I did not like the cable box that is now required with our basic TV package.
My 94 year old mother would have trouble with it. I dont know why we need
this? Cable TV always worked without it. They only scrambled the premium
channels in the past. I wanted to try something else.
I am in a 500 foot deep river valley in Jounstown and thought that I could not
get any over the air channels. I wanted to try to extend my work with the
proxmity wave antenna. I bought the 5 Star 200 mile range antenna at Amazon.
It was only about $45. I mounted it vertially and aimed it towards a large
high WJAC tranamitter antenna high on the next mountain. I was attmepting to
pick up signals that reflected off of the tower. I was suprised I got 15
channels. They were very weak and came in and out with the wind. It was
frustrating. Experimentally I found that the antenna worked well when it was
mounted 44 inches about the ground. This signals now stayed in solidly from
the transmitters up to 30 miles away and over the mountain behind me WTAJ WWCP
KDKA and WJAC. I wanted to mount the antenna higher but every time I tried to
mount it higher it did not work. The distance 44 inches is about 1/2
wavelength. This is approximate length of the voltage vector in the vertical
direction. The length of the proximity collapse of the wave extends 88 inches.
If I mount the antenna 88 inches above the ground the length of the wave
collapse is 176 inches. It is fun to see a quantum wave collapse in a TV
antenna. I will put a metal screen just below the ground to enhance the effect.
There are some weak horizontally polarized signals reaching the gound. The are
transient and go in and out a lot. If I was on the hill top this direct
transmission would be the way to go.
Still testing and adjusting.
Frank Z
