Since moving into a new house, I have been in a constant battle with weak digital signals. I placed our over-the-air antenna in a room with a south-facing window, thinking all our local repeaters were to the south of us (a fact that was even incorrectly confirmed by my local NBC station through one of their engineers). Yet every time we wanted to watch a show on a different network than we were on, I had to trudge up to the second floor and move the old bunny ears around while my wife shouted confirmations from below. Something had to be done.

As a quick aside, it wasn’t all bad. In an email exchange with the local NBC station attempting to get them to boost their signal since theirs is the only channel we can never get, the engineer let me know that an antenna with bunny ears is the best at getting VHF signals, which are the lower channels on your TV and the stations with the lowest frequency. In my case, NBC is channel 3 and the lowest frequency in the area. Keep that in mind when choosing your antenna, bunny ears are not obsolete after all.

After countless vain attempts to get the elusive NBC on our TV so my wife could watch Biggest Loser without waiting the week that Hulu requires, I started looking at outdoor antennas, figuring all the wireless signals in our house and the thermal barriers we put around it were causing too much interference. In my searches (I’m leaning towards this one), I came across a website that has changed our TV watching forever for the good: AntennaWeb.

AntennaWeb proclaims itself as a way to “Maximize your television reception,” and maximize it does. You simply choose your antenna (or the closest match), enter your address, adjust your location for better accuracy, and it tells you what direction each local station’s signal is coming from (in degrees). I simply busted out my trusty Boy Scout compass, pointed the antenna in the exact direction stated on the website for optimum signal reception, and we now get just about every channel in the area without having to move any bunny ears.

Now, there are still many factors that go into the quality of your signal reception. The slightest change in weather can affect things as can microwaves, wireless internet, cell phones, and other similar devices, so keep that in mind when choosing the best room for your antenna. If indoors, it’s best to put it near a window as the signal passes better through windows than walls, and you’ll want it to be as high as you can get it, above any possible interferers. We sometimes even get NBC when everything feels like cooperating.

I’m still going to get the outdoor antenna, but with AntennaWeb, I can be sure where to place it and that it’s going to work. If we get most channels with an indoor antenna, we should definitely have better luck with a stronger outdoor antenna. Go ahead, try out AntennaWeb and let me know how it works in your area.

Disclaimer: This post is for informative purposes only. I am in no way involved with or a part of AntennaWeb or any possible affiliates. I have received no compensation from AntennaWeb for this post.

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You may remember one of my earliest posts on this site, “How to Survive the DTV Switch,” but when I wrote that post, I had no idea that the DTV switch could actually be a matter of survival for some people. I was reading through my blogs the other day, when I came across this article: “Digital TV Saved a Man’s Life.” From the original article:

As of 11:15 p.m. Saturday, 69,003 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers were without power. On Friday, soon after the storm blew through, more than 131,000 customers were without power.

The damages caused by the storm are easy to see at the Midtown home of 86-year-old Robert Monsarrat. [...] Monsarrat hasn’t received his digital converter box yet, so instead of watching “The Oprah Winfrey Show” from his bedroom like usual, he went into the kitchen to use his only digital television.

Soon after, lightning struck a large red oak in his backyard, causing it to come crashing down on his house at Hawthorne and Peach near Overton Park. [...] The tree destroyed the back of the house, including his bedroom. [...] Other than a few bruises, minor cuts and a gash on his head, Monsarrat was not seriously injured.

So there you have it. By the transitive property of equality, this blog can save your life. I wrote about switching to digital television, and digital television saved that man’s life, therefore my article saved that man’s life!

Okay, maybe not, but I do hope that everyone else out there made it through the transition without any problems. I may have to upgrade our antenna because after the switch, our local digital signals don’t seem to be coming in as strong as they used to be. How about you? Did you survive the switch?

Oh, and don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook! I’ll be trying to post more content such as links and shorter tips over there so it becomes a little more valuable to follow. Plus, if I get 100 or more fans, I can get a nifty new vanity url!

