OTA Indoor Antenna In Hunter's Green? RS Bowtie?

[SketchEtch]

I have a radioshack bowtie antenna I bought from Jaymer last year and never hooked up. It has the two leads that need to be screwed in to two screws (whatever its called) but I need to get this into my Mitsu HDTV (integrated). Is there an adapter/cable that will get this into a coax I can screw into the TV?

Is this the best indoor antenna I can get?

I live in an apartment near Hunter's Green and want to start getting HDTV OTA and I want the best indoor solution possible.

Help!

[passedpawn]

Adapter: 300 ohm to 75 Ohm adapter.... Radio Shack, $1.79-ish.

[jaymer]

hi Etch,
am glad to see you back.
you need a BALUN, but i doubt the hourly employee at the shack will know what you're referring to, so use the "300 ohm to 75 Ohm adapter" description.

one of the "mods" to that antenna to avoid a bit of signal loss is to drill out the leads that come on it... and then use a nut and bolt to attach the leads from the balun directly. be careful as you drill out the existing rivet because as it breaks through it will lock onto the bit and twist that metal strap... so clamp it good somehow or have someone help you.

this antenna thing all depends on where you live.
that antenna is working perfect with all channels and no need to move it at a friends house on Bloomingdale rd - yes, even CBS. But at my house, I had to turn it for different stations a bit. Just the location in my house, the metal in the structure, etc. will affect it. No one can tell how it will work until you try it.

[SketchEtch]

I went to Radio Shack last night looking for this adapter but they didnt have it. I have an adapter, but would like one attached to a cable.

Anyway I bought a powered indoor antenna there, the only one they had that said HDTV antenna (although I know any UHF/VHF antenna will work).

The model I got was this:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-1880

I hooked it up and messed with it for about an hour and was able to get:

3.01 WEDU-SD
3.02 WEDU-SD
3.05 WEDU-HD

8.01 NBC

28.01 ABC

44.01 UPN

47.01 Some Spanish Nonsense

66.01 PAX

I can get all these with some easy slight movements that I documented. I don't have a compass, and if I did I am probably too stupid to use it.

I also got CBS (10.01) perfectly clear while setting it up, but have been unable to get it back. I will play more with it over the next couple days. I also got some indication of FOX (12.01???) but it was full of artifacts and jumpy, and never got audio or full motion video. Seems this is a hard signal to get.

I am not really worried about FOX and CBS since I have BHN with these channels in HD.

I would like to get the WB but it's probably not gonna happen.

I live in Hunter's Green in New Tampa, so I am happy with this amount of reception.