-----Original Message----- >From: Joe Wronski >Sent: May 18, 2013 7:39 AM >To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." >Subject: Re: [EE] Uses for stepper motors - Branch: OTA DTV > >On 5/18/2013 2:05 AM, IVP wrote: >>> For a much smaller, lighter directional antenna, a stepper with direct >>> drive might be a solution. >> Good thought, but analogue TV is about to be turned off in NZ (OK >> news if you're in the aluminium recovery business) so everyone will >> have fixed dishes >The switch to DTV is what makes TV a challenge for some people here in=20 >the US. The government provided vouchers for people to acquire OTA=20 >digital TV converter boxes at a discount. I was using cable, so didn't=20 >need them, but I got mine, and handed them out to people still using OTA=20 >TV. Now, I want one of the boxes, because a small TV that is in the=20 >workshop, that kept me company on late nights of programming, does not=20 >work with the OTA antenna. I think it is the sensitivity of the built=20 >in tuner, whereas the tuners in the converter boxes I've seen is very good= .. > >Anyhow, I don't get why NZ's analog TV turn-off will force a switch to=20 >fixed dishes. Here, it simply made VHF antennas obsolete. People in=20 >the "fringe" areas need a higher gain UHF antenna than they did with=20 >analog. VHF is still needed. Two of the channels here in Minneapolis (9 and 11) wer= e up in UHF then moved back down to their VHF channels after the analog was t= urned off. Was a pain for me. Had everything working great up in UHF then had to find = another antenna that could do UHF and VHF. Stick your zipcode in here and it will show the digital channel and the RF = channel. http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/ chuckc --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .