Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work.

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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!

Got rid of my Dish Network after much hassle after the receiver quit
working. I do not recommend Dish Network ever for any reason, you are
better off to get a chalk board and draw pictures. They are fine until you
need something like a receiver or service, they don't work with you, cheat
you, and want you to send the receiver, LNB, and remote back to them at your
expense when you discontinue their service.

I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and outdoor
antenna. I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier worth it?
There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in the ~70 mile
radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

Currently I have no channels, just videotapes and DVD's.

RogerN


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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

I put up a real good antenna in '91. It works great for local TV
digital signals. We're about 60 miles from most of the stations. The
new TV works directly. The old TV has a converter box we got from
wally world.

We also have direct TV satellite dish. Its a waste most of the year.
How can there be 500 channels and nothing worth watching? We watch
every Twins game and its the only way to get them.

Karl


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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

On Nov 28, 12:01*pm, "RogerN" wrote:
...
I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and outdoor
antenna. *I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier worth it?
There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in the ~70 mile
radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

RogerN


Yep, I'm 30+ miles from the transmitters and broadcast (OTA) DTV works
fine for me.
http://www.tvfool.com/

The 1980's antenna is on a 1950's rotator to aim at the weaker
stations, the strong ones come in regardless. The old analog TV has a
Digitalstream converter box because I like the program guide, but the
Zenith box may have a better receiver for multipath.

The antenna is on a simple tower, a long steel mast tube braced at the
lower end by a post up the side of the house, and at the top by guy
lines. The rotator is at the bottom end of the mast tube, on a sled
that slides on the wooden post, up for use and down for maintenance.
The antenna is at the same height it needed to be to receive analog
broadcasts and at 30+ miles I don't really need an amplifier.

I bought a 22" Vizio HDTV/monitor for the other computer which can
record programs like a VCR, but in full Hi Definition. Windows7 Media
Center has the software included, all it needs is a tuner. I got a
Hauppauge USB tuner for $50 at Radio Shack.

jsw
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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

RogerN wrote:
Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!


Good on you!

I canceled cable and put up an antenna about a year ago.
The digital picture quality is 'way better than cable,
the 'commercial count' didn't increase and the
installation paid for itself a couple months ago.

For local news, it is the cat's pajamas.

I did no engineering. I just selected the cheapest,
highest gain antenna I could and popped it on
a chimney mount.

For about a minute, every 2-3 months, a 'copter will
get between the TV transmitter and my antenna, causing
the sort of visual effects that people paid cash for
back in the '60's.

Only a few percent of my TV time is spent watching
broadcast, now though. I now watch a lot of content
from the internet via Roku box. There is some
truly awful stuff among the few gems. Just like
regular TV.

Don't tell Larry that I watch so much TV. (It'll be our
little secret.)

--Winston
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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

I got a converter box about a year before the changeover since all the local
stations were already broadcasting both analog and digital (Washington, DC
area), and just used the same antenna I already had up for the analog
signals. Here is a very useful website for you:
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Welcome.aspx

-----
Regards,
Carl Ijames

"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!

Got rid of my Dish Network after much hassle after the receiver quit
working. I do not recommend Dish Network ever for any reason, you are
better off to get a chalk board and draw pictures. They are fine until
you need something like a receiver or service, they don't work with you,
cheat you, and want you to send the receiver, LNB, and remote back to them
at your expense when you discontinue their service.

I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and
outdoor antenna. I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier
worth it? There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in
the ~70 mile radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

Currently I have no channels, just videotapes and DVD's.

RogerN






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Default OT Digital TV, free TV


"RogerN" wrote in message
m...
Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!

Got rid of my Dish Network after much hassle after the receiver quit
working. I do not recommend Dish Network ever for any reason, you are
better off to get a chalk board and draw pictures. They are fine until
you need something like a receiver or service, they don't work with you,
cheat you, and want you to send the receiver, LNB, and remote back to them
at your expense when you discontinue their service.

I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and
outdoor antenna. I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier
worth it? There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in
the ~70 mile radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

Currently I have no channels, just videotapes and DVD's.

RogerN



I recently converted from cable. This site has a lot of good info:
http://www.hdtvantennalabs.com/index.php

Two things I learned: If you want to get channels 2 through 7, you need a
big (as in wide) antenna. Also, even though I live in a yellow zone, an
omnidirectional antenna picks up too much noise from reflections and other
sources.

All recent HDTV sets have digital tuners in them so you do not need any
extra box. If you have an old standard def TV, then you need a converter
box, but then the resolution will not be hi-def. If you have one of the
older HDTVs without a digital tuner, then you need an external tuner.

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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

On Nov 28, 7:01*am, "RogerN" wrote:
Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!

