion to know for sure. Am I expecting too much from this old thing?
Thanks in advance for replies.

bobrok

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Hello bobrok and welcome to the forum!

I dont know exactly what model or who the manufacturer of that antenna is (my guess would be Channel Master as the manufacturer).....but that is definitely a VHF Lo/FM/VHF High antenna.....with no UHF section.

The one broken element wont hurt it too much. That is a large fringe antenna, you should be able to pull in VHF stations from quite a distance....though 75 miles with no amplifier and low height may be pushing it.

Very cool that you found it stored away in the attic. Thanks for sharing. Maybe somebody else knows more about the maker and model.

 

[Eureka]

VHF only. To see what stations are on VHF in your area, enter your address and antenna height at:
TV Fool
On the results page, look at the "REAL" column for channels 2 thru 13. Ignore the "virtual" channel numbers - those are just the numbers that display on the TV screen to identify the station.

 

[bobrok]

Hello bobrok and welcome to the forum!

I dont know exactly what model or who the manufacturer of that antenna is (my guess would be Channel Master as the manufacturer).....but that is definitely a VHF Lo/FM/VHF High antenna.....with no UHF section.

The one broken element wont hurt it too much. That is a large fringe antenna, you should be able to pull in VHF stations from quite a distance....though 75 miles with no amplifier and low height may be pushing it.

Very cool that you found it stored away in the attic. Thanks for sharing. Maybe somebody else knows more about the maker and model.

Hi EV, and thanks for the reply. My suspicions are now confirmed...VHF only. This stands to reason given the geographic location where I acquired it and the fact that until about 20 years ago there wasn't even a UHF signal other than PBS in the area.
But now I'm using this antenna in a mountain location several hours distant and with the dtv switch I know that I'll need a good fringe UHF antenna as well. I'm really stumped as to where to start...there's too much information and product and I don't know enough about tv signals and reception.
I do know, however, that I'm running the risk of a thread hijack here but I'd like to continue this discourse.
Perhaps the mods can move me to the correct area to continue this conversation???
Thank you.
bobrok

 

[Eureka]

...I'm really stumped as to where to start...there's too much information and product and I don't know enough about tv signals and reception...

Enter your address here. On the results page, copy & paste the bolded link back here. The people in this forum can suggest antennas that might be good, based on your TVFool results.

Your address will not display on the results page.

 

[bobrok]

Enter your address here. On the results page, copy & paste the bolded link back here. The people in this forum can suggest antennas that might be good, based on your TVFool results.

Your address will not display on the results page.

Thanks Eureka, here it is:
TV Fool
To help set the scenario, this is a mountainous area and I sit at an elevation of approx. 1600 feet above sea level. The antenna is mounted at about a 20' height above a metal roof, if that matters. I am only able to resolve to zip code level since we are off-road and have no physical mailing address (vacation cabin).

 

[EscapeVelocity]

If you have GPS, a Long and Lat will give better results.

 

[bobrok]

If you have GPS, a Long and Lat will give better results.

EV, no gps but I think this is fairly close using other sources.
lat 43.89 N
long 74.45 W

 

[Don_M]

Blue Mountain Lake... I do miss the Adirondacks... :becky:

Coordinates would definitely be more accurate, but we can infer that this signal situation is somewhat better than the report: The antenna is higher than the default 20 feet, and the OP almost certainly wouldn't be getting CKWS at -9.5 dB NM without an amp. That must be a heckuva good VHF antenna to be pulling signals from 100+ miles out by itself! It's definitely a keeper, even with the broken element.

So here's how to do it, bobrok: Purchase an Antennas Direct 91-XG (sometimes aka XG-91) antenna for UHF and a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp. This will add PBS on 16.1 and ABC on 50.1. A rotor will give you a good shot at adding CBS 6.1 out of Albany, a few Canadian broadcasts and a couple of U.S. translator stations, and you may even have a chance at pulling in WXXA, the Albany Fox affiliate on 23.1, at last part of the time. The best rotor is Channel Master model 9521a.

Be sure to use new RG-6 coaxial cabling throughout the system, and a new coax transformer (aka "balun") for the VHF antenna, if you don't already have them. The 91-XG doesn't need a balun thanks to its built-in coax connector. The pre-amp combines signals from both antennas; it has separate inputs for each one. Be sure to follow the 7777's instructions on setting its internal switch for use with separate antennas.

The 91-XG should be mounted a minimum of three feet above the VHF antenna. Add more separation if you can swing it. Twenty feet is plenty high enough off the metal roof, and it's just as well -- you need every foot of height you can get at those distances to the stations.

As EV suggested, fixing the broken element isn't absolutely necessary. If you'd like to fix it anyway, slide a length of aluminum rod into both pieces of the element tubing. Dab the rod with a little bit of construction adhesive on either side of the break to secure everything.

EDIT: TVFool for the coordinates you just provided comes up significantly worse; my hunch is that the original report is more accurate.

 

[bobrok]

Blue Mountain Lake... I do miss the Adirondacks... :becky:

Sounds like you are familiar with the area!!!

Coordinates would definitely be more accurate, but we can infer that this signal situation is somewhat better than the report: The antenna is higher than the default 20 feet, and the OP almost certainly wouldn't be getting CKWS at -9.5 dB NM without an amp.

WANNA BET? 24/7 HOCKEY! Fuzzy pic, but no amp. Also occasionally CJOH 6 from the Seaway valley.

