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by charli from Tampa FL

Last Post 3 days Ago


DTV Conversion... Revisited
Oct 18, 2008 | 4:35 PM
Category: News
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Local stations are running programs on the upcoming conversion.  None of them address the serious situation of what we face if a hurricane comes our way.  How much money were the stations paid by satellite and cable companies?  If a 'cane comes to Tampa, our emergency battery operated TV's will be useless... first off, cable is always the first to go out.... when the electricity goes out we go to our battery operated TV's to keep track of the storm... the converter boxes do not work without electricity!!!!!!!  Not everyone lives in an area that they can have emergency generators... condos, apartments, etc.  Not everyone lives in an area where cable is available.  I got a big kick out of the WFLA show a few minutes ago.... the conversion was done, this is funny, so that "Public safety" issues could be handled... using the analog frequencies... duh... not being able to get updated weather news is not a Public Safety issue. 

It is bad enough that Brighthouse switched the local county info channel to a "upgraded" (aka more money for service) channel so that I can not, as a county employee, get the news and "calls for duty during an emergency" updates.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 6
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mmustangg read my blog view my photos
Oct 18, 2008 | 5:34 PM

Charli,

Don't Panic. The market will fill the void with portable digital TVs. In the mean time, do like I did. Go buy a cheap power inverter($29) and use a car battery to power things. You can do this straight from your car or bring the battery inside. The inverter takes 12vDC from the battery and changes it into 120vAC. Plug the DTV converter into the inverter and let the TV run on its own batteries. Problem solved. Yeh we'll all have to go out and eventually buy new portable TVs but the benefit of the digital conversion is worth it. Better picture, and all the frequencies from the old broadcasts will be freed up for emergency responders that need them.

Oh...a side benefit of using the inverter is you can power other small appliances. Just get an inverter that will handle what you intend to power. They are cheaper than a generator.
Vittorio read my blog view my photos
Oct 18, 2008 | 6:52 PM

Excellent advice above.

If you live in a rural area like I do, you can pick up a generator for a few hundred that can power a few household appliances, like your fridge, microwave, as well as your TV and converter.

The reason you don't hear about alternatives like this is simple. They just don't care.
My_Louie read my blog view my photos
Oct 19, 2008 | 10:19 AM

Charli the inverters do work, we have a couple of them. I would suggest that your small tv be black and white if your going to use an inverter.
charli read my blog view my photos
Oct 19, 2008 | 1:01 PM

Vitt... wish I could read your post... the credits are covering it.
charli read my blog view my photos
Oct 19, 2008 | 1:08 PM

Guys... remember that I was working on a project with the Chief Engineer at FOX. I tried several different inverters. All with the same results... the converter kicks out after about an hour or two. The inverters still had plenty of power. He had the same problems with the experiment. Go to the website created by the Chief Engineer and you can see the results.
charli read my blog view my photos
Nov 5, 2008 | 6:29 PM

Update on disposal of TV's... the lines at the collections have been huge. We have decided to put special containers at all the county's collection centers to handle the excess. These locations are open 5 days a week. None of the waste will be going to the landfill, but will be handled by a contractor for recycling. Info will be available at the collection centers, on line, etc.
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charli

I am an Environmental Specialist with Hills. Cty. Basically, I am a "dumpster diver". I also do a lot of educational graphics design about the proper disposal of household chemical & electronics, litter, etc. My hobbies are very diverse... golf and reading, with sci-fi, forensic mysteries, and history being my favorites. My other passion is photography, mostly nature. Ever since experiencing my first hurricane in Florida, Cleo in 1964 when I was 15, when the eye went over my house, I have been fascinated with weather. I have a 99% accuracy... including predicting Charley's turn away from Tampa the night before he hit down south.

Member Since: 7/17/2006


 

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