Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with antenna

The snowblower really is her second choice

These Premises Are Alarmed — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:12:37 -0800

My wife would love an iPhone for Christmas. She totally deserves one, too, but AT&T coverage at our house is nonexistent. What should I do? We live on a peninsula near a very small airport on Long Island Sound in Connecticut. The poor coverage could be a total lack of infrastructure, or maybe it's because the tower is lower than normal due to the airport. My Verizon Blackberry will sometimes think I'm on Long Island.

When my mother visited for a week with her non-iPhone 3G handset, she got no signal the entire time she was in our house. Friends with iPhones have had a similar experience. It's conceivable there's a corner where she could get one bar, but we haven't found it.

We currently have out-of-contract Verizon phones that work tolerably at home. If it's a more than 30 second conversation we will use the home phone, but at least when someone calls, we hear a ring 75% of the time. That said, she is not interested in a Droid phone or anything other than the real deal from Apple. She has a Blackberry and will want to continue to use whatever she gets for her primary email account.

She actually doesn't care if she doesn't have good cell phone coverage at home, but I do and will be annoyed if I have to call two numbers to reach her. Plus, I'll want to get an AT&T phone for myself and want it to work at home. We have and will continue to have a land line. We've moved recently and plan to get new numbers with any new service.

So is there any solution? Ideas I've had:

1) Is there any iPhone application or setting that would do something like "If I'm on $home_wifi, forward all calls to $home_number."? This would be *perfect* but I suspect isn't possible.

2) Would an external or roof antenna help? What do they cost and how difficult are they to set up?

3) What's up with the AT&T Femtocell? Will it ever be available in CT (even though I find the idea of paying extra for basic coverage so distasteful) ?

4) We both have Google Voice accounts, could this be used to *automatically* route an incoming call in a helpful (eg, location-based) manner?

To summarize: Is there a simple, automatic way to make an iPhone worthwhile when there's no AT&T coverage at your home? Or should I just get her the snowblower that's her second choice?

100 meters in 10 feet or less?

puckish — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:29:11 -0800

DIY antenna for a crystal radio kit. Can I do this with less than 100 feet of wire? This is for the oatmeal crystal radio box kits. We're doing a workshop with kids in a few weeks, and I'm not sure if we're going to have access to a roof antenna.

What other options do I have for being able to wire these up and get them to work? Loop antennas? Can I just throw a wire out the window? It's been about ten years since I've thought seriously about dipoles / yagis, and I'm a little lost.

I've looked here and here, and read this previous question (I'm also planning to take a look at the ARRl handbook). Any suggestions for how to set this up?

Thanks!

HD TV needs an antenna

radiosilents — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:11:58 -0800

We have an HD TV, but no cable subscription. antenna advice, please! Degree of difficuly : we live in an apartment, and do not have roof access.

I've seen discussions pro and con about the viability of indoor antennas, but wanted to ask the hivemind their thoughts. used one? had any luck? which one would you recommend? are there particular features to look out for? etc.

The TV itself (no external antenna attached) doesn't find any broadcast channels when we ask it to search for signals.

22-8 22-9

dirtdirt — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:55:07 -0800

What's with these mysterious, over-the-air, digital television channels? I just installed a better television antenna and when I scanned for new broadcast channels, among the ones my tuner found were 22-8 and 22-9. Both have excellent signal, but don't seem to be broadcasting anything.

And what's up with the -8 and -9? Every other digital channel is -1 -2 or -3...

Austin, TX.

Should I stay tuned into them and wait for the messages to start?

Antenna Doo-dads

nayrb5 — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 20:06:31 -0800

What should I put on my antenna? My previous car didn't have a radio antenna -- but my new one does. I've seen cars with smiley faces and flags and whatnot attached to the antenna -- but what else is there?

How far will my wireless signal go?

jammnrose — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:25:27 -0800

How far will a 35dB 2.4GHz (b/g) signal travel indoors with a ceiling mounted dome antenna? If I get this with this and this, about how far will my resulting signal travel? The calculator I tried is very hard to understand and interpret. Would it work within a 200ft radius in a small coffee shop seting? TIA

Mystery Antenna

boby — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:02:42 -0800

What is this antenna used for? A new utility pole with an antenna has been installed near my home in Boston Massachusetts and I am stumped to it's purpose. Does anyone know what it's for?
Here are photo 1 and photo 2.
There are no markings on the pole, the box or the antenna.
Thanks

Putting the HD Back in HDTV

spamguy — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:02:20 -0800

Can I watch television from my HD antenna and basic cable service together without much hassle? If not, how cheap is digital cable in Austin? I have a Westinghouse HDTV with an HD antenna and basic cable connected by a coaxial switch. If I want to watch something in HD, I have to switch to antenna, erase the TV's list of channels, and rescan. Same to reverting to cable. Needless to say, I don't use the antenna at all because of the hassle.

