I noticed that this antenna was more stable than my others - less interruptions or random pixelation. Probably because it had less connections to make and the signals flowed on one continuous form. The Gray Hoverman has this pattern. This one beats my GH because it packs twice as much metal in the same space. But its inspiration comes from the GH.
1 Like
Try the wire if you don’t mind the bending. I did what I did just to keep the cost to under $2 with scraps of things lying around the house. I actually tried to improve an antenna I had made from leftovers with “good” components and my trashy antenna still beat my “good” one.
That’s me too … wood scraps, screws, romex wire scraps - only had to buy the $2 balun 75 ohm to 300 ohm converter.
At one point I started suspecting my balun and intended to make my own after watching some balun making videos. That’s another point on an antenna that can be improved with a DIY balun.
I also went with the hangers because I had noticed that an FF6 I made out of coat hangers actually beat a 4 bay bowtie made from copper wire quite handily. Mike mentions in his last video that steel wire does just as well as copper regardless of the supposed “electrical flow index” of different metals.
1 Like
In the past I would have advised getting a different brand of DVR, but lately I’ve been reading the forums of other DVRs and they all have the same reception problems (and complaints). For some reason it’s a TV tuner that beats a DVR tuner…
And so now, when I fashion an antenna, I always keep in mind that it has to satisfy the demands of a DVR first because it will always work with a TV.
Now that I think of it … we had ‘some’ reception issues with our 9-yr old TIVO (which finally died) … but not nearly as noticeable as with this new unit.
Man … it is a good day! Updated my antenna, got a dozen more channels including the New Orleans and Lafayette area stations. Whole bunch more choices and programming. Thanks MarkKindle for the Ultimate Tuxedo Antenna schematics! Works great!
1 Like
One of the advantages of DIY antennas is that they are inexpensive to make. One can make multiple antennas without spending a fortune and point them in different directions to get different markets.
Yes I SOOOOO agreee … antenna no. 2 is going to be built soon …
This first one I built was a ‘4 bay’ Tuxedo … didn’t you mention that you did a ‘6-bay’ one?
(I bought 100’ of wire, so ‘could’ build more).
Yes, the 6 bay antenna faces and gets me the station 51 miles away. Since I did not need VHF (it’s a UHF only antenna), I added two UHF elements (10" long) top and bottom to replace the VHF receptors. These two receptors are squared and not built using the fractal design. Here is the diagram and measurements:
Each horizontal side is 10" long 2" apart. Instead of the VHF 3" separation from the rest of the antenna, they are 2" from the fractal bays\bends. I didn’t make these as fractals since I wanted to contain the overall antenna length (which comes out to about 32\34" tall). These additional receptors don’t have to be strictly square - mine are slightly rounded at the corners.
I also needed a reflector 3 to 4" behind the antenna (32" x 40") made from cardboard and aluminum foil. This added about 30% more power to the antenna - enough to stabilize the signal and make it consistant throughout the day.
This 6 bay has the equivalent metal of a Channel Master 4228 (8 bay). It compresses all that metal into a smaller space and I find it more performant than my old 4228! So while technically it is a 6 bay antenna, I think of it as equivalent to an 8 bay bowtie.
OK … well mine is a ‘6 bay’ also … looks just like that except for the top and bottom elements - which I made as you suggested - one side 14" (top and bottom) and the other side 15 7/8" to acomodate the freq. of the 2 stations in BR that are VHF.
When I make the second one, is there a way to ‘combine’ the signal from 2 antenna into the single coax connector on the back of the Tablo?
IF both antennas are facing in totally different directions (with no overlap), a coax from each antenna’s balun and\or preamp can go into a standard splitter reversed. A normal splitter for $2 when reversed acts as a joiner to merge antennas.
