If you're more lazy and don't mind watching someone watch the show, this worked at 7 PM Eastern yesterday: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/final-jeopardy-man-vs-machine
How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
21–30 of 74 posts
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#22Why doesn't the outside part of the coax port have to also touch the wire?
I don't think coaxs have a 'return' on the actual cable. The outside part of a coax is just a screw for holding the cable in place. It could be made with plastic for all it matters.
dont you need the outside to ground two devices together?
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#23Heres plans for an antenna I built. http://www.tvantennaplans.com/ I like the simplicity and potential of your design though. I want to try an array of tubes and wiring, and see how well that works.
I was looking at that design yesterday. I decided I didn't have the time to buy the materials and build it in the 30 minutes I had before the game started, so I ended up watching on Youtube. I plan on building this antenna in the future though.
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#24I have an antenna from RCA that is "enhanced". When I plug it in, it definitely helps in solidifying the picture.
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1650-Digital-Amplified-Antenna/...
Using your antenna, how could I go about amplifying the reach in an attempt to pick up more channels and/or increase the display quality of current channels?
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#25Why doesn't the outside part of the coax port have to also touch the wire?
I don't think coaxs have a 'return' on the actual cable. The outside part of a coax is just a screw for holding the cable in place. It could be made with plastic for all it matters.
Nah, it's to ground the shield. Shields work marginally better when grounded, but the difference is minor.
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#26Private Justin.tv broadcast anyone?
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Maybe I'd get something with a 75 foot tower 1) Attach 75-foot wire to TV 2) Attach other end to weather balloon 3) Inflate balloon 4) Watch Jeopardy Maybe tie some brightly coloured threads onto the wire at intervals to stop birds flying into it. Note: there are probably many other reasons why you shouldn't do this. Make sure to let us know when you find out what they are.
Enjoy the pyrotechnics during the next thunderstorm.
Also, static electricity will build up on a wire like that unless you bleed the charge off to ground with something like a nice high-ohm resistor.
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#28My HDTV antenna is a paperclip stuck into the back of a TiVo. I get solid HD reception, no artifacts or other problems. It is all about how close you are to the broadcast towers. I have line of sight to towers that are about 12 miles away.
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#29What size is the cardboard tube?
Re: How I made an HDTV antenna so I could watch Jeopardy last night
#30I have an antenna from RCA that is "enhanced". When I plug it in, it definitely helps in solidifying the picture. http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1650-Digital-Amplified-Antenna/... Using your antenna, how could I go about amplifying the reach in an attempt to pick up more channels and/or increase the display quality of current channels?
Going through common antenna design compromises...
Depends on your location, of course, but the most effective thing I could do is get out of this valley. Next, I'd straighten the antenna wire and move the antenna outdoors (with a 75Ω coax line connecting it to the TV). You could also adjust the length so it's resonant at a particular frequency, but that will weaken the signal you receive on other channels. Alternatively, cutting it way longer than the minimum resonant length (like an order of magnitude or so) seems to make for a pretty forgiving frequency response. Then again, commercial broadcast transmitters are probably running enough output power that unobstructed line of sight makes more of a difference than anything else can.