Antennas - Can I use old Direct TV antenna (maybe with modification)

[Kdar]

Have anyone here ever did DIY antennas?

Do you know if I can modify my Direct TV dish* to make it work as antenna for me?

(I don't use Comcast or Direct tv or Dish Network)

(It already on my roof, so I want to make use of it)

[sudoer541]

I am not sure if I understood your post, but Ill give it a shot!!!:P

You said you want to convert your satellite dish to an over the air antenna right? That is not possible because satellite dishes and over the air antennas use different frequencies.
However you can build your own DIY antenna, its super easy.
you can search on youtube for "DIY OTA antenna" or "make OTA antenna"
take a look at this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw) its very helpful.
If you are not willing to build one, you can always buy an antenna at your local electronics store and you can modify it if you desire.
Remember! you will need to have a digital TV with ATSC tuner to view over the air channels.
If you dont, you can always buy a converter box for your old TV and it will work.


I have made tons of OTA antennas and I last year I made one and put it on outside my balcony.
I live on a high rise building and my signal is amazing!!! I receive about 25~ digital HD channels (not including analog)
I have a 30" Samsung TV and the picture is wow.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me!!!:)

P.S You wont need your DirectV dish anymore and you cant use it for anything else.

[Kdar]

Thanks man. Sorry I mistyped in my initial post, I feel wasted with this hot weather today. Half awake half asleep.

Yes, I wanted to build OTA.

And was kind of thinking maybe I can attach something to DirectTV dish to make it work like antenna (since it is already there, on the roof).

[Kdar]

PS. I saw online few people did Cantenna from their old Satellite dish.

Anyone tried it?

[cariboo]

You could use the dish for a bird bath. :)

[Directive 4]

i put my wireless router in the focus of a spare dish and get signal boost from
~20% to ~ 35%
at the far end of my house.
now wireless doesn't drop out every 5 min's in my kitchen.

[Kdar]

You could use the dish for a bird bath. :)

haha thats nice idea :lolflag:

[sudoer541]

i put my wireless router in the focus of a spare dish and get signal boost from
~20% to ~ 35%
at the far end of my house.
now wireless doesn't drop out every 5 min's in my kitchen.

Do you use the LNB with the dish, or just the dish alone?

[drreed]

You can use the dish as a directional antenna to extend the range of a wireless router. However, you will shorten the distances achievable with others that are not in that direction.

There are plans on the net for building high-gain antenna's for wireless routers, and I think they use metal kitchen mixing-bowls for the dish. Search DIY antenna's.

[sudoer541]

You could use the dish for a bird bath. :)

Or you can use it for a 18-24 inch Pizza!!! Take a look at GNU Pizza on the forums btw.


i put my wireless router in the focus of a spare dish and get signal boost from
~20% to ~ 35%
at the far end of my house.
now wireless doesn't drop out every 5 min's in my kitchen.

Do you use the LNB with the dish or no?
A pic would be gr8!

[Directive 4]

Do you use the LNB with the dish, or just the dish alone?


just the dish.



You can use the dish as a directional antenna to extend the range of a wireless router. However, you will shorten the distances achievable with others that are not in that direction.


for some strange reason the telephone wires are just at one side (old house) so the router is in the corner of the house,

the distances achievable will be shortend but only in a line of sight that travels throu the dish. (i'e behind the dish.)

hence this is not applicable to my particular situation

the problem was that some internal walls are really thick. but it's all good now

[Directive 4]

A pic would be gr8!



mañana

[sudoer541]

I also want to clarify something!!!:)

DirecTv and Dish Network use proprietary components (small dishes) Those small dishes + LNBs can receive only circular signals. You can use a DirecTv dish for Dish Network and Dish Net dish for DirecTv because they use the same technology. However you cant use any of the dishes mentioned above to receive a linear signal from other providers such as Globecast world TV and starchoice (starchoice is for Canada only)

BTW IMO if you create/buy an antenna to receive local channels, you will save tons of $!!!
When I had Rogers Cable when I used to live in Toronto (awwwww I missed Toronto!!!) I used to watch local channels 95% of the time. When I found out that I can receive the same local channels plus more channels from Buffalo, I canceled my cable service and I made an antenna. My antenna is located outside my balcony and I live on a high rise building so my signal is great! As I wrote earlier I receive about 25 channels all in Digital + HD (analog and duplicate channels not counted)
BTw Kdar where do you live? If you live close to Bufallo you can receive both American and Canadian channels.

[wojox]

I don't see why not. I saw a guy on the evening news a few months ago who made one out of a two by four and three wire coat hangers.

I to have a old Dish Network satellite on my roof. Currently running Comcast though. Before they came out and hooked up the cable, I plugged in the T.V. but didn't have any rabbit ears so I screwed in the Dish Network cat cable and actually got a few good channels with it.

Directive 4's idea has crossed my mind as well. When I login to my laptop I can see my network as well as the networks of my neighbours on either side of me. If I hooked up my Dish Network satellite to my router would I be able to see everyone's WAP within a six block radius?

[Kdar]

mañana

I want to see too, amigo

[Kdar]

I don't see why not. I saw a guy on the evening news a few months ago who made one out of a two by four and three wire coat hangers.

I to have a old Dish Network satellite on my roof. Currently running Comcast though. Before they came out and hooked up the cable, I plugged in the T.V. but didn't have any rabbit ears so I screwed in the Dish Network cat cable and actually got a few good channels with it.