- Source: CommercialAppeal.com via Warming Glow

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This post comes in response to Natalie, who wrote, “Ugh, I hate computer/tv/charger/usb/whatever cables. Do you have any tips on how to keep them organized?”

Photo by thatgrumguy on Flickr

Anyone who owns more than one electronic device in their home or office has run into this problem at one time or another. You’re just minding your own business, upgrading and optimizing your workspace or home theater when out of nowhere, a giant cable spaghetti monster is staring you right in the face. Do you cower in fear, crying for your mommy, or do you stand up and fight? Whatever your answer, I’m going to provide you with some tools to either aid you in your battle, or protect you from future attacks. I have scoured the internet over the past few years and will now bring you my favorite methods of cable organization.

1. Velcro Ties – I’ve tried zip ties, but I change things around so often that they didn’t last for more than about a week before I was cutting them off in a frenzied fit. The geniuses at Velcro have me covered with their Velcro One-Wrap cable ties. They give you the security of a zip tie with the pleasant bonus of being able to rip thousands of tiny hooks from their respective loops whenever you feel the urge. Plus, they come in a variety of different colors so you can color code your various components. Just wrap them around the cables with a common path and tuck them neatly to the edges of your workstation and/or entertainment center.

2. Plug Labels – We’ve all been there. We’ve all followed what we thought was the power cord for our external hard drive through the web of tangled cables tucked discretely behind our desk only to pull our computer’s power cord instead, losing the latest draft of our memoirs, aptly titled “Knotted Cables and the Therapy They Induced.” Enter ID Pilot (via Lifehacker), stickers that may save your Great Grandma’s life some day. Put the hard drive label on the hard drive plug and the life support label on the life support plug and you’ll never have to console a room full of Geriatrics ever again. Yeah, you could probably make your own with some simple stickers from Office Depot, but then I wouldn’t be able to justify this ridiculous paragraph.

3. CableDrop Cable Holder – If you ever have trouble keeping your cables within reach, or if your cables are always slipping out of your grasp, this is the hot new product for you. The CableDrop cable holder sticks right on your desk and holds your cables for you so you can rest your lazy little fingers. Now, the ordering page is in Chinese or some such language, but if you can find a translator, or learn Chinese, your cable holding woes will be forever gone. You may be able to fashion some sort of clip in its stead, but that may require a revisit to your favorite episode of MacGuyver, and this site will not be held responsible for any mullets grown or plots of world domination foiled with duct tape as a result of this post.

4. Go Wireless – Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this one for your home theater, but it should work wonderfully for your office. There are countless types of wireless keyboards, mice, printers, usb hubs, and even monitors you can find in stores these days. Connecting everything wirelessly will cut your cable clutter at least in half. It’s a little on the expensive side, but what’s a little consumer debt matter when your desk is completely clutter-free?

5. Shove it Under the Rug – This is my preferred method for solving most of my life’s problems, so why not use it to solve your cable isssues? Lifehacker’s got a slightly more refined method, but the idea’s all the same. Basically, hide them anyway you can. Just like your inner demons, if your mom can’t see them, they’re not really there.

So there you go. Hopefully that answered your question, Natalie, or at the very least, got the ball rolling. Got a question of your own? Leave it in the comments or email me: luke (at) afrowhitey (dot) com, and I’ll do my best to answer it. Short on time? I also do house calls!

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On June 12, 2009, almost every television station in America will be forced to stop broadcasting analog signals. What does this mean? It means that anyone still using bunny ears to receive their local stations may lose their signal on that date. Your TV may go completely fuzzy. Most people by now know about the DTV (Digital TV) switch that is about to happen, but not everyone knows what to do about it, so I am going to attempt a walkthrough to be sure you are ready.

