Hi Group.
Does anybody know of an online source with many digital outdoor antennae,listed with pics and price? From the biggest and best to mid quality? Remote rotors too?
I live basically on a ridge but down in a depression with trees and buildings,for the most part,all around. An elevated outdoor antenna is My only choice,the nearest TV station is,well,distant at best.
In the last 6 months or more I have ignored repeated attempts from DirectTV to get Me back as a customer.With the hard times I thought it wise to live with less entertainment. DirecTV seems to have forgotten Me now,LOL,GOOD!,when I want them back I'll seek them out.
Dean
Digital antenna
Dean,
How old is your tv?
It is my understanding that if you have an HDTV with a digital tuner (ATSC) you can still just use the same antenna.
But if your tv is older, it may be analog....and then you need the "converter box" for the tv....and the existing antenna will do fine, as long as you have the converter box.
Any Wal mart or Radioshack sells the converter boxes.
I know this because I am considering getting rid of my 45 dollar a month cable bill, and was wondering if I would get any reception at all after this big change from analog to digital.....and my tv is two years old, the kind you can hang on the wall....(didn't want to move my older (but not much older) need a guy with muscles just to move the damn thing tv....to one that I can pick up as easily as my flat screen computer monitor....
Maybe my info is wrong, but what I have found is that the antenna isn't going to be the issue, the tv is.
So rabbit ears or rooftop antenna or whatever, it will still pull in the signal.
But will your tv be able to read it?
Analog, no. Newer tv with digital tuner? Good to go with any rabbit ears or antenna.
Pretty sure if my searching for this info is all wrong, going to be lots of replies saying so.
Anyway. If I am wrong, let me know before I decide to cancel my cable....I don't want to go without any tv reception at all!
Sherry
How old is your tv?
It is my understanding that if you have an HDTV with a digital tuner (ATSC) you can still just use the same antenna.
But if your tv is older, it may be analog....and then you need the "converter box" for the tv....and the existing antenna will do fine, as long as you have the converter box.
Any Wal mart or Radioshack sells the converter boxes.
I know this because I am considering getting rid of my 45 dollar a month cable bill, and was wondering if I would get any reception at all after this big change from analog to digital.....and my tv is two years old, the kind you can hang on the wall....(didn't want to move my older (but not much older) need a guy with muscles just to move the damn thing tv....to one that I can pick up as easily as my flat screen computer monitor....
Maybe my info is wrong, but what I have found is that the antenna isn't going to be the issue, the tv is.
So rabbit ears or rooftop antenna or whatever, it will still pull in the signal.
But will your tv be able to read it?
Analog, no. Newer tv with digital tuner? Good to go with any rabbit ears or antenna.
Pretty sure if my searching for this info is all wrong, going to be lots of replies saying so.
Anyway. If I am wrong, let me know before I decide to cancel my cable....I don't want to go without any tv reception at all!
Sherry
Dean, Check with the stations in your area to see if they will broadcast a digital signal in UHF or VHF. My understanding after talking to a tech on a local call in show is that the entire city, In my case Syracuse will broadcast in UHF. However Rochester to the west will broadcast in VHF.
I was also told that since I am 30+ miles away from the tower I may need a signal amplifier and to buy a GOOD one since digital signals require "Clean" signals. Plan on around $60 for a good amp. Greg
I was also told that since I am 30+ miles away from the tower I may need a signal amplifier and to buy a GOOD one since digital signals require "Clean" signals. Plan on around $60 for a good amp. Greg
Last edited by Greg on Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Agreed,,I believe if the TV is digital-ready it will say ATSC on it,this referances the internal tuner.Some flatscreen TVs do not say ATSC and will need a converter or cable or satellite signal to work.
A year ago they were saying "the old antenna will work fine",now it has changed to "You might need a new antenna". Now,thanks to Greg,I might need an amp too,LOL,If I go crazy and get a rotor it could be quite the total investment,,,makes internet entertainment/news look better and better,,I'm cheap.
My TV is 32" analog,5 years old or therebouts,it has input problems but I can milk more use from it,even if it is just for use with the Playstation,the AV inputs still work and the pic is good.At the moment I use an old VCR with an analog tuner going to the TV AV inputs,I hate junking stuff that is usable.
I'll do some more searching for digital antenna info,I want to have shortcuts to the sites so I can be ready when/if My conversion time comes. Thanks.
Dean
A year ago they were saying "the old antenna will work fine",now it has changed to "You might need a new antenna". Now,thanks to Greg
,I might need an amp too,LOL,If I go crazy and get a rotor it could be quite the total investment,,,makes internet entertainment/news look better and better,,I'm cheap.My TV is 32" analog,5 years old or therebouts,it has input problems but I can milk more use from it,even if it is just for use with the Playstation,the AV inputs still work and the pic is good.At the moment I use an old VCR with an analog tuner going to the TV AV inputs,I hate junking stuff that is usable.
I'll do some more searching for digital antenna info,I want to have shortcuts to the sites so I can be ready when/if My conversion time comes. Thanks.
Dean
Dean, in all honesty I'm just sitting back and waiting for the dust to settle some, We have 2 TVs with digital tuners and 2 analog w/converters. the problem I have is intermettent digital reception. I am not sure if the stations were playing with the transmitter or if it is an antenna problem. I figure that after the analog signal is off then the stations should be done tweeking the transmitters. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
They were testing here too,only it was the analog they shut down! The dirty birds!
Here is page 5 of some information.
http://www.hawestv.com/mtv_FAQ/FAQ_dtv_chg5.htm
Here is page 5 of some information.
http://www.hawestv.com/mtv_FAQ/FAQ_dtv_chg5.htm
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DigitalDreams
Wow, finally an area I really am a pro in,use to own tv shop and install antennas.
This is a link to a list of all stations that are going digital and their true channel versus the one you see on the tv after the switch for example my local channel 6 is now 6.1 on the box but true channel is 33 uhf. Most stations have went uhf. (Follow this link to find your local station, the list is kinda not set up very well but believe me if the station is going digital its on there.And if all the stations you watch are in uhf band you will need a uhf antenna if you don't have one.( http://www.antennasdirect.com/HDTV_station_lists.html )
Also make sure you buy a box that has a analog button on it because contrary to what they say only the 1800 full power stations in us are going digital read this link if you don't understand
( http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/wo ... D9A872F700
A few hints if your stations are all distant yes you will need a amplifier!
And you can still use your old antenna on the roof as long as it is good size one,but beware when it comes to the amplifiers, because most of the stuff sold in retail stores is junk.
I will explain why!
The db gain that is listed on the box can be 18db, however most of the cheaper amps have high noise ratios.
Explanation of that is basically , actual gain of a amplifier is (db gain- minus- noise ratio = true gain.(aka 18db - 6db noise =12db actual gain.
This was a important factor in the old analog and extremely important in digital ,as it is all or nothing signal ,kind of like your dish or directv signal remember it freezing or going out in real hard rains.Digital is very line of site so the higher the better.
Also if you find most stations in your area are in the uhf band,a larger bowtie antenna works best.
If not sure what I mean by bowtie antenna do a web search and you will understand as I know almost everyone has seen one ,just don't know what they are called. Or follow this link for a tutorial on uhf antennas and what each style is best suited for distance wise.
( http://www.indiana.edu/~radiotv/wtiu/uhf.shtml )
For those really in the boonys , channelmaster makes a dish shaped uhf antenna that with a good amp would pick up a uhf station 100 miles away before digital probably good for 85 under digital.But the dish one of which I speak is very directional and best used if you really need a station in uhf that is really far away.
For those few stations staying in the vhf band 1-13 and I think that you will find few really are,in my area two out of 9 stations true broadcast stayed at 1-13.
You will find your regular antenna probably works fine ,but if you could got them on rabbit ears before you might need a small exterior antenna then the Walmart and Radio Shack ones will probably suffice.Walmart sells a RCA 18 db on that can be mounted
on a deck post that works real decent if most of your stations are under 40 to 50 miles away.
If you live in the country don't ask that high school kid what is best, that works at Radio Shack, cause most of them don't really have any idea, mostly cause they grew up in cable era.
Remember you can pick a pros mind get a free estimate and if it is to high he just told you what you need.
