[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 11-21-2023).]

[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 11-21-2023).]

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[This message has been edited by ray b (edited 11-23-2023).]

quote Originally posted by ls3mach: I've never seen these. I could see their use. My cable provider used to offer (I'm sure they still do) all their channels included over a web UI. Firesticks and similar offer many of my local stations for free. Sounds like you knew that. I always wanted to wire an aerial into my home coax. Never did. I'm thinking of building a small homestead next time I buy. I'll probably do it then. It sounds like you really like your setup. I don't watch TV that way, but it seems cool and RF is a great failsafe. Unrelated. Can you run FM/AM? I know it broadcast at different frequency, but an antenna is an antenna, right? I'm asking because I'd like to get into HAM when I build next and that'd be cool to have a setup for all.

I do like my setup, but it was born out of necessity. We had DirecTV and got tired of being bent over every month for increasingly useless programming. (27 different home shopping channels and the 700 club. )
At the time, we had no meaningful internet service, at all. (70 miles SW of Atlanta.)
I decided to see how OTA would work.
I stuck a basic yagi antenna (~$45 at Walmart) on top of two sections of chainlink fence rail - like 22' - and pointed it towards Atlanta.
I pick up all the major Atlanta stations, and all of the minor ones that I care about.
I do occasionally experience fades, but it's always when there is a major change in the temperature - especially in the spring/summer. (Google "tropospheric ducting" if you want to geek out.)
It's not enough to worry about, since it generally happens at night, and always clears up before 10 AM.

We recently got fiber internet, and it was a real game changer. 500/100, as I posted. (As opposed to the cellular reseller who was 10 down and 10 up, on a good day.)
We're probably going to keep OTA, since it's free, and all, but I decided that now that streaming is a possibility, to build out the wi-fi. We also want to install cameras to make sure that nothing is eating our livestock.

Regarding the AM and FM thing... Antennas are cut to specific lengths, in order to resonate at specific frequencies/wavelength. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength/antenna.
AM has a very long wavelength. 1100 KHz (sort of the middle of the AM band) has a wavelength of ~270 meters. Requires a lot of "tricks" to make an AM antenna. (Ever take apart an AM radio? See that big spool of wire, wrapped around a core of some sort? There's your "270 meters" of wire. Or a representation/calculated fraction thereof - like I said... "tricks".)
The good news is that the entire FM band lies right in the middle of the VHF television spectrum. Between channels 6 and 7. (TV requires a sh!tload of bandwidth.) Just about any VHF TV antenna will also make a superb FM antenna. And just about all outdoor antennas cover VHF/UHF. I have a splitter on one of my TV taps to feed my FM stereo. (AM is pretty much useless down here, unless it's local.)

If you want to get into "ham" frequencies it's the same deal, only different.
You've probably heard the terms "10 meters, 20 meters, 40 meters", etc. as descriptions of Ham bands. Those are actually the general wavelengths of those bands. (Many antennas are cut to half-wavelengths.) There is also "2 meters". Requires a much shorter antenna, and is what a lot of people opt into. Uses compact FM transceivers, kind of like commercial two-way.
There are other frequencies available, too.

You don't want to transmit on ham frequencies without a license. They are seriously self-policing at the first level, and are pretty unwelcoming to people who operate illegally. They'll also turn you in to the FCC, in a hot minute.
If you just want to listen, it's not a problem. Pretty much all ham traffic is "free-to-air". That's not to say that some of it might not be digitized, but that's just a thing. Hams like to play with technology, and will figure out new and different ways to do things, just because they can.
I should add that I'm not a ham. I have a commercial two-way radio license. I worked on two-way radios and comm systems all day at work. The last thing I wanted to do when I got off work was screw with more radios.

HMU if you want more info. I don't mind talking about it, but I'm getting long-winded, here.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 11-23-2023).]

quote Originally posted by ray b: can I buy a stand alone device to switch record and skip commericals on a streaming connection plan or just have to use a computer with hard drive like a t-vo or cable box with a HD ? btw I went by ATT store and was told they no longer offer cable or sat ONLY STREAMING DEALS ANY ONE KNOW THE CHEAPEST WAY TO GET ALL OF ESPN ON A STREAM ? BTW i JUST GOT A OLED TV a cheap LG base 48'' a-2 set but the picture is great from best buy for 550 I have been looking for a used OLED set near 500 so jumped on a new set at that price

AT&T owns DirecTV. Are they not going to do that any more?! That's odd. Maybe it depends upon what area you live in.
I remember seeing stand-alone TIVO boxes, but haven't seen one in a long time. I don't pay much attention, because I don't care much about recording anything.

For ESPN, check out the various streaming services. Hulu is the one I'm leaning towards, but all I care about are "car stuff" channels (like Motor Trend and Velocity) and Braves and UGA games.

I'm currently half-ass-edly shopping for a TV. I find Sams Club to have slightly better prices, and newer models (at least for LG) than the other stores.
But I'm not in a hurry. Going to wait until after Christmas, when people are trying to clear out their old stock.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 11-23-2023).]

[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 11-23-2023).]