AVS Forum banner

Why does my wife HATE my new UHF/VHF 14dB HDTV antenna??

5K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  tenthplanet 
#1 ·
I just purchased a Stellar Labs UHF/VHF 14dB HDTV antenna for my apartment located just west of NYC. This is the FIRST time EVER that I am able to pull in WLIW-DT virtual & physical channel 21 at all times of the day. I installed the antenna in my bedroom on a tripod (since apt complexes don't allow rooftop installation), but my wife HATES it. Here is the pic:




So why does my wife HATE it so much?? Why can't she realize that the LARGER antennas get the BETTER signals?? Call me crazy, but I happen to think this antenna is a work of ART. My wife calls it an "eyesore". So what am I supposed to do?
 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
Never forget:

"The King lives in the castle at the discretion of the Queen."
Quote:
for my apartment
Don't you mean our apartment?
Quote:
my bedroom
Don't you mean our bedroom?
Quote:
Call me crazy, but I happen to think this antenna is a work of ART
Nice photo. I also think it is a work of art, but your wife is NOT going to change. You are asking for trouble if you force her to change.

Families that have children have members that favor PBS channels. I recall one antenna test by a friend. He set up two antennas for the family. One small antenna that didn't perform very well, and one large ugly antenna that gave them the stations they wanted. The family voted for the large antenna.


1. Find something that your wife likes on that channel so that she will tolerate the antenna to see that program. In other words, try to make her your partner in reception instead of an adversary.

2. Hide the antenna in an enclosure that is attractive to her but doesn't block any of the signal; perhaps made of fabric.

3. Switch to a flat panel reflector antenna, like a DIY 4-bay bowtie antenna with longer than normal elements to favor CH21. If properly designed, it could have almost as much gain as your Stellar Labs antenna, but would be easier to conceal in an attractive enclosure. A friend of mine bought a 4-bay bowtie antenna and left it in the cardboard box hidden from sight.

4. Mount a flat panel 4-bay bowtie antenna on the wall behind some artwork.


And never ignore the WAF, Wife Acceptance Factor.


I don't know if a preamp would help you or not, because I haven't seen your tvfool report.
 
#4 ·

Quote:
Don't you mean our apartment?
YES, I meant OUR apartment.

Quote:
Don't you mean our bedroom?
NO. I meant MY bedroom. We have separate bedrooms. I can't get any sleep with someone else in the same bed. Sorry.

Quote:
Nice photo. I also think it is a work of art..
Thanks for the compliment. At least someone else appreciates the same things that I do.

Quote:
3. Switch to a flat panel reflector antenna, like a DIY 4-bay bowtie antenna with longer than normal elements to favor CH21. If properly designed, it could have almost as much gain as your Stellar Labs antenna, but would be easier to conceal in an attractive enclosure. A friend of mine bought a 4-bay bowtie antenna and left it in the cardboard box hidden from sight.
My wife had said, AFTER the fact, that this 14.8dB Clearstream C4 antenna would have been more acceptable. Problem is, that this ariel has NO VHF elements. Here's the pic:




Also, this Clearstream C4 ariel costs OVER $100! My 14dB Stellar Labs ariel only cost $35! So go figure.
 
#5 ·
For UHF, 4-Bay Bowtie (per my FF4 or mclapp M4 Dimensions) can provide about same Gain as your Ugly Beast of an Antenna if you mount it about 4.5-inches in front of a suitable REFELCTOR, which can be a set of Reflector Rods or a Reflector Grid or a Solid Metal Foil Panel the same size as one of the modeled Reflector Grid (see models in below link)....you just have to figure out how to HIDE it whilst pointed in the requisite direction:
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/multibay

Note that I also posted the HUM4, a COMBINATION Hi-VHF & UHF Antenna.....but with TWO sets of Reflectors, it might not meet your WAF.....


For VHF, the (2-bay) Hi-VHF Hourglass-Loop is a very easy to build DIY Antenna, that may be adequate for your location [presuming Rabbit-Ears are probably NOT]. If additional Gain is needed, Reflector Rods can be added (roughly 10-inches behind the Hourglass):
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops/hivhfhourglassloop

Use a VHF and UHF Combiner (aka UVSJ) to combine with UHF Antenna above, available from Radio-Shack, Antennas-Direct, Pico-Macom and Hollands.


