Are digital antennas okay for local TV stations?

[task0778]

I don't watch cable much anymore and it's getting really expensive. I know, I'm joining the party kinda late, but better late than never. I'm thinking a good indoor antenna will work, some of them have a large reception distance.

 

[leftwinger]

I don't watch cable much anymore and it's getting really expensive. I know, I'm joining the party kinda late, but better late than never. I'm thinking a good indoor antenna will work, some of them have a large reception distance.

A big square thing with wires hanging off it works pretty well in any Flat area to the transmitter. Like in the desert. You can even dangle it behind the TV and it works if a signal is there. Like 30-50 channels in the desert are available I heard about.

Like one of these.

 

[toobfreak]

I don't watch cable much anymore and it's getting really expensive. I know, I'm joining the party kinda late, but better late than never. I'm thinking a good indoor antenna will work, some of them have a large reception distance.

There is no such thing as a digital antenna. That is a mostly marketing gimmick. Use any UHF/VHF antenna you have laying around. I have been using the same antenna for years, probably about 20 years, to pick up OTA (over-the-air) broadcasts.

Part of it is a directional log-periodic antenna, and the other part is simple rabbit ears. I think when I bought it, stations were still analog. The other antenna I use (bought about ten years ago) is rabbit ears and a UHF loop antenna. Works great.

 

[toobfreak]

BTW, here is likely my next antenna. 4-Element Bowtie TV Antenna, 60 Miles Range, Multi-Directional, Indoor, Attic, Outdoor Applications, All-Weather Mounting Hardware, Adjustable Mast Clamp, 4K Ready

 

[Flopper]

One thing to keep in mind. TV Transmission is basically line of sight. A mountain between you and the transmitter will reduce your picture to practically nothing. I know because I have a mountain between me and all local stations. Only transmission I get is reflections and that's pretty poor.

My only options are cable, internet via cable or satellite. All of them are pretty costly.

 

[task0778]

BTW, here is likely my next antenna. 4-Element Bowtie TV Antenna, 60 Miles Range, Multi-Directional, Indoor, Attic, Outdoor Applications, All-Weather Mounting Hardware, Adjustable Mast Clamp, 4K Ready

View attachment 1133104

Geez, Toob. That thing only has a 60-mile range? Looks a tad outta my price range too. Very impressive tho.

 

[toobfreak]

My only options are cable, internet via cable or satellite. All of them are pretty costly.

That was the original intent of cable TV--- not to bring you HBO and 50 pay channels, but for people who lived in valleys and such.

 

[toobfreak]

Geez, Toob. That thing only has a 60-mile range?

The horizon is 20 miles. 60 miles is beyond the horizon. 60 mile range is actually on the outer limits of what most antennas will pull in. Most cheap antennas are probably only rated for 10-20 miles. And remember: 60 miles is ideal conditions. Unless you are lucky (like I am living on top of a tall hill and one of the tallest points around), your actual performance will be worse.

Looks a tad outta my price range too. Very impressive tho.

Figure on spending about $150 for an antenna like that by the time you buy everything you need to mount it in place. But my current antenna is a powered antenna and I get about 70 channels easy. I probably paid $70/$80 for it about 20 years ago at Best Buy. It was their best antenna then.

But I actually bought this antenna in 2018 after much research and consideration and I have not regretted it.

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I am on my second bedroom TV with it and it has been killer. First I used it with a DACs and an analog TV with outboard digital tuner, and the last couple of years, straight with a digital (ATSC) TV.

 

[task0778]

I am on my second bedroom TV with it and it has been killer. First I used it with a DACs and an analog TV with outboard digital tuner, and the last couple of years, straight with a digital (ATSC) TV.

LOL, didn't understand any of this part, the only outboard thing I know of is on a boat. Anyways, I am within 5 miles of the nearest TV broadcast tower so I'm hoping I can get by with an indoor antenna. But the neighbor across the street has some really tall trees so that might be a problem. Those indoor antennas are pretty cheap so I'll try that 1st.

 

[toobfreak]

LOL, didn't understand any of this part, the only outboard thing I know of is on a boat.

Only applies to people who still have old style NTSC analog TV who want to tune in newer digital channels (I don't think anyone broadcasts in analog anymore).

You connect your antenna to an outboard (stand-alone) digital tuner. They make them just for this purpose. You tune in whatever channel you want to watch on it. It then sends its digital output to a convertor which takes the digital signal and converts it to an analog TV signal output on channel 3 frequency. The TV then just receives the CH. 3 signal and acts like a monitor displaying it. If you buy a new digital TV, the tuner and electronics are all contained inside.

Anyways, I am within 5 miles of the nearest TV broadcast tower so I'm hoping I can get by with an indoor antenna. But the neighbor across the street has some really tall trees so that might be a problem. Those indoor antennas are pretty cheap so I'll try that 1st.

