Back during the FIFA World Cup, I got tired of hunting places playing the games. I didn't have cable and had no interest in paying to watch. So, I went out and bought an antenna and connected it directly to the TV.

Fast forward a few months later, my wife was tired of looking at the precariously balanced antenna and asked me to move it. As temps had finally dropped, I went into the attic and installed the thing. Ran the cable around the beams and down a tube into the house. Got the idea to buy a splitter so I could share the antenna between the main TVs.

First thing I watched were the final 15 minutes of ST:TNG season 2, episode 9, The Measure of a Man. RIP Sir Patrick Stewart.

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[–] 3 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Oh wow I meant to do this years ago just for backup to get to news or PBS.

If you're in the middle of a city and likely near some broadcasters do you even need a roof/attic installation these days?

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  • [–] 4 points 4 days ago (4 children)

    You don't.

    Mine sits behind my TV (and as noted, homemade) and I can pickup pretty much all the local antennas.

    There's phone apps to help you locate your local antennas and orient your antenna.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 days ago (3 children)

    Nice. Any particular antenna or just whatever Costco might have?

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  • [–] 2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

    I've never seen an antenna for sale at Costco. You'd be better off going to a hardware store -- either to buy an antenna, or just to buy some wire to make your own.

    But really, there's no "one size fits all." It depends on what frequencies you want to pick up and where they are in relation to you. Somebody in the middle of the city with stations a short distance away in different directions needs a completely different kind of antenna than somebody in the exurbs who needs to receive signals from a long distance away in the same direction.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 days ago (1 child)

    It has admittedly been long enough that last time I was thinking about this, ota antennas were still around in big box stores, somewhere between the switch to digital signals and the overtake by streaming services.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 days ago

    I'm sure you could get an antenna at big box stores like Walmart or Home Depot, just not Costco in particular.

    Costco caters to a relatively affluent demographic, and affluent normies aren't really in the market for OTA antennas. There are more frugal/DIY types who also like Costco (and I count myself among them), but we aren't really the big spenders Costco is trying to attract.

    (Ever notice how Costco sells food in bulk and all sorts of fancy appliances and stuff, but doesn't sell canning jars? Same deal, I think.)

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  • [–] 1 point 4 days ago

    If you're within 20-25 miles of the station's broadcast tower you can just fold up a paperclip, stock it in the cable jack, and get most channels. Further than that, an antenna is needed to prevent frame drops and choppy-ness. (At least from my experience in a relatively flat area)

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