[mythtv-users] Antenna wiring question

Sat Nov 9 01:59:36 UTC 2013

On Fri, Nov 8, 2013 at 3:12 PM, Roger Heflin <rogerheflin at gmail.com> wrote:

> Depending on how far you are from the stations and what type of
> antenna you use you may need an amplifier to get enough signal, the
> more splitting you do the more the signal gets reduced, if you are
> really close a simple uni-directional powered antenna may be enough,
> if you are further away outside antennas are much much better.
>
> I have my outside antenna with an amp and powered splitter going to
> around 8-12 devices (combination of TV's and tuner cards).
>

I have an in attic antenna with a power splitter.  I noticed that the
signal varies with weather and other unknown factors.  Quite happy, for
some reason my cable bill went up to $180 dollars before I cancelled it.

Comcast called me back and offered basic TV for $5 more a month not
promotional since I already subscribed to their high speed internet, i
almost fell for it, but thought no, they deactivate HDMI out on their free
cable box so you have to use the RCA jacks.  They will try to nickle and
dime you until your bill reaches $200.

Here's my write up on the antenna:

I live 30 miles south of San Francisco.  Comcast finally encrypted all
channels, so I had an incentive to put up my antenna. I thought I could get
away with an indoor antenna placed nearby the TV, but this didn't work
well, the channels were choppy. The most difficult channel to get was NBC.
However, once I placed my antenna in the attic pointed at San Francisco, I
could receive almost all the stations including CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, PBS,
and a whole bunch others ones. It was a major difference between moving it
from the third floor to the attic. I used a directional VHF/UHF antenna
with a amplifier and rotator. The rotator is useless because the antenna
should be pointed at san francisco to get the most channels, but it is good
to fine tune the positioning though.

My cheap antenna costing less than $20 looked like this, although I
wouldn't recommend it, since the rotation mechanism doesn't work well, it
gets stuck:
http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-FX-ANT-105U-Outdoor/dp/B003FPEDYQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1381009487&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=rotating+antenna<http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-FX-ANT-105U-Outdoor/dp/B003FPEDYQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1381009487&sr=1-3&keywords=rotating+antenna>.
 Also the antenna seems cheap and not well put together.  I am not an
antenna designer, so I don't know but some pieces seem purely cosmetic.

Mounted it in the attic (not on the roof) using a pvc pipe/brackets costing
less than $3. This setup is definitely watching and almost all the major
channels are crystal clear!

After splitting the signal through an 6 way splitter, i noticed that the
signal will degrade.  However, most channels are watchable.  I also noticed
that the tuner may vary by devices.  For example, my Silicon Dust HD
Homerun seems to have trouble tuning into channels that are crystal clear
on my HDTV sets.

I also noticed that reception of some channels will vary from time to time.
 However, most of the channels are crystal clear and better than cable.  I
am still very satisfied that this is a $25 setup which gives me a clearer
image than comcast.  I still get some issues like pixelation/signal cut out
a very small amount of time less than 5%, issues with channels NBC and
sometimes ABC.  I noticed this while watching recordings by the HD Homerun
device.

I want to try a few more things in these order to try to make the marginal
channels clearer (especially for my HD Homerun device):

0. Better orient the antenna, my wife wasn't cooperating.

1. Better quality cable run between Antenna and Splitter.  The included one
is a bit weak.

2. Another amplifier right before the splitter OR a splitter with built in
amp.

3. Replace the antenna with a better one, i can only expect so much from a
$20 antenna, I am willing to spend more if the signal is better.

Quantum FX 105U Antenna

I got a splitter with a built in amp, my signal after the split is now much
stronger.

Frys.com #5770192

Manufacturer: CHANNEL MASTER LLC

UPC #020572034180

Model #CM-3418 / PCTVB8PN

http://www.frys.com/product/5770192

>
> On Fri, Nov 8, 2013 at 3:29 PM, Stefan Jones <stefan_jones at comcast.net>
> wrote:
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: "Stephen P. Villano" <stephen.p.villano at gmail.com>
> > To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > Sent: Friday, November 8, 2013 1:25:47 PM
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Antenna wiring question
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/8/13 4:21 PM, Stefan Jones wrote:
> >> After my Comcast bill went up $29 in one month, I decided to start
> >> exploring alternatives.
> >>
> >> I am wondering if all the TVs in my house (and my Myth box's DTV tuner
> >> cards) could share the same antenna. Please let me know what you think.
> >>
> >> All of the major rooms in my house have coax. (And Cat6 for that
> matter.)
> >> The coax leads to a closet off of the garage on the ground floor. Right
> now
> >> a couple of splitters are used to distribute Comcast's signals to the
> cable
> >> modem (located in the closet) and the other rooms.
> >>
> >> I'm thinking of:
> >>
> >> While I still have it, locate my HDHR Cable Card receiver in the closet.
> >> The house router for the Ethernet is right there. I just need to plug it
> >> into coax and Ethernet.
> >>
> >> Connect an indoor antenna to the coax outlet in my front bedroom. I
> have a
> >> clear shot at the local TV towers from the window.
> >>
> >> Connect the other end of the front bedroom cable to the "IN" of the
> >> splitter that used to send Cable TV around the house. Theoretically,
> this
> >> would let the other four or five coax outlets get a signal from the
> antenna.
> >>
> >> So. Reality check needed. Will this work? Would the signal attentuate
> too
> >> much?
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >>
> > The HDHR Prime model won't get ATSC (over the air). It only can get
> > cable channels.
> > The rest sounds doable, depending on signal strength
> >
> >
> > The HDHR would remain attached to Comcast's network. My sole remaining
> > device, if I can help it. I'd rather build or buy tiny front ends for my
> TVs
> > than pay Comcast for STBs.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > mythtv-users mailing list
> > mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > http://www.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> >
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