The Bois Blanc Island Site

NJean · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:41 am Post subject: TV Antennas

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck with either an indoor or outdoor antenna on the island since the digital switch. We had an inexpensive indoor/outdoor model with us last fall and pulled in about 5 channels using it inside the cabin. We were getting 3 PBS channels and a couple of regular channels (maybe ABC and CBS not sure). We don't watch much TV while we are on the island, but it does come in handy on a rainy day, when the grandkids come up or at night when the mosquitoes want to carry us away.

Conis · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:36 am Post subject:

Using Radio Shack amplified Rabbit Ears (indoor) I can get 12-15 digital channels, no problem. About 1/2 mile from south shore ,behind the tavern.

I don't watch much TV on the island but news/weather is nice from time to time.
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Cindy Childs · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:54 am Post subject:

We have the radio shack digital converter box, attached to rabbit ears, works great, but we have a dish looking antenna that goes indoors or outside and it gets better reception in the trees than the rabbit ears do. All are from radio shack.

Conis · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:26 am Post subject:

I have a metal roof which really kills the signal. Rabbit ears are right on My south wall. Will probably put up a minimal outdoor antenna this simmer.
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Remember, half the people you know are below average.

NJean · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:05 pm Post subject: TV Antenna

Thanks for the responses.

Decided to check out AntennaWeb http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

Considering we're back in the woods quite a ways we probably should go with an outside Medium to Large Directional Outdoor UHF/VHF antenna. Its a pretty helpful website. The only problem I had was finding websites that show Color Code Ratings that are suppose to be on the antenna boxes. The only one I could find was the on Channel Master website.

http://www.channelmaster.com/productm.php?cat_id=23

Conis · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 8:40 am Post subject:

Just about any of the older style VHF-UHF Directional antennas would probably work just fine. Trick is to get it up high (like mounted on the peak) and point it toward Cheboygan. You are already on high ground which will help a lot.

Something to consider ( which I forgot) Generators are not always that kind to electronics (like a converter box) because they don't output a pure "sine wave" like regular 110 AC wall power. Same to be said of inverters. I learned this the hard way.
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Remember, half the people you know are below average.

NJean · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject: TV Antenna

We bought 12 v digital converters but opted to use a flatscreen TV/computer monitor instead. We have used it the last couple of years on the island and another cabin we have and it works great off the marine batteries.

Conis · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:08 pm Post subject:

@ Njean: Sounds like you are already way ahead of me on that learning curve, There are inverters... and DIGITAL "clean sine wave" inverters.

I totally dorked some electronic equipment trying to run it from a junk $39.95 inverter in my van. 3 seconds= toast. Same with trying to run electronic stuff direct from a generator.

Live an learn, the expensive way. Use a generator to charge a battery. Use the battery to run a digital inverter to run your electronics. NOW I know where I went wrong but will spare the tech talk.

A flat screen TV monitor, converter box and Tv tuner probably doesn't run 100 watts total and ought to run several hours from a high capacity marine battery.

Sending you a PM...
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Remember, half the people you know are below average.