Reddit reviews Antennas Direct Clearstream 4V TV Antenna, 70+ Mile Range, UHF/Vhf, Multi-Directional, Indoor, Attic, Outdoor, Mast W/Pivoting Base/Hardware/Adjustable Clamp/Sealing Pads, 4K Ready, Black – C4-V-CJM

It's a long-range HDTV antenna like this one

The name of the game for OTA in SF Bay Area is Sutro Tower - also, a notable landmark, see: http://www.larrykenney.com/sutrotwr.html

Luckily, you are within 40 miles, so you should have good results with a decent attic antenna set up.

You can ignore the other reply about Low VHF stations. Those are low power, extreme niche JUNK channels (think, Shopping Channel in Vietnamese, GOD TV, Korean News, etc.) - worthless to target unless you fall within that narrow particular niche. Here is good list of what these are for SF Bay Area: http://www.choisser.com/sfonair2.html

Sutro Tower gets you Fox 2 (44 real), ABC 7 (7 real), CBS 5 (29 real) PBS 9 (30 real), plus some really good second tiers - CW, and KOFY, MeTV, and ThisTV. Notwithstanding ABC 7 being listed as 7 VHF, I get ABC 7 as strong UHF 35. So, Sutro Tower is bascally a UHF antenna affair.

However, just south of Sutro Tower is Mnt. San Bruno. It has NBC 11 which IS broadcasting in VHF (12 real). It is one of 2 broadcasting 1080 (other is CBS), so definitely worth targeting. Therefore, you should have a good UHF antenna (Sutro Tower stations) plus decent VHF to get NBC.

I have good results with ClearStream 4V: https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna-Mount/dp/B00SVNKT86/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1517716978&sr=1-1&keywords=ClearStream+4V

(May be superceded by ClearStream 4Max)
This gets you good UHF and VHF. However, you may want to detach the VHF portion and aim independently, since the respective transmitters are at different angles.

Pre-amp is a must, I use this from Channel Master:

https://www.channelmaster.com/Amplify_TV_Antenna_Preamplifier_p/cm-7777hd.htm

I no longer split my signal to various TVs. Instead, I send to digital tuner (HDHomerun Quatro) which can output 4 simultaneous to my LAN connected TVs (just use Powerline).

Finally, not sure how you can be in Napa and within 40 miles of Sutro Tower and not be Line of Sight - as Sutro Tower is 1700’ above average terrain - unless you are hugging Sonoma Mtns or similar. Typically, much of Napa has clear shot to Sutro Tower.

That's great. Thank you! Instead of buying the antenna and VHF retrofit kit, would this work:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00SVNKT86/ref=psdcmw_172665_t3_B00LHFRCMG

It appears to already have the VHF built in.

I've never heard of "ahere" as a manufacturer, so I suspect it's a marketing company rather than a company that actually makes and tests the antennas. You have gotten some nice suggestions for antennas people know to be good.

I had good luck with both my ChannelMaster CM4228, but it's large; probably too large for your attic. This ClearStream 4V didn't work as well for me for a very weak VHF station, but my brother in law is using it and likes it. They make a 60 mile version that is smaller and can probably fit in your attic space.

I think upofadown's suggestion for either a Winegard HD7694 or ChannelMaster CM-2018 are good choices. But they are 78" long, and they can be hard to fit into small spaces.

You mean the Rayzar, for $400?

At 27 miles out from your towers, you should choose a more directional antenna-- and ones far less expensive than 400!

You should consider the Clearstream 4V or a Channel Master 3020 -- and either way, it should be on the roof.

I put a ClearStream 4V in my attic and I've been pretty happy with it. I use a pre-amp with it since I'm running the cable through my basement, along the side of the house, then into the attic (rather than fishing wires through the attic). If your dish's coax runs through the attic/roof then it'd be even easier to tap into that line.

Obviously it would be ideal to have the least amount of obstructions as possible, so if roof-mounting is an option, you should go for it. Get a bigger oldschool antenna (like one of these) and you can probably mount it to the same pole or receiver as your dish.

that was like the first antenna i bought.. its almost 100% amplifier but it does pick up some signals.. once i knew i could get some signals i decided I would try for something really stable .. not sure how sucessful i have been heh .. but I pretty much tried every solution

After I bought that antenna i bought a
clearstream 4v $75 BestBuy Blackfriday Sale
https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna-Mount/dp/B00SVNKT86

then I bought a RCA Amp to put on that $16 AmazonWarehouse Return
https://www.amazon.com/RCA-TVPRAMP1Z-Preamplifier-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B003P92D9Y

Then I bought a VHF Hi / UHF small Yagi
https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HDTV-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B01C1YL16Y

between the ClearStream 4v and the small Yagi i could get some stations from both Philly and Baltimore but not really great all day long.. mostly better at night and really bad around sun up and sun down.


