Give It New Life

We've been working to organize the basement. I work down there most of the day (Bridget mainly works upstairs). I have been trying to make it nicer so the space will be more conducive to productivity.

My goal is to try and make the dark, cool space more enjoyable.

The basement was finished in the 1970s -- and, as you can imagine, it is a mix of cinderblock walls and wood paneling (that we painted an off-white color when we moved in).

After 12 years, it is a process of organizing and removing accumulated "stuff."

I added a Bose radio a year or so ago, and my niece Julia helped me create this homage to a 1999 computer store. 

I've wanted to add a TV to the space, but would rather not invest in a new set until this whole 4K UHD thing is figured out.

My first LCD flat panel was a Vizio VX37L HDTV I purchased in 2007. We used it until 2012 -- when the digital tuner went bad.

It is a fairly common issue with Vizio's of that era. It wouldn't be an issue if we had cable, we could hook up a box to one of the HDMI ports.

But since we use antennas to pick up over-the-air digital broadcasts, I couldn't pick up anything with the TV.

We've discussed getting rid of the old Vizio for the last few years, but hadn't yet bid the TV farewell.

So, I decided to give the set some new life.

Various companies sell "digital tuner" boxes to pick up OTA signals. They are largely used with old analog sets, early HDTVs without digital tuners, and projectors. 

Some of the models offer the ability to output in HD via an HDMI port on the back.

I picked up a tuner at the store, along with a new HDMI cord. I have several antennas, and placed the TV on a table along the south wall of my work area so I could place the antenna in a small window in the foundation. 

I hooked up the antenna to the tuner, ran the HDMI to the appropriate port on the HDTV, and followed the onscreen instructions to scan the channels. 

I was able to pick up 21 digital channels (which is typical for our house with the small indoor antennas), and includes all the locals. 

By default, the box output to 1080i on my TV (the OTA signals are broadcast in 1080i), but allows you to set various resolutions including 1080p, 720p, and 480p. 

It has a program guide, and gives you DVR abilities if you hook up an external USB memory stick or hard drive. 

(I didn't have a drive available, but might try it at some point down the road). 

The picture looks nice (the TV had a good looking picture for its day), and I used an RCA cable to run the sound from the box to the Bose radio (the TV speakers are fine, but it sounds better via the stereo).

So there ya go. I have a "new" HDTV in my workspace and it cost me ~$50 in supplies.

"We Can Rebuild It. We Have the Technology"

My friends know that I have spent the past year experimenting with various over-the-air antennas for our HDTV.

We decided to cut our cable TV subscription last year, but I didn’t want to give up watching my favorite shows. I had used antennas to pull in digital programming in the past, so I’ve been experimenting to find the best way to get over-the-air channels.

Many people don’t know that you can get dozens of over-the-air channels (25 approximately) in the Omaha area. What that means is, you can enjoy free programming from networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, the CW, and PBS. It only requires a TV and an antenna. And, in many cases, these digital channels are in high definition (HD).

Many of the "HD antennas" sold today use classic designs (for example, some of the better set-top antennas today are classic "hoop and rabbit ear" and "bow tie" antennas that have been "rebranded"), and while there can be subtle design differences, antennas are pulling in UHF/VHF bands like they did 40 years ago.

A month or so ago I discovered an old TV antenna in the attic of our 1950s-era home. My initial curiosity was piqued when I discovered the end of a piece of old twin-lead cable protruding from the wall in the upper reaches of our hall closet.

I recognized the wire from my days as a kid, when we used antennas to get TV broadcasts, and the leads on the flat twin-lead were held onto TVs back then by a set of screws. 

I hadn't ever traversed into our attic (which is more of a glorified "crouch space.”) But when I opened up the access door in the ceiling by our bathroom, I was met with a large antenna, which I figure is 40 to 50 years old. It was also aimed toward the TV towers located in north-central Omaha.

So, I went back into our linen closet, stripped the ends of the old twin-lead wire, and connected them to a 300-ohm-to-75-ohm snap-on transformer. Basically, it converts the signal from the twin-lead cable into coaxial cable, for use with today's TV sets.

When I hooked it up to our TV, I didn't get any additional HD and digital channels from the set-top antenna units I had previously used, but the digital and HD channels were -- on the whole -- very stable in extreme weather conditions.

Digital and hi-definition signals don't suffer from the myriad of issues that old analog signals did back in yesteryear, but stormy weather can cause moments of pixelation.

I was very impressed over the intervening days and weeks, and I started reading various online forums and blog posts by TV enthusiasts about finding old attic antennas and "resurrecting" them for use with their HDTVs in their home.

(Here is an example of one such homeowner.)

