Wow! I just received my Comcast cable bill. It has averaged $52 a month. Now with some creative billing by Comcast it rose another $22. My answer to this is disconnect! But before I get hasty, What is what out there in TV antennas.($100-$200). Or should I ask what is the cost and name of a quality antenna.

-- jim hirt (jim@brctn.com), October 30, 2001

Answers

Response to in need of tv anteena

First why did it go up and what are you subscribing to that cost $52/month? I assume your getting local channels with your cable now.

How far are you from the tv transmitters? This will help determine what antenna you need.

Even at 50 miles, a good antenna isnt going to cost you much more than $50. Now you also have to have something to mount it to and you need a feed in cable, but $100 should put togeateher a nice antenna system.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

If your in a nonrestricted area how about a small dish antanna. I get about 65 channels for $32.00 per month. The only time I have problems is when it snows or rains hard. Those companies are forever running premotionals, free installation, ect.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

do yourself a favor and throw the tv out.

-- homesteader (nospam@please.com), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

Where we live in the mountains there's no signal available with a tv antenna. We have dish tv with the basic channel package at $19.95 per month. They have specials all the time for free satellite dish and hookups. Check around to see what kind of antenna other folks in your area have. The type of tv antenna you needs definitely depends on the area you live in.

-- Grannytoo (jacres40@hotmail.com), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

i live out in the boonies, 30 minutes from town and I just use rabbit ears for my Tv and get good reception unless its storming out.

-- anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

Jim,funny our cable went up 21.50 a month! good bye cable.The computer is on a seperate line so for now it will stay. My husband has a great idea and it may work for you too,well 3 ideas #1 stop by the dump and ask if there any laying around,# put an add in the local paper that you will haul old antenna away and 3 if you get the urge look around neighbor hoods and see who still has one on thier roof and ask if you can have it. I see you said comcast, thats our cable company name too are you in Maryland? If you are maybe we could work together and find us some anteni.

-- renee o'neill (oneillsr@home.com), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

I've found really good and inexpensive antennas at Radio Shack. For $10 I bought a set top antenna with two bow ties that works great for me. I hope this helps.

PS I, too, have Comcast Cable at home (the antenna is on a TV in my office) and over four years have seen basic go from under $30 to $43 today. I have no movie or premium channels. Currently, Comcast here is pushing their digital service because the delivery of digital is cheaper than the delivery of analog (much like cell phone service).

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

When we put up our current home I said we're not gonna have cable or any type of tv service we have to pay a monthly bill for. We get our local channels with a rabbit ears and we bought the old type(big) sattelite dish complete for $250 complete. We get scads of channels for free and you can even get programming packages for whatever you wanna spend. Kinda the best of both worlds.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

I'd stay away from a "used" antenna---corrosion / rust / headache's I got a Radio S. $100 ant.--on sale --$49. It's about there biggest. Also a rotor because of stations in all different directions... Sometimes just for kicks I'll aim it across lake Mich. and pick up Greenbay Wi......from me thats a lot of miles!! No cable or dish here!!....to much money for what??---a 100+ channels of mindless JUNK...........my $.02

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), October 30, 2001.

Response to in need of tv anteena

I have two good sized ones out in my old school house that you can have in youre anywhere near central WI.There just sitting around waiting for next summers rummage sale. Dave Smith

-- Dave Smith (duckthis1@maqs.net), October 30, 2001.

TV. Vos is dos TV? Is sort of like a computer mitout da words, yes? Vhy bother? Books is better! Magazines is better. Comic books is better. Sunsets is great! So is chickens and kittens and calves and lambs and kids and even, Gott help us, pups. Throw in computers as vell and who has time for der TV?

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 30, 2001.

We currently have satellite TV with the little dish outside the house. Before we got this we did use an antenna but were only able to get the local stations about 15 miles away very, very fuzzy because of the mountains. We did only use an old antenna type...but one day as my husband was doing his usual running around the yard trying to bring it in better in his digust he threw it into the lilac bushes !!! Well wonders of wonders!! It played beautifully for years sticking out of that bush !! I really would like to get rid of our cable bill also...$37.00 a month. We really don't watch it much at all being just the two of us and I remember when the girls were home there was a time we didn't have any TV at all and actually survived !!!!! But yes, it is a habit, a bad habit. I really do hope that I forget to pay my bill and they will just turn it off. Husband spoke about the roto-type antennas that turn or something to bring in better stations. Might look into that at Radio Shack. Good LUck !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), October 31, 2001.

We used to have our antenna mounted on a long pole (old alder tree) and had it strapped to the house outside of the room where we watched teevee. By stepping outside the door, you could rotate the antennae in any direction (until the wire wrapped around the pole of course...) I think we had it mounted with some kind of tension, to keep it from swinging around. It worked pretty well. Rather than buying a rotor, you might be able to rig your regular outdoor antenna up with something like that.

We get the Seattle stations okay with our roof-mounted antenna, but I can't seem to get the Canadian stations very well, unless it's in a downpour. Mostly we listen to the radio, but we watch some sports and PBS stuff (and occasional garbage teevee, too, if truth be told.) I could live without the teevee but it's nice to have for some things. Sometimes I "pretend" to watch teevee when I'm really knitting...

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@Hotmail.com), October 31, 2001.

We have one of the bigger old-fashioned TV antennas from Radio Shack, it is at least 20 years old and has survived being blown down twice from the top of the chimney. It has a rotor that you can mess with to get stations in better, we can get about 10 or 12 channels in, some from over 150 miles away, still good enough to be able to stand to watch! We live in the mountains, about halfway up on a ridge, so that probably helps reception too. I am happy to be able to get two different PBS stations in quite well, and for free!!!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), October 31, 2001.

jim, setting on top of my tv is a piece of chicken wire, folded in half about 2x3 , 1 coat hanger,with a cable wire connected in back. we get 10 stations. cost o. Reception mostly depends where you are, some places will not pick up.

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), October 31, 2001.

Hi--Never had cable or a dish. I just go with the local PBS stations and the other junk. Remember, Its "line of sight" transmission. So if you live in a hole, and with many things in the way,(like trees and hills) you are not going to get much reception. I happen to live in a area with thoses things but went with Radio Schack atenna (I think thier biggest) for 49.95 on sale. Its normally about 100.00. To boost the signal, I also added a 10 db amp with a filter. About another 35.00 aprox dollars. I had no choice, I can't get cable. Good Luck.

-- Bill (sticky@2sides.tape), October 31, 2001.

Our old style satellite dish blew out during the first months we lived here due to lightening. We now use the rabbit ears and regularly get two channels. Enough to distract us, so we don't pay for more. Hate the look of the little dishes and cable is ridiculously costly as well. Why pay so that they can advertise to you??

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), October 31, 2001.