Robert Grant
02-26-2007, 04:03 PM
Hello all WTFDAers:
(NOTE: I had originally intended to send pictures in this post, but the computer I'm on has no SD card slot)
I need some help identifying a Winegard VHF-UHF combo I bought in 1999 (I don't know how old the
antenna was at the store before I bought it).
I Believe it was part of the Chromstar series, but the box did mention "HD" or "High-Definition"
on it.
Sadly, I did not save the instructions nor the box.
The antenna has a total boom length of 132" (that's 82" ahead of the mast mount, and only 50" behind it) (also, the boom is bluish gray in color)
The antenna was on the chimney here from late 1999 to April 2006. It is now "test installed" on a deck support about 12' AGL, where it performs poorly.
The feed section has a little black box with a circuit board with passive
components (toroid transformers and capacitors) and has four fork-shaped pins that connect to the elements using only pressure. This method of connection is poor. A few months after installation, the pins corroded. The antenna still worked fine on UHF (capacitive coupling across the corroded junctions), was impaired on highband, and was rendered useless on lowband VHF.
The spacing between the UHF pins is 5/8", the VHF pins are significantly farther apart, but I am now unable to measure them (I squeezed the forks of the pins together before reattachng the feed section for a better VHF connection, which was achieved, but now I can't get the board off!)
The connection problem is ironic, since the construction of the antenna structure was superb.
Is a replacement board available for this antenna?
Is there any way to modify the board (or a replacement board) so that corrosion would not be an issue?
Is there any way to configure this antenna for separate downleads, for VHF and UHF (would be very useful, as overload from locals on 11 and 13, 11 and 9 miles distant, respectively, severely affects UHF reception to the East and South, without any amplifier).
Lastly, does anyone know how I can safely "re-fold" the antenna elements for storage?
It seems like the elements would not swing out of their latch positions without an amount of force that would snap them at their bases.
*** post script: after realizing I could not send photos, and doing an internet search, I think the antenna may be a HD-7084, or some predecessor thereof. Any way to identify the 7084 from other similar antennas with a 131" boom?
Thanks to all in advance, 73 to all, N8NU.
(NOTE: I had originally intended to send pictures in this post, but the computer I'm on has no SD card slot)
I need some help identifying a Winegard VHF-UHF combo I bought in 1999 (I don't know how old the
antenna was at the store before I bought it).
I Believe it was part of the Chromstar series, but the box did mention "HD" or "High-Definition"
on it.
Sadly, I did not save the instructions nor the box.
The antenna has a total boom length of 132" (that's 82" ahead of the mast mount, and only 50" behind it) (also, the boom is bluish gray in color)
The antenna was on the chimney here from late 1999 to April 2006. It is now "test installed" on a deck support about 12' AGL, where it performs poorly.
The feed section has a little black box with a circuit board with passive
components (toroid transformers and capacitors) and has four fork-shaped pins that connect to the elements using only pressure. This method of connection is poor. A few months after installation, the pins corroded. The antenna still worked fine on UHF (capacitive coupling across the corroded junctions), was impaired on highband, and was rendered useless on lowband VHF.
The spacing between the UHF pins is 5/8", the VHF pins are significantly farther apart, but I am now unable to measure them (I squeezed the forks of the pins together before reattachng the feed section for a better VHF connection, which was achieved, but now I can't get the board off!)
The connection problem is ironic, since the construction of the antenna structure was superb.
Is a replacement board available for this antenna?
Is there any way to modify the board (or a replacement board) so that corrosion would not be an issue?
Is there any way to configure this antenna for separate downleads, for VHF and UHF (would be very useful, as overload from locals on 11 and 13, 11 and 9 miles distant, respectively, severely affects UHF reception to the East and South, without any amplifier).
Lastly, does anyone know how I can safely "re-fold" the antenna elements for storage?
It seems like the elements would not swing out of their latch positions without an amount of force that would snap them at their bases.
*** post script: after realizing I could not send photos, and doing an internet search, I think the antenna may be a HD-7084, or some predecessor thereof. Any way to identify the 7084 from other similar antennas with a 131" boom?
Thanks to all in advance, 73 to all, N8NU.