The Tech Loft

My over the air setup is very basic and anyone can get involved and start receiving FREE HDTV in their homes. What I have done is write this ota buyers guide based on my ota setup which is currently up and running. When I first began receiving over the air TV, my setup was the following (October 2006): Channel Master 4 Bay Antenna –  http://amzn.to/1XWD4if  *I no longer use Channel Master 2 Way Splitter/Amplifier –  http://amzn.to/1WIAzgT I had my antenna hanging in the attic and had it fed into a amplified splitter. Not sure if my setup was correct but it worked. I placed the amplifier near the antenna so the signal was strong as if traveled to my TV. Think back, I should have added a pre-amplifier…which are supposed to be installed at the antenna. Oh well…live and learn, but it worked. In 2012 we moved into our new house which was a 5 minute drive SOUTH of where we lived. After living in the new place for 3 years, I’ve finally got off my ass and installed...

Readers, I started looking into OTA broadcasts in 2004. At the time, I was living in a small town house in Oak Ridges…actually, more accurately, Temperance Ontario. Which is a km West of downtown Oak Ridges. At the townhouse, I was using a Channel Master 4 Bay antenna and 2 way amplifier. From what I recall, the most channels I was able to receive at the time was 22 channels. A mix of Toronto and U.S. broadcasts from Grand Island NY. The U.S. stations were hit and miss. Some U.S. stations broadcast at high power while others, low power. FOX (29-1) was a tricky little channel to receive but WNLO (23-1) was an easy one to pick up. We had our ups and downs but 20-22 channels is not a bad deal. Fast forward to 2015 and we’re back with over the air hdtv! We moved in 2012 and been antennaless since then. I was fortunate enough at the town house to pass a cable from the attic, down an air return vent into the basement. I the new house, I wasn’t so fortunate. I knew, for an at...