Silver Sensor Outside?  

Some people mounted them under eaves where they are protected from direct weather. I got mine a few days ago but haven't even cracked the box open. If it can replace my 13' long Wineguard with comperable peformance then I'm switching over.

I'm wondering the same. It looks like a simple enough device.

I'm thinking of painting it with a clear (maybe urethane) paint to seal it and glob some clear silicone over the connector after the cable is hooked up.

I guess sunlight could degrade the plastic before too long but it's probably good for several years before it crumbles apart completely.

I knew I'ld run into you on this forum Mr. Lynch..... When are you going to stick the SS in the atic to see how she performs. Since I'm trapped in LA you can take my SS and see what two of them will do. It's bad up here, the hotels don't have HD and even worse, they don't have Tivo.

the SS works better outside than inside for me.... its a regular antenna.....
the higher the better..... and very directional....

the only problem i can see it with being outside is that it might not last long in
bad weather... other than that no problem - i use mine all the time outside!!!!

but i bet the SS would last AT LEAST a year outside and still work.


it is great!!!

ZHD-TV1

Is this antenna the same as the silver sensor?

How long of a cable is reasonable to run between my STB and the antenna? if putting it in the attic or outside , I imagine I will have to have 25' of RG6.

Will-San save $10 and order the Philips model from the same place. It's the same antenna in a different colored box.

I put the SvS outside and it got about 20% better signal. I hooked it up through 100ft of RG6 coax. Works great! I'm 50 miles fromthe towers.

I placed a cheap $9.88 Zenith antenna amplifier inside at the receiver end and got another 20% on the signal. Stations that were barely into the "normal" range got all the way up to the "good".

This Little Bugger is cool.

Sure, but can you get KABC?

Yes it is.

Get a spray can of clear Krylon and double coat the antenna with it. That's what I use to coat outdoor antennas when I work on them.

For the cost difference why not just a real outdoor antenna in the first place?

can you reccomend a good outdoor antenna that is in the same price range?

I would only go with Channel Master or Winegard. Both old trusted AMERICAN products!

http://www.winegard.com/offair/offairmain.htm

http://www.channelmaster.com/


But try here for starters:

http://www.kyes.com/antenna/antennadex.html

Because the Silver Sensor is a little, good-looking, unobtrusive antenna that could be used outside without spoiling the look of a nice house or angering the neighbors...

I may end up placing the SvS outdoors if I'm not happy with it in the attic and it's nice to know there's plenty of places I can hide it out of public view.

(unlike the idiot behind me that put a 10 ft 1950's antenna on his roof in plain violation of not only the CC&R's but the spirit of the neighborhood because "it's my RIGHT" -- bah!!!)

i think you are making a great decision! the SS is small neat and compact and works great.... And it does not look bad.... you might not even think its an antenna!!!

the other antennas mentioned are of course better because they are heavy duty , do go way further, but are UGLY....

the SS is perfect if you are in the "inbetween" and dont need an INDUSTRIAL type antenna....

I find there is nothing better than the SS for my needs..... (I live in a condo and use it inside as well as outside and it does do the job)


and for its size - nothing better!!!!


technoreid

Well I have two Silver Sensor posted on the highest point of my roof. The stations that I am able to receive are providing outstanding picture quality(Mountains block some locals). Since, I live in the desert, not concerned with corrosion, etc. I am using 50' of cable for each Silver Sensor. I run each cable connection thru a surge protection unit.

BTW, I received a notice from our CC & R monitors because of having two DIRECTV Dishes(both DIRECTV Installer installed). Can someone please provide the link referencing law about dish installation for homeowners?

Thanks!

Good for him.

Trying to prevent a resident from putting up an antenna is in violation of Federal Law. I hope the FCC is notified.

KenH, you beat me to this reply. It is his right to receive OTA broadcasts. It's just too bad that getting clear decisions from the FCC in favor of the antenna owners takes such a long time.

