OtaAntenna
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Video: DIY antenna makes good use of wire hangers, spare time
We've seen a few complicated DIY antenna projects before, but we've yet to come across one that makes building one so easy. MAKE has hosted up an eight minute tutorial on crafting your very own short to medium range OTA antenna using just a block of wood, a few spare screws, a handful of old wire coat hangers and a few general tools that are surely collecting dust in your garage. Seriously, it's almost too simple. Head past the break for a look at the video.[Thanks, Isaac]
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best short-to-mid-range OTA antenna?
Following up on last week's promise, we present to you a similar (but very different) question about pulling in OTA signals: "I'm relatively close to my local TV stations, and I'm not looking to overtake my roof with chicken wire in order to get a signal. I want an OTA antenna that can be setup indoors, preferably something that's either easily hidden or not atrocious. The short-to-mid-range antenna market is so over-saturated -- someone, please help me pick the best one!" Your turn, city dwellers. What indoor antenna do you use to fetch relatively nearby TV signals? Know of a good deal on it? Dole out your masterful advice below.Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
SelfSat's H21D antenna morphs dish into a plate, spoon left bewildered
Hey diddle diddle -- ATSC antennas aren't the only pieces of HD gear getting the steamroller treatment. If you're dying to bring FreeSat programming into your UK abode, but can't bear hanging a dish on the side of your home, you (and your neighbors) might like this. Zoning must be run with a tighter fist in the UK than here in the US, because according to the linked blurb, mounting a dish can be outright forbidden by local building codes. Either way, you can hang the H21D Flat Antenna on the side of the home and even paint over it. Then just sit back and enjoy the new HD programming so stealthily flowing into your digs! Your wallet will notice the £150 hit, but your neighbors will be none the wiser.
Ask Engadget HD: What's the best long-range OTA antenna?
Unless we're badly mistaken, there's a general feeling of love 'round these parts for OTA programming. After all, it's free, it's remarkably good looking and it's gratis. Thus, we figured Rodney's question on the matter was worthy of being aired out for all to see. "I'm just on the outskirts of a pretty big city and I'm hoping to get enough stations with just an antenna to avoid paying for cable or satellite TV. I'm looking for an attic or roof-mounted OTA antenna that will pick up stations a good ways out, but obviously the smaller the better (but not at the expense of signal reach). Any suggestions? I don't want to order a huge antenna only to realize the reception is subpar."So, OTA lovers: what long-range antenna do you rely on to pull in your HD locals (and maybe those of the next closest town)? Where did you get it from? Was installation a real chore? Speak up! (Oh, and look for a short-range version of this question to pop up next week.)Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.
RCA introduces $60 ANT1500 flat OTA antenna
Nah, this isn't yet another digital-to-analog converter, just a tried-and-true OTA antenna for those looking to ditch their pay-TV provider and live off the fat of the land (or whatever HD locals you can fetch, same difference). The RCA ANT1500 Flat Indoor Antenna is a 10.5-inch square that checks in at just under one-inch thick, and its design supposedly helps it minimize the "cliff effect." RCA notes that this device is just the first of seven new RCA antenna products created with digital TV reception in mind that will be announced this year, and those satisfied with numero uno can find it around right now for $59.99 (or less if scouring the streets).
GSSI / Toptronics / Antennas Direct intro DA-001 indoor antenna
We heard Antennas Direct was going small, and it wasn't kidding. In partnership with GSSI and Toptronics, the firm has just rolled out the DA-001 indoor antenna, complete with a "patented element and low noise amplifier designed for digital signal reception." Checking in at 12- x 8- x 13-inches, the unit was crafted to receive both VHF and UHF signals (channels 2 to 69), and supposedly, it can fetch said waves up to 50 miles away. There's been no official mention of a price, but a modicum of digging puts it just south of $65.
DIY Gray-Hoverman antenna promises better OTA reception
With pay-TV prices headed nowhere but up and programming quality getting dodgy in spots, we've got just the thing for those looking to go OTA. The Gray-Hoverman Antenna for UHF Television Reception is an improved version of the original Hoverman antenna, and thanks to a little help from computer modeling, users are reporting some fairly amazing pickups. Best of all, the creators have made the instructions for assembling one yourself totally free and available in the read link, and just in case the 0 to 60 mile range of the single bay edition isn't enough for you, the double bay model can purportedly fetch stations from 20 to 100 miles out. We'd love a little confirmation if any of you are courageous enough to put one together and give it a spin.[Via RetroThing]
