Im tired of paying for cable so Im going to put an HD antenna in my attic. What do you guys recommend? Im probably no more than 20 miles from most TV stations that I can receive. I've tried to find some reviews online but its really a [censored] it seems.
HDTV antenna
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I'm similarly situated and I get great all-channel reception with my old non-HDTV stick antenna in the attic.
(I also have cable, but refuse to pay for the HD stuff, so I use the antenna for that)
(I also have cable, but refuse to pay for the HD stuff, so I use the antenna for that)
Are the stations from one direction or several directions? Are they on channels 2-13 or 14-69 Actual channels? Antennaweb.org has some compass headings and predicted channels in your area if you input the information.
See http://tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29 and see if you can get by with a UHF-only antenna. If you can, a 4-bay bow tie antenna can fit well into an attic.
Look at the "Real" column in the table rather than the "Vert" column.
Look at the "Real" column in the table rather than the "Vert" column.
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I bought 4-bay bow tie antenna from Ebay, it works great for the last 3 years. Most TV stations are about 50+ miles and receptions is great with 4-bay bow tie antenna.
Got an antenna direct 8 bay antenna for my inlaw, works great. Friend build a 4 bay based on the "coat hanger" antenna design with scrap parts and that works great too.
I'd get the coat-hanger plan and expand on it. A while back I read the reviews for many amplified indoor antennas and the coat hanger design widely viewed as being better. So I built one for a friend who doesn't have cable and we tested it against an amplified set top antenna. Coat hanger won hands down! I had some plans to build a multi sided one for his attic but haven't done it yet. I had an idea to build a large one sided one with builders mesh behind it for a reflector but again I haven't done it. His house is brick so its difficult for signals to penetrate the walls.
Just noticed you are in the midwest. I remember seeing some guys putting the coat hanger antenna in front of a small satellite dish (Reflector) and enjoying remarkable reception. Of course they had it outside and could aim it toward the broadcast. They were doing the same thing with wireless networking, obviously with a different antenna - also hand made. IIRC wifi was broadcast from some company's silos that were miles away!
I will probably build a 4 sided one for my attic for when the cable/internet/VIOP is down. If you have trouble finding the plans for the antenna PM me and I will see if I can find the URL I used.
Just noticed you are in the midwest. I remember seeing some guys putting the coat hanger antenna in front of a small satellite dish (Reflector) and enjoying remarkable reception. Of course they had it outside and could aim it toward the broadcast. They were doing the same thing with wireless networking, obviously with a different antenna - also hand made. IIRC wifi was broadcast from some company's silos that were miles away!
I will probably build a 4 sided one for my attic for when the cable/internet/VIOP is down. If you have trouble finding the plans for the antenna PM me and I will see if I can find the URL I used.
If you still have a small low power religious analog transmitter around they can be good for tuning home made antennae. You basically want to avoid ghosting.
If you have foil in your insulation you may do better with an external antenna. Attics can have the radio waves bounce against each other and cause interference.
I get by with a radio shack $23 UHF only antenna. One VHF channel around me still comes in good on it.
If you have foil in your insulation you may do better with an external antenna. Attics can have the radio waves bounce against each other and cause interference.
I get by with a radio shack $23 UHF only antenna. One VHF channel around me still comes in good on it.
This is the one I bought from Amazon. My wife (seriously) installed it in our attic. It took all of about an hour, including to adjust the angles. When I moved in, the people before us had cable, so I just patched into their splitter and manage to get 28-35 db rating without a line amplifier/booster. I get in the 40-80% signal strength range and I'm about 12 miles out from most of the station's towers. Currently receiving 22 channels. I'm too cheap to buy cable/satellite.
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT751-Outdoor-Optimized-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT751-Outdoor-Optimized-Reception/dp/B0024R4B5C
Most HD channels are UHF, even if they say #7 or #12 etc. Contact a local TV station and ask their engineer if there are any VHF in your area.
In the Detroit area, only Ch2 broadcasts on VHF and they are using the old CH7 freq, so I have an AntennaCraft HBU-22 antenna (VHF-Hi and UHF combo). Lots of folks around here just use a UHF antenna and do quite well.
In the Detroit area, only Ch2 broadcasts on VHF and they are using the old CH7 freq, so I have an AntennaCraft HBU-22 antenna (VHF-Hi and UHF combo). Lots of folks around here just use a UHF antenna and do quite well.
Hmm coat hangers. I found this video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/762088/coat_hanger_hdtv_antenna_better_than_store_bought_amazing/
I guess I could just assemble it on the trusses? Why bother with screwing it all to a board?
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/762088/coat_hanger_hdtv_antenna_better_than_store_bought_amazing/
I guess I could just assemble it on the trusses? Why bother with screwing it all to a board?
For several months just after I moved in, I didn't have time to put up an antenna in the attic.
So... I took a coax cable, plugged it to the TV, stripped the other end off, wrapped some speaker cable to it, and pushed the speaker cable into my metal mini blinds. I had great reception. It just looked terrible, so I bought the antenna.
So... I took a coax cable, plugged it to the TV, stripped the other end off, wrapped some speaker cable to it, and pushed the speaker cable into my metal mini blinds. I had great reception. It just looked terrible, so I bought the antenna.
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