Can I use a metal fence as a TV antenna?

[Eug]

The French doors for my living room are guarded by a metal fence. Can I run a wire to it make it into an antenna?

 

[N8Magic]

Is it a chain-link fence? If it's that green plastic-insulated fence, then no. If you have an electric fence, you might be in business.

 

[notfred]

well, you COULD, but there's more to an antenna than jsut the amount of metal. You're not gonig to get real good reception with a metal grating. there's a reason that antennas are shaped the way they are.

 

[Eug]

It's like one of those metal gates you see in people's houses, with straight up and down bars.

Right now I have rabbit ears in my living room and I'd love to get rid of them. Or perhaps I can hide them somewhere.

 

[N8Magic]

<< It's like one of those metal gates you see in people's houses, with straight up and down bars.

Right now I have rabbit ears in my living room and I'd love to get rid of them. Or perhaps I can hide them somewhere. >>



You would still have to run a wire from the gate over to your TV, which would likely be as much of a pain as installing a moderately sized house-mounted antenna.

 

[notfred]

here's an idea: get cable or DSS.

 

[Eug]

<< You would still have to run a wire from the gate over to your TV, which would likely be as much of a pain as installing a moderately sized house-mounted antenna. >>

The TV is right beside the doors, which are inches away from the gate.


<< get cable or DSS >>

I had cable and I didn't really see much benefit for the shows I watch, and the quality was actually lower than OTA (since I live close to the transmission tower). DSS is problematic since the TV is on the 2nd floor and the roof is the 4th floor, and I can't have long runs of cable outside the building (condo/townhouse).