We're getting ever closer to the shutdown date for analog transmitters -- and goodness knows that we need all the time we can get. Not only are we installing new processing and transmission equipment in our stations (remember, I serve the entire region even though my office is at channel 9), many of our program suppliers are upgrading their gear. In a matter of weeks, for example, ABC and NBC will change how they transmit their HD signals to affililiates to improve the signal quality and increase the number of feeds they can provide. To say that we're busy is an understatement!
How about at your end: have you added a converter box or replaced your old analog set with one that receives DTV? What about your antenna?
You can tell that the politicians who set the timetable to make the switch in February don't live around here: a lot of folks will need to install new antennas, and the middle of winter is about the worst time to do it. If you haven't thought about it, you might want to look into replacing your outdoor antenna and lead-in cable now, before the weather gets terribly nasty. I have the tee shirt for installing antennas in sub-freezing weather, and believe me: it's something you don't want to do if you can avoid it! Your fingers just don't work as well when they're stiff and turning blue, and dropping that piece of hardware after you climbed 53 feet is, well, annoying. There are more descriptive ways to say it, but I'll leave that to your imagination!
Tonight we're going to spend part of the newscast answering questions about the digital changeover... and if the calls we get are typical, most will come down to selecting an antenna that delivers a clean signal to your receiver. Notice I said clean and not strong -- most of the current crop of DTV receivers are fairly sensitive and are happy with a weaker signal, so long as it isn't noisy or distorted. A good antenna can focus on the signal you want, and reject the ghosts and interference coming from other directions. The best antennas are designed to mount outdoors, though you can sometimes put them in an attic. Indoor antennas are generally the last choice -- they are the least able to focus in one direction, and because they are indoors, they are also closest to potential sources of interference like computers and aquarium heaters.
Looking for a good outdoor antenna? Here are nine (seemed like an appropriate number), listed roughly in order of how directional they are, and how much gain they provide:
- AntennaCraft dual Super G 1483 (roughly $120-160)
- Terrestrial Digital DB8 ($70-90)
- Modified Grey-Hoverman ($50-75)
- Channel Master CM4228 ($50-60 -- being discontinued)
- Channel Master CM4228HD ($80-100 -- new version)
- Winegard HD8800 ($50-70)
- AntennaCraft single Super G 1483 ($55-70)
- Terrestrial Digital DB4 ($55-70)
- Blonder-Tongue BTY-UHF-BB ($190-200)
Except for the Blonder-Tongue, all of these are panel antennas, and require a sturdy mount because they present more wind loading than a traditional style. The Blonder-Tongue has somewhat lower gain, but is extremely rugged; it's the sort of antenna a cable head-end might install on a tower. Any of them should work well in the immediate Syracuse area, but if you are in a tough location (in a valley, more than 30-40 miles away from our Pompey transmitter site), you should give preference to the top half of the list. If you're quite a ways out, you will also need a good pre-amplifier. Important note: these are all UHF antennas, except for the Channel Master CM4228HD, which extends down to channel 7. In Syracuse, all of the DTV stations are UHF... but some cities like Rochester and Binghamton will have one or more DTV stations in VHF-high band.
The modified Grey-Hoverman is a build-it-yourself model; last May we developed a version you can make from plastic pipe and fittings; the plans and instructions are here for you to download.
See you tonight!
-- Jeff