This is a link to a list of all stations that are going digital and their true channel versus the one you see on the tv after the switch for example my local channel 6 is now 6.1 on the box but true channel is 33 uhf. Most stations have went uhf. (Follow this link to find your local station, the list is kinda not set up very well but believe me if the station is going digital its on there.And if all the stations you watch are in uhf band you will need a uhf antenna if you don't have one.( http://www.antennasdirect.com/HDTV_station_lists.html )
Also make sure you buy a box that has a analog button on it because contrary to what they say only the 1800 full power stations in us are going digital read this link if you don't understand
( http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/wo ... D9A872F700
A few hints if your stations are all distant yes you will need a amplifier!
And you can still use your old antenna on the roof as long as it is good size one,but beware when it comes to the amplifiers, because most of the stuff sold in retail stores is junk.
I will explain why!
The db gain that is listed on the box can be 18db, however most of the cheaper amps have high noise ratios.
Explanation of that is basically , actual gain of a amplifier is (db gain- minus- noise ratio = true gain.(aka 18db - 6db noise =12db actual gain.
This was a important factor in the old analog and extremely important in digital ,as it is all or nothing signal ,kind of like your dish or directv signal remember it freezing or going out in real hard rains.Digital is very line of site so the higher the better.
Also if you find most stations in your area are in the uhf band,a larger bowtie antenna works best.
If not sure what I mean by bowtie antenna do a web search and you will understand as I know almost everyone has seen one ,just don't know what they are called. Or follow this link for a tutorial on uhf antennas and what each style is best suited for distance wise.
( http://www.indiana.edu/~radiotv/wtiu/uhf.shtml )
For those really in the boonys , channelmaster makes a dish shaped uhf antenna that with a good amp would pick up a uhf station 100 miles away before digital probably good for 85 under digital.But the dish one of which I speak is very directional and best used if you really need a station in uhf that is really far away.
For those few stations staying in the vhf band 1-13 and I think that you will find few really are,in my area two out of 9 stations true broadcast stayed at 1-13.
You will find your regular antenna probably works fine ,but if you could got them on rabbit ears before you might need a small exterior antenna then the Walmart and Radio Shack ones will probably suffice.Walmart sells a RCA 18 db on that can be mounted
on a deck post that works real decent if most of your stations are under 40 to 50 miles away.
If you live in the country don't ask that high school kid what is best, that works at Radio Shack, cause most of them don't really have any idea, mostly cause they grew up in cable era.
Remember you can pick a pros mind get a free estimate and if it is to high he just told you what you need.
Last week I bought a standard 20" tv with a built-in digital tuner for the back room of the store. I figured all I would need to do is buy a $9-$19 antenna and I'd get all the digital stations I wanted. Nope. I got nothing, nadda, zero, zip.
I then did some research for my town, and discovered that the nearest towers are 40-50 miles away. Do you know of a good indoor antenna that would bring in those signals? I tried a $50 one from a local discount store, which did zippo.
Otherwise talk lately is to try and extend the shut-off date for analog. I see no reason for this. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know about the coming cut-off date.
Mark
I then did some research for my town, and discovered that the nearest towers are 40-50 miles away. Do you know of a good indoor antenna that would bring in those signals? I tried a $50 one from a local discount store, which did zippo.
Otherwise talk lately is to try and extend the shut-off date for analog. I see no reason for this. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know about the coming cut-off date.
Mark
You can't fail if you don't try!
My antenna is good sized and only about 5 years old. I live in a depression with stuff(trees,buildings,etc)all around. The antenna is about 15' in the air but deffinetly lower than the land around. I get 3 channels well and another 3 are anywhere from good to nada(best in winter) with analog.
I am a real cheapo and will probably just hope for the existing antenna setup to get something. I'm not keen on the idea of buying too much equipment plus,possibly,a tower. It would be cheaper than satelite in the longrun tho. Cable isn't an option here,I do like satelite but mainly just a few edu channels and the shows rerun eventually so a year or two without lets them make new shows and make it more worth the $$s for a year or two agreement.
I've seen the talk of delaying the conversion and I say *yes* to that. I'm just not as prepared as I sould be. Oh well,there's always plenty of web surfing to do if need be.
When I 1st heard the conversion talk I thought it was so the gov could have the airwaves for military/emergency/maintenance uses,come to find out they sold the frequencies to communication companies or some such.
