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Post by SylvreKat on May 5, 2018 21:24:50 GMT -5
Mom just bought a nice Samsung tv for our "safe spot"--this because Weds night we were at risk of very severe weather had the path come a little more NE than E. All the meteorologists were saying get to your safe spot. Only thing--we had no tv there, and even cranked probably wouldn't hear any.
Now my question to you smart folks. Our safe spot is the laundry room--under ground, nothing heavy upstairs unless the cars get pushed into the house from the garage, a built-in cabinet to get under, a wall and maybe 3', 4' of space between us and the water heater/furnace/etc. Only thing is, can a tv antenna get a signal in this situation? Or should I get a really long coax cable and run it along the ceiling (or bottoms of the walls) to place the antenna on an outside wall (it's a walk-out basement aka raised ranch)? Or will that much length of coax cable degrade the signal too much? We live about 20, maybe 30 miles from the main towers, with typical KS terrain between (Trees. Lots of them. And buildings. And hills. But no mountains obviously)
Any advice on this would be way-appreciated.
>'Kat
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 5, 2018 23:22:33 GMT -5
Kat,
Wow, it's been decades since I had a TV antenna. Cable and Dish for many years. However... Back in the day, my art/work studio was in an underground basement (honest to goodness hand-dug DIRT basement... I planted plants in the walls and floors...) in a truly dismal old ramshackle house. I ran a long coax cable to an antenna on an outside wall and it worked fine.
I've been told that a long coax simply acts as "more antenna" but I doubt this since it's coax for reason... great insulation of the wires inside!
Anyway, in the sixties and seventies, I ran long coax cables all throughout my later, nice BIG house, connecting many TV's with splitters. All had great reception. Of course, "great reception" is relative... old TV's had only 600 DPI resolution and crummy sound. New TV's have 1080 and even 4K resolution with hi-fi stereo sound.
In an emergency situation though, 600 DPI and poor sound would still be most welcome when providing emergency info!
I think the long cable is probably the way for you to go...
Stay safe!
Leo
PS: We've been having some serious weather around here too. The Missus and I have found PRAYER to be the BEST answer to dangerous weather. It worked well for Jesus and it's worked well for us too! We love to watch the storms on radar split and go around us in response to prayer. It WORKS but you REALLY have to seriously believe!
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Post by pistonguy on May 6, 2018 7:00:28 GMT -5
Ive just just recently cut the cable and Dumped the Dish and purchased a high zoot antenna from Amazon. I run 35ft of coax cable up into the attic. The unit I bought cost like $69 with the cable and extra mounting hardware. Im pulling full 1080 on the stations that broadcast it, sd on the others, I get 22 stations here in the forest of NC I go to the local red neck flea market yesterday and theres a table full of them for $20 each. I took the picture for a friend who now wants me to run out and get three of them for him..   |
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Post by pistonguy on May 6, 2018 7:01:15 GMT -5
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Post by wheelbender6 on May 6, 2018 9:11:11 GMT -5
My house is in an area that gets wiped clean by a hurricane every few decades We watch broadcast TV through an antenna on my porch. It's kind of fun watching old scifi movies, old westerns and sitcoms like Petticoat Junction.
We recently got a Roku stick so we have been watching some movies from the internet.
During the work week, I get direct TV at my RV. Sattelite TV is free at the RV park.
Back into the good old days, before weather radar, we had a way to warn of an approaching tornado on our antenna tv. We turned our TV to an unoccupied channel. Which displayed a dark screen. If the screen began to appear bright white, a tornado is near and it's time to go to the basement.
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Post by SylvreKat on May 7, 2018 6:59:26 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice! Good to know this idea should work out.
We'll go check out Wally-world tom and see what's there. I'm weird, I still prefer live vs online. And Mom totally more so. But I'll keep in mind yours, pistonguy.
'bender, I remember that trick. Except I thought it showed lightning. Then again, if there's enough lightning that the screen is white, then weather is too severe to stay upstairs.
>'Kat
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Post by wheelbender6 on May 7, 2018 8:29:57 GMT -5
I think that static electricity in the air is what causes the white screen, Kat. The static electricity could mean lightening or a tornado is very close.
-Once, while working security, a bolt of lightening struck a chain link fence that was a few feet from me. I didn't realize how long the hair was on my arm until that lightening strike made all my hair stand up straight.
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