Winegard RC-DT09A battery powered DTV converter box

[mykethebyke01]

way cool idea!

[LLLTTTCCC]

Does it work in the country or forrest if Im going camping? Thx

[yuandrew]

As long as you can receive a signal from the transmitters, you should be able to watch TV.

Make sure you bring a good antenna with you. Rabbit ears like the Radio Shack Catalog #: 15-1868 should do fine assuming you're within 32 miles of the TV transmitter towers. Get a long coax cable as well so you can place the antenna on top of something high (like your van) where it can pick up the signal better.

[2skullscrushing]

@yuandrew what antenna are you using on this particular set up?

[yuandrew]

@2skullscrushing

Just an old set of rabbit ears which were in my attic.

[AceLockCo]

What cable did you have to get. I have the exact same problem, but with a different unit. It has audio and video inputs on the side, but they look to be 1/8" headphone jack size. I don't know for sure if they are, but that is my guess. I am assuming yours has the same inputs. Thanks in advance.

[yuandrew]

They are 1/8" Headphone Style plugs.

What brand/model DVD player are you planning to use ?

[AceLockCo]

I can't find the cable anywhere. I have an Apex DVD player that has been sitting around for years. The DVD player part broke, but t he monitor is still good.

[yuandrew]

RadioShack may have some adapters that go directly from RCA jacks to a 1/8" plug.

BTW, does the DVD player actually accept an input signal ? You will need one that does

[AceLockCo]

It has inputs on the side. One says Audio, One says Video/Coaxial and the 3rd says S-Video. There is also a headphone jack for audio out.

[alg2468]

The exact same box can be bought at Target Department Stores under the Venturer brand name. It has some parts and menus like the Zenith and Insignia converter boxes. Reception is excellent.

[yuandrew]

Yeah, I've seen that one at Target as well although the box says "RCA" on the bottom. Pretty much identical other than the brand.

I have the Zenith DTT-900 as well and the menus are similar and both have pretty good reception performance.

[chrisworld2]

Didn't DTV not go live yet? So when it does wont these boxes get more channels and quality?

[yuandrew]

DTV has already been currently transmitted along with the analog signal as of now. In my area, switchover is set for June.

I get both a main channel (example 7-1) and sub channels (7-2, 7-3)

And yes, the picture remains clear unlike the analog tuner which would have a fuzzy picture in my area (I live between two hills) The only drawback is when the signal gets very bad, the picture would freeze then come back in little squares.

[chrisworld2]

Ah, nice. Yeah digital does get boxy when it loses connection, our comcast digital cable does that alot. I think my area is also set for June, lol people knew about this for a few years and they bumped it back because ppl still didnt like it. ITs free TV at digital quality + some HD am i right? (Though..its not gonna have TONS of channels like most cable)

[chrisworld2]

I mean they are complaining about switchign over ....and its FREE digital quality stuff unlike that old fashoned analog crap.

[de132]

3:45

[chrisworld2]

lmao 2:57

[de132]

thats what i laughted at

also

3:25 was funny

[kiendl]

that's exactly the right thing, having some sort of operational TV in case of an emergency. There was a time where the Internet was advertised as a means of communication in an emergency. But as Clifford Stoll correctly noted, IF there is an emergency, power is usually the first thing to fail and there you are with Internet communication (that needs power at a LOT of places along the path from the source to the destination of the packets).

[M4sk3dC4sp3r]

that's perty kool thanks for sharing