Free tv and lovin it

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Anyone have a recommendation for a booster? I'm perfectly content with the number and quality of stations that I currently have, just want to see how many more I can pick up.

 

[sivispacemparabe11um]

We got rid of it about four months ago. It's amazing how much time we were spending watching TV. We still watch TV just not nearly as much.

 

[geoffm33]

I thought I would resurrect this dinosaur to share my experience.

I just switched to broadcast TV after finding out just how clear of a picture you can get. It's been a couple weeks now and I still can not believe that I'm able to pick up 20 mostly HD channels for free with a coat hanger style antenna that I built with the help of a Youtube video.

Here's a blog post I wrote if you are interested. Digital broadcast air television – No longer just your grandmothers preferred choice

Thanks for the resurrection! I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

I ditched satellite last year (~$70/mo in savings) and went with a $30 Radio Shack OTA antennae. I get about 20 channels many in HD. I re-jiggered the cable tv wiring to feed all the TV's in the house.

I could probably get an external antennae but I get ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX in HD with what I have already. Everything else is just gravy (get PBS Kids cartoons in HD for the youngins).

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

We got rid of it about four months ago. It's amazing how much time we were spending watching TV. We still watch TV just not nearly as much.

The other day I read somewhere that Americans watch something like 3.5 hours of tv per day. I was really surprise by this statistic.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Thanks for the resurrection! I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

I ditched satellite last year (~$70/mo in savings) and went with a $30 Radio Shack OTA antennae. I get about 20 channels many in HD. I re-jiggered the cable tv wiring to feed all the TV's in the house.

I could probably get an external antennae but I get ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX in HD with what I have already. Everything else is just gravy (get PBS Kids cartoons in HD for the youngins).

Awesome savings. Have you tried to build the "Coat hanger antenna"? If you have an extra hour to kill youtube it. Many people say that it gets better reception than most indoor store purchased ones.

Just for fun I compared a cheap bunny ear antenna to the one that I made. My homemade antenna received an additional 8 channels or so with considerably better signal strength.

 

[geoffm33]

Awesome savings. Have you tried to build the "Coat hanger antenna"? If you have an extra hour to kill youtube it. Many people say that it gets better reception than most indoor store purchased ones.

Just for fun I compared a cheap bunny ear antenna to the one that I made. My homemade antenna received an additional 8 channels or so with considerably better signal strength.

Oooh. I might have to try that. I bought a $100 antennae, a $60 and a $30. Guess which one worked the best If the pattern holds, the coat hanger will work best of all!

 

[jgarretson]

What are guys doing for stations like ESPN and other essential cable channels? I keep waiting for a goo solution to stream from a browser to my tv but nothing I've seen thus far seems to do this.

I need to be able to watch sports and the DIY Network. SWMBO needs Bravo and that crap...

I can't wait to ditch Dish. $100 a month and being a former slave I mean employee... It will feel really good to cancel that service.

 

[Silverbullet]

What are guys doing for stations like ESPN and other essential cable channels? I keep waiting for a goo solution to stream from a browser to my tv but nothing I've seen thus far seems to do this.

I need to be able to watch sports and the DIY Network. SWMBO needs Bravo and that crap...

I can't wait to ditch Dish. $100 a month and being a former slave I mean employee... It will feel really good to cancel that service.

I recently dumped cable as well but only after finding (and verifying) ESPN, Fox, CNN, etc. cable alternatives. If you have a Roku, you can get USTVNOW and for $19 a month (no contract) pull in around 20 cable network channels. It's supposed to only work if you're overseas......
Heads up though, very few of the streaming channels are in HD, but it works for me and I still get Monday night football.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

What are guys doing for stations like ESPN and other essential cable channels? I keep waiting for a goo solution to stream from a browser to my tv but nothing I've seen thus far seems to do this.

I need to be able to watch sports and the DIY Network. SWMBO needs Bravo and that crap...

I can't wait to ditch Dish. $100 a month and being a former slave I mean employee... It will feel really good to cancel that service.

I tend to avoid perceiving anything TV related as a essential or a need. Understanding this makes cutting the chord much easier.

