[kwlug-disc] What's needed for OTA on a TV cart?

Tue Apr 2 11:29:09 EDT 2013

I have issues getting Global in New Hamburg, with a clear view to the
south.  It's in the VHF LO band, so rabbit ears don't always grab that
well.  It makes me think there's an issue with Global's transmitter...

At first, I aimed a UHF antenna at it, in hopes that it was just close
enough, to little avail.

Early last year, I purchased one of those 'saucer' style omni-directional
antennas and stuck it above my roof-line.  The antenna is supposed to be
sensitive to VHF LO, HI and UHF TV bands.  I did pick up Global much
better, but still sometimes I get weird signal issues.

I had actually built an antenna tuned to it's frequency out of PVC and
Copper pipe.  I still have it, and plan to put it up on the mast this
summer, but it's an unwieldy thing for indoor use.  It's a dipole measuring
just under 6ft.  When that's up, Global hits me with 98% signal strength.

Global is on the same tower as TVO, in Paris, ON.

On Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 10:47 AM, R. Brent Clements <rbclemen at gmail.com>wrote:

> There is definitely no analog transmission of CKCO anymore.  Digital
> distortion is very obvious--the audio starts to break up and the
> picture is replaced by large randomly colored blocks.  Not the same as
> the "snowy" picture of yester-year.
>
> I am surprised that you can't get global.  That transmitter is really
> close.  Is it a really old rabbit ear?  It might not be the right
> impedance match.  A lot of the old tower antennas would work just fine
> except for the tiny bit of electronics attached to them.
>
> Brent
>
> On Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 3:15 AM, Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com> wrote:
> > Demo for the LUG?
> >
> > From your description, it sounds like you're still pulling in an
> > analogue signal. Why else would you be seeing garbled closed
> > captioning?  I thought with digital broadcast it was all or nothing.
> >
> > And I expect you've already searched for something like this:
> > https://ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=digital+reception+rabbit+ears
> >
> > --Bob.
> >
> >
> > On 13-04-02 01:20 AM, unsolicited wrote:
> >> Ended up purchasing the Zinwell, $70, at
> >> http://www.researchelectronic.com/fta.php?sub=5&a=23
> >>
> >> - apparently they have even cheaper ones, and Canada Computer still
> >> has the Homeworx for $40. If I did it again, I'd go as cheap as
> >> possible (now knowing what's what). I went with this one as it has a
> >> better (separate signal strength and quality) meter, and this all
> >> being new to me / the TV not being stationary, separate meters seemed
> >> useful.
> >>
> >> [We already had 'rabbit ears', much like
> >>
> http://www.thesource.ca/estore/Product.aspx?language=en-CA&catalog=Online&category=Indoor+Antennas&product=1501857
> ]
> >>
> >> The TV being on wheels / a cart, means no internal/external/fixed
> >> antenna is possible - it has to fit and sit on the cart.
> >>
> >> Only CKCO comes in - it does see that TVO and CITS are out there, but
> >> can't bring them in.
> >>
> >> Apparently with a better / directional internal antenna, Global, TVO
> >> and City should also be possible, and perhaps even CBC and CFTO
> >> (Channel 9, CTV2).
> >>
> >> Even if we replaced the TV with a widescreen LCD and built in tuner,
> >> an antenna would still be needed. Even just putting your finger on the
> >> connector is sufficient, but I have yet to find anyone willing to
> >> stand still long enough, without bathroom breaks, to be useful.
> >>
> >> (If closed captioning is required - forget it, it's all garbled.)
> >>
> >> On 13-03-24 03:12 AM, unsolicited wrote:
> >>> Thanks.
> >>>
> >>>> Minimal non-high def tuner boxes are around the 40 dollar range
> >>>
> >>> I'm guessing you're talking about an ATSC tuner?
> >>>
> >>> Got a link to the sort of beastie you're talking about? Canada
> >>> computer, factory direct, Orion, K-W Surplus?
> >>>
> >>>> A decent VHF rabbit ear can often do it.
> >>>
> >>> There's a set of rabbit ears there, but it's never been able to pick
> >>> up anything, AFAIK. Even CKCO was full of snow. Now that they're
> >>> digital ... I'm not sure anyone's tried. We just assumed the analogue
> >>> rabbit ears / TV wasn't going to get anything.
> >>>
> >>> Not knowing what 'decent' is, any links?
> >>>
> >>>> failing that an antenna costing sub 40 dollars could be stuck in a
> >>>> window to pick up it and possibly Global as well.
> >>>
> >>> No window anywhere near where it's normally used. This would have to
> >>> be entirely mobile / plug and play - and the plug would be of a
> >>> single extension cord into a power outlet. (-:
> >>>
> >>> Come check us out any Friday night, we serve the best Sloppy Joe's in
> >>>  town! Free! For you, I'll throw in a cup of coffee!
> >>>
> >>> On 13-03-24 02:24 AM, R. Brent Clements wrote:
> >>>> Minimal non-high def tuner boxes are around the 40 dollar range
> >>>> (maybe less now).  CKCO doesn't really require much in terms of an
> >>>> antenna. A decent VHF rabbit ear can often do it.  failing that an
> >>>> antenna costing sub 40 dollars could be stuck in a window to pick
> >>>> up it and possibly Global as well.
> >>>>
> >>>> On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 1:25 AM, unsolicited <unsolicited at swiz.ca>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>> For the TV gurus out there ...
> >>>>>
> >>>>> At kwootcfri, K-W Out Of The Cold (kwootc.ca), Friday, we have a
> >>>>> (analogue tube) TV on a cart. No cable. We play DVD's for the
> >>>>> guests each Friday night. Corner of King & William, in Waterloo.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> What might we need to be able to watch CKCO / news / whatever?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I'm guessing some sort of internal antenna (being on a wheeled
> >>>>> cart, nothing could be mounted anywhere), and an ATSC tuner.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Being donation and volunteer based, any recommendations for the
> >>>>> cheapest / cost reasonable / value for reception ability /
> >>>>> <stuff> needed?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Although we have wi-fi, I don't believe it would be practical to
> >>>>> strap a PC to the cart and get content via the internet, but the
> >>>>> idea is intriguing. Is there <stuff> to be had, out there? (It
> >>>>> would have to be fire and forget, there's nobody around minding
> >>>>> the channel / remote / whatever.)
> >>>>>
> >>>>> (If you guess I know little about this topic, you'd be right.)
> >>>>>
> >>>>> TIA
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________ kwlug-disc mailing
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> >>
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> >
> >
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