mm wrote:
BTW, this was before there were internal antennas. Only rabbit ears
and outdoor antennas. The house had an outdoor antenna, but we hadn't
put a line to the den yet, or that side of the den. My mother
eventually had a tv guy put an antenna line in her bedroom and we
bought a "portable" Zenith with remote control for the den.

Years later when I was in the attic, I notice that even though there
was a flat-lead antenna splitter hanging right there, the tv guy had
just twisted the 3 sets of wires together, for two outlets.

At first I thought he was cheating us, but now I wonder, maybe he
found he got the best pictures without the splitter, but left the
splitter there since we had paid for a splitter? What do you think?

I think the guy was cutting corners. If he got a better picture
without the splitter, that means there was something wrong with
the antenna or the lead wire coming from it. If he didn't, then
he was just being lazy.

You might have gotten lucky. Some of the old Zenith portables had
a power transformer, therefore no "hot" chassis (and no "hot"
antenna leads to attach to other sets).

--
All relevant people are pertinent.
All rude people are impertinent.
Therefore, no rude people are relevant.
-- Solomon W. Golomb