How does this work? It's magic, isn't it? :)
November 18, 2011 11:51 AM Subscribe
How does this work?
I was looking for antenna solutions that didn't require carpenter y skills, and found this link on youtube... thought I'd try it, and it works!
How? Why? Does it make the house my antenna? What's going on?
Not that I'm complaining. I like having TV... I'm just curious.
I was looking for antenna solutions that didn't require carpenter y skills, and found this link on youtube... thought I'd try it, and it works!
How? Why? Does it make the house my antenna? What's going on?
Not that I'm complaining. I like having TV... I'm just curious.
Your electrical wiring in your house is now your antenna.
When I had basic cable, I noted that I received a few HD digital channels. My provider explained to me that the cable system was actually acting as an antenna and picking up broadcast signals which ended up at my set via their coax.
Your reception is limited to locally broadcast channels.
posted by tomswift at 11:58 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
When I had basic cable, I noted that I received a few HD digital channels. My provider explained to me that the cable system was actually acting as an antenna and picking up broadcast signals which ended up at my set via their coax.
Your reception is limited to locally broadcast channels.
posted by tomswift at 11:58 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Tomswift - I don't think the cable system was acting as an "antenna" exactly, those channels are usually just included with cable service. They are getting the feeds directly from the stations and passing them on. It's a completely different thing than what the OP is talking about.
posted by The Lamplighter at 12:16 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by The Lamplighter at 12:16 PM on November 18, 2011
Tomswift - I don't think the cable system was acting as an "antenna" exactly, those channels are usually just included with cable service.
No, it's definitely possible for the cable system to act as an antenna. I get a few digital over-the-air signals this way even though my cable service is analog.
OK, followup--what's the downside?
You have a coax cable hanging off your switchplate?
posted by mr_roboto at 12:24 PM on November 18, 2011
No, it's definitely possible for the cable system to act as an antenna. I get a few digital over-the-air signals this way even though my cable service is analog.
OK, followup--what's the downside?
You have a coax cable hanging off your switchplate?
posted by mr_roboto at 12:24 PM on November 18, 2011
Piggybacking the question - is it true that a power surge is more dangerous to your TV when using an antenna like that?
posted by owtytrof at 12:58 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by owtytrof at 12:58 PM on November 18, 2011
Response by poster: owtytrof, i was going to follow up with that. I haven't had any troubles so far and I live in an old house, but it would be good to know.
The outlet (not switchplate) my cord is connected to is grounded if that makes a difference.
posted by patheral at 1:01 PM on November 18, 2011
The outlet (not switchplate) my cord is connected to is grounded if that makes a difference.
posted by patheral at 1:01 PM on November 18, 2011
Pedantically, it makes the grounding portion of your house's electric system the antenna.
posted by humboldt32 at 1:38 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by humboldt32 at 1:38 PM on November 18, 2011
Best answer: Piggybacking the question - is it true that a power surge is more dangerous to your TV when using an antenna like that?
Assuming the wiring in your house is up to code, your TV's signal processor should not be the path of least resistance if there is a ground fault somewhere. So yeah, it's probably safe.
But don't take it for granted. I've lived in an old house where nothing was properly grounded, in an entire neighborhood where nothing was properly grounded. Things were constantly burning out because of it. I would never have risked an expensive TV to this kind of hack.
Use an outlet polarity tester to determine if things are wired properly before you try it.
The outlet (not switchplate) my cord is connected to is grounded if that makes a difference.
The switchplate, and the receptacle box and conduit it's connected to, should also be connected to ground. Again: you can't always take it for granted.
posted by clarknova at 2:31 PM on November 18, 2011
Assuming the wiring in your house is up to code, your TV's signal processor should not be the path of least resistance if there is a ground fault somewhere. So yeah, it's probably safe.
But don't take it for granted. I've lived in an old house where nothing was properly grounded, in an entire neighborhood where nothing was properly grounded. Things were constantly burning out because of it. I would never have risked an expensive TV to this kind of hack.
Use an outlet polarity tester to determine if things are wired properly before you try it.
The outlet (not switchplate) my cord is connected to is grounded if that makes a difference.
