Well I was mulling this over in my thread about technology and I have decided to move forward with it.
Years ago when cable TV first came in, it seemed pretty wonderful. We went from six channels to over fifty channels overnight, and back in cables infancy they advertised commercial free content, "Thats what you get with pay TV " they said. Back then cable TV cost about $30, little by little the cost crept up, so slowly you hardly noticed it.
Well, we noticed when the cost finally tipped over $100 per mo.
I decided I needed to educate myself about TV antenna options and what I might expect. I didn't realize what a big movement this is. All you have to do is Google "cutting the cord" and then be prepared to read all you want on the subject. There are numerous websites that allow you to type in your address and see what broadcast signals are available in your area, the direction they come from and the signal strength. Such as this one.
http://www.receptionmaps.com/Advanced-TV-Maps.html
This information will also help you to decide what type of antenna would be most useful.
Trying to decide what type of antenna to buy is an education. The types available are pretty amazing, all have pros and cons.
I looked at omnidirectional , probably the easiest to set up and use, but limited range.
Flat panel, the cleanest most unobtrusive antenna, but not great range.
4 bay bow tie , very good long range antenna
I even gave serious thought to making my own antenna. There are tons of tutorials on how you can make very good home made antennas for practically nothing. It would be a fun project, but they are rather homely.
In the end , for me it came down to two models. One was a an amplified directional. This one gets very good reviews as far as performance goes, and is sold everywhere. But the build quality is a little flimsy.
And the one I chose is made by RCA, manufactured in the USA and has an extremely high rating. It is a directional compact Yagi design with a range of up to 150 miles. My broadcast towers are not very far and the signal is strong.
I picked it because it is a simple and rugged design. ( And it's the miniature version of 2M's mighty max)
Other considerations for me, are, I live in a planned community with association rules, and any antennas cannot be visible from the front of the house. This works out ok for me because I can mount it on the back of the house and have a clear aim towards the towers. I also will need to make sure it is adequately grounded in case of a lightening strike.
So....here is my plan. I just ordered an antenna and 30 feet of coax cable. For the cost of two weeks worth of cable. I intend to mount this on the eve of the backside of my house, maybe 12' up. I will disconnect the cable and see what I get, and try living with it for one month. If we like it, then the cable gets the axe!
I'm really hoping we like it. That would be $100 a month back in my pocket every month!
I should have the antenna in about a week and I will post my results here. The worst that can happen is I'm out out $50, and I'll sell it on Craigslist! Haha!
Stay tuned!
Years ago when cable TV first came in, it seemed pretty wonderful. We went from six channels to over fifty channels overnight, and back in cables infancy they advertised commercial free content, "Thats what you get with pay TV " they said. Back then cable TV cost about $30, little by little the cost crept up, so slowly you hardly noticed it.
Well, we noticed when the cost finally tipped over $100 per mo.
I decided I needed to educate myself about TV antenna options and what I might expect. I didn't realize what a big movement this is. All you have to do is Google "cutting the cord" and then be prepared to read all you want on the subject. There are numerous websites that allow you to type in your address and see what broadcast signals are available in your area, the direction they come from and the signal strength. Such as this one.
http://www.receptionmaps.com/Advanced-TV-Maps.html
This information will also help you to decide what type of antenna would be most useful.
Trying to decide what type of antenna to buy is an education. The types available are pretty amazing, all have pros and cons.
I looked at omnidirectional , probably the easiest to set up and use, but limited range.
Flat panel, the cleanest most unobtrusive antenna, but not great range.
4 bay bow tie , very good long range antenna
I even gave serious thought to making my own antenna. There are tons of tutorials on how you can make very good home made antennas for practically nothing. It would be a fun project, but they are rather homely.
In the end , for me it came down to two models. One was a an amplified directional. This one gets very good reviews as far as performance goes, and is sold everywhere. But the build quality is a little flimsy.
And the one I chose is made by RCA, manufactured in the USA and has an extremely high rating. It is a directional compact Yagi design with a range of up to 150 miles. My broadcast towers are not very far and the signal is strong.
I picked it because it is a simple and rugged design. ( And it's the miniature version of 2M's mighty max)
Other considerations for me, are, I live in a planned community with association rules, and any antennas cannot be visible from the front of the house. This works out ok for me because I can mount it on the back of the house and have a clear aim towards the towers. I also will need to make sure it is adequately grounded in case of a lightening strike.
So....here is my plan. I just ordered an antenna and 30 feet of coax cable. For the cost of two weeks worth of cable. I intend to mount this on the eve of the backside of my house, maybe 12' up. I will disconnect the cable and see what I get, and try living with it for one month. If we like it, then the cable gets the axe!
I'm really hoping we like it. That would be $100 a month back in my pocket every month!
I should have the antenna in about a week and I will post my results here. The worst that can happen is I'm out out $50, and I'll sell it on Craigslist! Haha!
Stay tuned!