Rusty Bowtie
General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: EDNY on March 06, 2018, 12:16:06 PM
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Direct-tv costs are ridiculous and have heard of these new long range antennas that get all kinds of channels via the free airway. Any of you rural living folks have any experience with them?
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Ed,
I "cut the cord" about a year ago and will never go back. I live about 40 mins west of Columbus, Ohio in a rural area. I use the following antenna:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RFLXE0A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RFLXE0A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I have this setup in my basement and have the antenna mounted in the floor joist on an outside wall. I get all Columbus channels and a few Dayton channels. Dayton is about 50 miles west of me. I get around 40 channels total. There are multiple options on antennas, but make sure you get on with at least a 50 mile range antenna and make sure that it is powered. Hope this helps.
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My neighbor down the road bought one last year for about $150 but is down south for the Winter so I can't discuss it with him. I thought he was getting over 100 channels :-* (pic attached). Good news is that I'm at an elevated area if that helps.
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We have Directv but because we've had it so long we can not update and keep some of the features we like. We also can not get regular Fox network, PBS, or local channels. We do get major networks from both coasts and that is something we like and could not keep. They offer lots of packages but not one we like or need. There is some FCC crap in this and protection of local advertisers.
I'm experimenting with an external antenna. With all of these you need a direct line of sight. Mountains, thick walls, trees, an fat girls can block reception. I tried the neat little flat wall/window mount types with zero luck. We live in a canyon with mountains on three sides. A beautiful place to live but not to watch TV. ;D I got a cheap Chinese rotary unit and started with a T-post in the yard and got 5 chanels, encouraging. I moved it to 20' pole and get 3 channels? I don't know why. It can see a lot more than it did on the short post. Signals bouncing off of something? It is almost high enough now to get out through a saddle in the ridge above the house and get a clear shot to the mountain above Carson City about 35 miles away. I think it will have a line of site to several repeaters on it's next move. That will be near the top of my 40' wind generator tower. Hopefully no electrical interference. The big concern is the old guy one the windmill tower thing so I'm waiting for Spring so the ambulance can make it up the road. :o
A good thing about this antenna is that it has a signal booster built in and that power for the rotor motor goes through the coax. Also they claim you can use up to 2000 feet of coax! I'm using 150' now with a clear strong signal. If this one works I'll get a better quality one maybe. :)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/150-Mile-HDTV-1080p-Outdoor-Amplified-HD-TV-Antenna-Digital-UHF-VHF-FM-Radio-/173147189864?hash=item2850607268 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/150-Mile-HDTV-1080p-Outdoor-Amplified-HD-TV-Antenna-Digital-UHF-VHF-FM-Radio-/173147189864?hash=item2850607268)
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Senior31 if I could get Velocity channel with that antenna I'd buy it tonight. I hate my cable bill but would miss certain programs.
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I had no idea about anything like this... I don't have cable and barely get local stations , this seems like a no brainer to me.
so it will just pick up a bunch of channel??? LOL im pretty clueless obviously
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I had no idea about anything like this... I don't have cable and barely get local stations , this seems like a no brainer to me.
so it will just pick up a bunch of channel??? LOL im pretty clueless obviously
If you have a late model TV with digital capabilities a digital antenna (outdoors is best) will bring in crystal clear channels. Use this map to see what's available in your area:
https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
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Ed I just put a cheap wal-mart (Vilso, 150 mile $39.95) one up that my buddy tried and give me. Then he bought a $360 one. It didn't work any better than the cheapy. By the chart link, I should get 1 moderate and 2 weak signals. I get 23 channels afterdark and untill 9am. Its been averaging 12 channels all the time during the day. I'm only 4' higher than the peak of my roof on my old Dish mount. I'm pretty happy with it, being in the middle of nowhere its quite impressive.