Aside from the occasional nightly news, I watch somewhere between 0-2 hours of TV per month so the decision was easy for me.

We get ABC, NBC and FOX with broadcast so SWMBO is happy to see "Dancing with the stars" "Bachelorette" and all the other reality hype that I consider to be brain rot. Plus we have streaming Netflix and stream bootleg if necessary.

Look at it like this.. $100 per month is $1200 per year. Round here this buys 1500 lbs of America 2 row which will make over 250 cases of beer!:rockin:

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Oooh. I might have to try that. I bought a $100 antennae, a $60 and a $30. Guess which one worked the best If the pattern holds, the coat hanger will work best of all!

Yeah, I must admit that I was very surprised with the results.

The other day I hung my antenna in the attic. While I considered it cool and a conversation piece, the wife considered it an eyesore. On the bright side most of my signal strength increased by 25% or so on most channels.

 

[tonyp063]

Anyone have a recommendation for a booster?

Actually yes. The RCA TVPRAMP1R.
It can do a combined input or separate vhf/uhf inputs. Has a switch-able FM trap & is really good at avoiding signal overload from close towers.

By the way. Those above making noises about the youtube coathanger antenna.
Don't do it.

It's scaled wrong for the present UHF frequencies & has negative vhf gain.

You want something like it with 9" bows & 8-1/2" seperation.

PM me if you would care for links to technical info and/or build instructions

 

[ChshreCat]

Awesome! How many clear channels are you pulling in with that setup?

About a dozen, but most importantly I'm getting CBS and FOX so I'm set for football for the time being.

 

[BrewerBear]

Anyone have a recommendation for a booster? I'm perfectly content with the number and quality of stations that I currently have, just want to see how many more I can pick up.

The one I use has model #140065-00 on it.Got it at Radioshack.Do not find it on website but I know they still have it in store.It made a big difference for me.

 

[estricklin]

I had one of these antennas and didn't get too much in the house:

I put it on a mast up on the roof and got a few more channels, but it didn't quite have the pull I wanted since I'm a bit far from the towers. I figured I'd just need to shell out for a real antenna, but thought I'd try one more thing.

I picked up a couple of these:

And then I did this:

Strong signals!!!! :rockin:

This ham radio operator takes his hat off for you. I see so many of those nonsense antennas out there, and people would be amazed how well every day objects can work, especially if your receiving only. I had a conversation with someone in Brazil a few weeks ago, using an antenna I built for 15 bucks.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Actually yes. The RCA TVPRAMP1R.
It can do a combined input or separate vhf/uhf inputs. Has a switch-able FM trap & is really good at avoiding signal overload from close towers.

By the way. Those above making noises about the youtube coathanger antenna.
Don't do it.

It's scaled wrong for the present UHF frequencies & has negative vhf gain.

You want something like it with 9" bows & 8-1/2" seperation.

PM me if you would care for links to technical info and/or build instructions

Interested. PM sent.

 

[ChshreCat]

This ham radio operator takes his hat off for you. I see so many of those nonsense antennas out there, and people would be amazed how well every day objects can work, especially if your receiving only. I had a conversation with someone in Brazil a few weeks ago, using an antenna I built for 15 bucks.

Well, the antenna is still a store-bought, but my ghetto reflectors are pure redneck engineering.

I know what you mean though. I have an all-band receiver I like to break out now and then. It's amazing what you can do with just a long piece of wire cut to the right length. I had a friend who was a ham and lived in an apartment. He'd just take a piece of wire, cut to match the band he was using (half or 1/4 wave if necessary), attach a weight to the end and then just dangle it out the window.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I will add that in one of the other tvless threads someone mentioned that you get free local channels (and possibly a few more) over the same signal that cable internet providers give. I installed a cheap splitter and hooked my internet only cable into my tv and I have the nice analog and digital broadcast television stations and even a few bonus (fox sports and masn I believe) all for free. Now I do not have to install that rooftop antenna to get football.

 

[ChshreCat]

Over here they use better filters so you don't get anything else when you're only paying for cable modem service.