I was reading a thread below about using two antenna and a Radio Shack A/B switch box. I like the idea of two antennas, but not the A/B switch box. This means that you have to get up every time you change to a particular channel to push the A/B switch. Here's my question. Can I have two antennas(say silver sensors) pointing in two directions, run them to a "combiner"(2in-1out). Will this work? and will this eliminate the need to have an A/B switch?

You will really have to try it and see. In my case it works great! I am using a fixed mounted antenna (RS Yagi type) Aimed for the best possible signal for the 2 weakest stations that happen to be on the same tower. I hand rotated it checking signal strength for the maximum signal then securing it in place. The other antenna is a rotated Winegard 4 bay bow tie. The best signal for the other 4 stations is almost 90 degrees different fom the Yagi antenna. I have not had a problem since I first set it up. The yagi gives me a signal strength of 91 to 94 for the 2 weak stations which must come thru a 10 story building 300 ft behind my house. The bow tie gives me a signal of 100 on the remaining 4 stations. Both antennas feed into a splitter and I then use a single coax to the Sony SatH100 receiver. I am very pleased with the results. As you will find out it is trial & error.

I have two antennas running through a combiner and it works very well, but one of my antennas is a UHF magnadyne and the other is a VHF cut yagi. They do not receive the same signals so there is no problem once they are combined.

I am afraid if you use to identical antennas pointed in different directions you could receive the same signal (one good signal and one reflected) which would then be combined and I don't see how that signal could produce a good picture. I know the silver sensor is supposed to be very unidirectional and has a high rejection rate for side signals but I still think you'll have problems.

If it does work let us know I'm sure that will solve a lot of other people's problems.

First, try simply combining them using a 2-to-1 splitter. This will cause some loss of signal and you may lose weak stations. But if it works, you are done.

Second, try inserting amplifiers between the splitter and the antennas. Low gain UHF amps are best (perhaps RS 15-1170). This is much more likely to work, but it could still fail if a noise source from one antenna masks out a weak station on the other.

If that doesn't work, a switch is your only option. The RS Infrared switch will make it unnecessary for you to get up.

If you put an amplifier on only one antenna, what it receives will be broadcast by the other. Technically this is illegal. But if the amplifier is low gain, it is probably of no practical importance. (A 10 dB amp followed by a 6 dB attenuator will give you a gain of 4 dB.)