Best,
jeff

I'd love to use a Silver Sensor outside of my apartment. I'm north of Atlanta, but only about 10 miles from the towers, so I should be able to get great reception. I live on the top floor of my apartment building (three stories), but I have another building right next door. Does anybody have experience with this kind of setup?

My point being that the Silver Sensor performs as well or better than the large antenna. Thus the neighbor could use a Silver Sensor and eliminate the eyesore.

It doesn't even have to be exposed.

What "plain violation" are you talking about! It's his right to put up what he feels works! As long as it is guyed and grounded properly there isn't a thing wrong with that! You people that complain about cellular antenna towers and use one every day are the worst offenders.

All the benefits and none of the responsibilities!

"spirit of the neighborhood" you mean typical suburban mentality don't you?

I hope he puts up a 300' tower with ten antennas on it!

I'm sorry you're such a bitter person. Living in Buffalo must do things to people.

It's what the surburbs do to us!

is anyone using SS with a CM7777 pre-amp and mount this antenna outside? I wonder this setup would be better or just as good as the squareshooter without amp. It will be at least $20 cheaper and even less of an eyesore than squareshooter.

Not really. I tried the Silver Sensor in the same spot with the same amp pointed in the same direction and it was not as good as the big boy. The wife wants to use the Silver Sensor as a Christmas decoration so it's not a total bust! If you want to try it as a pair, come on over, we won't need it till December.

As for being a violation, the federal government passed the law into place prohibiting local governments and associations from having rules against antennas so that everyone can have a freedom of choice and not be under the cable companies monopoly. As for me, I'm grateful to have the choice of sat tv, ota or cable despite living in facist O.C. What they should outlaw is HOA's and the management companies that encourage them. I think the local city government can easily do for free what I pay $175/month for and enforce paint color, landscape and construction standards, that way they would be uniform throughout the city instead of at HOA boards discretions.

And outlaw the surburb they are in!

BTW, I doubt any of those artsy fartsy HOA's are in a real city!

If we were in a real city we could get by with a Silver Sensor but we are not and must depend on huge antennas to pull in signals from the big city and then fight our HOA's to do so. I don't think you can call where I live "artsy fartsy", that would be more of our neighboring Laguna Beach. We are more your traditional boring suburb with our malls and shopping centers. What can I say, it's not Buffalo with it's football team and all but it's home.

Your neighborhood codes violate federal law.

My neighborhood codes were written before the changes in federal law. I'm sure they've been ammended to comply.

The neighbor in discussion bought in this neighborhood and signed the CC&Rs before the change. They specifically moved into this town because it is new and clean and all the utilities are underground.

This particular neighbor moved here from semi-rural Pennsylvania where his property values never increased a dime in 10 years. He was tired of his old neighborhood so he moved here and is now trying to make my neighborhood look like his old neighborhood that he didn't like.

He could have stayed there and been happy and I would be happy.

I agree it is within his legal right to have access to the airwaves for the reception of broadcast television. I know for a fact that attic mounted antennas and small, unobtrusive outdoor antennas can receive all the locally broadcast TV stations without sticking a log in the neighborhood's eye.

Back on topic:

I had mine outside, for one year. Under the eave. About 40' of cable. 25 miles from towers. No amp. Into HDV-420. Worked fan-tastic.

I just took it down and it was in great shape. Looked to me like it would have lasted MANY more years. The plastic was SLIGHTLY faded. I wiped it off, and the thing looked almost good as new (except for the 2 holes I drilled into it!). The connection to the cable is probably the weakest point on it. Just wrap it with electrical tape.

I didn't have any surge suprression on it. Looking back, I probably should have, and would recommend that you do that.

Oh yeah before anyone asks... I switched to HD Cable. (Local sports in HD, HBO HD, INHD 1 & 2, ESPNhd)

I am totally against HOA's, municipalities and the like banning antennas but there is no substitute for a little thoughtfullness for your neighbors. Heck, that is the reason many of these rules got put into place to begin with. Of course some people always take them to the extreme to exert power over others, but the idea that a neighborhood should be kept in nice looking shape for the betterment of everyone's property values is not a bad idea.

