Broadcast Engineering - Latest Comments in Smart antennas

Re: Smart antennas

xardo — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:28:50 -0000

costco.com has one for $24.99 with $1.99 shipping

Re: Smart antennas

jamiehogan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:16:51 -0000

where can you purchase this antenna??

Re: Smart antennas

evelyngarrison — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:02:16 -0000

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE THE MART ANTENNA I LIVE NEAR FT. SCOTT, KS.

Re: Smart antennas

AldoC — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:15 -0000

SNR, Signal-to-Noise Ratio
BER, Bit Error Rate
C/N, Carrier-to-Noise (ratio)
D/U, Desired-to-Undesired (signal)

Re: Smart antennas

ronniekk — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:20:55 -0000

this is quite confusing to me! would you be so kind as to tell me what converter box am i to use in order to use a smart antenna? i have a 1 year old hdtv and have been told by numerous people that i don't NEED a converter box, that my tv has a tuner built into it. but on the other hand, the smart antenna needs to be able to plug into my set and i guess my set does not have the recepticle for this?
i would appreciate any input you may have to offer regarding this issue!
thank you

Re: Smart antennas

Linda Robinson — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:07:38 -0000

im already getting a converter box that is installed with a smart atenna and what i want to know is that a good thing and does that count as a good converter box

Re: Smart antennas

centralva — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:53:40 -0000

Hooked the dtv converter box up to the tv in my RV and the vertical hold rolls along with the horizontal not clear, in other words, only glimpses of what tv would be like. Do I need another antenna? I am using rooftop and had about 4 channels available before the switch. Now nothing!!
Help!!

Re: Smart antennas

gloria1113 — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:09:52 -0000

will it work can you receive abc, nbc, cbs with a smart antenna in every area of the U.S.

Re: Smart antennas

Ken Brookes — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:00:22 -0000

A good article, but you need to define your terms.

SNR, BER, C/N, D/U etc.

Re: Smart antennas

freda bradley — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:48:56 -0000

need one to get off direct tv sat.and need you phone number

Re: Smart antennas

David Vitiello — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:41:27 -0000

I have a DTA-5000 smart antenna (made by DX corp.) ($70) which solved my multipath problem. I can send you my test results if you send me an e-mail adderss. My e-mail address is davidvitiello@webtv.net.Your receiver must have a smart antenna interface or else you can't use a smart antenna. My converter box is an Apex DT250A. Regards, David

Re: Smart antennas

davemac9230 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:21:48 -0000

have you tried looking in FRY's?

Re: Smart antennas

turd — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:34:01 -0000

Please read the "Proven Utility" section.

How much so? 12dB for DTV says the article.

If you stick a couple of regular antennas in your attic and join the signals, there will be a phase difference between those signals. You'll need to delay the signals from the different antennas by different amounts so that the peaks and troughs of the signal add...and some amplification would be nice. Oh wait...this IS what a smart antenna is...never mind.

Re: Smart antennas

Claudette Darnell — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:39:17 -0000

I've been looking around for a smart antenna for my dtv converter but I do not know who carries them and where. I face knee replacement surgery soon and I do not want to keep getting up to adjust the antenna during my home recovery period. I live alone.

Re: Smart antennas

Trish — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:18:29 -0000

you can get a good one for around $60. try googling RCA ANT 2000 smart antenna. Most stores don't sell them yet... you may need to get it online.

Re: Smart antennas

loisbryant29 — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 07:32:39 -0000

Purchased a Sony Bravia TV. New instore antennas don't work as well as my old UHF/VHF indoor antenna ( which worked well on my old TV). Which indoor antenna recieves the strongest signal? Where can I purchase it? Currently I don't recieve the digetal signals in the area and the pictures are very snowy. Signal strenth on this new TV is 25%. Live at 204 Mallard Point Court, Georgetown, KY. Pick up Lexington, KY and Cinn. Ohio Channels.

Re: Smart antennas

vic arizpe — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:12:27 -0000

i have a apex converter box and it has an smart antenna option how much are those antenas in the market.

Re: Smart antennas

Sean — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:14:41 -0000

You will need just as much metal in the air for digital, if not more. None of the smart antennas I've seen are for distance.

They are more of a UHF suburban system where maximum distance is 30 miles. The active beam steering should help fight multipath and electronically do what twisting the rabbit ears around for pointing it at the transmitter antenna.

Re: Smart antennas

Pat Ziegler — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:54:13 -0000

What this article fails to talk about is GAIN. The smart antenna has very little if any. Looks to me to be a fancy dipole or unity gain antenna. It is a great concept but if they build a deep fringe,
high gain model it will be huge and unaffordable.

The marketing boys have dusted it with pixie dust and made it out to be the magical answer to all your reception woes…

Buyer beware… If you’re in fringe reception country, nothing beats metal in the air…

Pat Ziegler
Wholesale Electronics Inc.
www.weisd.com

Re: Smart antennas

W. griffin — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:06:47 -0000

excellent information and clear.

Re: Smart antennas

Bill — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:14:10 -0000

Thank you for your article. While it introduced the terminology, it told me nothing of substance. So you say smart antennas get better reception for multiple directions. How much so? Am I really better off with a smart antenna, or should I just stick a couple of regular antennas in my attic, and a good preamp to join the signals?

Numbers and references please, not just hand waving and reassuring nods.

Re: Smart antennas

Jerry — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:33:45 -0000

Very informative I now understand more about digital TV antennas. Does he reccomend any brands or what to compare to when we buy one?

Re: Smart antennas

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:54:39 -0000

I wanted the "smart antenna" for Xmas, so some friends ordered 2 for me, they finally came in last week. 2 Months later! I spent 4 hours messing with it because the instructions on how to hook it up are so small you have to have eagle eyes to read them, so I got out the flashlight and the magnifying glasses and still had to struggle. Then, if you hook it up according to their instructions, it has no way of connecting to the tv so you get no signal. Finally, got it to receive a few channels but they were fuzzy. The so called extra channels I got were either the local spanish or religious channels. No offense but, I don't speak spanish and I don't like money hungry evangelists preaching to me about the lord. It worked for about an hour, then lost signal and I could not get it to retrieve any thereafter. I felt like pitching it across the room! Do not waste your money on this! Rabbit ears bring me a picture as clear as cable! I have the ones you plug into the wall outlet and the signals are great!

Re: Smart antennas

Mrs. Beard — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:17:26 -0000

I also need the same questions answered that Wilma Wright asked on 11/22/2008. Where can I purchase? I live in North Louisiana, and what is the cost on these. We have two boxes, so what or how many will I need - antane. Thanks for your asap help..Mrs. Beard

Re: Smart antennas

dcwoodard — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:24:48 -0000

What is a practical, inexpensive indoor smart antenna to use with a DTV converter box?