With its low self-esteem and high urban blight, Hartford is the ultimate underdog city. Sad City Hartford documents the joys, sorrows and eccentricities of New England's Rising Star.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

People Of Hartford: How Are You?


These days TV antennas have been rendered useless with the analog to digital tv conversion that took place in 2009. Those of us old enough can remember playing with the metal rabbit ears (or even classier, a metal coat hanger) as we struggled for reception. Nowadays one can purchase a one inch thick 3D television for under $1,000 and watch sports in high definition. Kids these days have it too easy.



Though the television antennas are now obsolete many can still be seen on top of older houses in Hartford. Some houses, like the pictured house on Barker Street in the South End, have super sized antennas that can only be described as amazing. How tall is this antenna? With that extension on top, we'd have to venture a guess of 25-30 feet. More importantly than how tall is the antenna, what could, or more accurately, what couldn't this monstrosity pick up? While a sensible explanation is that since the South End is traditionally an immigrant heavy neighborhood, the antenna was installed to pick up broadcasts (likely soccer matches) from the owners home country.

A more fun explanation is that this South End resident was picking up extra-terrestrial broadcasts or perhaps even broadcasting a pirate television channel? Seriously, this thing looks more powerful than WNPR's satellites on top of the Dankosky Building. From the old days we remember you could usually get four tv stations using a metal coat hanger as an antenna. Does anyone want to venture a guess on how many channels and the furthest broadcast that could be picked up by this bad boy?






10 comments:

  1. I thought those big antennas were actually useful again for those who want to pick up digital over-the-air signals, which are crystal clear if you can get them. Save a lot of $ if you forego cable.

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  2. I'm pretty sure that's not a TV antenna. Probably an old HAM setup.

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  3. that house must get struck by lightning a lot.

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  4. I wanted to say that as well, that it is a HAM Radio setup. Also, Silli is correct, you can still get excellent TV reception through rabbit ears, using any TV that has a digital tuner. Most of the old glass picture tube TV's did not have digital tuners, which was why the Government was shelling out those $40 coupons in 2007. I have two flat screens, and I exclusively get HDTV signals through my rabbit ears. Only channel I can't get in Hartford regularly is ABC, which I can pick up out of Springfield, MA, but it is a weak signal. I save mad $$$ each month w/o cable TV, and the picture quality is amazing, compared to the old analog signal with fuzzy lines.

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  5. http://courantblogs.com/bottom-line/end-of-low-cost-no-box-basic-cable-could-be-near/

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  6. @BWP I saw the above article and while it is disturbing, it isn't surprising at all as I predicted this would happen within a couple years of issuing those free boxes. Just another case of the FCC bending over for big business. I also have ditched cable. I get a good handful of of channels over the air. Also with both Hulu Plus and Netflix available for $8 a month apiece, plenty of other options to stream movies, and the MLB and NHL having pay apps, there isn't much of a reason to watch cable. Don't miss it at all.

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  7. @Hakaan Can you watch New York/Boston sports on the MLB/NHL apps? I thought they were blacked out in this market, which is the main reason I haven't ditched cable yet.

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  8. @Tucker - that's the one big problem. I haven't purchased the NHL app since it's halfway through the season. I'm hoping they have a playoff package. I think for MLB all Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox games are blocked here which is really annoying.

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  9. They are not useless. I use my roof antenna with my digital TV and get the following channels. 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 18-1, 18-2, 18-3, 18-4, 20-1, 20-2, 22-1, 22-2, 24-1, 24-2, 24-3, 30-1, 30-2, 30-3, 40-1, 40-2, 48 (WRNT - AN analog Hartford channel that shows old shows), 50 (Springfield); 57-1, 57-2, 57-3, 57-4, 61-1, 61-2. My other TV with rabbit ears doesn't get the 40s or the 57s.

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  10. More importantly than how tall is the antenna, what could, or more accurately, what couldn't this monstrosity pick up? tv antennas

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