Indoor Antenna Suggestions?

[asr2k]

I'm looking for a great indoor HD antenna for my system. I have a toshiba DST-3000 HD box and Direct TV. I am looking for an indoor antenna that will get me some local HD channels. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Matt Heebner]

I use the funky-lookin Radio Shack Double Bow-Tie Antenna, and it works especially well with UHF frequencies. I have never seen one in a RS store though. I got mine for about $18 from radioshack.com.

Matt

[asr2k]

Thanks for the tip! Do you have a model number on that one? Did you do anything special with the antenna?

[MesaV]

http://www.radioshack.com/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F002%5F002%5F008%5F001&Page=1

[Kevin Arnold]

I have a friend who bought the radio shack yagi style antenna and did a home-made indoor job. He cut a mast to about 18 inches and epoxyed it to a 5 lb. circular weight. He mounted the yagi on the mast. Though he doesn't live around here, he claims the reception improvement over the radio shack double bow tie is dramatic. I imagine this is one of the uglier antennas ever constructed but sounds interesting.

[Pat]

I have one of those Radio Shack double bow-tie's that I'm no longer using. Any offers? Or shall I donate it to the group for a raffle or something?

[Todd Wiedemann]

Oooh, Pat !

Nice idea, if you're willing ...

It'd be nice to get that new chat system !

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Todd.
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Mitsubishi 55819
Panasonic TU-HDS20
Apex AD-600A

[Pat]

Consider it donated. Let's have some ideas for a raffle or contest or something.

[borghe]

Well, I'm currently using the RCA $40 amped antenna that has been around forever. I picked mine up before locals were on DSS... It is a pain in the *** and I have to severly mess with it to get 58 above 50. Channels 4 and 10 are pretty much swinging the elements a couple of degrees and they come in at 100. Tonight it should be noted that I didn't have to mess with it too bad and all 3 channels are coming in at 100. The atmosphere must be perfectly aligned.

I also just bought a Terk TV25 an hour or so ago that is being taken back. What a piece of semi-junk. I will say that unamplified it picks up signals much better than the RCA with the amplifier turned off. But turn the amplifier on and kiss those channels goodbye. With it on I couldn't even get 4 or 10 which are a snap with the RCA. Needless to say this thing is going back.

So for now I'll mess with the RCA. Who knows. Maybe 58 has actually turned up their power. Only time will tell.

Oh, and unfortunately I can't get a rooftop antenna. I live in a duplex, and even though my fiance's dad owns it and lives upstairs, I already owe him one for putting the 18x24 dish with 5 cables running downstairs along with the two cables for Road Runner and the telephones, etc.. It looks like a business class cabling job on the back of the house without the antenna.

[borghe]

$10 for the RS Double Bow Tie. Just bought it. Non-amplified, constant 93-100 on 58, 100 on 4, and a 12 on 10 :P. Looks like I'll still have to run a combiner to some rabbit ears for 10. At least every other station in Milwaukee will be on UHF. I honestly can't believe the results. I also can't believe RS discontinued it with no replacement. We should go round up all remaining ones in the city and sell them at cost to new board members with signal problems.

[Mike Sheahan]

Now that I put up the roof antenna, I don't need mine anymore.

I tried to mount it on the mast so it was facing toward the milwaukee towers when I had the big one aimed at Chicago, but I couldn't secure it well enough with what I had on hand, and my 4 hour rental on the ladder was closing in fast. It was also about 500 degrees up there the day I decided to install it, and I was fading quickly.

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Mits 65819
Hughes E86

[Kevin Arnold]

Those Radio Shack antennas were made by Channel Master and as of right now CM is still making them. They look slightly different but do the same.

Model 4149
Allegro UHF Antenna

A style leader in bow-tie design for top UHF performance. Gold screen.

http://www.channelmaster.com/pages/ia1.htm

[Joseph S]

I picked up a Double Bow Tie for $10 last week. That's about the only good thing concerning the clearance. There were something like 58 of them left in the district at that time.

Doesn't make much sense to me, because when Fox and ABC move up to dual 9V batteries these will still be our best hope outside of a rooftop antenna. http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/smile.gif

[borghe]

Hopefully the channelmaster one will stick around for a while.

I was getting worried last night because I didn't lose channel 58 until after I did the notorious mod to the antenna. However after the rain all is well and good. I did a search here for the mod and couldn't find it.

For those who haven't seen the post on avsforum, you should get rid of the twin 300-ohm leads as early as possible. I just cut the wires close enough to the rivets that I could still screw them onto a 75/300-ohm transformer. I then used a F-F coax adapter (suppose I could have just bought a 300ohm->75ohm female transformer) and then ran shielded cable the entire 3ft. It really works. I went from 90's on CBS58 to a solid 100. Even more interesting is that I can also get 70 on WMVS10 after the mod. Pretty good for a UHF antenna.

I also tried the multi-piece 20dB amplifier from RS (they were clearanced for $5). Unfortunately I lost all channels except for Fox6 which I was now getting at 12... a new record. The other channels must have been over amplified.

[Gregg Lengling]

You should have used a 300 to 75 ohm balun. The setup you have now is a mismatch and will degrade you signals. Of course it would be much more visible of the problem on analogue signals as the impedance mismatch not only degrades the signal but shows up as a herringbone in the picture.

In the future if anyone on the group needs antenna help: ie: selection, installation I can help...can't do the real work but can be there with you to make sure you do it right. I'm not physically able to do anything right now, had a MRI on my lower back yesterday and will find out this week if I need back surgery. Never had pain like this in my life and believe me neither do any of you.


