Where to buy rabbit ears?

[N8N]

Does anyone sell simple rabbit ear TV antennas anymore? I got my DTV boxes today and hooked one up in the bedroom, turns out that my old rabbit ears allow the box to work, while the shiny new amplified antenna that I bought doesn't really do a heck of a lot. I have another TV with no antenna whatsoever which is why I bought a new antenna. Or is there a more expensive antenna that will provide better reception? I do live in a metropolitan area but I'm only getting about half the channels that I should based on looking at titantv.com and tvfool.com

Of course I don't watch that much TV, but so much of it is crap that options are good...

nate

[Colbyt]

RadioShack or Ebay.

Radioshack link:

For $12 it looks pretty basic.

Colbyt

[Phil Again]

Rabbit Ears are still rabbit ears. They didn't work all that well 30 years ago, and I cannot image they will work all that well with digital. Reflections from people, room furniture, so-on and so-forth.

Even in Metro areas, you still may have to go back to a roof top antenna with mast motor to spin (aim) the antenna. You may not need the antenna gain needed from the analog days, but you may need the lower interference a roof mounted antenna offers.

[N8N]

My ancient, came-with-the-set wabbit ears are working fine, actually. Sufficient for their intended purpose, which would be to allow me to watch football games, news, etc. in the garage... Since I am looking for a non-invasive solution for the bedroom TV (principally because there's no coax run in my house) I was thinking of a somewhat- inexpensive set-top antenna, but they seem to be hard to find at local retailers. I've heard (well, actually, read) that the Zenith "silver sensor" works well but is crappy quality; also the Winegard SS-3000 works well, but I'd have to order that online. I loathe RS but I might just have to patronize one... I'm really disappointed in the GE antenna I picked up at HD - it flat out sucks. In fact, when you plug in the power supply, signal strength actually DROPS. I wish I'd had the converter box when I bought it, that way I could have proved to myself that it sucked and returned it immediately; as it is I'm out $30 because I'm sure the receipt is long gone.

nate

[Rudy]

CRAIGSLIST is where I got an antennna. We get 14 crystal clear HD channels right off the antenna in the center of our Metro area.

[Red Green]

Phil Again wrote in news:ddidnVX1TrsyGEvVnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

Until a short bit ago I would have agreed with you.

I [icked up a cheapo DTV at Walmart like 9 mos ago. I was in a rural area and just had cable on it.

I am about 45 air miles from Raleigh NC now. I put on some ears and had the TV on analog. Few stations. All snowey except for 1-2 sometimes.

I flipped it to DTV. A bunch of stations come in crystal clear from Raleigh NC to Florence SC. I like this DTV stuff. I rarely watch TV so paying for cable is not practical. Brings back memories of free 2-13 in the NYC tristate area. There was no cable.

[Jim Yanik]

Red Green wrote in news:Xns9B20C40AE382ARedGreen@216.168.3.70:

My first apartment had a "community antenna" system,so we could connect to the wall F-connector and not need an antenna.Later,they put subscription HBO on it from a downtown microwave feed.Then they got fancy and had their own mini-"cable" system with a dozen channels that you needed a subscription block converter box to receive,but still could get the OTA channels free. (and if you had one of the first "cable-ready" TVs,you got -all- the good stuff free;they hadn't wised up to that yet!)

Ah,those were the days....

Now,I have a DTV converter and amplified indoor settop antenna,but reception is iffy on several desired channels,even though I'm fairly close to the transmitter sites.(within 25 miles) I get a lot of dropout,pixellating,and freezes,particularly when my upstairs neighbors are moving around.Annoying. In storms,the DTV transmitters are the first to lose their signal,while the same-channel analog signals are still working.

If I want Ch.2,I have to use my old analog TV,that uses it's built in telescoping antenna.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I had a similar experience here, using a small indoor antenna (3 UHF channels receivable): With analog, only one was really watchable. With digital, all 3 (and their subchannels) came in almost perfectly (although there were a few SHORT interruptions during the storm).

[HeyBub]

Here's 30 or so, from $0.99 up.

[Phisherman]

Yes, and there are many varieties. Buy 4 or 5 antennas from a store that will refund your money, determine which one gives you the best picture, and return the rest. The most expensive one is not necessarily the best.

[20804556]

Any pet store should have rabbit ears as well as the rest of the rabbit.

[Harry L]

How do these work on channel 18?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You are correct about typical broadcast TV. The only stuff worth watching is on cable, History Channel, Science, Discovery, Travel, History International have some great programming. I enjoy things like Modern Marvels, How Its Made, Planet Earth and the like.

[Red Green]

Harry L wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Fine, if channel 18 is Animal Planet.

[Red Green]

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in news:eGXBk.1139$ [e-mail]:

I got to see this show for about a year. Awesome.

Reminded me of when I was a kid and shows on TV tht didn't fill the hour had clips that were basically How Its Made.

Nowadays they just fill it with commercials from lawyers saying you CAN sue Jesus Christ to Billy Mays selling his mother...again.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Enter the DVR. I record a lot of shows and watch them at my convenience fast forwarding through the commercials. That way there is always something good on when I want to watch.