Nice performing ATSC/DTV antenna

[Electronic M]

Funny, now that I think of it most apts. I've lived in had a big ol' antenna on the roof...If yours does actually have a roof or attic antenna it might be worth plugging into.

[dieseljeep]

I hit the thrift shops rather often. I buy various makes of DTV converters, amplified set-top antennas and amplified splitters, conparison use. Most of the set-tops, flat panels and miracle antennas are disappointing, at best.
The only one I found that works, what I consider good is the Terk, that looks like a Yagi design. My home is 37-40 miles from the Milwaukee transmitter site. I get, all the UHF based channels and the subs 96% of the time. Weather conditions, in the area affect it. I have it on the closet shelf and it must be a sweet spot.
BTW, when I first moved here, 11 years ago, the only analogue channels that I could receive with a set-top antenna was channel 6 and 24, that was watchable.
The E place has the Antenna for various prices from $14.00 to $68.00, but watch the shipping charges, when You bid.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

The only one I found that works, what I consider good is the Terk, that looks like a Yagi design. My home is 37-40 miles from the Milwaukee transmitter site. I get, all the UHF based channels and the subs 96% of the time. Weather conditions, in the area affect it. I have it on the closet shelf and it must be a sweet spot.

Nice! but do you receive The high band VHF channel (WMVS ch 8) from Milwaukie? At a distance, people seem to have a lot more problems receiving the VHF channels, while the much higher power UHF can be pretty decent (weather permitting).
Terk HDTVa? My wife was using one of those in her Sewing/Quilting room until a strong wind/rain storm killed reception during an important football game. We live only about 12 miles from the TV towers. I had egg on my face as I quickly ran coax down the hallway to connect her set up to an outside antenna

edit add; link to Terk HDTVa, note the VHF dipoles on the sides : http://www.crutchfield.com/p_209HDTV...a.html?tp=3261

not affiliated,
jr

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Nice! but do you receive The high band VHF channel (WMVS ch 8) from Milwaukie? At a distance, people seem to have a lot more problems receiving the VHF channels, while the much higher power UHF can be pretty decent (weather permitting).
Terk HDTVa? My wife was using one of those in her Sewing/Quilting room until a strong wind/rain storm killed reception during an important football game. We live only about 12 miles from the TV towers. I had egg on my face as I quickly ran coax down the hallway to connect her set up to an outside antenna

edit add; link to Terk HDTVa, note the VHF dipoles on the sides : http://www.crutchfield.com/p_209HDTV...a.html?tp=3261

not affiliated,
jr

The WMVS channel 8's, which is 10-1,2 and three only come in once in a while. I really don't need them, as they're re-broadcast on 36-1,2,3 etc and they come in perfectly. I'm using a Zenith DTV converter. The only one that seems to come close is the Digital Stream and the Channel Master.
My RCA prison-vision sets seem to do a fair job, with just an inside antenna.

[Jeffhs]

I may be considering getting a DTV converter box for one of my CRT TVs. Which of the boxes you mention (Zenith, DigitalStream, Channel Master) would you recommend? I ask because I have read and heard that some DTV boxes (in particular, Magnavox-branded, Apex, et al.) overheat, leading to premature failure, some boxes are very bad from an RF sensitivity standpoint, and some are just plain garbage. I don't want to get stuck with a box that will quit days or weeks (!) after I install it, or that doesn't receive all the DTV stations in my area (I live in a semi-fringe area for OTA reception of DTV). I would much rather use a DTV box and an antenna than a cable box if my cable operator (Time Warner, which is in the process of merging with Comcast) decides to force all of its subscribers to use such a box, as Comcast has done already.

Thanks much.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Funny, now that I think of it most apts. I've lived in had a big ol' antenna on the roof...If yours does actually have a roof or attic antenna it might be worth plugging into.

The apartment building where I live has never had an outdoor TV antenna, nor any kind of master antenna system, that I was ever aware of. The building was wired for cable probably several years before I moved here. I don't see any evidence of any kind of MATV installation; if there was one, the antenna probably fell apart years or decades ago.

[dtvmcdonald]

The indoor antenna I like to recommend is the old Radio Shack
double bowtie.

doublebowtie.JPG

However, all is lost if you leave the leadin like that.
You MUST attach the 300 ohm side of balun thingie
to the antenna with leads that
are no more than one inch longer than necessary.

Only the Terk came even close to this thing's
performance, and this is much better.