Help-having problems with the whole set-up/channel thing

Diane46 · 06-17-2009, 07:37 AM

We have the Apex converter box and an older Samsung TV with rabbit ears. It's our second TV in the bedroom. Nothing else hooked up to it. My husband hooked the box up to the TV and it attempts to scan for channels and it finds nothing. The manual channel thing doesn't work. Are we missing something here? This is not fun. We live in a rural area and have DISH for the main TV and it's fine, but it was digital ready.

Thanks for any help.
Diane

HTNut · 06-17-2009, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Know it all

You just answered your own question.

You live in a rural area, which means that rabbit ears antenna and a cheap converter box is not going to get r done.

You waited until the last minute to switch from analog to digital and didn't want to spend the money for a outdoors antenna and equipment and now found out that digital UHF does not work the same as analog VHF.

You don't need a digital television to watch the DISH.

The Dish down converts the signal from their satellite to a signal which can be received either with the F type tv cable connector / wire, or with a S type plug or with the RCA type jacks which comes out of the back of the receiver and goes to the terminals on the back of the television.

The one signal is converted to a channel 3/4 type signal.

You have two options, you can spend several hundred dollars for a new antenna, amplifier and installation or you can spend $5 a month and pay to watch the local channels.

It's already obvious that you don't want to spend the money to put up a BIG, UGLY, Antenna on your roof - so I won't get into how much it is going to cost.

Your posts have turned from helpful, to downright combative. You're not going to last long here.

Diane46 · 06-17-2009, 08:24 AM

The TV rabbit ears worked great before. It's not our main TV. We have DISH network for the other. I have read that rabbit ears can work. Do we need to add a UHF antenna? The advertisements all said rabbit ears could work. And when you know nothing of TV stuff, we thought the converter boxes were all alike. Who knows? So, as you say, we should get a more expensive box and put up a TV antenna? Thanks.

staticMHZ · 06-17-2009, 09:38 AM

can you go to TV Fool, put your address in and look at the post-transition channel map for Digital stations only? Post the link here.

Diane46 · 06-17-2009, 10:08 AM

TV Fool

It seems we are in worse shape than I thought.

O-O · 06-17-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diane46

TV Fool

It seems we are in worse shape than I thought.

You have a few things working against you with your TVFool results. Broadcast towers are scattered around you which makes it difficult to have a "directional" type of antenna. You've also got some VHF frequency stations as well which means you're going to need a UHF/VHF antenna. Rabbit ears just aren't going to get you anything good. You could try stepping up to a powered UHF/VHF indoor antenna but it's hard to say if that'll work for sure. Experiment. Buy something you know you can return if it doesn't work. That's my $.02.

Diane46 · 06-17-2009, 11:57 AM

Well, I appreciate your help a lot. It is really confusing when you don't deal with this everyday. Thanks again.
Diane
MI

Piggie · 06-17-2009, 12:54 PM

Take what O-O said except I don't agree that an indoor antenna is ever going to give you the signal you want.

Also note you didn't put in an antenna height so it defaults to 30 feet up in the air with an outside antenna. So you signals are even weaker than you see them there.

If you are interested in an outdoor antenna solution I would be glad to dig into this deeper, let us know.

O-O · 06-17-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piggie

Take what O-O said except I don't agree that an indoor antenna is ever going to give you the signal you want.

Also note you didn't put in an antenna height so it defaults to 30 feet up in the air with an outside antenna. So you signals are even weaker than you see them there.

If you are interested in an outdoor antenna solution I would be glad to dig into this deeper, let us know.

Piggie is the reception guru here, and I forgot the TVFool defaults the antenna height. At 40+ miles, I'm going to have to change my mind and agree with you about the indoor antenna not going to work. You think she can get away with attic mounted antenna?

staticMHZ · 06-17-2009, 04:03 PM

there was no height typed on that report, it was left blank, if you put in a height it says it under the zip code


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