Hello fellow Michigander reddogracing!
I grew up in zip 49601, watching all the main stations you’re after back in the analog days. I now live down in Kent County, but have my Tablo and rooftop antenna solution favoring WWTV 9.1 as my primary CBS. (My wife and kids think I’m crazy to want an out-of-market station…but I have family and friends in Northern Michigan.)
I’d fear that whatever omni (disc) antenna you’d source would come up short on capturing WWTV, since it’s on RF 9 (“real frequency” 9), which is referred to as being part of the High-VHF band. For best results, something a yard wide is needed for that frequency.
You mentioned your street above, and I can picture that once I looked it up. Not sure if you’ve found the site I’ll use in the next link, but it maps out and estimates signal strengths and directions, and I think this would be pretty accurate for you (I assumed a 35 foot above ground height, but it shouldn’t vary much if your roof peek is a bit different):
https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php?request=result&study_id=14037
Note that that some of the broadcast signals are duplicates of others in your area. With the right set-up, even through the trees (as I’m surrounded with 60 footers at my current place, too), you should be able to get:
From 58 degrees (I’m listing the virtual channel numbers that the Tablo and TVs would show):
7.1 (and 29.1) NBC
7.2 (and 29.2) ABC
7.3 Comet
27.1 through 27.3 PBS (including PBS Kids)
From 142 degrees:
9.1 CBS
9.2 Fox
9.3 MeTV
9.4 CW (although I’m wondering if it might get removed, now that the 32.x broadcast is back on-line)
Maybe from 142 degrees with the same antenna:
32.1 FOX (same as 9.2, as both are HD now)
32.2 CW
32.3 Ion
I’ll readily admit I’m a big fan of the antennas from Antennas Direct. With that mentioned, I’d recommend the older model ClearStream 2V to you:
Its advantage for you versus their current model 2MAX is that the VHF dipole (that yard long horizontal stick shown) can be zip-tied to the mast at a different angle than the loops. Their older instruction sheet used to show that, but I can’t seem to search that up online now.
So you’d be able to square the VHF dipole up perpendicular to the WWTV signal to the SE, and have the loops pointed toward the Kalkaska tower that has the others on it to the ENE.
I’ll also mention to not be afraid to source one of these antennas as an open box from any website. Honestly, I believe many people return antennas after trying them briefly…and not researching much about what direction they should point.
Your sister likely is also receiving the 26.x signal with its half dozen or so subchannels, including MI News 26. That broadcast tower is east of Cadillac along M-55. They’ve been approved to increase their output strength, but will still be a low power station. It’s iffy as to whether even then you’ll receive them or not, just so you know.
Good luck! Statmanmi
