<p>You’re using coax cable, right?</p>
<p>We did the splitter/combiner with my Dad’s 2 antennas (combining them), and that worked fine.</p>
<p>I put together the 80 inch antenna and this thing is huge. It’s hard to get around the thing. It appears that it may be all that we need as it gets a lot of station by itself. The problem is that I can’t get the signal to the basement now. It worked before but somethings not right. The signal is fine in the bedroom from where we run it to the cable outlet to the basement - it just doesn’t make it there or the converter box has a problem. I’ll have to do more diagnostic work. It may be that that cable is a bit glitch or the converter box has problems. Best thing would be to test the signal with my laptop in the basement as my laptop seems to be more reliable than the converter box.</p>
<p>One other thing that I learned was that the quality of the cables is a big factor in signal attenuation. I used an old patch cable to reach the new antenna and had no signal. I changed to a screw-type connector and had a strong signal. I might still combine the two but that’s a job for another day. Putting together the antenna took a moderate amount of effort.</p>
<p>A simple solution would be to put the TV in the bedroom but my wife likes to workout with the TV on and the basement is better for that. She inquired about my laptop and I indicated that I didn’t want a $2,700 laptop to be turned into a television set.</p>
<p>We got converter box from our friends who don’t need it as they have cable now.</p>
<p>I have to say, the picture looks much better–when there is a picture. But far too often there is a dropped signal or it’s pixillated and almost-dropped. Annoying, but I hate to get cable. We really almost never watch TV, except for Jeopardy & the occasional Inauguration. ;)</p>
<p>The problem was the signal and attenuation so I picked up an inline amp from Radio Shack and everything is good. Excellent signal, loads of stations, excellent picture. My wife loves it. You do need a better signal for digital than for analog and an external antenna could do the trick.</p>
<p>Regarding those with cable: a lot of people in my area lost power and we’re running on generators but cable was out. Many of those folks are ordering converter boxes for old televisions so that they can get weather news when the main power and cable goes out.</p>