IF there are identical stations that come in on both antennas, there will be a problem as the signals can cancel each other out if they arrive out of phase. This was my problem. The same channel came through on each antenna but just enough out of phase that the channel would freeze and pixelate. I had to buy a joiner from Jan Jenca (about $30) which specified which antenna would forward which channels:
http://www.antenne-komponenty.eu/english/main/product/zlucovace.html
Whoa - this is getting over my head … LOL
I was thinking of making a 2nd one to specifically stronger (like with that back screen reflelctor thingy) for the New Orleans stations. Maybe I’ll just get a 2nd Tablo?
But thanks for the heads up - I may try the reversed splitter for kicks and grins to see how that works.
BTW, Tablo tech support replaced my Tablo - again. This is no. 3 … and this one receives ALL the stations - again. And with my new and better antenna, picks up a bunch more stations. 
Hope it lasts.
Still have the non-functioning Ethernet cable hookup, but WiFi connection from Tablo to Router works perfectly. And I am using the 5Ghz chnl. to the WiFi router, to keep things moving along nicely.
Eventually, I think tech support and I will figure out what is blocking the signal
from the Ethernet port to the Tablo. It has got to be some port that is not allowing the signals to pass. Hopefully.
If you add reflectors to both antennas, and if they face in different directions so they don’t pick up each other’s signals, try a splitter (inexpensive test). A coax from one antenna into one of the splitter’s (output) legs. Another coax from the other antenna into the other output leg of the splitter. Its normal input leg becomes the output to the Tablo. This is what I meant by reversing a standard splitter (in a merge situation it’s normal inputs become outputs and vice versa)
A lot of people, instead of playing around with joiners\splitters and trying to get everything into sync and in phase, just go with two DVRs. Two different Tablos would help if the markets you get are in two different ZIP code areas. Otherwise trying to combine two zips in one Tablo…
If you get another Tablo to make two in the house, you can then ask Nuvyyo to create an app that merges two Tablos into one guide…
You know, their “wish list” thing.
BTW if one antenna doesn’t get you one market very well, you can try stacking two identical antennas side by side to face in that direction - merging the two using a splitter. Two 6 bays would make that a 12 bay…
I like that last idea - 2 6-bays sided by side … that might work!
From the sounds of the responses of users about the updates from Tablo, that might be a while before they create an app fro merging two guides. LOL
THe 2nd Tablo would be the way to go, as the 3 areas (Baton Rouge, New Orleans AND Lafayette are in 3 diff zip codes. ANd with the second unit, I am the one interested in the New Orleans stations so that would work being separated.
The other thing I just realized and probably why I am getting both N.O. & B.R. stations is this … BR is at 289 degrees, New Orleans stations are at 113 degrees … almost exactly 180 degrees apart - front of antenna towards BR, back of antenna towards NO - ain’t that a co-incidence _ LOL
Which is why I mentioned putting a back reflector on both antennas. To keep each other’s signals out of the other guy’s hair… Reflectors also add power to an antenna (up to 30%) AND keep stray signals from interfering (especially from the sides). I always add side flaps to my reflectors to get just the straight oncoming signal (just like Holl_ands shows in that diagram a few posts back). I added a top and bottom reflector to my 50 mile antenna - a sort of housing that reflects the signal onto the receptors from left, right, top and bottom. Top & bottom reflectors are known as “trough reflectors”
Wow! Now that is an antenna! Impressive!
Thanks for sharing!
That’s not my antenna - just an example of an antenna with top & bottom (trough) reflectors.
I have a question about the Guide Info showing up on the ‘Live TV’ section … since some of the stations I now receive are in a different zip code than what I told the location settings to, if I send a request to Tablo support, will they be able to add guide data for those ‘other zip code’ stations? (I am primarily set to Baton Rouge, the other new stations are in New Orleans and are not showing any show listings info in the guide).
I don’t know how Tablo’s personnel work with zip codes and merging info from different areas. You’d have to ask how that happens (if it does) to others at the forum or to Nuvyyo folk.
1 Like