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[borghe]

It's interesting that though it may be degrading the signal, I'm still getting a higher signal than with the 3ft. of 300ohm to transformer attached to my receiver. If I could boost that signal though, I certainly would. What's a balun?

[Gregg Lengling]

A balun is basically a transformer. It changes the impedance of the antenna to that of the feedline (coax). All TV antennas have a 300 ohm impedance and therefore require a 300 to 75 ohm balun to correctly match the antenna to the reciever. These baluns are the little devices that have twin lead out one end and a F style connector on the other end.


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[Todd Wiedemann]

Gregg -

I'm having a similar problem. I cannot find a 300 to 75 ohm balun that is 'long' enough for my antenna. I have a big RS roof mounted antenna that's not performing quite right.

You'd really be willing to put an eye on it ?? http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/smile.gif

Todd.

[Gregg Lengling]

Yeah I'll help you out...I'll find you a long lead one next week when I'm back to work...if this MRI thing doesn't look too bad.


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[Todd Wiedemann]

Awesome ! Thanks, Gregg.

I sure hope that MRI thing goes your way.

Please let me know how your schedule looks, I'm anxious to clean up my installation.

Todd.

[Tom Snyder]

How big is that RS Double Bow Tie?

[borghe]

A little more than a foot high by maybe a little less than a foot wide. Depth is an inch or two.

[Tom Snyder]

I have to replace some ceiling track lights this weekend, so as long as I'll be 10 ft up on the ladder, I'm thinking I want to finally try that RS double bow tie... Anyone know where I might find one in-stock?

[RobbQ]

If you go to a RS and know what you want they can check stock at all of the local stores. That's what they did for me. I then drove to one of the stores that had it and bought it. You might even be able to call a store and have them check.

Robb

[Tom Snyder]

The RS in Germantown had two left in stock... they're blowing them out for $9.97!

Now we'll see if it makes a difference in my reception....

BINGO!

Can't beleive that that ugly looking thing could make that much of a difference, but 58 (1-1) has gone from a 65-75 with regular dro-outs and lockups with my amplified RCA Antenna to a solid 86, with no drop outs at all!

Although it's a UHF, it still give me a decent signal on Channel 10 Digital, too.

The added "bonus" is a crystal clear picture on Analog 18,24 and 58 as well.

Best 10 bucks I've spent since I got my set!

[This message has been edited by Tom Snyder (edited 08-04-2002).]

[Matt Heebner]

Amazing, isn't it?

Matt

[Tom Snyder]

Ugly, isn't it? http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/wink.gif

[Matt Heebner]

Awwww, come on. Just tell people that it's "art" and you paid big bucks for it. Everyone will think you are a "art connoisseur" who is really hip to the times.
Seriously, I've had people ask me if that was a new "piece".

Matt

[Tom Snyder]

I'd try to pass as an art snob, but I think the velvet elvis painting and the poker-playing dogs will give me away! http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/wink.gif

[Gregg Lengling]

Only if the dogs are cheating>>>>>


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
glengling@ameritech.net

[ugyvel]

I just picked up the bowtie on Saturday at the Port Road, Silver Spring RS for $9.99. They have one left in stock after my purchase, plus the display model.

Lummox--Query re the "balun/transformer" posts a few back--If a balun is basically a transformer and if Borghe used a transformer, what did you see in his description that was a 'mismatch'. I bought a 300/75 'transformer' at RS on Sat (haven't even taken it out of the bag yet)--did I ask for the wrong thing?

Thanks

[Gregg Lengling]

I don't recall that whole conversation and I don't have time to look it up (check another post for why I'm short on time). But yes your question is correct a balun is an impedance transformer. It's just a term that is used more with RF cable and antennas (balun) than with other things such as audio and such where "transformer" is the more commonly used term. By the way Baluns and Transformers are non-directional passive devices. So as posted it read a 300 ohm to 75 ohm balun as it was hooked to the receiving antenna to connect it to the 75 ohm coax to the receiver. If you were working in the other direction and transmitting via the 75 ohm cable to a 300 ohm antenna it would work just as well. But someone would muddy the waters and say it is now a 75ohm to 300ohm balun.

Have a nice day..


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
glengling@ameritech.net

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by Joseph S:
I picked up a Double Bow Tie for $10 last week. That's about the only good thing concerning the clearance. There were something like 58 of them left in the district at that time.

Man these things are HOT!!!! I called up the nearest Radio Shack today on Brown Deer Rd. and they said they had one. I drove over there and it was gone. They looked in their computer, and there were I think less than 10 left in the Milwaukee metro area. I drove out to 107th and Silver Spring to get the last one at that store.

This thing is amazing, and I haven't even taken it out of the box yet... Let me quote from the box:
"Engineered to Provide Brighter, More Vivid Color And *Crystal-Clear Black-and-White Reception*" I added the stars for emphasis. This thing pre dates the second World War it seems... The box it's in looks like it has been around that long as well. They are going like hot cakes just the same.

Catalog # is: 15-623A in case anyone is still without. Good luck finding one, you had better hurry.

Off topic, I also stopped in at American, Circuit City, and Best Buy while I was out. Looking for STB's. American has the Hughes only, Circuit City has the RCA old style only (but says the new Sony is coming soon @$799 and will throw in a free dish with install--just two LNB oval though). Best Buy has the Hughes only but has an empty slot waiting for a future STB (thats all i could get out of the sales"man").

I was trying to find a retailer that had the new Samsung and new Sony to take them both out for a comparison. No such luck. My STB purchase needs to happen soon, now that I have the Double Bow-Tie.

Starving

Oh yeah I paid a whole $4.97 for the antenna.



[This message has been edited by StarvingForHDTV (edited 10-07-2002).]