Sticking it to the man I

The best things in life is free, that's why TV is the best thing in life.

Well, yes and no. Turns out there's something worse than the prospect of the "Big One" (earthquake) in the valley, there's the hilly terrain that makes TV reception next to impossible where I live. I tried many rabbit ears + foils + metal structure combinations the first few years I moved out here to no avail. I finally broke down and paid for cable.

Fast forward many years, the Comcast rate has nearly doubled, but I didn't think any of it cause I thought I had no choice, besides, I get $10 knocked off my internet bill because I had Comcast internet too, until Patrick enrolled himself in Comcast business (which didn't allow him a home TV service anymore), braved the ascend to the roof of his one story new home and erected a fish bone antenna.

"It's never gonna work." I assured him. I tried, rabbit ears, even with the digital converter, reception was flaky at best.

"It does, it's digital broadcast, there's clear picture." he politely explained.

I doubted, but he whatsapp'ed me picture of his 63".

So the next night I doubtfully hooked up the V shaped dipoles that came with my 19 year old Sanyo, stuck it out of the window, and ran the scanner. To my surprise horror (that I have been paying Comcast for this), it worked! I got clear pictures from Fox to ABC to NBC to CBS. Sure there were occasional jitters and I couldn't stand hear the set up, but it was over the air and it was free! Patrick wasn't lying!

My search for the perfect HDTV antenna thus begins...