DTV switch junk
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
From: northern Michigan
Outside antennas are best with a rotor to aim it. Channel master is the best as far as trouble free. Outside antennas work better as you go higher above the ground but the higher you go the maore apt your are to require a tower. Anteena mast need support and I don't recommend you put the antenna more the 15 feet above the last support. The more elements the antenna has the weaker the signal it can detect. The best antennas out there are winegaurd and channelmaster. Signal frquency and polariziation is what determines the type of antenna and this has not changed when they switched from analog to digital, only that digital needs a little stronger signal and this can be best economicaly meant with a bigger antenna.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,768
Likes: 1,082
From: St Louis
Many cities have a single point of broadcast (antenna farm) making rotors irrelevant.
The ABSOLUTE best rotors are those used by amateur radio operators. For digital reception, rotors are a huge PITA due to both the lag in the directional change combined with certain converter boxes that require a re-scan every time the antenna is moved.
Anyone who doesn't know how to properly secure a mast shouldn't be messing with one.
ChannelMaster antennas are now made in China and aren't of particularly good quality. Depending on the application, most of my favorites are from Antennas Direct. Winegard still makes good stuff in the USA.
All broadcasters in North America use either horizontal, elliptical, or circular polarization. All receiving antennas in North America should be oriented to receive a horizontally-polarized wave.
A digital signal can be much weaker that an equivalent analog signal and still provide a solid lock while the corresponding strength analog signal had already degraded into graininess or snow. There's a lot more to it than what you described.
Channel master is the best as far as trouble free.
Outside antennas work better as you go higher above the ground but the higher you go the maore apt your are to require a tower. Anteena mast need support and I don't recommend you put the antenna more the 15 feet above the last support. The more elements the antenna has the weaker the signal it can detect.
The best antennas out there are winegaurd and channelmaster.
Signal frquency and polariziation is what determines the type of antenna and this has not changed when they switched from analog to digital, only that digital needs a little stronger signal and this can be best economicaly meant with a bigger antenna.
A digital signal can be much weaker that an equivalent analog signal and still provide a solid lock while the corresponding strength analog signal had already degraded into graininess or snow. There's a lot more to it than what you described.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 699
Likes: 0
From: northern Michigan
Alround my area The Television broadcast antennas are scattered. Two to the west, one almost straight north. one sout and one southeast. I use the signal meter to aim it and then mark the rotor box so I know where to set it. This is more typical of us who live in the rural areas. Don't have any large cities within 100 miles of me.
Last I knew Channel master rotors where the only ones still using a metal gear drive. The others all went to plastic and a good wind in cold weather will destroy the plastic gears.
Last I knew Channel master rotors where the only ones still using a metal gear drive. The others all went to plastic and a good wind in cold weather will destroy the plastic gears.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
From: Byron GA
Well I messed with it a bunch more and am still not getting any more channels, just PBS and I can only take so much left wing news.
I guess this is why I have the internet, can watch anything most of the time without commercials.
I guess this is why I have the internet, can watch anything most of the time without commercials.
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