Looking for advice (ditching cable and getting HD antenna)

[luapsided]

We've had midcontinent and now, directv. What it boils down to is that for the amount of tv we watch, it isn't worth $90 a month, less or more. Just to cut to the chase, who has experience with HD antennas in the Grand forks/ East Grand forks area? What antenna do you have? do you have a signal booster with it? I've been looking at reviews and a bunch of things, but I suppose what it comes down to is what channels would i expect to pick up with an antenna? What accessories or other equipment would you recommend with an antenna to get the best results? I'm not looking to sound like a cheapskate or wanting 100 free channels or anything. I'm looking for something to put on the tv screen sometimes, that doesn't waste my money away anymore. Any help or opinions would be greatly helpful. Thanks!

[SIOUXFAN97]

i've thought about ditching cable but keeping internet and getting hulu/netflix and a hd antennae too...i have the hd antennae (the leaf) and it gets a few channels in hd...cbs, abc, fox, nbc and some pbs channels...probably only thing keeping me from dropping midco is the midco sports channel but with the new big sky app that covers most sports and hockey i normally watch in person or with friends at their houses?

[Redneksioux]

I'm just out of grand forks and I get all locals(CBS, abc, fox, NBC, and PBS)

Bsu hockey can be picked up on 3 different ota channels from my place.

I'm in the country and have an antenna in my attic. The higher you can get your antenna the better. But you may be able to get all channels with a set of rabbit ears.

Get a UHF/VHF antenna because there is a few channels of each.

Pretty much all channels are hd.

Downfall is no midcosn for und sports when they play at home.

[sprig]

The clearstream 5 from antennas direct may be overkill for the GF area, but it will give you everything available plus maybe some you wouldn't expect. Off air HD is the best pic you can get, better than direct, dish, or cable

http://www.antennasd...TV-antenna.html

If you can get the db2e you'll spend less and probably get all you can in GF as well.

http://www.antennasd...TV-Antenna.html

One of the indoor antennas may also work just as well in Grand Forks.

[Redneksioux]

The db4e is the antenna I use. No amplifier needed just outside of grand forks. We have towers south, northeast, and west of us and the db4e picks all of them up from having it pointed straight up and not one direction.

[Hayduke]

I did it. Put a HD antenna on the roof I bought through Ebay. I get about 25 channels out of the Denver/Cheyenne market. Netflix, ESPN3, and streaming Sioux games keeps me happy. Not sure how many channels you would get in GF though...

[Redneksioux]

You should be able to pick up 11 different channels total in grand forks.

[Blackheart]

You should be able to pick up 11 different channels total in grand forks.

maybe the guys over at UND could recommend a good FTA system...

[sprig]

maybe the guys over at UND could recommend a good FTA system...

bring back the dinosaurs

[luapsided]

Thanks for the replies! (Yes, a month later i know..) With any of these antennas, no matter how big of range it has, you will never pick up channels such as espn,espnu, nbc sports, ect. You'll really only pick up local channels correct (minus midco and others of course)? I guess maybe to help, maybe someone could mention the different channels I could possibly pick up from 2 different antennas. Say one is good for 35 miles and the other one will reach 100 miles away. What channels would possibly come in from the Grand Forks area from one antenna and not the other? what would be the most channels I'd get with either one, like 15?

[luapsided]

The db4e is the antenna I use. No amplifier needed just outside of grand forks. We have towers south, northeast, and west of us and the db4e picks all of them up from having it pointed straight up and not one direction.

how many channels do you get?

[Redneksioux]

how many channels do you get?

CBS, abc-both wday and wdaz, cw, wdaz and y weather channel, fox, NBC, me tv, 4 different prairie public channels-one local nd, one world, one minnesota(good for beavers games), and another national one, and a religious channel. If you have the db4e mounted at least 2 stories up, if it's pointed right, I don't see why you couldn't get all the same channels as long as there isn't too many tall buildings near your home. Try hooking up a set of rabbit ears directly to your hd tv. With an antenna mounted up higher you will be able to get more....specifically fox and wdaz since these are the two that are VHF and tougher to get....an antenna up high will help you get these. I wouldn't count on picking up anything more though it may be possible if you can mount your antenna even higher.

http://antennaweb.org

Check this site out and key in 58201. You'll get an idea of where each tower is at. I'm able to pick up all the close ones with my antenna sitting on a horizontal rafter in my third story attic. Might be thirty feet up.

[Redneksioux]

Also if you enjoy college hockey/basketball/football, have a few hundred dollars to invest, and a clear view of the south sky from ground level(at least 25 degrees to the east and west), a motorized ku band Fta system would make a great addition to your setup;) no more Sioux home games found this way but many of their away games plus many other games during the winter months.

I wouldn't have it any other way. In 8 years I've saved myself well over 10 grand with only $400 invested in my equipment.

[luapsided]

thanks!