then I made this antenna It works pretty well but it has reflections and it picks up signal from behind it which knocks out FOX Philly .. Tried installing aluminum foil on the reflector but it wasn't enough
https://i.redd.it/2fd3jfy03y6y.jpg

Then I bought this antenna it also works ok but no channel 6 or 12 I figured since it was factory made it would be more stable and it is but it is a trade off.. both Baltimore and Philly have high VHF and Low VHF that I wanted..
https://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-Signal-HDB8X-Bowtie-Antenna/dp/B00CX6UJ5K

Then the Repack was announced so I started looking for a large yagi so I could get Low UHF
With all the money I already invested and the fact that I could get signal from a bunch of stations most or some of the time I took about a year to pick both of them up.. when I saw the prices $35 I was like hell i really can't pass that up.. So I pointed the first one at philly and I could get channel 6 and 12.. 6 is off and on .. very glitchy but I do get it .. 6 philly is ABC which I also get ABC from Baltimore but Baltimore News sucks really bad.

So I found one.. then i found the other... they both have amps on them
they are in my attic because we get insane wind here and they wouldn't stay up a year if they were welded to a tower and braced from every direction.


So thats where I am now two huge antennas that are fished between my attic trusses.. hopefully pointed pretty accurately but I am sure I am off by 10 degrees and they are both pointed downwards somewhat ... its the best i can do the trusses are 24 inches apart and the antennas are 115 inches long and wide so its pretty difficult especially when you're trying to not put your foot through the drywall ceiling below you...

but yep tried everything pretty much

60 miles out in 5 directions .. i have so many weak signals all around me that half of my channels cochannel and knock each other off the air.. but I can get signal from philly and baltimore pretty good.. Unfortunately there are a handful of good stations I really want that I can't get.. Like Heroes and Icons... and I get Quest but it flakes out about 30% of the day on an average day and that is normally when nothing else is on but Jerry Springer .. Quest is basically all the old shows from Discovery and History Channel... but I do get it ok sometimes.. and there are other stations.. a country music station and Grit and a korean station for the KPOP girls heh ..

But I do get duplicates of QVC HSN and I get 3 different broadcasts of Comet .. and also duplicates of 4 spanish networks and four advertising only networks that show New Jersey Used Car Dealers 24/7 THEY COME IN PERFECT! .. heh ah what can you do I am lucky to get what I get and I am happy for it.



you might want to look at this page for info about data plans
https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/guides/top-pick-data-plans/

its still real expensive and most of them with unlimited still throttle you at 20gb of data and they are dam expensive too..

there are some plans where you pay like $300 up front and then its $30 per month and you are on Sprint Data and you don't get throttled or capped but .. thats a hell of a lot of money to take that chance.. basically its a third party company reselling Sprint.. and they have been in business 3-5 years but with TMobile trying to buy sprint i know TMobile isn't going to allow unlimited unthrottled ..

anyway :o)

Thanks for the reply! I think I can get by with mounting something to the eave and it would be great if I could get both bands in one *modest* antenna. Do you think something like either of the following would yield decent results?

https://www.amazon.com/Element-Bowtie-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B00C4XVOOC/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1550821519&sr=1-3&keywords=bowtie+antenna+hdtv

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SVNKT86/ref=emc_b_5_i

https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-HDTV-Antenna/dp/B002E1UNWS

One of these, the "70 mile" version...

https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna-Mount/dp/B00SVNKT86/ref=sr_1_5?crid=ONRL2O8KSSGC&keywords=clearstream+4max&qid=1568645063&s=gateway&sprefix=clearstr%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-5

ZippyTheChicken, thanks to you pointing out that it would be a VHF problem I did some digging and the Clearstrem 4 does not have that good VHF reception but the Clearstream 4V does. After a little bit more digging I found that there is a retrofit kit that will turn my 4 into a 4V for less then $30 and not take up any extra space as it attaches to the reflector.

Clearstream 4V:

https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna-Mount/dp/B00SVNKT86/ref=sr_1_9?s=audio-video-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1474565280&sr=1-9&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A6025776011%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A6025771011


VHF Retrofit:

https://www.amazon.com/Antennas-Direct-VHF-1-VHF-Retrofit/dp/B00LHFRCMG/ref=pd_rhf_eetyp_p_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VTZC39PHC0GTKBWXA4N9

https://www.amazon.com/ClearStream-Indoor-Outdoor-Antenna-Mount/dp/B00SVNKT86/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1473349598&sr=8-4&keywords=antenna+direct+clearstream

This clearstream 4, comes with a VHF antannea on it, anyone know how good that would be? or should I just get the separate one?