Over the Air HD Channels

catfishblues

catfishblues

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2005
Location
Pfafftown, NC
How many here rely on over the air antenna-style signal for their HD content? Not many, I know, but there's a few of you out there, I'm sure. Now, how many of you can't pick up any of those channels as of this evening? Did something change, or did my tuner die in the TV?
 
I gave up cable about 2.5 years ago, get all I need over the air, but we are not big tv watchers. We did loose one of the big local stations (11.1) a few months ago, but I haven't bothered to figure out why. Can get it on the TV on the camper, but not in the house. Probably a setting/lock in the set.

Actually, I get more stations over the air than we did on basic cable.
 
I've got air HD, but I'm still at the shop. I'll ask the wife when I get home.

I must say switching to air channels from HD cable with DVR has been much easier than I expected. I do miss the DVR, but thats about it.
 
catfishblues said:
But no loss of the extended channels today?
Click to expand...

Nope, I'm down in Sanford, get stations out of Raleigh, F'ville, Durham, High Point, and Myrtle Beach (WTF, I dunno why I get that one, or where their tower is).

I had the TV going from about 2pm to 3:30 while I was working from home, then turned it on about 10 tonight, no channels missing.
 
Some channels moved to UHF during the transition, and were planning on moving back to VHF after. See if a re-scan cures it.
 
It's a channelmaster...iirc, it's a 4228... flat grid antenna, about 24"x36". I have it mounted in the attic. Never had to put it on a rotator. Most of our stations are more or less North of here, and a few more or less due South...this antenna has pretty good back plane reception, not as good as forward, but it works great here for me, without rotation.

BTW, got the antenna for free from WRAL. They are/were running a program where if you bought a new HDTV, there was a form to fill out on their website to get a free antenna. Model you received was whatever was most appropriate for your distance to the WRAL transmitter tower. I got the antenna and a preamp. Friend that lives about 5 miles closer to the antenna farm got the the same antenna, but no preamp.

edit, the giveaway program ended last August http://www.wral.com/wral-tv/story/1180307/

edit #2, my antenna looks like this:

apimages.solidsignal.com_4228HD_zoom.jpg
 
you can go to www.antennaweb.org and enter your address (or close to it to stay off junkmail lists). All you have to put in is a street address and zip code, ignore the rest. It will give you a listing of the stations you should receive in your area, plus direction and distance to their transmitter towers.
 
Thanks for the help! I did ANOTHER auto-scan first thing this AM, and some of the typically stronger channels are back. Definitely not all I had before, but it leads me to believe it's a reception issue. I'm honestly not using an antenna. It's picking up these channels via the cable in the house as the antenna, and it works suprisingly well. I've just never had it drop them completely like this. I'm going to look into a real antenna now.
 
I ONLY have over-the-air (haven't had cable or satellite since 1998). We have two HDTVs. Sometimes in bad weather, we lose 36.1 (WCNC in Charlotte) on the TV downstairs, but the TV upstairs never loses it. The one downstairs is a Vizio, and once we lose the signal, we have to perform a scan again to get it back.
 
Were on just over the air. Gave up cable last year when i was laid off. Never went back. Wife hates it and says when she starts working were going back to cable. But I don't really mind it. That said, the reception SUCKS. It goes in/out with the weather. Bedroom TV is newer flat panel HDTV ready etc.. It works better but for living so close to Raleigh I think the reception stinks.

I have a cheep $30 digital antena w/ small amplifier that just doesn't seem to work well..

One of these days I want to make one. I researched on the web and they seem simple enough. I didn't even think about putting it in the attic, I will have to try that when I make one.
 
I have a 199ft tall radio tower in my back yard, I bet I could get some reception from that thing! I would do it, but I have no desire to to climb that sucker.
 
All of our channels are still working fine.

When we bought an antenna a few months ago, I tried some chinese brand that was "amplified" and had long telescoping antennae, and an unamplified RCA unit that was much smaller with no telescoping antennae. We actually got more channels, and they were clearer, with the RCA unit. Easy decision for me since it was cheaper too.
 
We bought a cheap antenna from walmart for like $12. Looks like a stealth bomber wing. It is not powered, and it works better than the rabbit ears we had that had to be plugged in and had an amp.
I took an antenna theory class in college. The antenna we bought that cost $12 makes it not worth it to me to design and build my own, unless I was really, really bored.
 
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