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Originally Posted by Piggie
But if you loose power and wonder if it's safe to leave the basement an powered antenna won't help. When the power goes out a powered antenna is no antenna.
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I'm going to show my ignorance here - I don't know that the Terk has an external power source. From the product description, it doesn't sound like it, but I don't see how that can be. It should be here in a day or two and then I'll know for sure. At any rate, I have a power inverter which will provide AC for both if need be for a couple of hours. Hopefully we won't be hunkered down longer then that - grin!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggie
I too wonder if it will even work under ground.
The other option for emergencies would be to put a outdoor antenna hung from the basement ceiling. One you could turn by hand. If the signal is there with that antenna but very weak, you could try using a CM7778 amp because you can modify it to run off 12 volts somewhat easy if you know how to solder, etc and go in the amp to add direct power. Actually if you are really good at figuring out circuits you can modify other amps to run on DC. Most use 24 VAC up the coax, but convert that to about 16 VDC inside the amp.
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That's the rub. As you can see by the TV Fool attachment to my original post, all the stations in my area are to my North. And, of course, I live in a brick house whose North side is solid brick - no widows, just brick. (Yippee!)
Mounting an outdoor antenna in the basement just might be the trick. I'm also toying with an attic mount and running a cable down to the basement. Not sure if that'd be better, and it might raise the power issue again, but it would place the antenna higher then the small hill to my North. Are any of the attic antennas of any count?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piggie
All that said, what are you using for an outside antenna now and how does it work if you have one?
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Right now, no outside antenna - just the indoor RCA ANT111 mentioned earlier and the Terk when it arrives. The house is wired for cable and all the sets are connected to that except the Haire. I've been using the Haier as an
OTA set to watch the news and weather when I get ready for work - another reason just getting the one channel is OK at this point. I
could connect the Haier to cable, but that sort of defeats the point of having an emergency, portable TV. Plus the sirens have a habit of going off at Oh Dark Hundred and disconnecting from a cable with a fuzzy head and stumbly fingers after being rousted from bed is a scenario I'd rather not consider - LOL!
Like I said, this may be a mission impossible...
