> If you see it, call or email the local media and see if they'll
> investigate it as was done in Syracuse so the facts can come out.
<sigh> This is just the latest-and-greatest version of Sucker Born Every Minute.
At age 68, retired from a career in Electronics, I've been working with RF signal reception, among other things, all my life. There isn't any Magic Pixie Dust to be sprinked into a box that will pop out later as a revolutionary new antenna. Not happenin'. Nope, nope, nope.
The engineer who appeared in the video version of the story was exactly right. Just about everything that can be designed has already been tried --
if for no other reason than there aren't any new physical principles on which to base a radical new design. The last major discovery was the development of the Yagi antenna, a gain antenna with multiple elements. (That happened in the 1920s.)
Indoor antennas are frequently a crapshoot. What works poorly in the living room may be great upstairs ... or in the next-door neighbor's living room. Outside, high and clear, is virtually always superior to indoor. Move it away from people and "stuff."
Sorry if your personal situation precludes the use of an effective outside antenna. I don't make the rules.
I build and install Custom reflector less outdoor 4 bay, upper VHF/UHF
antennas for the South Florida area that is ~20 times the size of that
tiny thing.
Once installed correctly, it allows one to receive nearly all of the
HDTV channels in two Designated Market Area's(West palm Beach-Ft
Pierce, Miami-FortLaderdale).
> Indoor antennas are frequently a crapshoot. What works poorly in the living > room may be great upstairs ... or in the next-door neighbor's living room. > Outside, high and clear, is virtually always superior to indoor. Move it > away from people and "stuff."
Don't forget the great reception you get from your indoor aerial until there's an extra person in the room, namely the guest you invited over for show (and show off) and tell.
> On 1/23/2012, Sal posted:
>> Indoor antennas are frequently a crapshoot. What works poorly in the >> living room may be great upstairs ... or in the next-door neighbor's >> living room. Outside, high and clear, is virtually always superior to >> indoor. Move it away from people and "stuff."
> Don't forget the great reception you get from your indoor aerial until > there's an extra person in the room, namely the guest you invited over for > show (and show off) and tell.
> -- > Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
I know! Awful! The fix was often to have your kid stand and hold one of the rabbit ears.
(The whimpering refrain: "Is this gonna be over soon, I hafta pee.")
21 years USN active duty conferred on me a Ph.D in Profanity Studies. You DO NOT lead with the profanity. The profanity goes in the punch line --
last or next-to-last sentence.
On Monday, January 23rd, 2012, at 16:26:34h -0800, Sal wrote:
> There isn't any Magic Pixie Dust to be sprinked into a box that will
> pop out later as a revolutionary new antenna.
Not even the plastic suction cups to attach the thing to the window? ;)
I have a vague recollection of those being used before for a mini Yagi-Uda
type indoor antenna, which was very poor, and the suctions cups did not
stay stuck to the window for very long.
If you must use an indoor antenna and if the signal strength is good
enough, then a full size log periodic should do an adequate job, eg
> On Monday, January 23rd, 2012, at 20:13:26h -0500, Elmo P. Shagnasty > observed:
>> Me, I *love* watching the ignorant of the world "discover" broadcast TV.
> Yes but is it legal to watch broadcast TV without paying for it? ;) ;) ;)
No, and I'm glad you asked.
Call me and I'll help you set up a monthly transfer of funds to my account. You will then be able to watch OTA TV with a clear conscience.
> 21 years USN active duty conferred on me a Ph.D in Profanity Studies. You
> DO NOT lead with the profanity. The profanity goes in the punch line --
> last or next-to-last sentence.
> Square away, Rookie.
> Your mentor,
> "Sal"
The Navy might do things differently than some others.
According to US Army FM-7734 "intensifiers" should be placed, when
required, in an expanatory position, before final instructions, and
after intial instructions. Intensifiers, particularly strong ones,
should never be made a part of the actual instruction or orders.
Example:
Sergeant!
(Sir!)
We're ready
(A .. ten.. UTTTTTTTTT)
(Pah... RADE .... res.......)
We have been asked by the Provost Marshall to assist in the
investigation of
some spurious, illegal, or otherwise undisireable device used for
recieving Television
transmissions. This is something I know nothing about. Sergeant....
(Sir!)
Could anybody at the Provost office tell you anything?
(No, sir. Nobody could tell me anything)
What the fuck is to investigate?
(I don't know, sir)
No matter. I fully expect everyone under my command to comply with any
reasonable request for assistance from the Provost Marshall.
Are threre any questions?
.
Sergeant!
(a....ten.........HUTTTTTTTTTT)
(DIS....mi..........)
> On Monday, January 23rd, 2012, at 16:26:34h -0800, Sal wrote:
>> There isn't any Magic Pixie Dust to be sprinked into a box that will
>> pop out later as a revolutionary new antenna.