I also modeled COMBINED VHF/UHF Antennas, presuming that they were mounted INSIDE a 3x2-foot METAL Picture Frame. Azimuthal Coverage charts may be of interest to see how much ACTUAL GAIN is pointed towards your towers if you mounted it FLAT against a wall that wasn't exactly oriented in the optimal direction:
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops [See item #1]
 
#9 ·
When you guys sit back and insult my new antenna, you're really not helping the situation. It's already set up and configured, and I'm using it in conjunction with a Channel Master 4221, which is not shown in the photo, via a satellite quality 2500 MHz splitter/combiner. The new Stellar Labs antenna solidified my local channels, OK? Geez!
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tylerSC  /t/1527837/why-does-my-wife-hate-my-new-uhf-vhf-14db-hdtv-antenna#post_24628655


I think you can add the VHF dipole to the Clearstream 4 just like they did with the Clearstream 2V. Contact Antennas Direct about ordering that part.

Thanks. I was unaware of this. But my new Stellar Labs antenna is already set up and I'm really not interested in spending another $110+ bucks.
 
#11 ·
Does your apartment building allow you to hang plants or lights from the ceiling?

If so, why not put 3 or 4 of those little screw-in hooks in the ceiling, and hang the antenna from some thin black strings?

That would put it up out of harms way, and not so noticeable.
 
#16 ·
But is it affecting y'alls sex life?? 
If so, try finding a way to incorporate the antenna into your bedroom activities.
I'm not so sure how that would work. :confused:
 
 
BTW, she's wrong.  I'm a woman and I think your antenna is a piece of art, too.

Thanks. I guess some of the other people on this forum could use an eye exam. Or maybe they're just "uncultured". :)
 
#17 ·
I just purchased a Stellar Labs UHF/VHF 14dB HDTV antenna for my apartment located just west of NYC. This is the FIRST time EVER that I am able to pull in WLIW-DT virtual & physical channel 21 at all times of the day. I installed the antenna in my bedroom on a tripod (since apt complexes don't allow rooftop installation), but my wife HATES it. Here is the pic:



So why does my wife HATE it so much?? Why can't she realize that the LARGER antennas get the BETTER signals?? Call me crazy, but I happen to think this antenna is a work of ART. My wife calls it an "eyesore". So what am I supposed to do?
I have dangled a $2 Radio Shack bow tie out of 2nd floor Manhattan apts and picked up stations 50 miles away. Might be worth a try as long as the antenna is not visible from street level, building management won't complain.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I just purchased a Stellar Labs UHF/VHF 14dB HDTV antenna for my apartment located just west of NYC. This is the FIRST time EVER that I am able to pull in WLIW-DT virtual & physical channel 21 at all times of the day. I installed the antenna in my bedroom on a tripod (since apt complexes don't allow rooftop installation), but my wife HATES it. Here is the pic:



So why does my wife HATE it so much?? Why can't she realize that the LARGER antennas get the BETTER signals?? Call me crazy, but I happen to think this antenna is a work of ART. My wife calls it an "eyesore". So what am I supposed to do?
It is ulgly, an eyesore, and potentially dangerous in the middle of the night!
With that being said, I myself have a CM4228 antennt up on about an 8 ft pole near the top of the vaulted cieling in my apartment and have terrific reception to all channels, while a regula bowtie antenna performed poorly back when I was doing my experiments as. I finally bit the bullet and bought the 4228 and have not regretted it and almost forget that it is even there anymore....

Could you find a big enough lamp shade and disguise it as a lamp? Sorry.....

Good luck.
 
#21 ·
I just purchased a Stellar Labs UHF/VHF 14dB HDTV antenna for my apartment located just west of NYC. This is the FIRST time EVER that I am able to pull in WLIW-DT virtual & physical channel 21 at all times of the day. I installed the antenna in my bedroom on a tripod (since apt complexes don't allow rooftop installation), but my wife HATES it. Here is the pic:




So why does my wife HATE it so much?? Why can't she realize that the LARGER antennas get the BETTER signals?? Call me crazy, but I happen to think this antenna is a work of ART. My wife calls it an "eyesore". So what am I supposed to do?


Maybe she actually thinks you just bought her a new rack to hang dry the laundry?
 
#23 ·
I just realized this antenna is actually mounted indoors.
With that in mind, I would have to (partly) agree with the other half. It's surely not one of the 'nicer' looking UHF antennas out there. ;)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top