TV Antenna reception

[mike_nickens1]

I'm interested in the groups experience in using a TV antenna on the ICW. We do not have a satellite system in the budget (yet).

What type of reception should I expect?
What antennas would you recommend?
Is there a lot of areas without any reception?

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Capecodder]

I have had pretty good use with a $35.00 RCA flat antenna from Radio shack or Wallyworld. In some of the more remote sections of the ICW no TV or cell. Time to talk, read, watch the stars. This trip I do have a Dish "tailgater" Satellite antenna under $400.00 purchase and $30.00 basic to hundreds per month. Works in slips and very calm anchorages.

 

[Billylll]

I'm a Glomex fan however I have been testing a small Majestic 10" amplified UFO marine style antenna. I'm impressed so far it's not as good as the larger Glomex but pretty good compared to the 10" amplified Glomex. I also have a KVH TracVision M3 and wouldn't leave home without it.
Bill

 

[Mule]

i want the real deal, sat dome. I cannot afford it w/o added income. I am male 67 yrs old. Overweight, outta shape, white-grey haired. I was thinking paid sexual escort..... Whattayathink???

 

[rwidman]

I'm interested in the groups experience in using a TV antenna on the ICW. We do not have a satellite system in the budget (yet).

What type of reception should I expect?
What antennas would you recommend?
Is there a lot of areas without any reception?

Thanks for your feedback!

With a good, omnidirectional antenna (I have an amplified Glomex) you can expect reception within twenty to thirty miles of the station's transmitter. The conversion to digital TV in the USA was not good for those not near the transmitters.

In my travels, I find I get from zero to thirty or forty stations, depending on the location. Of course if you get forty stations, many are duplicates and many are in languages other than English or shopping channels. In most towns I get two to five stations.

Many marinas have cable at the slips. The amplifier of the Glomex antenna I installed has a separate jack for cable so all I have to do is connect it, turn the knob and run a scan on the TV.

 

[High Wire]

I have a Majestic UFO and it picks up to about 20 miles max. If the boat is swinging around on the anchor, the picture gets pixelated and sometimes unwatchable. Sitting in a slip is ok.

 

[seasalt007]

What causes this pixelation? I have a TERK omnidirectional internal antenna and sometimes it gets messed up just siting in the slip if I am not close to the tower. It goes from excellent to bad. Sometimes moving it will help temporarily then it gets bad again.

 

[Donsan]

i want the real deal, sat dome. I cannot afford it w/o added income. I am male 67 yrs old. Overweight, outta shape, white-grey haired. I was thinking paid sexual escort..... Whattayathink???

I say quit watching TV and can't in shape. Well, you asked!

 

[FF]

An antenna is easily made from a discarded aluminum bike wheel , its in the archives.

The BEST !!! part of cruising the AICW in election times is the Local TV adds for all sorts of politicos.

No TV script writer could come up with the level of entertainment these low buck , amateur adds provide.

Here in CT the adds dont change ,> He has a Yacht , dont elect him!<

BOORING , but underway its great as it changes every night.

Underway Sat , to watch the show!!

 

[timjet]

Having spent 5 months on the ICW and Chesapeake, I'm searching for a better solution than the amplified antenna we have. Used Track it TV are in the 200-500 dollar range.

 

[rwidman]

What causes this pixelation? ............

Loss of signal or weak signal. Back in the analog days, a weak signal was usually watchable, you just had "snow" or multiple pictures (the signal being reflected off buildings or hills). Digital is different. You either have a signal good enough to produce the entire picture and sound or you don't. Your picture and sound is either perfect or it's gone. Your TV will attempt to show the last frame that was good.