> Not even the plastic suction cups to attach the thing to the window? ;)
> I have a vague recollection of those being used before for a mini Yagi-Uda
> type indoor antenna, which was very poor, and the suctions cups did not
> stay stuck to the window for very long.
> If you must use an indoor antenna and if the signal strength is good
> enough, then a full size log periodic should do an adequate job, eg
> And you may be able to "hide" it on top of a cupboard or something ;)
I've always been afraid of suction cups on glass. I never know how close I am to breaking the glass. I do have one UHF bow-tie antenna in a window and it dangles near the top, hanging from the drapery rod.
Long ago, I used some outdoor-type antennas inside, hidden above a suspended ceiling and they worked fine. But, most people don't have a suspended ceiling. Best they have is an attic and that rules out apartment and condo dwellers.
> 21 years USN active duty conferred on me a Ph.D in Profanity Studies. You
> DO NOT lead with the profanity. The profanity goes in the punch line --
> last or next-to-last sentence.
> Square away, Rookie.
> Your mentor,
> "Sal"
The Navy might do things differently than some others.
According to US Army FM-7734 "intensifiers" should be placed, when
required, in an expanatory position, before final instructions, and
after intial instructions. Intensifiers, particularly strong ones,
should never be made a part of the actual instruction or orders.
Example:
Sergeant!
(Sir!)
We're ready
(A .. ten.. UTTTTTTTTT)
(Pah... RADE .... res.......)
We have been asked by the Provost Marshall to assist in the
investigation of
some spurious, illegal, or otherwise undisireable device used for
recieving Television
transmissions. This is something I know nothing about. Sergeant....
(Sir!)
Could anybody at the Provost office tell you anything?
(No, sir. Nobody could tell me anything)
What the fuck is to investigate?
(I don't know, sir)
No matter. I fully expect everyone under my command to comply with any
reasonable request for assistance from the Provost Marshall.
Are threre any questions?
.
Sergeant!
(a....ten.........HUTTTTTTTTTT)
(DIS....mi..........)
On Tuesday, January 24th, 2012, at 13:19:55h -0500, Jim Wilkins wrote:
> "J G Miller" <mil...@yoyo.ORG> wrote in message
> news:jfmpvi$tjh$3@dont-email.me...
>> On Monday, January 23rd, 2012, at 20:13:26h -0500, Elmo P. Shagnasty
>> observed:
>>> Me, I *love* watching the ignorant of the world "discover" broadcast
>>> TV.
>> Yes but is it legal to watch broadcast TV without paying for it? ;) >> ;) ;)
> Legal in the US, not in Britain.
Well I was not really thinking about the TV broadcast receiving or even
"on the premises" licence required in some countries.
Incidentally there are one or two areas of the USofA where a
tv receiving "licence" is in *effect* required.
I read that in in a few rural areas out west, where translators are operated by,
I think the county, or maybe a cooperative, and are the only form of terrestrial
tv, you are required to either pay a subscription or sign a declaration that you
do not watch any TV broadcasts from those translators.
> If you see it, call or email the local media and see if they'll
> investigate it as was done in Syracuse so the facts can come out.
> whosbest54
I saw that ad in the Post-Standard, but I missed the WSYR story. I was going to bring it up here, but apparently I was distracted. Pre-Christmas activities, perhaps.
The ad did "look" like a news story, but it's not the first and won't be the last. The Amish heater ads have the same style. Yes, the word "advertisement" appeared on the top of the page. I remember the ad said you could receive up to 3(?) hundred-odd "shows," not "channels," and I don't remember any claims that you could get channels normally cable-only.
The antenna was obviously a repackaged bowtie, going by what showed in the photo. It would probably work better than rabbit ears in the Syracuse area, because all our stations broadcast on UHF, but possibly not better than a properly-designed, well-aimed, bent coat hanger.
There have been no more ads for this product in the paper since, but it's only been a little over a month. Give 'em time.
> Congratulations! You out-ridiculous-ed me!<grin>
> "Sal"
> PS: The Navy does EVERYTHING differently. Sample slogan from those days:
> "The right way, the wrong way and the Navy way."
Funny - I seem to recall from my service in the early seventies that the Army had a similar slogan - "The right way, the wrong way, and the Army way." The Navy must have plagiarized it.
>> 21 years USN active duty conferred on me a Ph.D in Profanity Studies. You
>> DO NOT lead with the profanity. The profanity goes in the punch line --
>> last or next-to-last sentence.
>> Square away, Rookie.
>> Your mentor,
>> "Sal"
> The Navy might do things differently than some others.
