Attic Antenna
From DigitalSoup
Contents |
About
I decided to have a superbowl party at my house thinking that my 8 foot projector/screen setup would be perfect for such an event. I was able to pick up ABC/CBS/FOX just fine with a pair of rabbit ears, and figured there would be no problem getting the superbowl. However, when I found out that NBC as hosting the superbowl (there is no local NBC broadcast affiliate in Binghamton), I realized I was in trouble.
Researching TV Stations
After spending a couple hours on AntennaWeb.org I determined that the only way I was going to pick up NBC was if I was somehow able to get it out of Wilkes-Barre PA (65 miles of my house). However, antennaweb informed me that with a big enough antenna (and pre-amp) this was within the realm of possibility)
Buying The Antenna
Fortunately, despite the crappy nature of the store, RadioShack still stocks 16 foot antennas. (Hint: they have them hidden away in the back room). I laughed at the guy when he initially pointed me to the baby "antennas" they have out on the shelves in the front room. "No.. I want a REAL antenna!" Fortunately my awesome civic was able to fit the 8 foot long box without having to drive with the trunk open!
Installation
Unfortunately, the only access to my attic is a tiny 24" square hole in the ceiling of my closet. There is also no light up in the attic once you get up there. Naturally, getting all the parts up there and assembling it in near darkness while trying not to fall through the ceiling was something of a challenge! In the end it worked out ok.
Tweaking the Pre-Amps
After wiring everything up, I turned on the TV only to find that while I now COULD get NBC, :-D!! it was a pretty garbled signal. I quickly hopped into the car and picked up a decent pre-amp at unicorn electronics. (Best electronics store in the greater Binghamton area) Once I got that installed, the picture came in beautifully and I now get some 20+ channels over the air!
Future Plans
I wired the pre-amp up in the attic so I could amplify the signal with the least amount of noise. Unfortunately I have no power up there and so I currently have an extension cord running up into my attic. At some point I'd like to put an outlet up there so it's less of a mess :-). ... And maybe a light while I'm at it!
