Analog TV antena - good for other things?

I'm pretty much an idiot when it comes to electronics so I though I'd ask.

Many rigs come equipped with TV antennas that aren't much good now and will be totally useless for their intended purpose when TV goes 100% digital next year.

Is there any other good use for them when they are mounted on the rig?

They won't be anymore useless than they are right now.  They will still not work as well as they currently do. 

Excuse the negative logic, but your antenna will still be useful after 2009... lou

Eh, so will they work with the digital TV signals?  Or will a converter box be needed (and where would that be wired in)?  I, for one, think my RV antenna works GREAT compared to the rabbit ears I have on the stick house TV's.  I gave up on paying inflated cable/satellite rates a few years ago and have never looked back.

scottydl said:

Eh, so will they work with the digital TV signals? 

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You will need a converter box or a TV with a digital tuner.  The converter is wired between the antenna and the regular TV tuner. 

Newt & Jan said:

I'm pretty much an idiot when it comes to electronics so I though I'd ask.

Many rigs come equipped with TV antennas that aren't much good now and will be totally useless for their intended purpose when TV goes 100% digital next year.

Is there any other good use for them when they are mounted on the rig?

Click to expand...

I am using the TV antenna on my motorhome for digital TV.  It works great.  I bought a converter box from Circuit City using the discount coupon.

Phil

Circuit City discount coupon?  Do tell!  I haven't heard of anything like that offered in my area.  The converter box cost is still a mystery around here... I'm not even sure if they are available yet.

scottydl said:

Circuit City discount coupon?  Do tell!  I haven't heard of anything like that offered in my area.  The converter box cost is still a mystery around here... I'm not even sure if they are available yet.

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The discount coupon came from the government.  You can apply on line or via telephone.  The coupon must be used within 90 days. 

Phil

You can go here Govt. Coupon for information about the coupon.

What is happening next year in the TV world is that all analog broadcast will end.  Digital broadcasts, Which are already there, will continue, and/or increase.

Now: The antenna.  There is no such thing as a "Digital" (or Analog) antenna, there are only RF-Antennas. it's all the same to the antenna.  The antenna could care less if it's digital or analog.

The only thing the antenna worries about is the wavelength (or if you like the frequency)  Antennas like a fairly small slice of the frequency spectrum.  The Television portion is divided into 3 parts:  VHF-low (Channels 2,3,4,5,6) VHF-HIGH (7-13) and UHF 14-69)

Digital will be using the UHF band, 14-59 for most markets, in some of the more dense markets they may also use VHF-High (7-13)

So... Your existing antenna, if it works for UHF, will continue to work,  You will need to either replace the TV or put an adapter in front of it unless it's already digital ready (I'll tell you how to figure that out in a bit)

What won't work, in all markets, is the piece of junk that is being sold at rallies and on the internet for around 99.95.. It is a 20 dollar UHF only antenna.  So if you are in one of the saturated markets.... You will not get all the stations.  But odds are your existing antenna will do just fine (There is one Wineguard model that needs a UHF upgrade)

How to tell if your TV is Digital ready.. ASK IT.

Often if they say are they will say so, on the front, or back (look for either "Digital" or the letters ATSC)

Look at your remote.. If there is a "Guide" button.. Good chance it's digital 

Try to tune to a channel like 20-2  or 7-1 (pick a station that you can see,  20 and 7 are both active here in Detroit) But if you are watching say channel 5, then try to tune in 5-1.. If you don't have a "-" key (NOTE: some remotes may have a "." key in which case it's 5.1) then it's NOT digital. 

On my digital adapter when I press "guide" it shows me the current show, and the next show no the existing channel (different sets will be different)  Just so you know.

But if your antenna works for UHF now,  IT will continue to work for UHF for a long time to come unless it's damaged or just plain fails (happens some times) from the antenna's point of view.. Nothing is changing at all.

We are using the analog antenna with a box for the bedroom TV,the lounge TV is digital so no need for the box.$49 Walmart but couldnt use gov rebate being from UK.Still cheaper than buying a new TV

They won't be anymore useless than they are right now.  They will still not work as well as they currently do.

Click to expand...

LOL, Lou!

Both TVs are new and digital.

Thanks for all the feedback.  As I said in the opening post, all this stuff is basically PFM to me.

