DTV channels OTA in Boston

There are way more digital channels you can receive for free OTA (over the air) with impromptu antenna in Boston than there are in Toronto. I counted 23. Well.. if you'll exclude duplicates it's anyway at least 20, comparing to just 5 in Toronto.

My mobile HDTV toolkit

That was my first HDTV hunting tour (not that I visited Boston only for that, but rather had training there and got my equipment with me). So here is what I got:

- Laptop. Nothing fancy, old Dell Latitude D610

- WinTV HVR 950 - barely bigger than memory stick and turns my laptop into HDTV TV. All you need is to stuck it into USB port and attach an antenna. It comes with a software that turns your laptop into TV and VCR. I payed about $100 for the thing.


- Cables and antenna. Got a thin cable and matching transformer from home, wires for the antenna got from Air Canada's headsets they kindly gave me for the flight.

Here are laptop, WinTV stick, headsets remains (sorry for picture quality) and antenna itself.

Antenna this time is not a beer can antenna, but simple folded dipole, made from copper wire. I put a quoter next to it so you'll have an idea on dimensions. Worked good enough for me.

My room was on a 23rd floor (big advantage) of Cambridge Marriott but facing North, so all the Boston stations were blocked by hotel building itself and at times I got better signal for New Hampshire ones.

Tryed several locations for antenna, including right on the window, on the bed, table and book, used as a stand, on the floor. Last one appeared to be the best (and pictured) I suppose the metal window frame worked as sort of reflector there.

List of Boston HDTV/DTV channels

Below is the list of all channels I was able to receive.

Name	AKA	Channel	Phys. channel
WMFP-DT	Infomercials ?	62.1	18
WMFP-DT		62.2	18
WGBH-HD	www.wgbh.org	2.2	19
WGBH-SD	www.wgbh.org	2.1	19
WCVB-DT	Channel 5 Boston (ABC)	5.1	20
WBZ-DT	http://wbztv.com/	4.1	30
WFXT- DT	Fox 25 News Boston	25.1	31
Worship		68.4	32
IONLife	http://www.ionlife.tv ?	68.3	32
qubo	http://www.qubo.com/	68.2	32
ION	http://www.ionline.tv/	68.1	32
WNEU-DT	Telemundo affiliate	34.1	34
WZMY-DT	MyTV New England	50.1	35
WSBK-DT	TV 38	38.1	39
WLVI-DT	New England CW56	56.1	41
WHDH-HD	Channel 7 News Boston	7.1	42
WHDH-SD		7.2	42
World		44.2	43
Create		44.3	43
Kids		44.4	43
WGBX-SD	PBS/WGBH	44.1	43
NHPTVHD	New Hampshire Public TV	11.1	57
NHPTVD1		11.2	57
WMUR-DT	WMUR 9 – New Hampshire News	9.1	59

Whatching superbowl in HDTV

With my beer can tv antenna For free, over the air (OTA).
One picture worth a thousand words:

No DirecTV, No Rogers, No Bell ExpressVu. Just free signal from CN Tower, over the air in pure HDTV. Beauty, eh?

How to build TV antenna from a beer can. DIY, free TV

You can receive bunch of TV channels for free over the air (OTA). Including HDTV (High Defenition TV or Digital TV - DTV). All you need is some kind of antenna.

The simplest kind of TV antenna you can imagine is an unfolded paperclip stuck right into tv antenna socket

With paperclip antenna, depending on the location of your house and your TV in the house, (close to the window, facing TV tower is the best) you may get couple of channels in moderate quality or at least convince yourself that there is something in the air.

Paperclip, while being technically an antenna is not the best antenna for your TV. There are at least two reasons: first - paperclip dimensions and geometry are not the best for the frequencies used to broadcast OTA TV (UHF/VHF). Second – TV itself is a source of interference (as well as computer or microwave oven) and having “antenna” right next to the TV is not a good idea. Never place your antenna on top of TV or anywhere near it.

OTA or Over the Air should not be confused with FTA or Free-To-Air television. FTA is a satellite signal one can also receive for free, but you'll need satellite receiver and satellite dish antenna - equipment way more sophisticated than just a paperclip or beer can. Unlike FTA, OTA is receiving a free signal from a local TV tower, not the satellite. We are talking good old OTA here.

So, now let’s build a real antenna from a beer can. Drink do it yourself project

All you’ll need is an empty beer can (I would recommend to start with full one and finish it as a first step), piece of cable and something to put and hold the whole thing in place. I’m using some Ikea furniture and painter’s tape.

While paperclip has not, beer can apparently have a right geometry for a dipole antenna. Long story short – simple dipole antenna consists of two metal rods, each ¼ of the wavelength for a channel you are about to receive. 0.5 liter aluminum can of Mooshead beer is 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) tall and is a perfect match for TV channel 15. It is still capable of receiving all the other channels, but in theory the farther you go from channel 15 the weaker the reception would be. In practice – it all depends on how strong the signal for particular station is. I got the best quality on channel 9 (CityTV) just because it has a strongest signal, while my beer antenna is not designed with this channel in mind.

Start with cutting your beer can in half, then affix these halves with a tape/staples/nails to “the base” (Ikea chair in my case).
Now you have to connect the cable to an antenna. You may just strip-off one side of the cable separating inner copper wire from outside “screening” wires , connect inside copper wire to the one half of the can and outside screening wires to another half. Alternatevely you can use "matching transformer" which you can buy in Radio Shack or other radio outlet for less than five dollars.

Connect your antenna to TV and find a right spot and direction. Antenna should be perpendicular to the direction to TV tower. . The key is to place antenna as high as possible. I’m just putting the chair on top of the table. . http://www.antennaweb.org in US would help you to figure out location of TV towers and channel lists for your area.


Run Auto Channel Search on your TV (make sure Antenna is on for a signal type) and see what channels you’ll be able to pick up

Now open up another can of beer and enjoy your truly free TV.

I live in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, which is 27 miles (43 kilometers) north from Toronto’s CN Tower and 80 miles (130 kilometers) from Buffalo, NY. With my beer can antenna I can get 5 HDTV channels, about 15 analog channels in decent quality, including one or two channels from US, depending on the weather and time of the day.

With this Beer Can antenna, mounted with the tape right to the Window I got 5 HDTV/Digital channels:


Now – word of warning and disclaimer:

You probably heard that outdoor antenna works way better than indoor one. This is true. Elevated high enough, decent outdoor antenna would potentially give you better quality and variety of channels. Beer can antenna is not ready for outdoor use. Any outdoor antenna should be equipped with surge protector. Without one you are at risk of damaging your TV or even putting whole house on fire in case lighting would strike an antenna. Putting the beer can antenna at the attic should be no risk at all.

There are whole bunch of commercially avaliable antennas out there, including Jensen, Terk, Zenith and others, with and without amplifier. There is a good chance that some of them would be way better than this Beer Can Antenna. But if they are not - please let me know!

I’m not associated in any way with Mooshead, Ikea or RCA. They just happened to be the beer I drink furniture I use and TV I watch.

See also: How to improve TV antenna reception with reflector - illustrated guide on how to improve beer can tv/hdtv antenna reception with simple reflector made from tinfoil or dish drainer.