Got rid of my Dish Network after much hassle after the receiver quit
working. *I do not recommend Dish Network ever for any reason, you are
better off to get a chalk board and draw pictures. *They are fine until you
need something like a receiver or service, they don't work with you, cheat
you, and want you to send the receiver, LNB, and remote back to them at your
expense when you discontinue their service.

I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and outdoor
antenna. *I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier worth it?
There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in the ~70 mile
radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

Currently I have no channels, just videotapes and DVD's.

RogerN


Make*sure*you're*in*line*of*site*with*the*transmit ters*towers.
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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

RogerN wrote:

Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!

Got rid of my Dish Network after much hassle after the receiver quit
working. I do not recommend Dish Network ever for any reason, you are
better off to get a chalk board and draw pictures. They are fine until
you need something like a receiver or service, they don't work with you,
cheat you, and want you to send the receiver, LNB, and remote back to them
at your expense when you discontinue their service.

I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and
outdoor
antenna. I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier worth it?
There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in the ~70
mile radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

Currently I have no channels, just videotapes and DVD's.

A couple of years or so ago, all broadcast was ordered to go digital by
imperial edict, so I was forced to buy a digital box; fortunately, they had
a "coupon" which covered most of the $50 price.

I'm practically within line-of-sight of Mount Baldy (or wherever the local
antenna farm is); at the time, I made one of those four-bay bowtie antennas;
I've since moved, lost the bowtie, and am now using a "random wire," which
I think I can get away with either because the signals are so strong or the
box is so sensitive.

But if you're not like 20 miles line-of-sight, you will probably want at
least one of those four-bay bowties. There used to be instructions all over
the web; I made mine in about a half-hour, with about six bucks' worth of
materials.

Google HDTV bowtie or words to that effect.

Good Luck!
Rich

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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

Update,

Thanks for the replies everyone! I was able to try out my digital TV
reception, my mother in law had a converter box and now has cable, so we are
getting to use her converter box and rabbit ears DTV antenna.

The picture is great on the stations we get (5 or so channels), there is
another station my wife would like to get and it comes in if he holds the
antenna just right, but I hate to have to keep getting up to feed her
popcorn while I'm trying to watch TV! :-)

I searched "make HDTV bowtie antenna" and found one that looks real simple
to make, it's not weatherproof, the writer was using it in his attic.
Anyway I'll probably make an experimental version of this and see what kind
of reception I can get. From there I can decide to buy or build one like it
using aluminum wire and some wire mesh backing. Anyway we should be able to
pick up local channels good anyway. I don't miss the hundreds of channels
with nothing to watch all that bad, been without TV for about 3 or 4 months
now, would like to see local news though.

Maybe I can get a HDTV for the family if there is an after Christmas
special!

RogerN


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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

On Nov 29, 4:34*am, " wrote:
...
Make*sure*you're*in*line*of*site*with*the*transmit ters*towers.


I'm not, a hill blocks the local station so I aim at the strongest
reflection.

On analog I could see the direct path as a ghost signal leading the
main one, as well as 3 or 4 after it. The first HDTV I tried could not
receive that channel.

jsw


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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 01:34:43 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Nov 28, 7:01*am, "RogerN" wrote:
Not directly metalworking but if I save money on TV then I can buy some
metal!

Got rid of my Dish Network after much hassle after the receiver quit
working. *I do not recommend Dish Network ever for any reason, you are
better off to get a chalk board and draw pictures. *They are fine until you
need something like a receiver or service, they don't work with you, cheat
you, and want you to send the receiver, LNB, and remote back to them at your
expense when you discontinue their service.

I have heard that Digital TV looks as good as (or better than) cable or
satellite TV, so I'm thinking about setting up some type of mast and outdoor
antenna. *I guess I need a mast or tower and antenna, amplifier worth it?
There are a couple station in the 20-30 mile radius but more in the ~70 mile
radius.

I guess I need a DTV converter box?

Anyone getting good results with DTV from an antenna?

Currently I have no channels, just videotapes and DVD's.

RogerN


Make*sure*you're*in*line*of*site*with*the*transmi tters*towers.


Karl, your posts are recently coming in with characters between the
words. = A 0 (with no spaces) Whassup wi dat?

--
Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy
simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.
-- Storm Jameson
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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

In article ,
"RogerN" wrote:

Update,

Thanks for the replies everyone! I was able to try out my digital TV
reception, my mother in law had a converter box and now has cable, so we are
getting to use her converter box and rabbit ears DTV antenna.

The picture is great on the stations we get (5 or so channels), there is
another station my wife would like to get and it comes in if he holds the
antenna just right, but I hate to have to keep getting up to feed her
popcorn while I'm trying to watch TV! :-)

I searched "make HDTV bowtie antenna" and found one that looks real simple
to make, it's not weatherproof, the writer was using it in his attic.
Anyway I'll probably make an experimental version of this and see what kind
of reception I can get. From there I can decide to buy or build one like it
using aluminum wire and some wire mesh backing. Anyway we should be able to
pick up local channels good anyway. I don't miss the hundreds of channels
with nothing to watch all that bad, been without TV for about 3 or 4 months
now, would like to see local news though.