Directive 4's idea has crossed my mind as well. When I login to my laptop I can see my network as well as the networks of my neighbours on either side of me. If I hooked up my Dish Network satellite to my router would I be able to see everyone's WAP within a six block radius?

I will try to do it.
I bought balun today so will try to make antenna tomorrow or on Friday. Hopefully I will get some channels :)
Can you set up several antennas? So maybe each point to different direction?
How would you hook them up? Just use coax splitter?

oh another thing....
Where do people attach their Antennas?

Roof comes first to my mind.. but I saw few people online attaching it on attic. They attach it there because it just easier or?
---
Do you think reflector in OTA would help? I mean reflector behind those V shape wires.

[sudoer541]

I will try to do it.
I bought balun today so will try to make antenna tomorrow or on Friday. Hopefully I will get some channels :)
Can you set up several antennas? So maybe each point to different direction?
How would you hook them up? Just use coax splitter?

oh another thing....
Where do people attach their Antennas?

Roof comes first to my mind.. but I saw few people online attaching it on attic. They attach it there because it just easier or?
---
Do you think reflector in OTA would help? I mean reflector behind those V shape wires.

I am sure you can hook more than one antenna but they most be at least 3 Meters apart. I have never done it but I have read its possible.
I wouldn't recommend you installing your antenna on your attic because you may get bad reception since the signal is being blocked. I would recommend to put the antenna on your roof or yard. I think the best type of antenna is the coat hanger antenna, like this one (http://dmikula.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/p22100171.jpg).
you can attach a reflector made of foil at the back of your antenna and you dont need to attach any wires to the reflector.

Good luck!!!:)

[Kdar]

Cool. Thanks for info.

Yes, I will do this one. Will try to finish it to morrow.
I guess it can withstand weather conditions?

How do I connect it?

I have a coax cable line coming from outside (from the street) and then going to a splitter and going to my house.

Do I just attach Antenna's coax cable to that same splitter?

[Directive 4]

A pic would be gr8!


big fish small fish cardboard box


science, practical, practical, out my window!

[sudoer541]

big fish small fish cardboard box


science, practical, practical, out my window!

Grazie amigo! looks good!

[sudoer541]

Cool. Thanks for info.

Yes, I will do this one. Will try to finish it to morrow.
I guess it can withstand weather conditions?

How do I connect it?

I have a coax cable line coming from outside (from the street) and then going to a splitter and going to my house.

Do I just attach Antenna's coax cable to that same splitter?

Why do you want to split the signal? Are you using a second TV?
Anyway here is how to connect the antenna to TV:

1 Connect one end of the coax cable to the balun
2 The pins on the balun should be attached to the wires shown on the pic
3 connect the other end of the coax cable to TV (ANT IN) or to your digital converter box
4 Turn on your TV and go through the settings and you will see an option that says TV source, if its set on CABLE change it to TV/Antenna
5 Scan for channels
6 enjoy 100% Digital HD TV!!!

btw here is the pic

[Kdar]

no. not second TV.
But I already have another coax cable from a street coming to my house cable line.

I am getting few channels from there right now.

[sudoer541]

no. not second TV.
But I already have another coax cable from a street coming to my house cable line.

I am getting few channels from there right now.


Just to clarify:
there is a cable coming from the street to your house. Is that a cable (as in comcast cable?)
I would recommend you NOT to use it because its illegal and they can find out who stealing their signal in minutes!
I would suggest you to buy a RG6 coax cable for best results.
Follow the method above and you should be good.

[Kdar]

No. Not comcast.
I used to use Knology (almost like Comcast) for my TV and Internet before.

But recently I canceled TV service from them. However I am still using their Internet service.

First days later they came here, and disconnected us (their TV service). However that cable from street is still connected to my house since I have a Internet from them. It have to be connected there, otherwise I would not have Internet connection.

However, right now, after we canceled their service I am getting like 32 HD channeles, and maybe 5 analog channels (which are very very hard to see).
Oh.. and by the way.. Its not their channels.. I never had HD channels from Knology. I just had basic connection before.

I finished building my antenna. Took some photos, will post them soon.

I tried to connect my Antenna and getting 9 channels (which I don't have when cable is connected).
(channels which are listed here for my area: antennaweb.com)

When cable is connect I don't think I am not getting those 9 channels.


So.. How can I get both? those 32 + 9 from antenna?

[Kdar]

Photos of my babe


Before:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2666/dscf5716.th.jpg (http://img51.imageshack.us/i/dscf5716.jpg/)

After: (sorry a little dark outside)
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1080/dscf5724.th.jpg (http://img51.imageshack.us/i/dscf5724.jpg/)

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1278/dscf5723.th.jpg (http://img404.imageshack.us/i/dscf5723.jpg/)

I might install it on my garage near my house, it is higher there.

[Directive 4]

epic!

[Kdar]

I will need to find a better way to tie it down.

[Qu4rk]

I will need to find a better way to tie it down.

So in essence you took the dish off the mount & installed the antenna looking thing? How is it working? This post was some time ago. I have dish mounted uselessly on the side of the house & I'm interested in your findings.

Thanks!

[Pappypaul]

Thanks man. Sorry I mistyped in my initial post, I feel wasted with this hot weather today. Half awake half asleep.

Yes, I wanted to build OTA.

And was kind of thinking maybe I can attach something to DirectTV dish to make it work like antenna (since it is already there, on the roof).


Yes you can. I converted my Directv dish to over the air and now get 29 HD channels free..

[overdrank]

Back to sleep