People recommended replacing the old twin-lead wire with RG6 coaxial cable (which is what cable and satellite companies use to hook up various services to your home). It is sturdier and higher-bandwidth than the old RG59 cable companies used in the past, and can transmit more data faster.

In addition, they recommended a "continuous run" of cable (no extenders or splitters) to preserve signal quality.

Today, in order to get rid of the old brown, twin-lead cable, we attached a different kind of transformer. In order to run coaxial cable directly from your TV to the antenna in the attic, you have to get a matching transformer that connects directly to the connections on the antenna.

I wasn't keen about rewiring the antenna, but when I closely inspected the old twin-lead wire in the attic last week, I realized the brown insulation was cracking and splitting (even though the encased copper wire looked okay). 

That meant likely signal loss. And I wanted to make sure the ancient aluminum beast in my attic was able to provide maximum reception.

So...today my dad and I removed the old twin-lead from the antenna terminals, added on a new matching transformer ($1.97) to the wingnut connection points, and ran 50 feet of brand-new RG6 quad-shielded coaxial cable ($15.48) from the antenna to the TV.

The job required a drill, flashlight, mask (to block attic dust) and a tape measure (to run the new cable through the walls to the back of the TV).

Other than being super messy (we have mounds of rock wool insulation in our attic), it went pretty fast. In the picture below, you can see the new gray coaxial cable attached to the black matching transformer. 

The signal is much stronger with the new cabling, and all 25 local channels we should receive (according to antennaweb.org) we now do receive (an improvement of four channels over the previous configuration).

Obviously, you don't need an attic or roof mount antenna to enjoy local channels over-the-air. The signals are strong in the Omaha area, and a simple pair of rabbit ears will get you most everything.

But it is kind of fun to bring new life to an antenna that has sat unused for decades.

What's fun about using something so old is that you realize just how many historic events this antenna might have witnessed when it was first installed years ago.

Special thanks to my dad for aiding in the rewiring and routing today! 

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Read yesterday's blog post: CBS Takes Big Brother "Over the Top"

Seats & Springs

Drip...drip...drip.

The Peerless faucet on our bathroom sink is about 20 years old, and is the only faucet in the house that hasn't been repaired or replaced in the 12 years we've lived here. 

It recently developed a steady drip from the spout.

If you haven't already encountered this issue, it is a fairly easy fix. Peerless fixtures use Delta replacement parts, and drips at the spout are generally a result of worn out springs and seats (which are available at most hardware stores).

Unfortunately, our "under the sink" shut offs aren't in good shape, so I typically turn off the pressure valve next to the water meter:

(I put marks with a Sharpie on the handle and the nut so I know where to set it when I turn the water pressure back on). 

To make sure you got it off, go to your faucet and turn it on: the water should go from a stream to nothing.

Next, remove the faucet handles. Handles can be affixed in different ways. Ours are held on the side by a little hex screw. I used my handy Allen wrench to remove them (if you don't have an Allen wrench set, it is worthwhile to invest in a set since many things use hex nuts or screws).

Once the screw or nut is out, pull the handles off.

You will see stems (a white composite material surrounding a metal stem) -- they are held down by nuts (these look like collars). Sometimes you can remove the collar by hand. In other instances you might need an adjustable wrench. Turn counterclockwise.

The next step is to get the stems out. Depending on the amount of calcified gunk built up, you can use a wrench to grab the metal ends and pull straight up.

If it is being obstinate (and before you panic), try pouring some household vinegar around the stem and soak it for a bit to try and loosen some of the crud. 

And...take a pic with your phone of the orientation of the stem mechanism so you can put it back in the correct way.

Once out, you will reveal the black rubber seats (cups) sitting in holes down in the faucet. I'd recommend using an Allen wrench (like the one you used to remove the screws on the handles) to gently remove the springs and seats.

Once out, clean up any gunk inside. You might want to use some vinegar on an old rag, or use an old toothbrush to gently clean it (if you don't have a better brush available). 

Delta/Peerless faucets use a standard set of cups and springs for their faucets. The Delta and Peerless websites can both tell you which part to get, or you can take them to a hardware or home improvement store and they can assist.

When you put the new seats and springs in, it is helpful to thread them onto the Allen wrench -- that will allow you to slide them together down into the hole.

Make sure the flat end of the rubber seat is facing up, and the narrow end of the spring is facing up.

Delta has a good video demonstrating this with a "single-handle" faucet, but it is the same principle for replacing the seats and springs on two-handle fixtures: 

Once you have put in the new seats and springs, re-assemble the stems and handles. Then, turn the water back on (either underneath the sink or at the shutoff/pressure valve by the meter) and try it out.

If you are uncomfortable with any of this, please call a friend, family member, neighbor or plumber to help you out.

Read yesterday's blog post: The Ill-Fated Fusion of Video and a Record Album