UHF Antenna for HDTV Cards

[Giles]

With the advent of HDTV cards their is a problem of how to feed them with a good free-to-air HDTV signal. Since HDTV will be all UHF, comments on best design, gain, and mounting of UHF antennas would be most welcome.

 

[spidey07]

Just like any other UHF antenna. Thing is the signal truly is digital and can get a perfect picture with LESS signal strength.

 

[Wag]

Indoor or outdoor? Zenith's Silver Sensor is about as good as you can get for a set-top antenna.

 

[quikah]

FYI, UHF is a temporary measure till analog broadcasts are terminated. At that point all the stations choose which channel they keep.

I have a silver sensor, works great. I am 10 miles from the signal source though. The performance of any given antenna will depend on the distance from signal. Check out www.antennaweb.org for info on your area.

 

[Giles]

Once all VHF analog transmissions are dropped all transmissions of digital signals will be in the UHF frequency range. HDTV doesn't require a special antenna. UHF is UHF no matter what the transmission is. The HDTV PC cards probably don't have the tuning quality that a large tuner does so a good antenna becomes more critical.

The Channel Master 4251 is probably the best outside antenna made right now, rated at 60 plus miles. The problem is the thing is 7 feet tall. The Channel Master 4228 is probably the next best, a yagi. Both of these coupled with the Channel Master Titan-2 7775 Pre-Amp will probably do quite a job for those 60 milers out there and there are a lot of them.

I read of a gentlemen that made a UHF antenna out of old plumbing parts that beat the specs by far of most of the "good" UHF antennas made today. Wish I could get the design.

Anybody have any db numbers to share.

 

[dkozloski]

I have used a common coat hanger for years. Here is an area where you can really go wild and give your money away to the flim-flam men. Inside the home with a set-top antenna your are as likely to get good results by trying different kitchen utensils as exotic looking antennas. On your roof you should be able to see some difference but inside there is so much interferrence and distortion of antenna patterns from nearby objects that anything goes.

 

[capybara]

antenna length = 1 wavelength = 300 000 km / frequency = 186 000 miles/frequency
if thats too big, try half or quarter wavelength antennas.
then to carry the signal use rg6 coax with correctly crimped connectors

 

[rbV5]

With the advent of HDTV cards their is a problem of how to feed them with a good free-to-air HDTV signal

Its no problem at all..as long as you live near a large enough metro area. I use a ChannelMaster StealthTenna mounted in my attic and a signal booster. Great/Clear signal, now if they would step up the broadcasts.....

 

[ScottMac]

For VHF (channels 2-13) stations that have started broadcasting digital, the UHF slot is a temporary assignment. There are some that got an assignment in VHF, like channel 2 in Chicago - digital on channel 3.

Once the country is all digital, they will move all programming back to their permanantly assigned frequencies.

The UHF assignments are temporary while they are broadcasting both analog and digital.

As mentioned, it's just UHF, nuthin' special. The picture IS excellent ... no ghosting, no snow ...

FWIW

Scott