So here's how to do it, bobrok: Purchase an Antennas Direct 91-XG (sometimes aka XG-91) antenna for UHF and a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp. This will add PBS on 16.1 and ABC on 50.1. A rotor will give you a good shot at adding CBS 6.1 out of Albany, a few Canadian broadcasts and a couple of U.S. translator stations, and you may even have a chance at pulling in WXXA, the Albany Fox affiliate on 23.1

7.2 is Fox28 from Watertown to the west and is much closer than Albany. I never got ch 6 but have pulled in ch 10 before the transition to digital. You think I'd be able to get 2 or 20 from Utica!

Twenty feet is plenty high enough off the metal roof

ummm...that's 20 feet off the ground at 1600 feet elev from sea level; I'm only a few feet off the roof, just to clarify, and surrounded by peaks at 2200 to 2400 feet <sigh>. I guess that's why their called 'mountains'.:dancing:

Thank you so much for all of your help. I will put this advice to work and see what happens. Don't go away because I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.
Thanks again. Hope you make it back to the ADKs sometime

 

[Piggie]

I have a metal roof. VHF should be 20 ft above the metal roof for deep fringe reception.

Also to get a very accurate plot of your house use this.
Google Maps Latitude, Longitude Popup
Then zoom in with the map, then switch to satellite view and you should be able to find your house or close. The closer the better in hills.

I doubt it will change anything as far as suggestions. Adding a XG-91 to the stack with a CM7777 pre amp. Again make sure the baluns and coax from the antennas to the amp are new. Replacing the coax from the amp to the house is also a good idea.

Also unless the plot you come up with better than I saw with it set to 500ft don't expect much.

If you do a new plot based on better coordinates, put in your actual antenna height above ground.

 

[Don_M]

Sounds like you are familiar with the area!!!

Haven't actually gone to Blue Mountain... Been to the Tri-Lakes area in Essex County a few times. Yeah, I hope I can get back that way sometime. We may have the Rockies, but the trees are fast disappearing thanks to the pine beetle. :Cry:

 

[bobrok]

Haven't actually gone to Blue Mountain... Been to the Tri-Lakes area in Essex County a few times. Yeah, I hope I can get back that way sometime. We may have the Rockies, but the trees are fast disappearing thanks to the pine beetle. :Cry:

we the people are fast disappearing from New York State thanks to the taxes

 

[bobrok]

I have a metal roof. VHF should be 20 ft above the metal roof for deep fringe reception.

Also to get a very accurate plot of your house use this.
Google Maps Latitude, Longitude Popup
Then zoom in with the map, then switch to satellite view and you should be able to find your house or close. The closer the better in hills.

I doubt it will change anything as far as suggestions. Adding a XG-91 to the stack with a CM7777 pre amp. Again make sure the baluns and coax from the antennas to the amp are new. Replacing the coax from the amp to the house is also a good idea.

Also unless the plot you come up with better than I saw with it set to 500ft don't expect much.

If you do a new plot based on better coordinates, put in your actual antenna height above ground.

Hi Piggie,
I've tried all sorts of mapping sites, but I'm in an extremely remote area (Don knows about the Adirondack Park of upstate New York) and there is no close up photography available. Any images I've found are years old and don't show any buildings at their resolution, if those buildings even existed when the photos were taken. My camp is only about 10 years old and it doesn't show up. Of course it sits on an extremely tiny footprint clearing in the middle of a forest so it'd be difficult to pick out anyway. We are not on a highway.
Appreciate your suggestion about the 20 foot height. That might be an easy way to start this project.

 

[Piggie]

The google maps satellite images are much less than 10 years old. But it might be hard to find a camp in the foliage. Still the proof will be in putting the antenna 20 ft above the roof, hooking up a good amp like a CM7777 and see what comes in.

 

[aerials]

Finco antenna

Hello,

This is my 1st post on the forum. If I need to be redirected to a different thread let me know.
I acquired this old antenna from out of the rafters in a garage so I know it's been out of the weather for quite a long time. Outside of the one element being broken off (I still have the element) I have no idea what type of antenna this is and would like to know if it is only VHF or if it is UHF as well. I can pick up digital 7.1 and 7.2 and a snowy analog channel 11 all from a distance of at least 75 miles or more from the TV towers, but that's about all I can get and I know there are more signals out there, at perhaps the same distance.
Most likely this is not a UHF antenna, but I need someone's expert opinion to know for sure. Am I expecting too much from this old thing?
Thanks in advance for replies.

bobrok

Back in the late 60's we had this antenna but the 10 element version. The picture you have is the cxvl-18 VHF-FM model. We received stations 70 miles with the 10 element version.

 

[xbanderradio]

Finco for Sure

Used to have Finco catalogs in the 1960's while living in central Ohio.
We had crappy reception from Cleveland due to our location below a small
hill. This picture was definitely an antenna I wanted my father to buy
and bolt down big time. It looked like it begged to be blown over when
coated by an ice storm. You could chop it down making the elements
shorter for today's high-VHF channels and it would have less wind load.
However, that suggestion may start a swirling of comments about not
fixing something that is not broken.

Hello,

This is my 1st post on the forum. If I need to be redirected to a different thread let me know.
I acquired this old antenna from out of the rafters in a garage so I know it's been out of the weather for quite a long time.