tv antenna

[boggen]

I made one of these and I can't get it to work. Any trouble shooting tips?

the little converter (2 wires to coxial cable) is the key ingredient. i don't remember exactly what ya need, i just remember there are different type of converters out there more so "specifications" they may all look the same, until ya look at the model number / spec's of it.

i had some other converters over the years from other stuff and tried and no go, radio shack was right there one day and picked correct converter up for a couple bucks. and it was golden then on. one of the older converters i had i think was just plain old / rusted / corroded / broken inside. it worked but give it a little bounce (walking to hard beside it) and would stop working. another one i had was at a different frequency setting and didn't work all that great if at all if memory serves. i had a couple others but copies, and non that i needed.

===================
your wire spacing (screw to screw / nail to nail) in how ya fastening, along with length of V shaped wires, also plays a roll in what you pickup for signals, it just not a guess and go thing. most instructions on internet give you a length, and how much to bend the V into. and the spacing between each V. so not really hard to mess up there, or less ya got a kid around, bending the V's here and there vs moving the entire antenna.

the Criss cross wires...from V to V. they are not bare wires, they are insulated as they cross each other. if ya look at randy41 picture, it looks like electrical tape (black bulge) were the wires cross each other.

==================
i have old spare RG9 cable from a satellite install. little bit thicker wire and better insulation/shielding, than cheap RG6 coaxial cable. the RG9 seems to hold a better signal for a longer length of cable.

==================
make sure you "re-scan your channels" not a generic quick scan, but a full re-programming scan on your tv and/or tv box.

==================
i was skeptical at first when making it. so i ran the stupid antenna outside and ductaped it to a ladder setting out in the yard. picked up the singles big time, began moving it different places around house, and there are some ugly spots in the house. were my signal strength dropped for some really far off stations (normally should not be getting any way). but was still able to get local tv stations within 20 to 40 miles of me. other words you should be able to get some sort of signal for your best tv station in area with a rabbit ears with this thing. or less ya messed something up.

 

[murphy1244]

I'm getting nothing at all...thanks for the reply I'll try a new connector.

 

[caps]

i have old spare RG9 cable from a satellite install. little bit thicker wire and better insulation/shielding, than cheap RG6 coaxial cable. the RG9 seems to hold a better signal for a longer length of cable.

Actually a good quality (not the radio shack stuff) RG-6/U will be better than the RG-9. They both have about the same attenuation but the RG-6/U is 75 ohm while the RG-9 is 50 ohm. Also the RG-6/U will usually have a 100% aluminum shield plus braid, foam insulation, a smaller diameter and be easier to work with as connectors are easier to get. Some of the newer CATV RG-6/U cables will beat the RG-9 by a significant margin. The RG-6/U will also normally be a better match for the tv and, with the 4:1 transformer, a closer match to the antenna. RG-9 is good for handling much larger power levels such as in transmitters. I would use the RG-6 for a TV receiver.

 

[boggen]

Actually a good quality (not the radio shack stuff) RG-6/U will be better than the RG-9. They both have about the same attenuation but the RG-6/U is 75 ohm while the RG-9 is 50 ohm. Also the RG-6/U will usually have a 100% aluminum shield plus braid, foam insulation, a smaller diameter and be easier to work with as connectors are easier to get. Some of the newer CATV RG-6/U cables will beat the RG-9 by a significant margin. The RG-6/U will also normally be a better match for the tv and, with the 4:1 transformer, a closer match to the antenna. RG-9 is good for handling much larger power levels such as in transmitters. I would use the RG-6 for a TV receiver.

thanks for stepping up and correcting me *big grin*. it has been so long since i went a searching for info. the old remember'er has done forgotten!

 

[caps]

thanks for stepping up and correcting me *big grin*. it has been so long since i went a searching for info. the old remember'er has done forgotten!

Happens to me all the time! A few weeks ago I talked a neighbor who I was giving a couple hundred feet of 1/2 inch hardline into buying a couple connectors for it at a local hamfest. Hardline connectors are not cheap and these were a pretty good deal! He bought the connectors on my recommendation and then when we got home I offered to install them for him.
At that point I realized the cable was 5/8 inch hardline. Oops! and very embarrassed. Even worse, I already had a dozen or so 5/8" connectors in
my parts bin......

 

[Daver1963]

Actually a good quality (not the radio shack stuff) RG-6/U will be better than the RG-9. They both have about the same attenuation but the RG-6/U is 75 ohm while the RG-9 is 50 ohm.

And if you didn't know it, your tuner on your TV is meant for 75 ohm cable. Using 50 ohm will work for a while, but eventually it could take out your tuning circuits due to the impedance mismatch.

 

[Daver1963]

For handy dandy here's a chart on cable loss. RG-6 and RG-11 are your TV antenna cables.

 

[Oldpath05]

I want to save this valuable thread with a short story with a real question to get a second opinion from someone who has done what I want to do in the not to distant future, read that three times fast.

I have a Winegard 7084p on my house with a pre-amp and 40' of RG6 cable, I want to put another W. 7084 on my garage>(50' away) with a pre-amp and 60-70' of cable, pointing in another direction to eliminate the NEED of a Chinese junk antenna rotor. How/what do I need to join 2 cables into 1 cable, To//AT my TV?

I ask Solid Signal and the guy said to use this>>>>

Winegard 2-Way Multiple TV Antenna Signal Coupler (CC-787) from Solid Signal

Does the Great Antenna Guru's here concur with that?

 

[k0ua]

Yes, they make good products and this would be correct for your application.

 

[k0ua]

If you keep learning all these new things, are you going to be ready to take your Amatuer Radio license exam soon?