Step 1: Will You be Affected? – The first step is to determine if you will even be affected by the switch. Anyone who has a cable subscription or who uses a satellite service such as Dish Network or DirectTV is already good to go. They will not be affected at all by the switch. The ones who have to worry, are the ones that are using a tabletop antenna to receive their television stations, but not everyone will need to buy a converter box, and some may not even need to buy a new antenna. Let’s see which category you fall under:

Any TV built after July 1, 2007 was required to include a digital tuner. That means that if you bought a TV after that date, you are probably okay, skip to Step 3. If your TV is larger than 36″ and bought after July 1, 2005, you are also most likely in the clear. Anyone with a TV older than that will probably need a converter box.

To check if you need a converter box, you’ll need to look at the back of your TV where the antenna plugs in. If it says “Digital Tuner” or “ATSC,” you’re okay, at the most, you will only need a new antenna and you can skip to Step 3. If not, you will need a converter box. Another way to check is to go into your TV’s channel setup and see if there is a digital tuner option. If not, you need a converter box.

Step 2: Order Your Coupons and Buy Your Converter – If you determined you need a converter box in Step 1, you should order your government coupons as soon as possible. The Government is offering $40 off any approved digital converter box to ease the transition. You are allowed 2 coupons per person, so if you are married or have a roommate and need more coupons, be sure to order some through them as well. The coupons expire after 90 days and there may be a waiting list to get one because of the late rush of requests, so order as quickly as possible here.

Now you need to find a good converter box. You can buy them at any place that sells electronics. Just ask a salesmen to show you the ones that are eligible for the coupons. Most of them will cost you nothing but a little tax. I recommend Dish Network’s DTV Pal. It is eligible for the coupon and it has a detailed channel menu that makes setting timers to record or watch your favorite shows a breeze. I bought 2 and they are very easy to use and set up. Unfortunately, as of this point, the $40 TR-40 is sold out, but the similar DTV Pal Plus is only another $20 on top of your coupon.

Step 3: Install Your Converter Box and Scan for Channels – If you bought a converter box, consult the user manual to hook it to your TV. It is usually as easy as plugging your antenna into the box and plugging the box into the TV using the provided cables. Now you need to scan for channels.

With a converter box, simply turn on your TV and the box and it should automatically scan for channels. If you have a TV with a digital tuner built in, access your TV’s channel setup menu and scan for digital signals using the digital auto-program. If you receive all your local channels, you’re good to go, if you receive “weak signal” messages or fuzzy pictures, you probably need a new, more powerful DTV antenna. Try moving the antenna around a little, and if that doesn’t work, you’ll have to buy a DTV antenna. Digital TV is always crystal clear because the signal is either there, or it’s not. So if you see snow or static, you will need a new antenna.

Step 4: Buy and Install Your DTV Antenna – You can buy a DTV antenna at any place you can buy electronics these days. I bought mine at Target and it feeds both of my TR-40s through a standard coax splitter. They typically cost around $40. Spend any less than that and you risk buying an antenna that isn’t powerful enough. Do not buy this antenna. I tried it first and it was just too weak. We were constantly forced to adjust it. The main difference between a DTV antenna and bunny ears, besides the price, is that DTV antennas are typically amplified through external power (they plug into an AC outlet in the wall). They sell external antennas that you can mount on the outside of your house, and you may want to consider that if you had trouble getting channels before the switch.

Why Bother? – Some of you may be thinking that this is way too much hassle to deal with and may be considering cable or satellite. What it comes down to is a matter of price. You can spend about $40 once and receive unlimited local channels in crystal clear, digital picture by staying with over-the-air TV, or you can spend about $10 or more a month for the rest of your life for the basic cable plan and receive what is often, sketchy, fuzzy signals. Those who already have cable or Satellite don’t need to worry about this, but anyone who receives over-the-air TV and is satisfied with the amount of channels they get should seriously consider it before switching. Digital TV is a good thing, but paying for channels I can get for free is not something I want to do.

As always, if you have any questions, or need help getting your TV ready for the DTV switch, feel free to contact me by commenting below, or using the links to the left.

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