Outdoor antenna setup


I will soon be in a position to install an outdoor antenna on the south west peak of my house. Living in Hartford, CT I am hoping to pull in some Boston or NYC stations. I'd like some advice on the type of antenna to buy and what type of cable to use(coaxial vs flat), the necessity of a rotator and other helpful pearls of wisdom. I will need to run 75-100 feet of cable to get from my antenna to my tuner(Rotel receiver Rx-975). Also advice on alternative tuners considering my location and desire to get stations 120 miles away would be appreciated. Thanks alot. Len
bigo
I recommend the Antenna Performance Specialties APS-9 (I use this) or the APS-13 with a Channel Master rotor. USe a straight run of coax to the tuner; no amps, boosters, or anything. No wall plates, either, if you can swing it. Make sure you contract with an antenna installation specialist. If you tell them what you are looking for the technician will give you a realistic picture of what you can expect. He will also have the right cable in his truck.

I live in Manchester, NH and listen to Boston stations 60 miles away in wonderful fidelity. I also listen to stations on Cape Cod that are over 100 miles away. I use a modified Accuphase and a MC 7083.

Have fun.
A 120 mile range is going to require a LOT of tower height but it can be done; typically a professional is required for such an installation. Antenna requirement is a very high gain Yagi beam design for this distance. Rotor is only needed if you have more than a single location (city) that you wish to receive from, otherwise it's not needed. RG-6 is the preferred coaxial feedline. No previous mention of a head amplifier above, but you'll definitely need one. I use a high-gain Wineguard amp mounted at the antenna, with the FM trap switched OUT. You'll have provision to go directly into the amp with 300 ohm balanced flatline, then out to the drop with 75 ohm coax. Power for the amp comes from a power inserter box located in the house; the low voltage DC travels on the coax center conductor but is blocked from your tuner by the inserter box. Install a coaxial surge arrestor (properly grounded) at the coax just before it enters the house; maybe even a 2nd surge arrestor downline from that one. You should still disconnect the antenna from all inside equipment when away on vacation, &/or during any thunderstorm.
The tuner requirement is for high sensitivity; I suggest a Magnum Dynalab such as MD100 or MD90, or the more expensive MD102 is what I use, along with their Signal Sleuth, which is an indoor RF preamp that's tunable & has variable gain + a bypass switch. The Sleuth is very low profile & fits right on top of the tuner, if desired. Fanfare also has some good modern tuners available.
You are going to have to spend a considerable amount of $ to set this system up properly in order to receive from that great a distance, so be prepared.
Agree with most of the above, FM reception becomes extremely difficult past 60 miles. If there are ANY large mountains in the vicinity, it is worth a try to aim your Yagi at the mountain and see if you can get the bounce signal. This will often be stronger and more consistent than relying on atmospheric conditions and random luck to get you a strong enough signal. Good luck...
I'm sure that there are scientific ways to get the most from FM, but I believe there is room for luck and magic (this is a departure from my usual way of thinking) in getting it all to work the way you want it to.
Get a grounding block from Radio Shack ($1.99 or so). The grounding block mounts to the house and is grounded to a ground wire. You cut the co-ax and mount a connector and screw the co-ax into each side of the grounding block.
Prevents lightening from going into your tuner - a good idea!