Digital Television

[William Matley]

Has anyone upgraded their mast mounted television antenna to a digital signal antenna?

I believe after February 19, 2009, our amplified analog masthead antennas will be useless.

Anyone have any guidance here?

[caprice 1050]

I bought an anolog to digital converter for my
C36 at Radio Shack a couple of months ago using a coupon from the government . Supposedly it will work. Now I have to remember where in the house I stored the converter.

[tsenator]

I can't be 100% sure but I think you can keep the antenna's you have. The problem is that your TV tuner/receiver will not be able to process the digital signals.

Like Caprice wrote I think all you need is a digital to analog converter and you don't have to change out your antenna -- but I could be wrong. Especially if its a special antenna

[Steve Frost]

There are many stations that are already putting out digital signals, I have a simple set of rabbit ears that work fine on these digital stations, my guess your mast mounted antana will do just fine. I do have a digital reciever/TV, that or a converter is a must. The down side to the converters is finding a 12 volt system or you will be required to run an inverter when away from the dock.

The TV/Reciever I purchased will run off of 110 or 12 volts, the unamplified rabbit ears run on carrots off shore.

[William Matley]

Sounds like the antenna will continue to work but my boat setup has a signal booster in the circuit.

I wonder does anyone else use a amplified signal booster for their television antenna and do you know if it will boost a digital feed?

What about High Definition channels?
Many of our boat owners represented in this group will have moorings within the signal range for HD channels. Flat screen TV's setup for HD are a fun upgrade so I wonder will we need new antennas for these HD channels and do (will) these new antennas also pick up the digital television stations.

I am trying to decide what I must upgrade for proper TV reception.

In my particular case I don't watch a lot of TV while anchored, I prefer a good DVD movie when I watch TV at all.

My slip has cable TV, but as most of you, I am planning for next spring and with the mast removed from the boat and the boat stored for the winter, I need to be ready to do any masthead antenna upgrades before we step the mast next spring.

[plaineolde]

I installed a new 22" flat screen TV a couple months ago. It's hooked up to the Shakespeare antennae that was installed when I bought the boat ('97 MkII). It has a 'booster' circuit of some sort if I recall. It picks up HD digital TV stations just fine in the Baltimore Md. area of the Chesapeake. I'm not anticipating any problems next spring but will keep my fingers crossed.

[bboggs]

I installed a new 22" flat screen TV a couple months ago. It's hooked up to the Shakespeare antennae that was installed when I bought the boat ('97 MkII). It has a 'booster' circuit of some sort if I recall. It picks up HD digital TV stations just fine in the Baltimore Md. area of the Chesapeake. I'm not anticipating any problems next spring but will keep my fingers crossed.

Keep us posted. My recently purchased C36 came with a boosted, omni directional antenna, and an antiquated TV/VCR. I planned to purchase a Digital HD ready flatscreen next spring, but now I have to wonder about the antenna issue.

I expect the boosted antenna is putting out an analog signal. I'm not sure how that will work when the signal goes digital. I'm not technically savvy enough to venture a guess.

[Merejohn]

We have a 12v powered, masthead TV antenna. We installed an analog to digital converter box (purchased on-line with the gov't coupon). We went from about 5 channels with pretty crummy reception to more than 12 channels with digital quality reception. As some have said, many channels are already broadcasting in digital and are ready to be received with the converter box.

Jay Schafer
Merejohn #2180

[tsenator]

I have been looking for a LONG time and this is the only one I found.

Looks to be a pretty nice one and with the $40 US government rebate it looks like it will cost you less than $10.

I only found 1 though --- Here is a converter box that runs on 12 volts DC: the ARTEC Model T3A Pro

http://www.digitaltvtrainer.com/national/converter-car-rv

Specs say 4.5W Max @ 12 volts so that only 0.3 amps -- not too bad

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=T3APro#MORE

Here you'd only have to pay $8 after the $40 US rebate

http://www.dtvboxanswers.com/artect3apro.html

[stone21]

Just purchased boat 2 months ago, hull #2128. PO had already installed hinkly hoop antenna. I added 22inch LCD TV with built in Digital Tuner. Works perfectly. I recevive both digital and analog channels. Most stations are duplicates. I expect to lose the analog ones in February. I actually have
more clear stations now then when I had analog with my old boat. Althought the TV is not DC, I got a good price and had many choices. Must invest in an inverter now for when on the hook.

[Spanki]

We've mounted a cantilevered mount on the fwd bulkhead in the fwd locker on the Stbd side of the main salon and put a 19" Polaroid HD LCD in there! It has to be put in and taken out cock-eyed but it fits and looks great! you can't tell it's in there with the cabinet shut, we have hooked it up to our Samsung theater system that is mounted under the top self over the drawers (stbd opposite of head). Spanki says she will help me post pictures soon!!:D