TV reception in the Bay Area waters
- Thread starter MarcJ
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We're on a different Bay in a different state, but this is what we use:
http://www.boatfix.com/shop4/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=824
We're stunned by the digital ready reception. Last week we anchored out and found 37 digital channels, with half of those broadcast in HD. All super crisp. I doubt I will ever go back to my plans for the KVH satellite idea.
http://www.boatfix.com/shop4/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=824
We're stunned by the digital ready reception. Last week we anchored out and found 37 digital channels, with half of those broadcast in HD. All super crisp. I doubt I will ever go back to my plans for the KVH satellite idea.
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2006
- RO Number
- 23118
- Messages
- 593
I mounted it on my radar arch, lower than the radar unit. I was worried that it's a bit bigger than a dinner plate and would look out of place, but it blends right in. I'll be down to the boat in a few days and will put a picture up.
Arnold, if you have a digital tv and this antenna, there is no need for a converter box.
The switch and gain unit is pretty slick (although clunky to look at). You attach the antenna and the shore cable tv to it. You have to press a button to switch the source, but that's no big deal. It's auto switching 12v & 110v. I think after fighting the cable through the arch, the total time was about 15 minutes to hook it up and wire the power.
Arnold, if you have a digital tv and this antenna, there is no need for a converter box.
The switch and gain unit is pretty slick (although clunky to look at). You attach the antenna and the shore cable tv to it. You have to press a button to switch the source, but that's no big deal. It's auto switching 12v & 110v. I think after fighting the cable through the arch, the total time was about 15 minutes to hook it up and wire the power.
I agree the SeaWatch is the way to go. The only effort is the initial installation, which varies depending on the boat. You never need to move/adjust it, unlike rabbit ears, and you can route the signal to different spots on the boat. In the SF/Sacramento delta, I get 30+ stations with great clarity. It is mounted at the front of the hard-top over the aft deck with a short cable run.
That said, with proper adjustment, my rabbit ears did do an OK job of picking up about 12 stations.
That said, with proper adjustment, my rabbit ears did do an OK job of picking up about 12 stations.
I'm getting 33 digital channels from the marina shed on the Delta Loop. These are mostly Sacramento market stations with several from the Bay Area. Out at anchor it's about the same. We have a five year old LCD TV with converter and VHF/UHF rabbit ears for an antenna.
Rabbit ears work best when the boat isn't swinging at anchor a lot. It's simple dipole and loop antenna but it is directional. I've been able to watch fade free while the boat is swinging so long as there isn't a current change. It's a matter of pointing the antenna to get rid of fade outs on either side of the swing. I shorten the length of the telescopic elements by about a foot for best reception because most of the new DTV stations operate on UHF. The two Sacramento stations that don't are high on the VHF band: channels 9 and 10.
I would probably have a Shakespeare marine antenna or another like the one pictured above but I have a classic boat. I don't want any outside gear on the boat that wouldn't have been there in 1955.
The marine TV antennas are omnidirectional. They won't fade when the boat changes position. However, these antennas won't offer any more gain than rabbit ears unless they have a built-in RF amplifier. Many of them do.
The higher you put TV antennas, the further they will "see."
Re: 2020 and 2025 models. Both have RF amps but the 2025 amp has adjustable gain. Because all RF amps have a lifespan I'd opt for the 2025.
Rabbit ears work best when the boat isn't swinging at anchor a lot. It's simple dipole and loop antenna but it is directional. I've been able to watch fade free while the boat is swinging so long as there isn't a current change. It's a matter of pointing the antenna to get rid of fade outs on either side of the swing. I shorten the length of the telescopic elements by about a foot for best reception because most of the new DTV stations operate on UHF. The two Sacramento stations that don't are high on the VHF band: channels 9 and 10.
I would probably have a Shakespeare marine antenna or another like the one pictured above but I have a classic boat. I don't want any outside gear on the boat that wouldn't have been there in 1955.
The marine TV antennas are omnidirectional. They won't fade when the boat changes position. However, these antennas won't offer any more gain than rabbit ears unless they have a built-in RF amplifier. Many of them do.
The higher you put TV antennas, the further they will "see."
Re: 2020 and 2025 models. Both have RF amps but the 2025 amp has adjustable gain. Because all RF amps have a lifespan I'd opt for the 2025.
BayTrawlerGuy
Member
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- Aug 2, 2004
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- 14696
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- 185
One note on the ones with RF amplifiers: In some circumstances, TV antenna amplifiers have been known to interfere with GPS signals. If you're out in conditions where you're relying on your GPS position for navigation, I would recommend making sure that any TV antenna that has an amplifier (i.e., has a power input) is off/unpowered.
BTG
BTG
First, I don't own a TV, but I do know a bit about the subject. If you can avoid it, do not use an amplified system. A bigger antenna array is always better than amping whats left of a weak signal.