There are many suitable antenna designs available. The best source is
the ARRL Antenna Book http://www.arrl.org/shop/The-ARRL-Antenna-Book/,
which has construction details. This is what the radio amateurs use.
The book comes out in a new edition every few years, and older versions
are widely available used.

Joe Gwinn
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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

RogerN wrote:
Update,

Thanks for the replies everyone! I was able to try out my digital TV
reception, my mother in law had a converter box and now has cable, so we
are getting to use her converter box and rabbit ears DTV antenna.

The picture is great on the stations we get (5 or so channels), there is
another station my wife would like to get and it comes in if he holds the
antenna just right, but I hate to have to keep getting up to feed her
popcorn while I'm trying to watch TV! :-)

I searched "make HDTV bowtie antenna" and found one that looks real simple
to make, it's not weatherproof, the writer was using it in his attic.
Anyway I'll probably make an experimental version of this and see what
kind
of reception I can get. From there I can decide to buy or build one like
it
using aluminum wire and some wire mesh backing. Anyway we should be able
to
pick up local channels good anyway. I don't miss the hundreds of channels
with nothing to watch all that bad, been without TV for about 3 or 4
months now, would like to see local news though.

Maybe I can get a HDTV for the family if there is an after Christmas
special!

I'd recommend against aluminum, because that oxide layer will interfere with
the electrical continuity. I got really lucky - My office opens onto a fab
shop and there's some weld filler that's awesome - iron coated with pure
copper. You could even use coat hangers.

For that matter, you could use ordinary #14 household wiring wire - stretch
it a little bit to straighten it out.

But please don't use aluminum!

Good Luck!
Rich

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Rich Grise wrote:

(...)

I'd recommend against aluminum, because that oxide layer will interfere with
the electrical continuity. I got really lucky - My office opens onto a fab
shop and there's some weld filler that's awesome - iron coated with pure
copper. You could even use coat hangers.

For that matter, you could use ordinary #14 household wiring wire - stretch
it a little bit to straighten it out.


I suppose the best practical elements would be
stainless filler wire, yes?

--Winston
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Winston wrote:
Rich Grise wrote:
(...)
I'd recommend against aluminum, because that oxide layer will interfere
with the electrical continuity. I got really lucky - My office opens onto
a fab shop and there's some weld filler that's awesome - iron coated with
pure copper. You could even use coat hangers.

For that matter, you could use ordinary #14 household wiring wire -
stretch it a little bit to straighten it out.


I suppose the best practical elements would be
stainless filler wire, yes?

There's some kind of mild steel filler wire that's copper-clad; I don't
remember the designation, maybe E75 or so. It solders like a dream. :-)

Stainless is corrosion-resistant, yes, so you could probably rely on the
mechanical contact under screw pressure.

Cheers!
Rich



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Rich Grise wrote:
I'd recommend against aluminum, because that oxide layer will interfere with
the electrical continuity. ...


I think that every antenna I've ever seen was aluminum. There can't be
too much interference.

Bob
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Default OT Digital TV, free TV

Rich Grise wrote:
Winston wrote:
Rich Grise wrote:
(...)
I'd recommend against aluminum, because that oxide layer will interfere
with the electrical continuity. I got really lucky - My office opens onto
a fab shop and there's some weld filler that's awesome - iron coated with
pure copper. You could even use coat hangers.

For that matter, you could use ordinary #14 household wiring wire -
stretch it a little bit to straighten it out.


I suppose the best practical elements would be
stainless filler wire, yes?

There's some kind of mild steel filler wire that's copper-clad; I don't
remember the designation, maybe E75 or so. It solders like a dream. :-)

Stainless is corrosion-resistant, yes, so you could probably rely on the
mechanical contact under screw pressure.


ER70S-X where X=2 or 3 or 6 for example?

http://www.amfiller.com/files/low_al...alloywires.pdf

I use that stuff in the finer diameters for TIG.
It works great for welding but corrodes rapidly in
the out-of-doors. AMHIKT.

--Winston
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On Nov 29, 6:30*pm, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
Rich Grise wrote:
I'd recommend against aluminum, because that oxide layer will interfere with
the electrical continuity. ...


I think that every antenna I've ever seen was aluminum. *There can't be
too much interference.

Bob


I used to have to clean the antenna connections to restore lost signal
strength every few years until the steel rivets rusted and I replaced
them with stainless screws coated with Ox-Gard.

My UHF dipole is two 6" aluminum standoffs stuck in the ends of
plastic tubing, and retained by the stainless terminal screws. IIRC it
went up a year before the transition and hasn't been touched or lost
3dB since.

jsw
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