MB/SK - Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Saskatoon, Prairies - OTA

[microware]

Stampeder...that would be a resounding NO!.

[countrymanners]

I am a total neophyte when it comes to setting up a system where I can receive TV reception using an antenna and I would apprciate any help with this. I have not had TV for over ten years but I now would like one or two stations (CBC) where I can at least watch the news. Where do I start?

[alebowgm]

In Manitoba there isn't any ATSC broadcasts up in the backwood of Manitoba as far as I can tell, so you will be looking for analogue NTSC broadcasts. Get a big antenna and a TV, and just see what you can pull...

[stampeder]

Hi countrymanners, I've relocated your post into this thread covering Manitoba.

[countrymanners]

Thank you very much -this is a good start. We do have a TV for DVD's and it is a Toshiba 27AFX54. Will this work? What other components would I then need? Also, from the little research I have done on the CM4228 I understand that it is a UHF antenna. Do I also need a VHF (ugh....I hate being so clueless!)? The entire area around us is treed (if you go to google earth and look for Vassar, Manitoba you will get a good ideas what I am talking about) so how high will we need to go with our tower? Do we need a rotor? What will happen when things go digital? Will this be better for us?

Sigh.....

[countrymanners]

Thanks Stampeder for moving the post.

[tvlurker]

I am a total neophyte when it comes to setting up a system where I can receive TV reception using an antenna and I would apprciate any help with this. I have not had TV for over ten years but I now would like one or two stations (CBC) where I can at least watch the news. Where do I start?

according to TVFool.com, you have a CBC repeater nearby that you should be able to get with an indoor UHF antenna (channel 29) . make sure your TV tuner is set to 'antenna' and not 'cable', so that 29 will mean UHF 29 and not cable 29, which is diffferent.

For other channels, you'd need something on the roof or a tower.
Roseau County, across the border just 17 miles from Vasar runs 5 translators for the 4 American commercial networks as well as Minnesota PBS. You should be able to get these with a rooftop antenna. With a rotor, you may be able to point east to get TVOntario as well.
These are all in analog.
For digital, the Roseau translators probably won't be converting that soon. However, you may be able to get KNRR-DT on channel 12 after february, although I think they've applied to lower their power, so I wouldn't invest oo much in trying to get them.

for Winnipeg analog, you'd need a VHF antenna for CTV. Probably no digital until 2011 at the earliest.

[countrymanners]

Thanks TVlurker. Ok - I now need to know how I can determine whether my TV tuner is set to "cable" or "antenna".

We just bought a CM4228 and will be putting this up on a tower. How high will we have to go (we are in the trees)? Do we also need a VHF antenna?

As I mentioned in another post, 10 years ago we were able to put up CBC using rabbit ears so once I figure out how to setthe tuner I will try the ears (IF I can find them...):

Any other suggestions will be appreciated.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by countrymanners

I now need to know how I can determine whether my TV tuner is set to "cable" or "antenna".

That setting is in your TV's setup menus, so you want to make sure its not set to CATV or CABLE.

From your location you will not need a VHF antenna, so your CM4228 will be fine.

Regarding a tower, how tall are the surrounding trees?

You will also need a rotor because the CBC repeater on 29 will be just a bit north of due west from you, while the U.S. repeaters in Roseau County will be just to the east of due south from you.

[countrymanners]

One other question: What kind of coax cable will I need? Any special ends required to attach to the antenna and TV? Also, will I need an additional unit to attach to my 5 year oldT V in order to receive digital signals?

We are in a small bluff of trees which are about 50' tall or so (as a rough guess) Otherwise, we are surrounded by open fields which then go back into trees.

What is the furthest distance that we can run our cable to the tower? Enough questions!

Thanks

[stampeder]

Because of the trees (which are not good for UHF TV signals) here's what I would price out:

• a 40' to 50' tower to get your antenna up near the tree tops or possibly over them
• a strong preamplifier like a CM7777
• enough RG6 coaxial cable to go from the antenna/preamp on top of the tower down to your TV set
• a rotor, controller, and cabling
• a splitter to feed your other TV set

If digital OTA stations arrive in your area you could purchase a digital converter box for your kid's TV, but I would not do that until digital actually arrives. For the next few years you won't need one unless those U.S. repeaters get switched over soon (unlikely).

