A UHF TV antenna... licenced under GPLv3!

[Colin McGregor]

I am cc:ing this to the local MythTV mailing list. I
know there is some overlap between the Greater Toronto
Area Linux user group and the MythTV list, I also know
some folks are just on the one list.

For those on both lists, and are seeing this message
twice, sorry...

--- walterdnes-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org wrote:
>   The GPL licence sort of keeps this on topic.  The
> web site is at
> http://www.digitalhome.ca/ota/superantenna complete
> with source code,,,
> errr... ummmh... design specs.  And the discussion
> thread is at
>
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=81982
> 
>   The original Hoverman antenna lacked sufficient
> bandwidth for the
> entire UHF band.  Gain started falling off at about
> channel 54, and it
> was basically useless by the time you got to 83. 
> Those old farts in the
> audience who remember channel 83, raise your hands.
> 
>   Years later, channels 70..83 were turned over to
> radio comms (the 800
> mhz band).  But the Hoverman antenna still had
> problems with channels
> 54..69.  With the shutdown of NTSC OTA (Over The
> Air) broadcasts, to be
> replaced by more efficient ATSC (2009/02/17 in the
> USA and 2011/08/31 in
> Canada), the UHF band will shrink down to channel
> 51.  And the optimized
> Gray-Hoverman antenna can beat the Channel Master
> CM4228, which is the
> best consumer-grade antenna this side of parabolic
> mostrosities usually
> seen only at cableco head-ends.
> 
>   For those of us in the GTA, a whole bunch of
> Toronto and Buffalo
> digital stations are available, with the prime-time
> evening schaedule,
> and most weekend sports, being in stunning
> high-definition.  And unlike
> Rogers or Bell *IT'S FREE AS IN BEER*.

Neat, but, but ... A while back I took a stab at
building a bow-tie style antenna. The antenna
performance was ... fairly bad. Further, the cost...
My current TV antenna is a Winegard GS-2200 bought for
$9.99 (plus $25 (US) for shipping) off eBay. To build
a decent antenna the parts alone will set you back
that sort of money, and here I have a commercial
weather proof antenna that I know from day one will
perform reasonably (the GS-2200 is middling performer,
is small (which was important to me) and at that
price...).

To draw pack to things Linux, I have that GS-2200
antenna connected to a pcHDTV-5500 tuner card in my
Linux running MythTV box. Depending on how you want to
count channels, yes, I am getting over 17 digital
channels via that antenna / tuner card. 

The reason I say "depending on how you want to count
channels", is multi-fold. CBLFT-D, the French language
CBC outlet here in Toronto is normally such a poor
signal (pixelization and audio drop-outs) as to
normally be not worth watching (CBLFT-D also seems to
have the lowest of low power digital transmitters in
the GTA). WUTV the Buffalo Fox affiliate is running
the same shows on digital signal in both high
definition and standard definition, should that count
as two or one station? Omni 1 and Omni 2 have been
running tests of their digital transmitters, but they
are not up on a regular basis, yet (this will no doubt
change soon). Still, over a dozen (no matter how you
want to count things) digital stations that I can
count on being there for me, which is great stuff.

Further I have set-up a diskless box in my bedroom
that will netboot off my livingroom MythTV box. This
means I :

- Am no longer paying Rogers for an extra cable TV
outlet (outlet taken out a few weeks ago). Given my
grubles with Roger's @#$% Internet offerings I take
some pleasure in paying a few $/mo. less to them :-) .
- Can watch ANY content I have captured on the main
box on an old TV in bedroom.
- Assuming the pcHDTV-5500 card is not in use
recording a show, I can watch "live" HDTV shows in
livingroom or bedroom.
- "Big" ticket items, the tuners and hard drives are
shared through the house as required.

Colin McGregor

> -- 
> Walter Dnes <waltdnes-SLHPyeZ9y/tg9hUCZPvPmw at public.gmane.org>
> I'm not repeating myself
> I'm an X Window user...  I'm an ex-Windows-user
> --
> The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings:
> http://gtalug.org/
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> below 80 columns
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