TV Antenna's

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Tue. May. 10, 2016 11:06 pm

Cutting the cable out, cost is getting out of control. Looking at one of the online providers for the pay channels but that leaves me without local TV.

I bought one of these antennas for down my Grandmothers and it works OK there. I'm pretty sure this is the one in the link, the little box depicted is optional and I think it might just be amplifier for the cable. It actually seems to work better without it. :roll:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Audiovox-Accessories-ANT1450B-Flat ... ethod=p13n

Tried it at home and nada on the first TV. Second TV I was able to get the antenna near window and looks like the tuner was able to determine the channels but only one is viewable. That's promising... I going to take it out in the middle of the yard tomorrow and see what happens, I'm sure the neighbors will be amused.

In any event looks like I'll probably need roof antenna, found this one on Craigslist:

https://scranton.craigslist.org/for/5532706250.html

Anybody have any experience with this antenna or others? I know nothing is guaranteed but I don't want to buy a piece of junk either.

The other things is all the TV's have cable running to them from single splitter so I'm assuming I'll be able to run cable to the input on the splitter and then use the already existing cable going to the TV's for the antenna. Anybody else do this? Might need amplifier before the splitter?


 
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Post by warminmn » Wed. May. 11, 2016 12:16 am

Ive tried them all and nothing beats an old fashion roof antenna, or better yet put one on a tower. Those square ones just have windings, or more likely, a single wire around the inside edge. Personally, I'd use rabbit ears if I went with a simple temporary indoor antenna.

Amplifiers usually don't do any good. You have to be right on the edge of getting a station for them to help. try with and without to see if it helps. Ive borrowed one I have to many people and none of them benifited at all. It did help me when I had an indoor antenna. There are only certain channel numbers they help with but I cant remember which ones. If you use a long cable it is more likely to help.

If you just cant use an outdoor antenna, put a roof antenna in the attic, or attach to the ceiling of an upstairs room if its not in the way. I had real good luck with that too.

Im on top of the world here, and have stations I can get in 3 directions and have rescanned in early mornings and even picked up Milwaukee a few times, but only for a while. The ones I always get are ones within about 60 miles, and one about 80 when my trees are leafless.

Splitters: Try hooking to a single tv then multiple TV's to make sure your not losing channels with it.

Channels 2-13? need direct path antenna to transmitters and channels over that can bounce, if I remember correctly.

My antenna is maybe 14 feet from the ground attached to a porch. I cant put it on my roof as I have lightning rods and have read not to do it then. The wind here would raise heck with it anyway.

 
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Wed. May. 11, 2016 12:33 am

I've tried that antenna linked to a Craisglist ad [this ad looks like a double the price for it]... and a "booster" with it ...

I get 1 channel and 4 home shopping networks. So I use internet for TV viewing.

Looks like you got almost no signal where you are ... not the antenna's fault ... getting a different one will not return any different results. Go buy the best one at best buy .. then you can return it w/i 30 days.

Why pay for TV ? "Local" there is no "local" anymore .. want to see the local news? Go online and read about it....

 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. May. 11, 2016 1:01 am

You will get much better performance with a rooftop mounted antenna. I haven't used the Clearsteam unit that you found, but it looks like a respectable unit.

This is the antenna that I have been using for a few years: http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/ez_hd_tv_Antenna.html Mine is mounted outside with a pre-amplifier. I have a pretty long cable run, and it is split between two tv's. I suggest you start with the antenna hooked to a single tv, and once it is working well try routing the signal through the splitter. If you lose channels or the picture suffers, you will need to install an amplifier prior to the splitter.

Use the following website to see what kind of channels you can expect to pick up: http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29

 
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Post by Hambden Bob » Wed. May. 11, 2016 6:16 am

http://www.channelmaster.com/Cord_Cutting_Guide_a/332.htm

If it helps at all. It looks like You can spend from mild to wild depending on Your location,weather conditions,and just how much You want to put up with when "Cutting The Cord"...... I've just about had it with Direct TV and am just now starting my infosearch on accomplishing the same thing You Gents have. Good Summer Project,so Thanx for bringing it up again ! :up:

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Wed. May. 11, 2016 7:24 am

Years ago I went to Radio Shack and bougt an $80 antenna, took it home and got two channels. I took it back and strung about 100 coathangers in the attic, some hanging from others. Depending on atmospheric conditions I get 12 -18 channels. Who knew?

