Free Television

Here's how I erected a tower to access free OTA (Over The Air) television.  This standard antenna receives VHF and UHF signals which means it gets FM radio and digital SD and HD signals.  The diamond shaped white box below the rotor is the transponder (modem) that receives LTE 'high speed' internet.  (up to 50 Mbps depending on your package, service and location etc.)

The first step is to acquire an old tower.  I got mine for free, years ago from someone who just wanted it taken down and discarded as he had changed to satellite.  It came with the antenna and the rotor. 

The green guy poles are top rails for a chain link fence.  Only green was on sale, $8.50 ea. @ Home Hardware, Napanee.

Note my custom made mounting brackets.

Then the tower sections are painted.  I used Canadian Tire Armour Coat rust paint.  I also painted the outer frame and tank for the solar heating system (see Hot Water Solar Heating) and gave the scissorlift a much needed coat.

Another camera - TV screen shot - showing some of the 12 free OTA channels that I receive in my area near Napanee Ontario. (without even using the rotor)

These good quality photos can come from any source including DVDs, YouTube, Netflix, etc..  If you're watching from your computer monitor, you don't need the camera.  Just use the Print Screen (PrtScn) key, then paste it to your Paint program.  It works whether the video is paused or not.  This method gives a perfect copy of your screen, whereas the quality of a camera shot will depend on many factors including ambient light, the camera's sophistication, photographer's ability, etc . . .

Some people may ask, "Why would you want to watch local programming, usually not of your choice and full of commercials?"  That's true, but outside of cities and beyond fibre and cable systems, the next choice (until Starlink is available in your area) is wireless Internet.  These systems are typically more expensive, less reliable with slower speeds and sometimes usage caps.

The advantage of free TV is that you can get your local news and programming and the service is always available even when your wireless provider isn't or if you have a usage limit that you've exceeded.  The antenna also provides more and better FM radio signals too.

Below are handheld camera shots taken with my Nikon D3300 of my Samsung 65" TV screen showing the quality of free OTA digital reception.  It also demonstrates how easily you can take a great photo from any moving digital picture on your TV screen.

The tower sections and the oil tank are sandblasted.

(plus your time and resourcefulness)

"The more time, thought and effort I put into my projects, the "luckier" I get."    D. J. Huggett

The following hand-held camera screen shots were taken while I was watching a YouTube video of The Virginian, a long running TV series on NBC from 1962 to 1971.  Considering the "made for TV" camera technology of that time period and my method of capture, the quality and colours are quite impressive.

Brenda Scott

Angie

Dickinson