I have been one of the people plagued with clearqam stations randomly changing in 7MC and I am looking for another solution so I figured it was time to try a good OTA antenna. I am using two Avermedia Duets with future plans to add the InfiniTV4 into the mix.
My TVfool results are here, but it doesn't mean much to me. I have a friend who could eventually install an attic antenna for me or even possibly on the roof, but his schedule is crazy and with the heat right now I would rather see if I can get away with another option first.
I know next to knowing about antennas so I was hoping someone here might be able to steer me in the right direction.
FCC site to complain about problems with CableCARDs and Tuning Adapters
I used a Terrestial Digital Lacrosse antenna, until I got FiOS. I worked great. It was mounted on my roof pointed towards the broadcast towers in Philly, about 35 miles away.
Check the AVS Forum for your area. Lots of helpful folks there!
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45
Post your question over at www.dtvusaforum.com. Lots of antenna experts hang out there! Also, your TVFool presents a very easy situation. You should see mine. I have my antenna on a 70ft tower and pretty much had to have it up there to get anything.
I tried Terk ($40) and Winegard ($60) indoor antennas. They would work initially but something would cause interference. The level of interference was directly proportional to how much I really wanted to see a program.
An antenna by RCA-Audiovox ($80) installed in the attic fixed the problem. The height keeps large vehicles from affecting the signal. And all the elements prevent thunderstorms from messing up the picture. I have since opened up an indoor antenna store to get rid of my inventory.
The channels in my area are about the same distance from me. I used indoor amplified rabbit ears in two rooms. They had to be placed near the ceiling. I received 76 channels and deleted the unwanted and poorly received to end up with about 47 channels. I got aggravated with the rabbit ears in the living room and bought a GE Futura from Home Depot for about $50. It's about the sized and shape of a hard back novel and can be mounted indoors or outside. I ditched Directv after 15 years and put the Futura on my patio tripod in place of the dish. I bought a new splitter and used new RG-6 to run the feed (amplifier supplied) to my pc and the tv. My reception strength is between 83% to 98% on all stations but one which runs at 64% to 70% which I think is quite good since the signal has already been diluted through the splitter and my ground floor apartment is below the level of the adjacent parking lot. The antenna itself is just below the balcony above me so the LOS is barely above the level of the parking lot. The tables have turned. You now get a better picture OTA than by cable or satellite. The signal is uncompressed and your tv doesn't have to work as hard. Going OTA is quite an upgrade. Hope the antenna suggestion works for you.