The switchplate, and the receptacle box and conduit it's connected to, should also be connected to ground. Again: you can't always take it for granted.
posted by clarknova at 2:31 PM on November 18, 2011
I want to try this so badly. I get some channels if I hold the cable there but I can't get it to stick the way he does. What's the secret to that part of it?
posted by synecdoche at 2:42 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by synecdoche at 2:42 PM on November 18, 2011
cut the end off the cable, peel it back to the center wire, loosen the screw, wrap the wire around it, tighten the screw.
And, yes, the cable system method allowed me to pick up broadcast digital cables that I wasn't paying for. House electrical or cable system, all you're doing is hooking that coax up to a huge wire antenna and picking up free broadcasts.
posted by tomswift at 3:03 PM on November 18, 2011
And, yes, the cable system method allowed me to pick up broadcast digital cables that I wasn't paying for. House electrical or cable system, all you're doing is hooking that coax up to a huge wire antenna and picking up free broadcasts.
posted by tomswift at 3:03 PM on November 18, 2011
Best answer: I'm actually an antenna engineering and believe it or not, I'm currently designing an antenna on my other monitor...
Yes, the house is acting as the antenna. Anything metal can act as an antenna, and the wiring system in the house has a lot of incident RF energy incident on it. So touch the coax inner conductor to a screw (watch out for paint...) and you get a signal.
However, this probably isn't going to be a particularly great antenna for several reasons. Antennas are usually resonant structures that are designed to function at particular frequencies or over a frequency band. That's why you see TV antennas with a bunch of wires of different lengths - each wire resonates at a certain frequency determined by its length (at about half a wavelength), and provide reception for all your channels. At other frequencies, you will still get some signal, but it will be significantly reduced in power.
A large structure like your home electrical system probably has a bunch of resonances throughout the TV band and would deliver some RF power to a coax cable, but it will be significanly less that you would get with a good antenna, and will also likely be really hit and miss (you might get channel 3 fine but 4 not at all).
There's another technical aspect of antenna design that is required to maximize the signal that actually makes it into the coax cable without the energy just bouncing back, and the light switch method is also going to be quite inefficient in this regard
Also, a really large antenna like this is going to have a very irregular radiation pattern. This means that it will not receive energy equally from all directions, and you may very well not receive much energy from the direction of your local station(s).
So the bottom line is that might work if you're lucky and nearby a TV transmitter with a strong signal, but its not a great antenna, and probably not going to work for most people over all of their stations.
posted by jpdoane at 12:14 PM on November 19, 2011 [3 favorites]
Yes, the house is acting as the antenna. Anything metal can act as an antenna, and the wiring system in the house has a lot of incident RF energy incident on it. So touch the coax inner conductor to a screw (watch out for paint...) and you get a signal.
However, this probably isn't going to be a particularly great antenna for several reasons. Antennas are usually resonant structures that are designed to function at particular frequencies or over a frequency band. That's why you see TV antennas with a bunch of wires of different lengths - each wire resonates at a certain frequency determined by its length (at about half a wavelength), and provide reception for all your channels. At other frequencies, you will still get some signal, but it will be significantly reduced in power.
A large structure like your home electrical system probably has a bunch of resonances throughout the TV band and would deliver some RF power to a coax cable, but it will be significanly less that you would get with a good antenna, and will also likely be really hit and miss (you might get channel 3 fine but 4 not at all).
There's another technical aspect of antenna design that is required to maximize the signal that actually makes it into the coax cable without the energy just bouncing back, and the light switch method is also going to be quite inefficient in this regard
Also, a really large antenna like this is going to have a very irregular radiation pattern. This means that it will not receive energy equally from all directions, and you may very well not receive much energy from the direction of your local station(s).
So the bottom line is that might work if you're lucky and nearby a TV transmitter with a strong signal, but its not a great antenna, and probably not going to work for most people over all of their stations.
posted by jpdoane at 12:14 PM on November 19, 2011 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: I just thought of something (even though I marked this as answered)... Will living in an apartment make a difference? That's a whole nother ball-game isn't it?
posted by patheral at 7:47 AM on November 21, 2011
posted by patheral at 7:47 AM on November 21, 2011
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posted by mr_roboto at 11:52 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]