Updated TV Antenna Thoughts

[bunyip]

Back in the CB craze, there used to be a couple people in our town that would run illegal amplifiers, try to dominate the channel, proclaim their almighty power, and in the process, blast in over people's TV and stereos during the 6 o'clock news. Every once in a while, the local CB hooligans would get drunk, get out their meters, triangulate the offender's location, tie a monster mud truck to his antenna and yank it down the alley.

We were much more subtle, stick a pin through the coax and nip off the ends, very hard to find but effectively shorted out the coax.

 

[MossRoad]

We were much more subtle, stick a pin through the coax and nip off the ends, very hard to find but effectively shorted out the coax.

They weren't so covert here... ice pick was what I heard them mention.

 

[prichard]

We were much more subtle, stick a pin through the coax and nip off the ends, very hard to find but effectively shorted out the coax.

That's the one I've, um, heard about.

 

[bunyip]

That's the one I've, um, heard about.

I have decided to correct you on your spelling error, it is OHM not UM, a pin reads 0

 

[buckeyefarmer]

New antenna came today, unfold, hook cable to tv, and presto, it works great. Now to mount outside. Or, i have an unfinished room upstairs, maybe hang it there for now.. as long as i dont have to hold it.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was touring a home for sale and noticed in the hall closet a knob hanging drown about a foot from the ceiling.

Asked about it and learned the original owner put the TV antennae in the attic, mounted on a pole so he could rotate it... the hall closet was in direct view of the TV...

Clever 1950 solution...

 

[k0ua]

I was touring a home for sale and noticed in the hall closet a knob hanging drown about a foot from the ceiling.

Asked about it and learned the original owner put the TV antennae in the attic, mounted on a pole so he could rotate it... the hall closet was in direct view of the TV...

Clever 1950 solution...

We always called that the "armstrong" rotator method.

 

[MossRoad]

I was touring a home for sale and noticed in the hall closet a knob hanging drown about a foot from the ceiling.

Asked about it and learned the original owner put the TV antennae in the attic, mounted on a pole so he could rotate it... the hall closet was in direct view of the TV...

Clever 1950 solution...

We always called that the "armstrong" rotator method.

Nice! :laughing:

 

[k0ua]

Nice! :laughing:

At my parents home my first outside VHF 2 meter antenna installation was a pair of 5 element yagis I made (with my dads help) from #10 aluminum wire and 3/4 inch conduit for the booms. Dad showed me how to hard draw the aluminum wire to make it stiffer. It was mounted on a piece of 20 foot well pipe and we kept the house bracket slightly loose so I could reach out the window with my "strong arm" and rotate the array between the two repeaters that I could hit at the time. One was in Pittsburgh Kansas and the other was in Springfield Mo. I was near Aurora Mo. Those were good carefree times for a 17 year old and a new ham. I sure made a lot of contacts and ham friends with that array. It lead to employment and my career too.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

New antenna came today, unfold, hook cable to tv, and presto, it works great. Now to mount outside. Or, i have an unfinished room upstairs, maybe hang it there for now..View attachment 541169 as long as i dont have to hold it.

I was kind of surprised to hear the flat antenna failed. Does your new TV have a graph meter to show signal? Let us know how your new antenna works out.