For instance, there are several houses near me that have a sat dish square in the front of the house when because of the angle, mounting it in the back or side will work just fine. In fact at least one install ran about 100 extra feet of wire to do this. I guess they assumed the signal came in so low the roofline would interfere with it, who knows.

Bottom line, HOA's and covenenants aren't bad, it some of the people who run and live in them.


buellwinkle, around here, many of the municipalities are requiring HOA's for any subdivision over few dozen homes. They end up pushing things like street maintenance, streetlights, landscape maintenance, etc onto the HOA instead of performing it themselves.

Also, there is a municipality here, Cary, NC, that does enforce colors etc and many people hate Cary and complain about them town council all the time so that certainly won't put a stop to it.


Now, on to the topic. I have a attic mount that very occaisionally drops out on me. Not such a big deal now but with the HD TiVo coming, I want to make sure I have as few dropouts as possible and have also thought about mounting the Silver sensor outside, actually a couple with a joiner since I have one station 140 degrees away from the others. Maybe I'll try out mounting just under the eave to see what happens.

i live in a condo complex and wanted to set up a dish (DISH NETWORK) on my patio.

i talked to the MANAGEMENT COMPANY and they have said that I COULD set a dish up but it could NOT BE attached to anything. they said the dish COULD BE SET on a tri-pod, or set in a bucket with a pole. I said ok and had it set up on my patio....

And since i just happen to be facing north i had to have the dish face SOUTH (to recieve a signal) and therefore had to mount it on a 10 ft. POLE that would just go 6 inches over the roof line. (i just happen to be on the top floor -2nd floor). so now I had a dish on a 10-foot pole going 6 inches over the roof line Facing south. I WAS ALL SET ---And the dish was mounted on a pole in a bucket filled with 60 pounds of cement.

THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY WROTE ME A LETTER SAYING TAKE IT DOWN OR BE FINED!!! THEY WENT ON TO SAY THAT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT IS ABOVE THE ROOFLINE. I SAID I CANNOT RECIEVE A SIGNAL UNLESS I GO OVER THE ROOF LINE BY 6 INCHES. THEY SAID TAKE IT DOWN. ONLY THOSE ON THE SOUTH SIDE MAY HAVE A DISH AS LONG AS IT DOESNT GO OVER THE ROOF LINE....

I TOOK IT DOWN AND COMPLIED WITH THEM.....

In the meantime they went ahead and mounted 1 dish (DISH NETWORK) for every
4 units here. SO NOW EVERY 4 UNITS HAS1 DISH ATTACHED (but each individual tenant/owner can have satellite service - but only with DISH NETWORK).....they worked some kind of deal with a DISH network installer....they then sent letters to ALL tenants/owners saying "you NOW have the choice if you want to go with sattelite if you choose, and provided the phone # for the Dish network installer.

I called the INSTALLER (from the letter) AND ASKED IF HE COULD SET VOOM UP FOR ME. HE SAID NO. "YOUR COMPLEX HAS ONLY DISH NETWORK SET UP THERE" That is what the association and managment company has decided.... he said. NO VOOM NOR DIRECT. ONLY DISH.

So MY ? IS........

CAN I SET UP A VOOM DISH (or any other company for that matter) ON MY PATIO
AND HAVE IT GO ABOVE MY ROOF LINE (SO I CAN GET SIGNAL) WITHOUT GETTING
FINED BY THE ASSOCIATION/MANAGEMENT COMPANY.... I AM ON THE NORTH SIDE AND WANT MY VOOM!!!!

WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?
DO I HAVE ANY IN THIS SITUATION???

please help.....
i have been very confused about this whole matter and just want the choice to go with
any SAT provider I want.

technoreid