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Larry

"s/v Sunshine, PDQ 36" wrote in news:afbb5117-
:

Dear Group:

Any recommendations for an HDTV antenna to be installed on the mast
below the radar antenna? Also, does it really need to be "amplified"
by 12 volts of juice? The thirteen year old antenna now on the boat
is amplified, but often seems provide better reception when the power
to it is turned off. Many thanks for any help.

Phil McGovern
s/v Sunshine

As most US stations are moving to the lower UHF channels and off VHF so the
greedy lawyers running the FCC can line their pockets selling the public's
airwaves in more auctions, you should concentrate on a UHF panel antenna.

This is great because it's not very big at all and it is amplified to make
up for the high loss of UHF in the coax down the mast. Get it as high as
you can, but NOT on top of the mast where the lightning this summer will
just eat it. They come in various mounting arrangements and it should
stand off the metal mast a few inches to the side would be best.

I have a Philips, which comes with a DC coupler to put the amp power onto
the coax with the RF. It's only 5' above my house and I can watch
Beaufort, SC, analog and digital at 40 miles and some nights great digital
from Savannah one hundred miles to the South of Charleston. I get 10
channels, analog and digital to a Hauppauge USB TV plug in my laptop.

America is in for a big shock when they find they can no longer watch TV
while cruising down the road or across the harbor. Very high speed digital
TV cannot tolerate the phase shifting that motion of the vehicle over about
5 mph creates. Even when you are staring at the 2000' towers running
megawatts of power, as soon as you start moving, the picture locks and
stays locked until you stop, once again, when it comes in perfect. The
plug comes with a little magnetic mount whip antenna for portable use.
But, TV in motion's days are ended.