Don't discount installing a satellite dish on your boat. In 2006, before people quite boating, I installed two of these for people in the delta. Our sea trial for the second one was a picnic cruise for the owners wife and her co-workers. We fired up the boat, as they settled into a cooking show. Our first maneuver was a 180 degree turn to leave the marina. The dish switched from satellite to satellite without missing a beat. I'm guessing that some of those guests thought all boats had big screens and satellate reception, if not cable tv.
Don't discount installing a satellite dish on your boat. In 2006, before people quite boating, I installed two of these for people in the delta. Our sea trial for the second one was a picnic cruise for the owners wife and her co-workers. We fired up the boat, as they settled into a cooking show. Our first maneuver was a 180 degree turn to leave the marina. The dish switched from satellite to satellite without missing a beat. I'm guessing that some of those guests thought all boats had big screens and satellate reception, if not cable tv.
I can only get a couple of channels at my marina. I spent a few nights in Alameda and was able to get 20+ channels with an antenna. Most locations in the bay area waters should get pretty good reception.
I ended up adding Satellite and am very happy with it. I went with the Intellian I2 model and couldn't be happier. I get over 100 HD channels. I installed it myself and it was very easy. The hardest part was running the cables. There were 2 coax cables that go from the dish to the control module which I installed next to the receiver with the rest of the audio equipment. There is also a DC power connection needed for the control module and that is it. The system tracks very well and I never lose a signal when under way. I have really enjoyed have ESPN and Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area on the boat. My displays are all LCD so the HD signal is great.
I ended up adding Satellite and am very happy with it. I went with the Intellian I2 model and couldn't be happier. I get over 100 HD channels. I installed it myself and it was very easy. The hardest part was running the cables. There were 2 coax cables that go from the dish to the control module which I installed next to the receiver with the rest of the audio equipment. There is also a DC power connection needed for the control module and that is it. The system tracks very well and I never lose a signal when under way. I have really enjoyed have ESPN and Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area on the boat. My displays are all LCD so the HD signal is great.
Kris,
If you don't mind a few questions:
Which marina are you in to get only two channels with the antenna?
Are you now using Direct TV with your satellite?
Did you buy the receiver from a retailer such as Best Buy?
Is your TV AC or DC?
Thanks for your time.
If you don't mind a few questions:
Which marina are you in to get only two channels with the antenna?
Are you now using Direct TV with your satellite?
Did you buy the receiver from a retailer such as Best Buy?
Is your TV AC or DC?
Thanks for your time.
I am at PIER 39. I use a box from Dish Network and my TV runs on AC. I went with Dish because their are very few marine satellite dishes that can receive the DirecTV signal. I believe they are in the process of moving some of the digital antennas from the middle to the top of Sutro Tower in SF as I now can pick up a couple more stations.
Marc:
I am guilty of not checking in enough around here..
kgd summed up installation pretty well. This is an old fashioned cabling job, as are most marine electronic installations. If you are like me, you will spend twice as much time planning and probing as you do actually installing the cables. Drilling holes in boats still makes me cry. The first installation I did took three days. This was a huge houseboat, completely rebuilt, with a stunning interior. There were two TV's to cable up. I poured sweat and shook while I drilled. The owner, and his family sat there while I worked. The job looked great.
The second one was a 52' houseboat, and the cabling was much easier. Still took three days, but I cabled up three locations in that one, switching systems, a power panel, and a 5.1 surround system. That boat was owned by Curt Page, of West Coast Canvas. Shortly after I finished, he showed the boat to a guy who pulled out his checkbook and ended Curt's ownership. Curt told me that the satellite system sold that boat.
If you would like some more information of the hardware, I'll be glad to check this out for you. And I promose to check the posting more often.
FindMe, looking for a place to watch the Niners game..
I am guilty of not checking in enough around here..
kgd summed up installation pretty well. This is an old fashioned cabling job, as are most marine electronic installations. If you are like me, you will spend twice as much time planning and probing as you do actually installing the cables. Drilling holes in boats still makes me cry. The first installation I did took three days. This was a huge houseboat, completely rebuilt, with a stunning interior. There were two TV's to cable up. I poured sweat and shook while I drilled. The owner, and his family sat there while I worked. The job looked great.
The second one was a 52' houseboat, and the cabling was much easier. Still took three days, but I cabled up three locations in that one, switching systems, a power panel, and a 5.1 surround system. That boat was owned by Curt Page, of West Coast Canvas. Shortly after I finished, he showed the boat to a guy who pulled out his checkbook and ended Curt's ownership. Curt told me that the satellite system sold that boat.
If you would like some more information of the hardware, I'll be glad to check this out for you. And I promose to check the posting more often.
FindMe, looking for a place to watch the Niners game..