Antenna !!

GWguy

GWguy

*
I picked up a low cost small antenna online
RCA Suburban Mini Yagi Digital Outdoor Antenna with Mast: TV & Video : Walmart.com
$38, same one at Best Buy is double that price.

Anyway, been playing with it, had 4 stations. Made a wiring change, added an amp, got a few more. But I couldn't aim it where I wanted, the chimney was in the way. Went to Lowes, got a piece of 1 1/4" x 6' PVC pipe and extended the antenna up about 4 feet, and pointed it North (wanted to get DC/Baltimore stations).

Yikes. I now get 38 channels! Lots of repeats, and some stations are HD on one freq, SD on another. That's good, because some stations fade with changes in the atmosphere, so I can usually find it on another.

There is no question in my mind that a full size long range antenna with a rotor will bring in even more.

Channel Call Sign Affilliate
4-1 WRC-HD NBC
4-2 WRC-SD NBC
5-1 WTTG DT FOX
7-1 WJLA-HD ABC-7
7-2 WJLA-WX ABC-7
7-3 WJLA-LWN ABC-7
9-1 WUSA-HD CBS-9
9-2 Bounce CBS-9
9-3 Radar CBS-9
11-1 WBAL-DT NBC
11-2 WBAL-SD MeTV
13-1 WJZ-TV CBS
16-1 WBOC-HD CBS
20-1 WDCA DT
20-2 MUNDO-FX FOX
21-2 WBOC FOX
24-1 RF24-1 WNVC
24-2 RF24-2
24-3 RF24-3
24-4 RF24-4
24-5 RF24-5
24-6 RF24-6
26-1 WETA-HD
26-2 WETA UK
26-3 WETA KIDS
26-4 TV26 WETA
28-1 MPT-HD
28-2 MPT-2
32-1 WHUT-HD PBS
32-2 WHUT-SD
47-1 WMDT-HD ABC
47-2 WMDT-D2 CW
50-1 CW50
50-2 AntTV
50-3 ThisTV
66-1 ION-TV
66-2 qubo
66-3 ion/LIFE
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
I guess I'm most impressed because I used to have an antenna with a rotor back before the switch to digital HDTV, and I could only get 6 stations or so, and they were hit or miss. Getting all these stations in HD over-the-air now is great!
 
H

hitchicken

Active Member
Get a good antenna, pre-amp and rotor.

Congrads, GWguy.

Yes, get yourself a rotor and a better antenna while you are at it.

I got a more directional, more expensive high direction antenna, rotor and pre-amp a few months ago. I can receive nearly all the stations you list plus.

2-1
2-2
28-3 (although you should have mentioned this one also)
22-1
22-2
22-3
45-1
45-2
45-3
54-1
54-2

This is a VAST improvement over the old limited channel analog TV days. TV stations suddenly realized they have much more bandwidth to, not only add additional stations, but make most of them HD as well!

My biggest problem is antenna height. I am surrounded by big trees. My antenna is not much higher than my 1 story house. My location is close to yours. I am in Town Creek, just off the Patuxent River near the bridge.

To help anyone determine if their location is suitable for an antenna, go to

TV Fool

and fill out the form. It will show the available channels, their direction and strength at your location. To see what you can view, go to

TitanTV

to make up your own TV schedule.

Of course, a user will need a HDTV with DTV as well.

The big upside is it is FREE (minus the initial investment of the antenna and equipment).

The big downside is the nearby Navy base aircraft. Aircraft will fluctuate a signal in and out depending on signal strength and direction. Unlike analog TV signals, DTV signals are either 'detected' or 'not detected', that is, on or off. Thus the station starts to cycle on a off for a brief period. If you cannot tolerate this occasional interruption, stay away from over-the-air broadcast TV.

I am fortunate enough to have advanced DSL at my location and thus supplement my OTA TV with Netflix, Amazon Instant video and other low-cost, no-cost TV sources. I use wifi ROKUs on all my sets. I also have a desktop PC hooked up to my TV and stream many free downloads of Discovery Channel, Nat Geo and other 'satellite stations' episodes a few days after their original broadcast.

I cannot image going back to satellite TV ever again.
 
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