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

[unsolicited]

On 13-04-02 03:15 AM, Bob Jonkman wrote:
> Demo for the LUG?

Nah, a bit esoteric / out of scope, let alone unwieldy, physical 
equipment wise.

Now, if someone has a USB ATSC tuner, and an internal directional 
antenna, for watching under Linux, that's a topic. (Though not for me - 
not my setup.)

It has occurred to me how such a setup (With a wrapped up wire FM 
dipole?) could be useful when travelling. However, if one is in a hotel 
with free local TV there doesn't seem much point. If camping, with 
electricity, tvfool.com would be useful for which direction to look to, 
and for what channels, will be useful.

>  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.

Apparently cc under digital is different. In at least some cases, rather 
than being a text substream, its an image overlay - so given the not 
dead perfect signal I'm getting, perhaps that explains it.

> And I expect you've already searched for something like this:
> https://ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=digital+reception+rabbit+ears

<sigh> No, never occurred to me. Pardon me while I go look ... (-:

(Thanks.)

> 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