 
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Post by waldo lemieux » Wed. May. 11, 2016 7:57 am

coaledsweat wrote:. I took it back and strung about 100 coathangers in the attic,
:clap:


 
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Post by Richard S. » Wed. May. 11, 2016 9:58 am

warminmn wrote:Ive tried them all and nothing beats an old fashion roof antenna, or better yet put one on a tower.
I actually have one, there is is one of those starling bird houses on it from previous owner but haven't seen any birds in it ever. My Uncle said the holes were too big for starlings, not sure why nothing else has moved in. I'm going to mount it inside the attic first, try it on the roof next. The pole will will be last resort.
Im on top of the world here,
We're up high but the broadcast antenna is mayby 15 or 20 miles away. I think the big problem is we're just on the other side of the hill. No cell reception at the house but if you go up the road about 500 feet which is pretty much the peak of the hill it's really good.
I cant put it on my roof as I have lightning rods and have read not to do it then.
Didn't think about lighting, we have a flagpole in front of the house that is pretty high, that has lighting rod going really deep in the ground. Probably be more attracted to that wouldn't it?

 
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Post by Richard S. » Wed. May. 11, 2016 10:05 am

Hambden Bob wrote:Good Summer Project,so Thanx for bringing it up again ! :up:
First thing to do is is see if any old antenna you have laying around works, if it does there is nothing more to do.

 
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Post by franco b » Wed. May. 11, 2016 10:45 am

For years I used a top of the line Channel Master antenna, with excellent results.

Then most stations switched to ultra high frequency with the advent of high definition. Using an excellent antenna designed for that 2 stations was all I could get and so had to resort to cable. The much longer wavelength of VHF allows for a lot more metal in the antenna for a stronger signal that probably propagates better too as compared to UHF. Even with VHF the stations using the longest wavelengths came in best.

There has been progress in antenna design which you can see in cell phones, but it is the luck of the draw how well your reception will be for TV. You just have to try and see. I have very little confidence in these tiny designs. If a signal contains a lot of junk, an amplifier just amplifies the junk as well.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. May. 11, 2016 10:47 am

Richard, I have an adjustable mounting bracket and distribution amplifier that you can have for shipping cost.

I tried an attic install also, it worked ok 80% of the time. Since I moved the antenna outside it has been perfect.

About the lightning - you are supposed to ground the antenna.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. May. 11, 2016 11:01 am

franco b wrote:For years I used a top of the line Channel Master antenna, with excellent results.

Then most stations switched to ultra high frequency with the advent of high definition. Using an excellent antenna designed for that 2 stations was all I could get and so had to resort to cable. The much longer wavelength of VHF allows for a lot more metal in the antenna for a stronger signal that probably propagates better too as compared to UHF. Even with VHF the stations using the longest wavelengths came in best.

There has been progress in antenna design which you can see in cell phones, but it is the luck of the draw how well your reception will be for TV. You just have to try and see. I have very little confidence in these tiny designs. If a signal contains a lot of junk, an amplifier just amplifies the junk as well.
Most stations are now broadcast in UHF. I only have one VHF channel, and it is right on the edge of the UHF range.

 
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Post by franco b » Wed. May. 11, 2016 11:20 am


 
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Post by warminmn » Wed. May. 11, 2016 1:34 pm

When you have lightning rods on a roof, you are not supposed to use an antenna also on the roof, grounded or not. Some crazy affect occurs, or so I read when thinking about it. I am talking about old fashioned lightning rods at all the corners of a roof, with 1"? braided copper wire coming off the roof in several paces (100 year old technology) You do not want to get a direct hit of lightning on an antenna, grounded or not. I don't have time to dig right now but maybe later. perhaps I can find the weblink about the combination of rods/antennas.

Im on an old iron mine field here and get bad lightning so I don't tempt the devil with these things. Its not worth getting struck just to get another channel :)

 
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Post by davidmcbeth3 » Wed. May. 11, 2016 4:25 pm

warminmn wrote:When you have lightning rods on a roof, you are not supposed to use an antenna also on the roof, grounded or not. Some crazy affect occurs, or so I read when thinking about it. I am talking about old fashioned lightning rods at all the corners of a roof, with 1"? braided copper wire coming off the roof in several paces (100 year old technology) You do not want to get a direct hit of lightning on an antenna, grounded or not. I don't have time to dig right now but maybe later. perhaps I can find the weblink about the combination of rods/antennas.

Im on an old iron mine field here and get bad lightning so I don't tempt the devil with these things. Its not worth getting struck just to get another channel :)
Just have the wifey hold it wear rubber boots .... I'm sure she'll be fine.

Looking forward to you final results and conclusions.


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