What can you tell us about add-on antennas that work on the existing antenna for digital? Also, cell phone and air card booster for Verizon internet?
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#2
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Posted 14 July 2010 - 11:40 AM
jameswhitty, on Jul 14 2010, 10:43 AM, said:
What can you tell us about add-on antennas that work on the existing antenna for digital? Also, cell phone and air card booster for Verizon internet?
James,
TV antennas are the same for digital as they are for the old analog signals. Just like any other RF signal, a better antenna will give a better connection. With TV, that is a receive only signal.
The add-ons, like the one for our bat-wing antenna, absolutely help with range and tend to be more directional. That means you need to point the antenna for the best signal. There are amplified antennas and omni-directional antennas, both passive and amplified. Omni antennas do not need to be pointed, but generally have shorter range. If you are close to the TV transmitter, you do not need amps, or even much of an antenna. As you get some distance away, you need all the help you can get.
A neat website that has a lot of antenna information and helps us point our TV antenna is www.antennaweb.org. You tell the site where you are and they will show you where the TV transmitters are.
Much the same applies to cellular phones and data cards. The antennas are different because of the wavelength of the signal. Cellular is also 2way, transmit and receive for both voice and data.
The experts there can be found at www.3gstore.com. They have a full line of antennas and amplifiers. Be sure to tell them the Geeks On Tour sent you. They have the best selection, prices and support I know of.
Jim and Chris Guld
www.geeksontour.com
www.geeksontour.com
#3 Guest_BillAdams_*
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 06:56 AM
As Jim mentions, the TV antennas of the analog days are the same ones you need for the digital days. The only difference between the 2 is that much of the digital TV is now being broadcast on the UHF band (channels 14 and above) instead of the VHF band (channels 2-13). The channel numbers you now see such as 3.1 or 4-2 are "virtual channels" to help keep things as we are used to seeing them. The actual channel the signal is broadcast on is often quite different.
If you currently have a Winegard "Batwing" antenna you will want to add the Wingman antenna. This is a UHF director that will allow the UHF antenna located in the head to receive more of the UHF signal thereby extending the range at which you can receive the broadcast.
If you currently have a Winegard "Batwing" antenna you will want to add the Wingman antenna. This is a UHF director that will allow the UHF antenna located in the head to receive more of the UHF signal thereby extending the range at which you can receive the broadcast.
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