Ah yes. PFM.. Would you believe I've studied it and have a decent understanding of it,  I even had to answer a few test questions about digital communications.  (Got 'em right too I did)

One thing about Ham Radio.. There are some old timers that are wining about how you don't have to pass a code test, and some of them whine about how I only had to do 5WPM (I can do 10)

But they did not have to know rocket science and I did.

I do pretty good with puters and networking and internet and all of that but the last time I really understood the rest of it was when a good coating of beeswax on the string and hard plastic buttons made tin can "phones" more effective.

Color me stupid, but which of the following are you talking about?

Acronym Definition
PFM Packet Forwarding Module
PFM Parietal Foramina
PFM Parts Forecasting Model
PFM Pelvic Floor Muscle
PFM Personal Finance Manager
PFM Pink Floyd Meddle (album)
PFM Plan For Maintenance
PFM Please Forgive Me
PFM Polyurethane Fiberglass Mat
PFM Porcelain Fused to Metal
PFM Port Filtering Mode
PfM Portfolio Management
PFM Pray for Me
PFM Pre-Flight Message
PFM Precision Flight Mode
PFM Prefaulted Module
PFM Premiata Forneria Marconi (band)
PFM Printer Font Metrics
PFM Prison Fellowship Ministries
PFM Pro-Active Fault Management
PFM Probabilistic Forecast Model
PFM Process Facilities Modification
PFM Process Flow Model
PFM Produkte f?r Die Medizin AG (medical equipment producer, Cologne, Germany)
PFM Professional Flight Management
PFM Program Financial Management
PFM Progressive Future Music (band)
PFM Project Formulation Manager
PFM Proto-Flight Model (NASA satellite model)
PFM Proximity Fragmentation Mine (Turok 2 game)
PFM Public Financial Management
PFM Pulse Frequency Modulation
PFM Pulsed Force Mode
PFM Pure Freaking Magic (polite form)

scottydl said:

Eh, so will they work with the digital TV signals?  Or will a converter box be needed (and where would that be wired in)?  I, for one, think my RV antenna works GREAT compared to the rabbit ears I have on the stick house TV's.  I gave up on paying inflated cable/satellite rates a few years ago and have never looked back.

Click to expand...

The answer to your question is YES,  The RV's exisitng antenna will work and unless you have a digital television you WILL need a converter  Which goes between the antenna and the TV

NOTE: The difference is ALL in the television, to the antenna ... Nothing at all will change or has changed, as I type I'm watching Digital TV 7-2 Detroit, RTN The Retro Television Network (Mission Impossible) on a very old antenna


And to Karl.. PFM:  PURE F---- Magic    I'll let you figure out the "F" word


If your not sure google for they lyircs of a song:  "The F Word"

Every time we have a chat
It's F-Word this and F-Word that
I can't control how you young people talk to one another
But I'll not have you use that F-Word with your mother

Be prepared to laugh

Phil said:

The discount coupon came from the government.  You can apply on line or via telephone.  The coupon must be used within 90 days. 

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Thanks Phil.  Just completed (and was "approved") for my online coupons.  So I'll be looking for them in the mail, and headed to Wal-mart or anyplace that has a sale in the next 90 days!  Looks like these boxes require their own remote for channel changing, so I'll have another one of those added to the collection.  :

scottydl said:

Thanks Phil.  Just completed (and was "approved") for my online coupons.  So I'll be looking for them in the mail, and headed to Wal-mart or anyplace that has a sale in the next 90 days!  Looks like these boxes require their own remote for channel changing, so I'll have another one of those added to the collection.  :

Click to expand...

You might check your status.  When I applied a week ago, my estimated coupon mailing date was mid-May.  There's a big backlog.

We applied for 2 coupons when they first became available and got them in mid March, with an expiration date of May 31. Actually, they aren't coupons but cash cards. Since we will be away from home most of that time, we went shopping. Costco didn't have them yet, but I understand they will be about $60 (pre-coupon). Best Buy and Circuit City had them at the same price. Bought ours at Wal-Mart for $50. Tax was paid on $50 so our total cost was about $14 each. I wouldn't expect too much in the way of sales. People have to use the coupons soon after they receive them and they have to apply for them before the quantity limit is reached.

After reading all of the above, up pops a question:

I have two (2) old tvs in the rig. Do I need 2 converters? or will one do in the main antenna feed?

I think I read someone saying that a remote control is required. (What a pain)
  In that case I guess I need two converters.

I'd like to know the whole truth and nuttin but the truth.

carson FL