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paulz
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 14:06
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Back in the old days, before I went on ‘vacation’, I had roof TV antennas at both the house and cabin. So simple, just turn on the tube, flip the channel knob and done. Not to mention free. Few years later I returned to a TV life of internet streaming, sign up for a plan, deal with providers…
Two weeks ago I bought a new roof antenna, 30 bucks, and am getting about 40 channels at the house! Most of those are bunk, but get Fox, NBC, CBS etc..
Brought it out to the cabin and got nothing, too many trees and hills in the way I guess. Yesterday a friend says he has a 4’ roof antenna sitting in his storage. Picking that up today to try at the cabin.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 14:28
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I have to have a signal booster on ours. We have 4 antennas. Each with a booster.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 14:34
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Yeah been wondering about that, some of the ones on Amazon come with boosters. They boost signal to the antenna I assume, not antenna to TV? Also, off grid, DC ok, AC have to go through inverter.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 14:55 - Edited by: darz5150
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They boost signal from antenna to TV
I have one for the gazebo, that the ac adapter went out. The output was 12 volts dc. So I cut the plug, and wired it straight to the battery.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 15:07
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Ok so for a test I can run a 20’ coax to a test TV, no booster. And if it pulls in anything I can deal with antenna to TV after that? Only one TV at the cabin, antenna on roof right outside.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 15:27
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Yes. If you get any signal at all. The booster should help.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 16:27
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Thanks Darz. Food and TV, my kinda guy. Here it is. Had a booster but I’ll try without, hopefully tomorrow.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 16:55 - Edited by: darz5150
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Lol. I have 3 of that model. It has the automatic rotator, but you have to look at the antenna to find out which way it's pointing. There are websites like TV fool, to show you whats the best direction to aim your antenna.
Something else I figured out is I get way more channels if I scan after the sun goes down.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 17:02
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A friend uses one of these on the wall of his cabin which is about 45 miles from the transmitter towers. It works better than the old mast antenna he had.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 Oct 2024 19:27 - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: darz5150 Lol. I have 3 of that model. It has the automatic rotator
Being stuck at the house today, I figured it a good idea to test the new antenna here. First try was without the booster thingy, nothing. Hooked that up and iits working fine, except the rotater thing sporadically works. Better or worse than my other, non booster antenna? Don’t know and not going to do a channel scan here. At least the booster is 12vdc like yours, will plug right into cabin bank. Big cabin test tomorrow.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2024 00:32
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Quoting: ICC friend uses one of these on the wall of his cabin which is about 45 miles from the transmitter towers. It works better than the old mast antenna he had
Also have a friend with one of those in his window. Don’t know anything about them, what little I’ve read about tv antennas is reception is line of sight, hampered by trees, hills. Both a problem for me.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 31 Oct 2024 12:19
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Quoting: darz5150 There are websites like TV fool,
Had a look at that. Wonderful, says I should get a few channels at the cabin and from where. Encouraging.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 11:50 - Edited by: paulz
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Well no luck at the cabin yesterday with the new antenna, despite TV fool saying I should get something. Going to try again today. In thi photo, you can just make out the antenna sitting on a 20’ pole outside the cabin. The picture is deceiving, the trees are actually 5 times taller than the pole. Not much luck getting around those but I could swear an antenna used to work before the fiber internet came along.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 13:03
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From the look up it appears you would only have spotty sat signal too, or do they penetrate through?
Fwiw, I think the future of tv is probably on the 'net....
My old rooftop antenna will outlive me (never had cable or sat) for the increasingly dismal programming.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 14:07
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Yeah wouldn’t think it would work, even though I’m sure it did years ago. I’ll fool with it again today, tv fool I am
We have internet TV here. This : mainly due to sports. Even though we have Fox, NBC etc. they list games on those networks but when you try online they’re not on, Hulu, mlb tv, Fubo etc. have the rights, and you must sign up and pay monthly to watch. Not that the money is that big a deal, just yet another monthly bill, endless emails etc.. with the roof antenna you just turn on the TV, flip it to the channel and done.
Baseball is over now, plus our teams (49ers and SF Giants suck now anyway).
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 14:42
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Tv is an addiction hard to break....thats what addictions are 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 19:52
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As I mentioned, my wife can’t walk and only has one working arm. Never the less we had an active life together, but at this point just hanging out at the cabin is enough for us both. Fortunately she loves it as much as I do. I still get things done every day but evenings are mostly TV time together.
Anyway I spent another few hours today jostling that antenna around, nothing, even though TVfool says I should and I remember having a roof antenna before.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 22:17
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I know I shouldn't be on a roof anymore....
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2024 22:46 - Edited by: paulz
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Me either. Much as I wanted to go up there with the antenna on a 20’ pole I resisted. Figured if wouldn’t pull anything in off the deck 15’ more wouldn’t help much. Trees are 150’-200’. Done with that project.
But, a friend was saying I need a screen around my chimney cap. It has none, only about a 1.5” gap under the lid. He says 1/4” screen, the ones I see online look more like 1” squares.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2024 00:29
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The small ones are for 'spark arresting', the big ones keep birds from getting in.
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