TV Antenna Help Needed

[MoparManJim]

Okay, for awhile now I been thinking of building one, you know one of those HDTV antennas. I see alot of how to's on youtube about how to build one. But I must ask, have anyone here built one and did it really work for you? and if so what was your location? as in trees, valleys? 

I live out on the boomdocks and have trees all around me and I also like some what down in a valley. So I was wondering what type of tv antenna would I need to get signal?   

[Todd Wilson]

Do you have an old skool tv antenna on your roof? If so us it!


Todd

[MoparManJim]

Do you have an old skool tv antenna on your roof? If so us it!


Todd

I did have one, but it doesn't work anymore. After they change over to digital that antenna stop working even after I got a Mag converter box and tried it. 

[last426]

I did have one, but it doesn't work anymore. After they change over to digital that antenna stop working even after I got a Mag converter box and tried it. 

Everything I have seen says that old antennas work just fine for digital.  Mine certainly works for digital.  If you can't get a signal with your old antenna chances are you won't with a new one either.  Kim

[Bob]

I continued to use my old house antenna and did not have a problem.

[b5blue]

My 68.00 Radio Shack (old school) one works super! If you are in a valley, in the woods behind tall trees, you have the worst situation short of just being out of range there is. You need a large ant. that is placed as high as possible. The shortest run of wire to the set will help signal gain. No need for high tech crap or indoor setups, go outside and see if you can fix your old one by repairing connections and check wires. 

[451-74Charger]

Per the Technical team out our station, use the cheap $16 antenna from Home Depot, I think its GE

[ODZKing]

Our TV station went through all the educating during the DTV conversion last year.  THE best is a roof top antenna.  There is no such thing as a digital only antenna.  If it can recieve UHF and VHF it will work.
Digital television is very much affected by "line of sight".  A truck passing in front of an indoor antenna will cause your picture to freeze.  There is no more watching a "bad" signal with snow.  It either works or doesn't.
And who knows, some day they may even have "digital" perfected.  It took 40 plus year for analog.
Hope that helps!

[451-74Charger]

and dont get me started on those so called Monster cables for digital.
remember its either on or off (1 or 0)

[Todd Wilson]

Do you have an old skool tv antenna on your roof? If so us it!


Todd

I did have one, but it doesn't work anymore. After they change over to digital that antenna stop working even after I got a Mag converter box and tried it. 

As others have said the old skool antenna will work just fine. You need to hook it into your digital conversion box. Check your twin lead wire from the antenna to the tv. It may need replaced from age. The old skool antenna's are directional  so you may need to turn yours into the general direction of the signal/tower of your stations. As others have said theres no more weak signals and snowy reception. Digital either works or it dont.

There are "power" antenna's out there you can buy and they  just have a preamp to help pull in the signal and make it strong enough for the digital box to use.

With a new digital box and an old skool antenna you should be fine unless you are out in a remote location and then you may need to do something special.


Todd

[MoparManJim]

Well I have a RCA converter box, tried that and yet nothing picks up  , I have also replace the cable and yet nothing. my antenna is around25 maybe 30 feets at most and I am surounded by trees  . I was thinking of building a antenna pole that is long enough that it pass's the tree tops by about 5 feet and put the antenna up there to see if I get signal or not. Up there I should be available to pick up the digital path in one of the directions. Plus have anyone tried making one of those digital antennas that is all over youtube and if so did it work? I don't have antenna tv right now not even sat tv of any kind. All I do is mostly watch vhs tapes and dvd's.. but anymore I'm getting bored of that  know what I mean. Thank you all for the suggestions and help so far, please keep the ideas and suggestions coming.   

[b5blue]

I got poles from Radio Shack. Good idea to get as high as you can, my cheap RCA box worked good. You need the round cable not the flat kind, that in turn will need the adapter. If you got TV before you should get the new kind also. I now get like 36 channels as opposed to 12 before but Florida is flat. My new Flat HD TV with built in DVD player from Best Buy for 229.00 (24") really rocks and gets channels the RCA box couldn't with a picture that is better than anything I ever owned. Be prepared to have to rotate the mast to find the best signal. There are websights to help you do all this, do a Google on it and research first. You Tube had some good info and links. In your situation I don't think an inside ant. is going to give you anything usable but the TV show "Made" on PBS's web sight had a great home made ant. that you could make and try.

[b5blue]

Don't forget HULU has a lot of shows to watch too.

[MoparManJim]

I got poles from Radio Shack. Good idea to get as high as you can, my cheap RCA box worked good. You need the round cable not the flat kind, that in turn will need the adapter. If you got TV before you should get the new kind also. I now get like 36 channels as opposed to 12 before but Florida is flat. My new Flat HD TV with built in DVD player from Best Buy for 229.00 (24") really rocks and gets channels the RCA box couldn't with a picture that is better than anything I ever owned. Be prepared to have to rotate the mast to find the best signal. There are websights to help you do all this, do a Google on it and research first. You Tube had some good info and links. In your situation I don't think an inside ant. is going to give you anything usable but the TV show "Made" on PBS's web sight had a great home made ant. that you could make and try.

I have a place over town that sells 10 foot poles for a reasonable price. I think about 85 feet would work and that would be around 2 feet above the tree top line. I live down in a valley with woods all around me, my cousin lives is a same kind of area at his lacation  and he has a zenneith converter box and using his original antenna he had always used before the conversions took place. Me on the other hand the sign stop working. I tried a magona box one and that thing was a piece of junk. I heard online here now they have a long line of complaints on that box. All I could find the next time around was the RCA box so I got it and yet no signal. So I think if I take an antenna up and over the tree line top that I will probably get signal way up there. My cousin lives over the ridge and his place sets around 50feet above my location place and then he has his antenna up like 15 to 30 feet and he gets signal very well. If I do an antenna pole I plan to keep it height right at the tree top line and not much above it.. just enough for it to clear the tree top. I got a flat screen HD tv myself and it was working good with the original signals. When you say PSB, is that the name of the site or a shorter version for the name? 

[MoparManJim]

Don't forget HULU has a lot of shows to watch too.

I did for get about that site, Thanks for the reminder 

[chargergirl]

We had to put the receiver back in the garage for TV AND stereo when we went green with the lights. Replaced all the lights in the garage with the eco lights...they create a field that makes it horrible to get a signal. Yeah the man has cable TV in the garage. Soon A/C and Heat unit.

[b5blue]

You could mount it in the top of a tree.............

[0X01B8]

i don't think you'll ever get any good reception with that sofa in the house.

[451-74Charger]

Just put it up on ebay !!!
I hear they take Paypal.

No seriously, old antennas usually have more gain than newer ones as they were designed for a lower powered signal

[maxwellwedge]

I get over 25 digital channels and most are in HD. Of course it all depends on your location, equipment, elevation, trees etc. etc.

I am using dual stacked 4228 antenna's but I live pretty far from the transmitters.

Go here  http://www.tvfool.com/ to determine what you should be able to receive.

Go here for a great primer on equipment.  http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=41102


Make sure you are using new RG6 cable without a bunch of splitters and joiners for best results.