Several questions. It's a rich tapestry of problems, so apologies for lumping them together:

Is there a way of having the HD antenna and analog cable live in harmony without this ritual? Are there even TVs that can manage this? I am fairly certain my TV can't handle multiple lists.

If the answer to (1) is 'no', I could upgrade my cable. I live in Austin. What is the lowest I should expect to pay for a good number of HD channels? Time Warner's page does not make this answer obvious.

I'd like to avoid purchasing digital cable. Basic cable is paid for in my apartment, so paying for digital would be equivalent to paying immense amounts of $ per new HD channel per month. Hell, getting a smarter TV that can juggle two channel listings might even make more sense. Or perhaps there's a third solution I'm not aware of?

I am not the CB Savage!

gjc — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:32:53 -0800

What do ham radio operators talk about on their radios? Spurred by this excellent response to a question, and more generally having known ham operators, I'm curious what the rewards of the hobby are.

One time, I was listening to Steve Dahl on the radio, and he had Joe Walsh (of Barnstorm fame, of course) on as a guest. Joe was talking about what he does in his down time, and it was ham. Being an indulgent rock star, he of course had a whole extra house filled with radios, dedicated to the craft. Then a caller called in, and they started talking 30 meter this, and long band that, and so on. It seemed quite enjoyable from an amateur radio engineer perspective. I think I would enjoy doing that.

I guess I'm not understanding the "point" of it. (Beyond the hobby process of constant tweaking and the joy of creating and all that.) If I build model airplanes, well, then I go out and fly them. If I restore cars, I have a sweet ride to cruise around in. If I build computers, now I have a computer.

OK, so you get the soldering iron, build the radio and the antennas and the plywood shack in your basement. What then? Who do you call, who do you talk to? What do you use it for?

But I want to watch the Ravens evermore

frecklefaerie — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:40:48 -0800

Help! I live near DC and I want to be able to watch the Ravens game on Sunday. How do I boost my rabbit ears to receive the Baltimore transmission? So the CBS affiliate in Baltimore (WJZ-13) is the station carrying the game. I have a Visio HDTV with some $20 rabbit ears that you plug in to supposedly "boost" the signal, but I find that a lot of the DC stations come in better without the booster thing on.

I think the Baltimore stations used to point down this way more because they used to come in clearer over the air.

Honestly this isn't for me but for my cousins who will be at my house for our big family Christmas party. There are always other options (such as the radio) but I'm not interested in alternatives. I want to know how to make this work at my house. Thanks!

A question about digital TV antennas in SE Portland.

concrete — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:30:33 -0800

A question about digital TV antennas in SE Portland. When I shipped out to the Navy, I left my parents set up with two digital TVs: one HDTV and a conventional set with a set-top box. The old ¨rabbit-ear¨ antennas work well enough, but they require readjustment every few hours or so. What would be a superior replacement? They live in Southeast Portland, near Mall 205.

Priorities:
-Do not require frequent readjustment
-Do not require external installation or wiring through walls
-Difficulty in establishing initial setup is not a huge problem as long as it stays set up for extended periods
-Gets every channel available

Let me know if any other information would help.

CBC in Seattle without cable?

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:07:06 -0800

Is there a way to receive CBC in Seattle, without going through Comcast?

Foreign TV channels via computer?

fantasticninety — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:48:26 -0800

Is there a way to watch foreign television stations on your computer or via High Definition antenna? I'd like to find a way to watch French TV stations. I was thinking that there might be a way with a TV converter to my iMac and some sort of HD antenna.

I know that there are a few free channels that you can stream online but in general the quality is not very good.

Any ideas here? I'm looking for a solution that would not cost 100 dollars a month by renting a satellite.

Thanks!

What antenna should I buy to broadcast a wireless signal?

jammnrose — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:52 -0800

I'm looking to broadcast a wireless signal 100-200yds. How many dB/mW does my antenna need to be and what's the optimal frequency? I'm looking to broadcast a wireless (802.11x) signal 100-200yds. How many dB/mW does my antenna need to be and what is the optimal frequency? Where can I buy an antenna to do this? A directional antenna would be best, right?
I did find this site, but I was wondering about a better place to get an antenna...

