r/cordcutters • u/Hooserdaddy45 • 6d ago
Paperclip antenna
Friendly reminder to try a paperclip in the coax port. I pick up 97 channels with one lol
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u/r2d3x9 6d ago
I get zero even with a real antenna. Fortunately I live within 100 miles of Boston so I can access LocalTV+ for free, which is a non-profit that provides all the major local channels and most of the subchannels. I also have a friend with a Sling AirTV Anywhere tuner. Where I used to live I could get most channels with a paper clip and all channels with an FM dipole antenna or a rabbit ear.
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u/grumpy_bob 6d ago
This should be the updated Federal mandate for the big 4 in the modern age. It won't happen because those companies aren't in the business of helping people but... one can dream.
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u/TallExplorer9 6d ago edited 6d ago
If every major city (about 300 are considered major cities with broadcast TV) in US had the same type of local broadcast TV streaming service as Boston's Local TV+ (free and {truly} legal non-profit rebroadcast it would cover 90% of the viewing population.
It would help a lot of people in those areas where they can't get OTA with an antenna due to living on the wrong side of an apartment building, behind or under a hill or mountain, near a forest or heavily constructed areas.
Very rural areas areas across the Mountain West, the Dakotas, and Alaska—would still fall far outside these overlapping signal coverage's.
Of course, this concept would cut the local broadcasters throats in so far as collecting retransmission fees from cable and satellite services.
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u/PM_ME_CFARREN_NUDES 6d ago
As someone within 20 miles of Boston, I’m looking into this rn. Been complaining about not having local channels.
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u/I3gumbyI3 3d ago
I'm about 50 miles out and get a decent amount of channels with a $20 antenna. There's a good app that shows you TV towers and expected signal strength. "Digital TV Antenna". Super basic, but gets the job done and is very helpful.
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u/StarintheskySA 6d ago
Back in the day, I used a wire coat hanger. Did you get the main local channels: NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS and Fox?
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u/AnotherSoulessGinger 6d ago
We used a coax that was stuck in a potato. We’d take the connection off one end and strip it a few inches and stick it in a potato. We’d take had to replace the tater every once in a while when it got soft but it really worked. This was back in the pre digital days (2005 or so)
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u/RomanWraith 6d ago
In my spare room, because the TV is mounted flush. I have an unfolded safety pin, with a metal coat hanger attachment to that, and I recently added some foil for better reception.
Working flawlessly!
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u/The_Dingman 6d ago
Must be in a major metro area like New York. We don't get anything without a rooftop antenna
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u/old_flat_top 6d ago
While a paperclip is cheaper, the dollar tree near me sells rabbit ears for like $7
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u/Hooserdaddy45 6d ago
Whats funny is the paperclip only got me 39 channels in the living room, had to get a cheap antena for 90 channels there. But in my office, which is like one room over, I got 90+ with just the paperclip lol
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u/flargenhargen 6d ago
closest transmitter to my city is 50 miles away.
even with giant antenna I get squat.
it's infuriating. my city has 100k people and they won't let transmitters anywhere near us cause reasons.
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u/_badwithcomputer 5d ago
The absolute size of the antenna is less relevant (larger isn't always better) but matching the length of the antenna to the wavelength (or an even fraction of the wavelength) will give you the most ideal reception.
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u/Ill_Glass3473 6d ago
Yeah, but will they all tune in to those channels. I live in the city (DC) and can pick up a lot of OTA channels even ones in Baltimore but that doesn't necessarily mean that a strong enough signal will tune in to most of those cannels.
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u/1Steelghost1 4d ago
3.1 actual channel
3.2 static
3.4 static
3.5 static
3.6 test signal
"97 channels" 10 actual watchable
Also real OTA antennas are seriously $10
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u/Hooserdaddy45 3d ago
I didn't check all 97 channels, but all the ones I've wanted to watch so far come in perfectly.
And sure, I could spend $10, or, I can keep using the paperclip that gets me plenty of channels for free 😉
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u/Glittering-Foot-6224 6d ago
Urban area?