Dean
I am a real cheapo and will probably just hope for the existing antenna setup to get something. I'm not keen on the idea of buying too much equipment plus,possibly,a tower. It would be cheaper than satelite in the longrun tho. Cable isn't an option here,I do like satelite but mainly just a few edu channels and the shows rerun eventually so a year or two without lets them make new shows and make it more worth the $$s for a year or two agreement.
I've seen the talk of delaying the conversion and I say *yes* to that. I'm just not as prepared as I sould be. Oh well,there's always plenty of web surfing to do if need be.
When I 1st heard the conversion talk I thought it was so the gov could have the airwaves for military/emergency/maintenance uses,come to find out they sold the frequencies to communication companies or some such.
Dean
This doesn't look good for Me. I wonder if the delay is dead or just tripped-up.?.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD960DA200
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD960DA200
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DigitalDreams
Like I said in earlier post,digital is kinda like satellite tv it is very line of site it doesn't skip as much as the analog did.
For some of you old farts like me remember cb radio and how on the right night with weather just right you could get texas, well analog signals were sine waves ~~~~~ like a ocean wave and they skipped well in the atmosphere.
Digital waves however are square wave waves |_|-|_| and they propagate differently.
So the key is how high would you need to go at your place to see the tower of the station you are trying to get and barring the fact some of us would end up with a small radio tower next to the house,then your next choice is to amplify what you do get.
Also like I said retail stores don't usually sell good amplifiers you need to call a antenna guy or go online to winegard or channel masters site to get the good ones because they sell to the pro's who demand good stuff.
Here is a link to a antenna guy who sells channel master,I'm not saying buy from him but it will give you a idea on what prices are and if you know the distance to furthest station you will know what kind of antenna to look for.
http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1078731.html
Most of the good amps are dealer sold, so I will say shop around because not all dealers mark up the same remember suggested list is only that.
And when I use to buy them ,I would mark them up about 10% cause I sold a lot of systems.However my competition next down the street didn't do as many systems and marked his up 25%.
For some of you old farts like me remember cb radio and how on the right night with weather just right you could get texas, well analog signals were sine waves ~~~~~ like a ocean wave and they skipped well in the atmosphere.
Digital waves however are square wave waves |_|-|_| and they propagate differently.
So the key is how high would you need to go at your place to see the tower of the station you are trying to get and barring the fact some of us would end up with a small radio tower next to the house,then your next choice is to amplify what you do get.
Also like I said retail stores don't usually sell good amplifiers you need to call a antenna guy or go online to winegard or channel masters site to get the good ones because they sell to the pro's who demand good stuff.
Here is a link to a antenna guy who sells channel master,I'm not saying buy from him but it will give you a idea on what prices are and if you know the distance to furthest station you will know what kind of antenna to look for.
http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/1078731.html
Most of the good amps are dealer sold, so I will say shop around because not all dealers mark up the same remember suggested list is only that.
And when I use to buy them ,I would mark them up about 10% cause I sold a lot of systems.However my competition next down the street didn't do as many systems and marked his up 25%.
Hi Mark
VHF TV is "line of sight" transmission meaning your antenna will work if you can get it high enough up in the air.
Harry
VHF TV is "line of sight" transmission meaning your antenna will work if you can get it high enough up in the air.
Harry
Aside from the roof leak, soft floors, rats, mice and bursted plumbing ........ how do you like it?
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DigitalDreams
Actually all radio waves are line of sight per say.
They radiate straight out from the transmitter , but the lower the frequency the longer the wave and the more chance for bounce and skip off the ionosphere.
Vhf stands for Very High Frequency
UHf stands for Ultra High Frequency
(at least thats what they told me in army radio school ).
That is why digital is more temperamental not only are you trying
to receive a shorter wave length, but it is a clipped wave versus a continues wave.
Thus so that means there is very little chance of skip or bounce.
That is why like I believe Harry said your height may be very
important to receiving the signal.
They radiate straight out from the transmitter , but the lower the frequency the longer the wave and the more chance for bounce and skip off the ionosphere.
Vhf stands for Very High Frequency
UHf stands for Ultra High Frequency
(at least thats what they told me in army radio school ).
That is why digital is more temperamental not only are you trying
to receive a shorter wave length, but it is a clipped wave versus a continues wave.
Thus so that means there is very little chance of skip or bounce.
That is why like I believe Harry said your height may be very
important to receiving the signal.