Thanks in advance.

Why the DTV lag?

middleclasstool — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:04:43 -0800

Why does a tv station's digital signal lag behind its analog signal? We're one of those annoying families that refuses to pay for TV. We forked over the cash for an HDTV with a digital tuner, and absolutely love the results -- more channels, better quality, total freeness.

But we've noticed a weird thing. Our other two TVs are still on rabbit ears. One of them, in the kitchen, is well within earshot of the HDTV in the living room. Yet if we have the same show on both TV sets, there is a distinct lag, not more than maybe two or three seconds, between the two shows.

This happens on all networks, so I know it's not a channel-specific thing. I haven't timed it, but I'm positive the lag is precisely the same length regardless of the channel, too.

Is there a technical reason for this lag to occur? I know the DTV signal is actually being transmitted on a totally separate frequency (channel 2's digital channels, 2.1-2.4, are actually broadcasting on channel 5's frequency, for instance), so what could be the reason for the delay?

Human (And Dog) Antenna

amyms — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:01:22 -0800

A question about how our bodies affect radio reception... We have a stereo in our living room that has poor radio reception. It is plugged into a power strip that is in turn plugged into a wall outlet (an inner wall, if that's important). It doesn't have an antenna.

Whenever one of us walks by, the reception gets crystal clear, and significantly louder. It reminds me of when I was a kid and we could get clearer reception on the television by holding the "rabbit ears" in our fingertips. But, with the stereo, there's no one touching any part of it when the phenomenon occurs. It even happens, though not every time, when our dogs walk by (they're both small terrier mixes, if that matters), but not when the cats walk by.

I understand that our bodies can act as antennae, but how does this work, especially when simply walking by the stereo without touching it?

How to fix loose portable radio antenna?

JanetLand — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:39:58 -0800

Portable radio antenna is loose and falling over. Can I fix? I have a Sony ICF-SW7600GR radio that's about 6 months old. The antenna has suddenly begun flopping over instead of staying standing straight up. It does this whether or not it's fully extended. Obvious dirty jokes aside, what's causing this? I tried tightening the screw that seems to be holding the antenna in at its base, but it's already tight; I couldn't budge it. And yet the antenna seems loose, not at the hinge portion, but loose in its connection to the radio, if that makes sense.

aerial antenna for high VHF/UHF

Zed_Lopez — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:49:16 -0800

Appropriate aerial antenna to receive high VHF and UHF across 12 miles? After the US digital TV switch, all the tv stations I want will be transmitting on channels 7-44 from one tower 12 miles WSW of me, without obstruction, so far as I know.

Antenna geek sites are full of recommendations for things that seem to be overkill for these close-to-ideal conditions. What's the best bang-for-the-buck aerial antenna (i.e., the cheapest one expected to yield excellent reception) for these circumstances? (Assume I can figure out how to mount it on my roof pointing in the right direction.)

Help me hook up the VCR to the TV along with our new digital converter box.

IndigoRain — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:38:08 -0800

Help me hook up the VCR to the TV along with our new digital converter box. I don't care that the VCR can't record or display digital channels - I just want to be able to watch videos and DVDs. I bought an Insignia NS-DXA1 digital converter box for my TV. Now the VCR-DVD player (a separate unit from the TV) won't work. (I don't have satellite or cable, just broadcast.)

1. I tried running the antenna coax cable from the wall to the IN on the converter box, and another from the OUT on the converter box to the IN on the TV. TV works fine. VCR has the red, white, and yellow composite cables running from the OUT on the VCR to the IN on the TV. TV will not get a video or DVD display or audio from the VCR with the converter box on or off.

2. I tried running the wall cable to the IN on the VCR, another coax from OUT on VCR to IN on converter box, another coax from OUT on converter box to IN on TV. Nothing worked, with all combinations of VCR and converter box on and off.

The TV is old enough that it only has one antenna input and one set of composite inputs, and one set of red-white audio output (which I assume are for external speakers.)

The converter box has one RF output and one red-white-yellow output.

If it helps, I do have an AV source selector box (something like this but most definitely not that model) because on my old TV, I needed it to hook up my multiple gaming consoles. It is currently not hooked up because on this TV, I simply had my PS2 run through the VCR. I unhooked the PS2 before trying to set this all up.