Note that putting up such a high tower is work for pros or experienced hobbyists, so if you cannot find an installer in your area to do it then look up a local HAM Radio club or user and ask their tower installing advice.

[countrymanners]

After ten years of no TV reception and after ten years of us imposing ourselves on our friends so that we could watch their TV for major events like elections and natural disasters (and eating their food and drinking their wine) and now thanks to tvlurker and stampeder who advised me to switch our TV from 'cable' to 'TV' (I didn't know such a switch existed) voila! - we have reception (CBC - hurrah!). Mind you, we are just using rabbit ears so the picture is somewhat "snowy" but it is watchable and I OD'ed on TV on Wednesday evening for the first time in a decade. Oh happy day!

Now for my NEW questions:

1. How can we get less snowiness using the rabbit ears i.e. can I hook these up to a CM7777 amp? Can snowiness be removed completely (using only rabbit ears)?

2. Our new CM4228 antenna will arrive within the next few days (but we will not be putting it up until next spring, at which time we will erect a tower). Will this antenna improve our reception?

3. Given that we can pick up a signal in the house using only rabbit ears, will the height of the tower be critical? Stampeder: the trees are actually about 80', (as my better half reminded me) so getting a high enough tower to clear them will be a challenge. We do have an offer of a 100' tower (if we remove it ourselves) but as I watched CBC last night in front of a nice fire and with the temp being -20, I was wondering if all the hassle and work to get the tower down - and then up again - would be worth it. As I mentioned (or perhaps didn't...), we have a 3 acre opening about 200 feet NW of our house so would it be better for us to put the tower in the opening and then run the cable to the house from there?

4. One other thing: we have always prided ourselves with the fact that for over a decade we have survived without a TV, have done all kinds of other things with our lives as a result and were able to totally disgust kith and kin with our smugness. I will miss being able to say that "WE don't have TV". And I fear that I have turned into a OTA monster.

[stampeder]

1. Don't try to amplify those rabbit ears. You'll just be amplifying noise, which is a no-no.
2. When you get your new CM4228 try hooking it up indoors instead of the rabbit ears, and see if moving it around inside gets you a clear picture.
3. Regarding a tower, you might find that you only need a roof mount in reality, so by all means try to test this before buying a tower. A 100' tower would be a terrific boost to distant stations though!
4. As an OTA devotee I'm sometimes asked how I could be so serious about getting TV reception rather than doing "real world" things like building boats, writing novels, or tending cattle. In my humble opinion TV is a good-to-have thing as an adjunct to actually living a real life. Too many people get TV and real life mixed up.

[tvlurker]

1. How can we get less snowiness using the rabbit ears i.e. can I hook these up to a CM7777 amp? Can snowiness be removed completely (using only rabbit ears)?

real VHF rabbit ears (just two telecoping rods connected in a V-shape) are really only good for channels 2-13.

A proper indoor UHF antenna like a Silver Sensor log-periodic should be fine for channel 29 (no preamp required), but you may want to try a UHF loop first if you haven't already.

2. Our new CM4228 antenna will arrive within the next few days (but we will not be putting it up until next spring, at which time we will erect a tower). Will this antenna improve our reception?

If you have room inside somewhere, try hooking up the 4228. You should be able to get CBC without snow no problem. You may get a snowy picture for Roseau, too, but I wouldn't count on it.

4. One other thing: we have always prided ourselves with the fact that for over a decade we have survived without a TV, have done all kinds of other things with our lives as a result and were able to totally disgust kith and kin with our smugness. I will miss being able to say that "WE don't have TV". And I fear that I have turned into a OTA monster.

I understand where you're coming from. You may find that having access to CBC is enough to satisfy your need for election coverage and breaking news.
If you do put up a tower, do it for PBS and TVOntario, and not necessarily the 4 American networks.

By the way, A VHF antenna could be useful for CTV 7 from Winnipeg and Fox digital on 12 from Pembina after Feb 17 2009, but if you're not really into TV, I wouldn't waste too much energy on those stations. I personally don't watch too much TV -- I enjoy the mechanics of getting stations more than actually watching a lot of crap that is out there.

[countrymanners]

tvlurker and Stampeder,

The help you have given me is greatly appreciated. Thanks bunches!