I would go with an indoor antenna like the one I showed you for around $30. It should work fine. You might need to play with it a little to find the best location for it.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

There is no such thing as a digital antenna. That is a mostly marketing gimmick. Use any UHF/VHF antenna you have laying around. I have been using the same antenna for years, probably about 20 years, to pick up OTA (over-the-air) broadcasts.

Part of it is a directional log-periodic antenna, and the other part is simple rabbit ears. I think when I bought it, stations were still analog. The other antenna I use (bought about ten years ago) is rabbit ears and a UHF loop antenna. Works great.

So, you are using an analog antenna to pick up digital signals? You are just extremely fortunate. Most people will not be that lucky.

 

[Dekster]

I don't watch cable much anymore and it's getting really expensive. I know, I'm joining the party kinda late, but better late than never. I'm thinking a good indoor antenna will work, some of them have a large reception distance.

You need to go to one of those sites that will tell you for your specific address. They are worthless at my location because of the distance and terrain. Some people in this area have had some luck when they mounted them really high in the air on poles, but they are in more rural areas. For my house, two stations are rated "poor" signal strength and all the others have no signal

 

[task0778]

You need to go to one of those sites that will tell you for your specific address.

I did that and found out I have 3 TV broadcast towers within 10 miles of my home. Just unintentionally lucky I guess. I bought an indoor antenna and positioned it in front of a window and now I can get the 4 major channels, which gets me major sports events and nationally broadcast football games. Not sure what'll happen if there's a T-Storm with lightning and such, but I guess I'll find out.

 

[Dekster]

I did that and found out I have 3 TV broadcast towers within 10 miles of my home. Just unintentionally lucky I guess. I bought an indoor antenna and positioned it in front of a window and now I can get the 4 major channels, which gets me major sports events and nationally broadcast football games. Not sure what'll happen if there's a T-Storm with lightning and such, but I guess I'll find out.

Congrats luck duck. My guess is your video will freeze in T-storms like our satellite used to do until they started the low def back up via wifi.

 

[toobfreak]

I did that and found out I have 3 TV broadcast towers within 10 miles of my home. Just unintentionally lucky I guess. I bought an indoor antenna and positioned it in front of a window and now I can get the 4 major channels, which gets me major sports events and nationally broadcast football games.

Wow, that is really slim pickings. Of the major networks, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and PBS, each of these puts out 2-3 more digital side channels, like 2.1, 2.2, ch. 2.3, etc. PBS alone has five digital channels, their main channel, then one for cooking and creating, one for travel, one for kids, etc. Have you tried scanning for all OTA channels?

Not sure what'll happen if there's a T-Storm with lightning and such, but I guess I'll find out.

The lightning will strike the antenna, feed back into the receiver, then fry the cat sleeping on the TV (only kidding), there is no lightning risk as these antennas work off a balanced (floating) input.

 

[braalian]

people still have antennas?

Do you have landline phones too?

 

[toobfreak]

people still have antennas?
Do you have landline phones too?

Of course they do. Cable TV was really only created to get signal out to people in bad reception areas. And even your cellphone uses an antenna.

How did you think it got its signal? PFM?

I get 70+ channels over the air. Been using a TV antenna for some or all of my TV reception since about 2010 when I discovered there is a boatload of stations OTA, most with better programming than the pay cable stations I used to zonk out $200/month for.

 

[task0778]

Wow, that is really slim pickings. Of the major networks, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and PBS, each of these puts out 2-3 more digital side channels, like 2.1, 2.2, ch. 2.3, etc. PBS alone has five digital channels, their main channel, then one for cooking and creating, one for travel, one for kids, etc. Have you tried scanning for all OTA channels?


The lightning will strike the antenna, feed back into the receiver, then fry the cat sleeping on the TV (only kidding), there is no lightning risk as these antennas work off a balanced (floating) input.

Yeah, there's other channels available that I can't say I care about, but if I can get probably get the major sports events that I care about.


Re the lightning, **** the cat. He don't earn his keep anyway. Balanced floating input? You're ******* with me now, aren'tcha.

 

[task0778]

people still have antennas?

Do you have landline phones too?

Yup. Damn phone rings all day long with somebody tryin' to sell me somethin'. Pain in the ass.

 

[toobfreak]

Yeah, there's other channels available that I can't say I care about, but if I can get probably get the major sports events that I care about.

I find these extraneous channels carry better programming then the main ones.

Re the lightning, **** the cat. He don't earn his keep anyway.

It was the cat's time anyway.

Balanced floating input? You're ******* with me now, aren'tcha.

No, there are balanced and unbalanced inputs. What they call single-ended in audio jargon.
Balanced inputs "float" above ground because they are ungrounded, differential, instead of single-ended.
Unless the antenna carries a pathway to ground, you have no worries.
Likely, the antenna starts out 300-ohm, then uses a balun to convert to 75 ohm.
Balanced inputs use circuit-ground as their reference, instead of earth-ground like an unbalanced input.