I'm at a loss. I'm NOT paying Geek Squad or the like $150 or more to come out here and hook it up - I can't afford it. I can't afford to buy a DVR either. Any help is appreciated, or I'm just unhooking the converter box and praying I can afford a digital TV by 2009. (With gas and food prices going up, I'm pretty well completely broke.) Please help me figure out what to plug in where!

Best tuner for Windows Media Center 2005?

lattiboy — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:57:34 -0800

What are the best ATSC tuners to use with Windows Media Center 2005? I'm starting over with my media center PC (I have the worst cable company in history) and want to do it right. I've got a rig with a
500GB HD, an Nvidia 7300 with HDMI, a Gyration Media Center remote, the AntennasDirect DB2, and now I just need to decide on tuners.

I had the Hauppage 950 USB tuners before, but performance was nominal at best. I think I want to go with external or PCI tuners this time, but am open to USB. I thought about the HdHomerun, but I'm not going to be using QAM for awhile (till I move) and it lacks an analog tuner.

Please keep in mind I'm looking for 2 ATSC tuners and at least 1 analog tuner to meet MCE requirements.

PS Any extra advice for the setup (besides "Just use MythTV!") would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Long Range Wifi Cards with Mac OS X?

Freen — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:36:10 -0800

Wifi Shootout: powerbook g4 PCMCIA: what card and antenna combination will get me the most bang for my buck in terms of range? I'm looking for that rare, high powered wifi card that has the necessary connectors to attach an external antenna, such as a cantenna, that has functional Mac OS X drivers. Ideally, really badass drivers that let you change power output, antenna diversity, etc.

Also, any ideas on antennas? Is tha cantenna worth it? or are there better, cheaper directional options?

thanks!

Better boombox FM reception?

CwgrlUp — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:56:42 -0800

How do you get better FM reception from a boombox? I have a relatively inexpensive Emerson boombox at work. Needless to say, it has no external antenna jack. I'm in the center of the building with florecent lights all around and reception is crap. How do I rig some kind of antenna? (Can't put anything on the outside of the building or anything like that so it has to be indoors.)

What can I do to improve my cellphone reception indoors?

Kickstart70 — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:50:55 -0800

What can I do to improve my cellphone reception inside my house, and not one of the scammy crap things than I see available in spam and Google searches on this subject? My cellphone works generally ok outside the house, but once inside I can't even make a phone call. I often end up standing inside with my head outside the door to have conversations with people. My wife's cellphone does the same thing (maybe slightly better than mine).

We don't have a landline, and use Skype for long distance, so I -can- make calls from inside the house. However, when I want to call a Canadian 1-800 number Skype fails. Our living space is a groundlevel suite, about 20 years old, and has some metal interior framing, which I suspect is part of the problem. Additionally, our wireless baby monitor has piss-poor reception as well.

Is there anything I can do? FWIW, my phone is an LG6070.

Uni? Multi? Whip? Band? Huh? Wha?

id — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 12:58:58 -0800

WIFI-Filter: My brother and I would like to build a wireless network between our two homes to create a secure network, but we have no idea about radio antennas, signal strength, line-of-sight, etc. The situation: My brother lives ~1900 feet away (about 4 blocks), and about 30 feet above me in altitude. In between are the normal manner of houses, apartments, trees, etc.

We do not have direct line of sight.

What type of antenna and how strong of an amplifier would we have to pair up in order to create a strong, fast wireless link between us? Is this even feasible? Is it even nice, considering we'd have to steal away a whole channel from the spectrum?

GPS unit is not exactly accurate. Is this normal?

D Wiz — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 15:17:56 -0800

GPS unit sometimes is sometimes a bit inaccurate... Is this normal? I am new to GPS and am having problems and I was wondering if any of these are normal (using the mio C310x)?

Sometimes when I arrive at my destination it will tell me to make a left in the opposite direction from my destination another 60ft (the destination is on my right). Is it supposed to be 100% accurate? Or do GPS units tend to be a bit off? (It also tells me that my apartment is 4 or 5 buildings down from where it really is.)
Is this normal or is the unit broken?

Another problem I had is that I went downtown and the GPS kept losing my signal and rerouting me over and over again. There were tall buildings surrounding me if that matters. It kept telling me I was on the wrong street (ie. it would tell me I was on 5th st. when I was on center st.) Also, it sometimes would tell me to go left and a split second later tell me to go right (when there were no streets in between. It seemed a bit confused).
Someone told me that this is called bounce. Do all GPS units have trouble in that kind of environment? Is there anything I can do about it? Will getting an external antenna help?