> According to US Army FM-7734 "intensifiers" should be placed, when
> required, in an expanatory position, before final instructions, and
> after intial instructions. Intensifiers, particularly strong ones,
> should never be made a part of the actual instruction or orders.
> Example:
> Sergeant!
> (Sir!)
> We're ready
> (A .. ten.. UTTTTTTTTT)
> (Pah... RADE .... res.......)
> We have been asked by the Provost Marshall to assist in the
> investigation of
> some spurious, illegal, or otherwise undisireable device used for
> recieving Television
> transmissions. This is something I know nothing about. Sergeant....
> (Sir!)
> Could anybody at the Provost office tell you anything?
> (No, sir. Nobody could tell me anything)
> What the fuck is to investigate?
> (I don't know, sir)
> No matter. I fully expect everyone under my command to comply with any
> reasonable request for assistance from the Provost Marshall.
> Are threre any questions?
> .
> Sergeant!
> (a....ten.........HUTTTTTTTTTT)
> (DIS....mi..........)
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Congratulations! You out-ridiculous-ed me! <grin>
> "Sal"
> PS: The Navy does EVERYTHING differently. Sample slogan from those days: > "The right way, the wrong way and the Navy way."
Which I finally interpreted to mean this:
"Don't concern yourself about whether it's right or wrong. *This* is how we do it. Period."
But I think I didn't figure it out until I was a civilian...
TJ wrote:
> On 01/24/2012 02:40 PM, Sal wrote:
>> Congratulations! You out-ridiculous-ed me!<grin>
>> "Sal"
>> PS: The Navy does EVERYTHING differently. Sample slogan from those days:
>> "The right way, the wrong way and the Navy way."
> Funny - I seem to recall from my service in the early seventies that the
> Army had a similar slogan - "The right way, the wrong way, and the Army
> way." The Navy must have plagiarized it.
> TJ
it's still better than "rum, sodomy and the lash".
Jim Wilkins wrote:
> "J G Miller"<mil...@yoyo.ORG> wrote in message
> news:jfmpvi$tjh$3@dont-email.me...
>> On Monday, January 23rd, 2012, at 20:13:26h -0500, Elmo P. Shagnasty
>> observed:
>>> Me, I *love* watching the ignorant of the world "discover" broadcast TV.
>> Yes but is it legal to watch broadcast TV without paying for it? ;) ;)
>> ;)
> TJ wrote:
>> On 01/24/2012 02:40 PM, Sal wrote:
>>> Congratulations! You out-ridiculous-ed me!<grin>
>>> "Sal"
>>> PS: The Navy does EVERYTHING differently. Sample slogan from those days:
>>> "The right way, the wrong way and the Navy way."
>> Funny - I seem to recall from my service in the early seventies that the
>> Army had a similar slogan - "The right way, the wrong way, and the Army
>> way." The Navy must have plagiarized it.
>> TJ
> it's still better than "rum, sodomy and the lash".
On Jan 23, 10:39 am, whosbest54 <whosbes...@NOSPAM.yahoo.com.invalid>
wrote:
> This ad just appeared in a newspaper I subscribe to today. First I've
> seen of this.
In otherwise casual conversation this morning with several others, I
was told this ad appeared yesterday.
I seemed to be the only one who had any idea what this thing was. When
I declared it was a TV antenna, the subject had no interest any more.
I'd be interested in how well they are selling.
> On Jan 23, 10:39 am, whosbest54 <whosbes...@NOSPAM.yahoo.com.invalid>
> wrote:
>> This ad just appeared in a newspaper I subscribe to today. First I've
>> seen of this.
> In otherwise casual conversation this morning with several others, I
> was told this ad appeared yesterday.
> I seemed to be the only one who had any idea what this thing was. When
> I declared it was a TV antenna, the subject had no interest any more.
> I'd be interested in how well they are selling.
> On 1/25/2012, robinlos posted:
>> On Jan 23, 10:39 am, whosbest54 <whosbes...@NOSPAM.yahoo.com.invalid>
>> wrote:
>>> This ad just appeared in a newspaper I subscribe to today. First I've
>>> seen of this.
>> In otherwise casual conversation this morning with several others, I
>> was told this ad appeared yesterday.
>> I seemed to be the only one who had any idea what this thing was. When
>> I declared it was a TV antenna, the subject had no interest any more.
>> I'd be interested in how well they are selling.
> I have my hopes on that last issue...
> -- > Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
I went to the Clear Cast website. Despite the earlier quoted price of $38, I note that Clear Cast's balls have gotten considerable bigger. On the site
I clicked on <Shop Now> and was offered the antenna for $68. Going to Checkout, I found they also add $9.95 for shipping and $5.00 for a two-year extended warranty on the TV set. (Good luck with that extended warranty; the warranty can be deleted from your cart.)