 

[Billylll]

Pixels or picture freezing up is caused by the lack of a stable quality signal. It's commonly known as signal to noise ratio or with digital modes CINR. Rain can cause this, not obviously having a NLOS (near line of site) to the TV transmitter and even the frequency the station is transmitting on can cause intermittent quality of service issues with Digital OTA TV. The distance to the transmitter is probably the number 1 issue when it comes to poor quality Digital OTA TV reception. You can only stretch the string so far!
From my testing lab I'm pulling TV stations at 25 miles with the small Majestic amplified marine rated TV antenna.
It's just my opinion but if you boat within 20 to 25 miles of major TV markets the smaller Majestic should work for you for anything further I'd recommend the larger amplified Glomex. There's really no point in using a highly directional Log Periodic TV antenna on a boat unless you are tied to the dock otherwise you'll need to constantly reorient the antenna at the station you are trying to receive as the boat swings.

 

[rwidman]

Keep in mind that on a boat, our antennas are usually only a few feet above sea level. We have no chimney to mount them on (I used to do that sort of thing in the last century).

 

[hmason]

If you really want to watch reliable TV at anchor, or underway you need to bite the bullet and go for a sat system. We have an amplified Shakespeare sea watch antenna and find it pretty useless unless at a dock or in short range of a broadcasting antenna.

Since we liveaboard, we installed a sat system. We chose an Intellian I4 satellite dome with a MIMM adapter to access the Dish Network. This gives us many, many HD stations. The I4 tracks 3 satellites at once, switching between them automatically when you change stations. The dome has its own GPS, which means that we never have to program the antenna when we move locations; it locates the satellites seamlessly. We have found the system to be rock solid underway, at anchor, or at a dock. The only times we lose the signal is during a very heavy rain or storm. After 2 years of use we couldn't be more pleased. Dish customer service has been good as well.

Howard

 

[seasalt007]

That's good information Howard. I am in a mental wrestling match between KVH and Intellian. I definitely want a new system (with warranty) but I have not found any real deals that my frugal self will go for. The most basic units will work for us.

We don't live aboard anymore but would like to take some long trips...maybe even do the loop. A sat dish will be a must for that.

Our previous boat had a KVH C3 with Direct TV. No problems for over 5 years.

 

[Billylll]

Keep in mind that on a boat, our antennas are usually only a few feet above sea level. We have no chimney to mount them on (I used to do that sort of thing in the last century).

You are absolutely correct Ron, my test lab has the antennas being tested inside a 2nd story window so I have building attenuation that wouldn't be there when mounted in the clear on a boat and I always found that I had better reception when I was in a clear bay with nothing blocking my antenna for miles other than water. Now when gunk holed and surrounded with trees that's generally a problem depending on the distance of the OTA digital TV station I am trying to receive.
Bill

 

[sbu22]

I have the Glomex with amplifier. Antenna about 18' off water. On Lake P I've (on a good day - not sure what that means in terms of the actual propogation physics) 30+ usable channels from as far away as Biloxi (50-60 miles direct). I didn't believe it either, but others in marina with similar setups (some on tuna towers) report the same.

 

[rwidman]

I have the Glomex with amplifier. Antenna about 18' off water. On Lake P I've (on a good day - not sure what that means in terms of the actual propogation physics) 30+ usable channels from as far away as Biloxi (50-60 miles direct). I didn't believe it either, but others in marina with similar setups (some on tuna towers) report the same.

Over flat terrain or especially over water, you will get a longer range.

We visit Savannah, GA once a year and stay at the docks right on the river. Savannah is built on a hill next to the river so there's a 40' or so hill within a hundred feet of the dock and buildings on top of the hill. We typically get no or very little TV reception.

Anchored near Beaufort, SC on the way to or from Savannah, we get all the Savannah TV stations even though we are 40 miles or so away.

In my home slip in Charleston we get the Charleston stations but the towers are about 25 miles from the marina on the other side of the city and we sometimes have trouble with the signal.

 

[Billylll]

There are many variables when trying to get satisfactory OTA digital TV reception from a boat. Most if not all have been covered in this thread. I still think getting a high quality Omni (UFO) with an external amplifier will give you the best results with ever changing conditions that are out of our control.
Bill

 

[HiDHo]

Boatswain mate, stick with a cheap HDTV antenna it will cost less and provide longer lasting entertainment.
Bill
MMCM USN Retired