What TV Antenna?

[clive]

it may well be that they have that transition planned in the future the stations may not have wanted to spend all the money to switch over at the same time as changing format
the big communication companies have a lot of pull in congress

Let's just presume they delayed the migration, it's not like they are paying market rates for the spectrum. The broadcast companies, the terrestrial over-the-air ones, are largely irrelevant politically. Heck Comedy Central has more sway.

Don't the military and first responders want the spectrum?

And for those who think Loran will get a reprieve, I offer 1350 ft of crashing tower

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu-DFU7Xwq8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zqj1hy9NS8&NR=1

[dedndave]

you might be surprised just how many of these little stations are owned, at least partially, by ted turner   :P
collectively, the communications companies in this country can get whatever bills they want passed into law
they almost don't even need lobbyists - they can paint a politician bad or good with the swipe of a pen

[rags]

Dave, I just checked the QRZ site and realized I forgot to change my address with the FCC. It's only been 6 years since I moved from the listed address. LOL

[Bill Cravener]

When I was a kid my dad had one of them rotor antennas. "Son, go out and turn the antenna!". :bg

AntennaWeb says conservatively I can receive 4 digital and 2 analog channels.



I think if I want to get serious about it a good element antenna with a rotor would be best. I have, since I fell into this idea, noticed many others around the area with element antennas on their roofs. I get over 200 channels which includes music from my directv service that I never listen to and watch maybe 5 or 6 channels on a regular bases. Thats $70 I'm spending a month for a half dozen channels that get watched. That and this time of year we get many days of cloudy rainy days and right in the middle of something you lose the dish single. I feel like I'm throwing money away.

Speaking of rain, we get some pretty nasty thunder and lighting storms so I suppose I should ground a chimney mounted antenna.

[Bill Cravener]

I'm told from where I live this is all I need to receive the above channels.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Amplified-Outdoor-HDTV-Antenna-Motor-Rotor-BA2605-/330428911122?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cef190e12

[dedndave]

there ya go, Bill   :U
nice low wind-load, too

[Bill Cravener]

I'm ordering one of those rotor antennas for $58.88 that even includes the shipping. From what I can gather these small 2 ft by 2 ft multi-direction bowtie antennas work great with digital signals if you're close enough to the source. When you think about it digital transmission is all or nothing and I should be able to at least lock onto six or more digital channels where I'm located. Hey, at that price it's worth a look. :bg

[Bill Cravener]

Just wanted to follow-up my HDTV Antenna adventures. Went with the following gear mounted in my third floor attic and receive crystal clear some 29 channels most in high def.

Eight Bowtie 34 element antenna.
http://www.summitsource.com/product_info.php?ref=1&products_id=6549

Antenna Pre-amp.
http://www.summitsource.com/winegard-ap-4800-chromstar-2000-series-uhf-pre-amplifier-hdtv-antenna-booster-outdoor-offair-television-aerial-75-ohm-signal-preamplifier-vhf-bypassed-uhf-28-db-117-vac-ul-listed-part-ap-4800-p-4661.html

Automatic Rotor.
http://www.summitsource.com/antenna-rotor-automatic-rotator-outdoor-3-wire-centronics-ar-300xl-mast-with-head-controler-outdoor-for-local-tv-offair-television-aerial-signal-reception-part-ar300xl-p-6869.html


List of the channels I receive (note that many channels have sub-channels).

2 (channels 2.1)
(25) KDKA  City: Pittsburgh, PA
Owner: CBS Corporation
Station Info: Digital Full-Power - 1000 kW
 
4 (channels 4.1)
(51) WTAE  City: Pittsburgh, PA
Owner: Hearst Television
Station Info: Digital Full-Power - 1000 kW

11 (channels 11.1 - 11.2)
(48) WPXI  City: Pittsburgh, PA
Owner: Cox Enterprises
Station Info: Digital Full-Power - 1000 kW

16 (channels 16.1 - 16.2)
(38) WQEX Shopping City: Pittsburgh, PA
Owner: WQED Multimedia
Station Info: Digital Full-Power - 500 kW

22 (channels 22.1)
(42) WPMY  ID: "My TV Pittsburgh"
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Owner: Sinclair Broadcast Group
Station Info: Digital Full-Power - 1000 kW

53 (channels 53.1)
(43) WPGH  ID: "FOX 53"
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Owner: Sinclair Broadcast Group
Station Info: Digital Full-Power - 1000 kW

21 (channels 21.1 - 21.2)
WFMJ  City: Youngstown, OH
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

27 (channels 27.1 - 27.2)
WKBN  ID: "27 CBS"
City: Youngstown, OH
Owner: Piedmont Television
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

33 (channels 33.1 - 33.2 - 33.3)
WYTV  City: Youngstown, OH
Owner: Chelsey Broadcasting
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

45 (channels 45.1 - 45.2 - 45.3 - 45.4)
WNEO  City: Alliance, OH
Owner: Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio
Station Info: Digital Educational Full-Power

12 (channels 12.1)
(52) WICU  City: Erie, PA
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

24 (channels 24.1)
WJET  ID: "JET-TV"
City: Erie, PA
Owner: Nexstar
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

35 (channels 35.1 - 35.2 - 35.3)
(16) WSEE  City: Erie, PA
Owner: Lily Broadcasting
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

54 (channels 54.1 - 54.2 - 54.3 - 54.4)
(50) WQLN  City: Erie, PA
Owner: Public Broadcasting of Northwest Pennsylvania
Station Info: Digital Educational Full-Power - 39.1 kW

66 (channels 66.1)
(22) WFXP  ID: "FOX 66"
City: Erie, PA
Owner: Mission Broadcasting
Station Info: Digital Full-Power

[dedndave]

great Bill
glad to hear it   :bg

[oex]

I bet there is nothing worth watching on any of them :bg

All re-runs, quiz shows and bad news

[Ghandi]

Nice... Bill said he would be happy with 6 channels and he appears to be pleased with the results, but do you congratulate him like Dave did? No... Instead you rained on his parade, knocking the shine off it...  :boohoo:

Nah, i'm just messing with you.  :U

HR,
Ghandi

[dedndave]

even if the programming does sux - it's nice just to know "we have the technology" to pick up the channels- lol

[Bill Cravener]

The way I see it I can pay $65 bucks a month to DirecTV for 150 channels of nothing or receive 29 channels of nothing for absolutely FREE !!  :bg

[dedndave]

well - you failed to report the cost of the antenna - a one-time cost of probably under $100   :P

[oex]

:lol sorry it was rather a downer comment :bg, having barely survived on the odd internet news video over the past some months I can see that it would also have it's upsides :lol, maybe it's my age but I'm having a real problem with the propaganda streams we receive of late, sub divided by country, language and owned and controlled by a few....

I really dont understand why I cant either watch something someone in the states is talking to me about or show them something I have seen, I just feel like a prisoner in my own country right now, desperately wanting to interact with the world but blocked at every turn. I understand it to some degree but seriously, I have had more friends outside the UK than in it in 18 years online, most of them more trustworthy yet I cannot visit them. Now IMHO that's oppression in the free world, being talked at by National TV is like some form of psycological torture.... I know what British opinions are on absolutely everything, some I agree with, many not :lol, I dont care to be talked at. Intelligence is being able to look at stuff from every different angle, you cant do that with such a narrow nationalistic perspective.