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re: Getting local channels thru an antenna
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:01 pm to Styxion
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:01 pm to Styxion
quote:
make sure it is a digital antenna and that the tv is set up to look for digital channels.
All antennas are analog in nature as is the RF signal used to transport the digital data piggybacking.
I still have pole mounted antenna that is from the 1970s that works great for getting OTA channels from 90+ miles away.
This post was edited on 3/3/22 at 3:32 pm
1
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:07 pm to notsince98
quote:
All antennas are analog in nature as is the RF signal used to transport the digital data riding on the back of the analog RF wave.
Correct. Most of the "digital" antennas are simply small UHF antennas. The problem is in some areas some of the digital signals have the carrier in the VHF bandwidth and those UHF antennas are very poor at picking up those signals. For example, in BR channels 2 and 9 are both VHF channels.
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:28 pm to BabyTac
Is it a Vizio?
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:29 pm to BabyTac
For anyone looking to get an antenna, I recommend making a Hoverman antenna. It is a UHF antenna. Most channels these days, even channels 2 through 13, are UHF, not VHF.
In the old days, the number on the dial meant that channel was on a specific frequency. Channels 2 thru 13 were all VHF, 14 and higher were all UHF.
All of that went out the window when the tv signals went digital.
Even though the hoverman is designed to catch UHF, you can add 2 elements called high hats, that work very well for catching VHF signals.
If anyone is interested in this, I will post more info later.
In the old days, the number on the dial meant that channel was on a specific frequency. Channels 2 thru 13 were all VHF, 14 and higher were all UHF.
All of that went out the window when the tv signals went digital.
Even though the hoverman is designed to catch UHF, you can add 2 elements called high hats, that work very well for catching VHF signals.
If anyone is interested in this, I will post more info later.
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:30 pm to BabyTac
Put aluminum foil on the antenna. 
Posted on 3/3/22 at 3:58 pm to ScoobyDont
This is a good video that shows high hats added to the Hoverman to catch VHF channels. Skip to the 4:30 mark, he shows how strong it catches VHF, then takes off the high hats, and show how the signal degrades.
I did a lot of research, and what I have found is that the Hoverman is the best for UHF, and with the high hats, works pretty well for VHF.
OOPS! I added a link to the video in a post below.
This post was edited on 3/3/22 at 6:39 pm
Posted on 3/3/22 at 4:07 pm to BabyTac
Posted on 3/3/22 at 4:27 pm to BabyTac
We started with a cheap one that looked like a piece of rubberized cardboard.
Something like this
We are about 40 miles from the Knoxville TV station broadcasting towers.
The cheapest antenna from Amazon worked so well that we bought two more for the other TVs we use more often.
Why do we need them? Rain storms will wipe out satellite, but the local transmissions usually make it through rain, sleet and snow.
Something like this
We are about 40 miles from the Knoxville TV station broadcasting towers.
The cheapest antenna from Amazon worked so well that we bought two more for the other TVs we use more often.
Why do we need them? Rain storms will wipe out satellite, but the local transmissions usually make it through rain, sleet and snow.
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:01 pm to The Spleen
quote:
It works way better than most antennas you buy at the store. I still have to place it near a window to get good reception though.
Then it doesn’t work way better than most you can get from the store
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:06 pm to real turf fan
quote:
cheapest antenna from Amazon worked so well that we bought two more for the other TVs we use more often. Why do we need them? Rain storms will wipe out satellite, but the local transmissions usually make it through rain, sleet and snow.
We’ll mine don’t work that good but when internet goes out I still have live tv… really like that back up option sometimes
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:12 pm to BabyTac
Nothing still. Screw this, I’ll just pay for cable.
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:23 pm to BabyTac
Make sure you have a child to go outside and turn it for best reception
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:23 pm to BabyTac
Post your Q on tech board?
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:30 pm to BabyTac
OTA is still a thing? 
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:32 pm to BabyTac
Remembered something. On my very newest TV, the over-the-air channels are combined in the user interface with some internet-based channels that come with the TV. They're free (but your viewing data is probably sold to pay for them).
Anyway, on this particular TV that stuff and broadcast channels are all grouped into a menu option called "Live TV."
Don't know how prevalent this is but I thought it was weird. Basic broadcast concepts (having an antenna, doing a channel scan, etc.) still apply.
Anyway, on this particular TV that stuff and broadcast channels are all grouped into a menu option called "Live TV."
Don't know how prevalent this is but I thought it was weird. Basic broadcast concepts (having an antenna, doing a channel scan, etc.) still apply.
This post was edited on 3/3/22 at 6:14 pm
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:42 pm to BabyTac
quote:
Everything I read says I can plug in any antenna and get HD locals on the TV source.
Depends on your area…..when I am in Baton Rouge tailgating, I can get 15 or so channels in perfect HDTV. However, I only get 1 or 2 with the same tv here in central Mississippi.
There is no such thing as a digital antenna…you can get perfect HD with a $10 set of rabbit ears if there is decent signal.
As the others say, you have to re-scan the channels and be sure that “antenna” input is selected instead of “cable”
Posted on 3/3/22 at 5:58 pm to ultratiger89
quote:
OTA is still a thing?
If not for OTA channels I wouldn’t have been able to watch any tv after Hurricane Ida. We were without power or internet for 16 days. I had planned ahead though. I already had the antenna mounted in the attic and coax run to all my tvs
Posted on 3/3/22 at 6:00 pm to BabyTac
Gotta hang that mug high and close to a window, baw.
Posted on 3/3/22 at 6:04 pm to BabyTac
quote:
I have two TVs less than 2 years old. Everything I read says I can plug in any antenna and get HD locals on the TV source. I can’t get anything at all on either. I also live in the middle of a city so I’m sure it’s not a distance issue. Can anyone help a baw out?
It depends on the city.
Baton Rouge for the time being has 2 stations on high VHF (channels 7-13) which are hard to receive with an indoor antenna setup regardless of your location unless you can physically see their tower and you don’t have any other sources of interference. Fox and NBC are on UHF which is much more stable and robust. They broadcast on the same tower, if I recall correctly WVLA’s antenna is higher than the WGMB antenna, but that is when they are working. WVLA and WGMB are notorious for going out at the most inopportune times Saints games and other events. Those should be easy to catch. I can catch those 2 better than some New Orleans stations in Houma when they are working.
Now, here is where things get interesting. About a 20 years ago there was a push for digital television, now there is a push for a new generation of digital television which which will add even more channels and even 4K broadcasts. To get there stations are going to have get together so to speak to keep existing channels on the air and add new ATSC 3.0 channels. Those new channels are incompatible with current TV sets and you will need a separate tuner to catch those broadcasts when they start. Or a new TV with the new tuner.
ATSC has launched in other cities none in Louisiana that I know of so far.
This post was edited on 3/3/22 at 6:05 pm
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