|
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
From: Susan Meckley (no email)
Date: Mon Aug 05 2002 - 16:31:37 EDT
I assume you are on a sail boat.
Here is a home made that works wonderful.
1. Take a length of copper tubing (around 3/8-1/2" dia) to make a loop
around 18" in diameter. (frequencies vary so much over the television bands
that it is impossible to have one length that will work on all channels
equally well. If you like vhf make it 18" if you like uhf make it 9")
These figures are arbitrary.
2. Now cut the tubing in two places, exactly opposite each other. You now
have two half-circle pieces.
3. Either stick a wooden down into each tube to again make a circle
OR....flatten the ends of each piece with a hammer and drill holes so that a
small piece of retangular plastic can be bolted to each end...again making a
circle.
4. Connect you tv lead in 300 ohm twinlead, or coax and a balum (75-300 ohm
converter....79 cents at radio shack) to each piece on one side of the
circle. You now have leading connected to both 1/2 circular pieces, on one
side of the circle.
5. Using nylon cord make a lift harness so you can raise this on a halyard.
You want the ring to remain horizontal.
6. Run a nylong cord from one side of the circle to the other and run the
lead-in out to the center and then down. That way the weight of the leadin
will not throw the unit off balance and make it verticle.
7. Raise the unit with the halyard til you get a good picture. Remember At
distance, TV signals travel in "channels" only a foot or two tall...you
might get very good reception at 41 feet, but really bad at 49'. Another
item to consider, if you go all the way up the mast it is possible that you
will also be receiving signals bounced off of ahill or mountain, thus giving
you ghosts.
I have used this with great success...and have made quite a few for
neighbors in the marina.
If you need amplification, go to radio shack and get a 20 db
amplifier...WITH A GAIN CONTROL.
OR.....get a Direct TV dish/receiver, mount it on a Follow-me-tv sat. sig
follower, and enjoy sat. tv even while at anchor....I did. It follows the
satilite throught a 720 degree swing at anchor.
Problems....let me know.
Susan
S/V Menage-A-Trois
___________________________________________________________________________
|| The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" request ||
|| in body of message to: ||
|