[Novalug] OT: OTA Antenna Setup

Walt Smith waltechmail@yahoo.com
Tue Oct 30 00:45:38 EDT 2012



Indoor antennas only pick up the closest stations.
It's highly locale dependent.
An amplified indoor antenna buys nothing.
That's because your TV/converter box has an amp
thats pretty well maxed out anyway.

What an amplifier buys is if you have an antenna more than
( pick a number ) say 40 feet away.  It can compensate for
the signal loss in the coax cable because of length.

So, what you can do is have a roof antenna or attic antenna,
add an amplifier, and a long wire to your tv/splitter.
Note that digital signals are wierd because phase is very 
important, so various splitter/amplifier combinations 
can be trial and error if you use more than one of each.

I'm in Baltimore withan outdoor antenna in teh attic, and the amplifer
within a few feet.  One reason is than amplifers that have a built-in
AC cable work better than a separate amplifer and power supply where
the separate power supply may be downstairs.  Hence, I have an AC 
outlet in the attic.  Most convenient, especially since near lightning
strikes kill the amps pretty easy.  Figure on replacing it 1-2 a
year.  You can find them occasionally on discount at retailers
for about $15 rather than some at $30 - $40.  But be sure to get
ones designed for antennas and not ONLY speced for cable
distribution systems. 

My antenna is directional, most are directional: 
you only need UHF, not VHF.  One of the cheapest is a "bow tie"
antenna, that if inclined, is pretty simple to build yourself.
Find online instructions.  I have a store bought antenna from awhile
back ( 25 years ).

It's an art, not a science.  So trial and error.
I'm in a bad reception area for Baltimore ( one of the few ).
However, I manage to get ( with an amp ):

2.1, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3,
11.1, 11.2, 13.1, 20.1, 20.2, 22.1, 22.2, 22.3, 24.1, 24.2, 
26.1, 26.2, 26.3, 26.4, 32.1, 32.2, 45.1, 45.2, 45.3, 
50.1, 50.2, 54.1, 54.2, 66.1, 66.2, 66.3 


all free.

note: 26.2 is weta-uk: all older Brit shows 24/7:
Dr. Who, Red dwarf, MI-5, Yes,Minister,  Black Books, 
Coupling, East Enders, Doc Martin,  Black Adder...
( not mentioning the older good stuff ).
  
50.2 are old American TV shows and 50.3 are movies all the time.
11.2 get you real super upper crust  best sci-fi ever made:
Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ....8-P


I wouldn't know all this if I had other paid activities...


Walt........



Forwarded Message: [Novalug] OT: OTA Antenna Setup
[Novalug] OT: OTA Antenna Setup
Monday, October 29, 2012 9:08 PM
From:
"Michael Hans" <mhans@oqtol.com>
To:
"Novalug" <novalug@calypso.tux.org>
A little off topic but sparked by my interest in the VOIP thread. My Verizon contract has ended and my sweetheart deal is over (triple play package) so i'm looking to pair down on services. The VOIP thread has lead me to some significant savings (and new ideas for automating my home), but the other piece of the pie is cable. 

We barely watch TV, but fox/cbs/abc/etc.. are a must for my wife and Sunday football. I can get all these stations, in HD it seems, from an OTA antenna. Playing around with indoor antenna's i've had less then stellar reception so far (I tried the Leaf and a Philips, both powered) in my townhouse in Sterling.

I'm assuming I need something larger and probably on my roof? I've seen people on Amazon place them in their attics, does this offer any advantages besides no weathering and easier install? Can someone point me to a good brand?

I appreciate any insight I could get, the end goal is to ditch cable and live off my Roku and soon to live MythTV box.

Michael


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