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rcachevy
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2011 20:53
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hi guys long time lurker,new member. there is a lot of good info in these forums but i have a question that i haven't seen addressed:if you live far out in a rural area what are you guys using for tv ,radio,and wifi antennas ? if it's amplified or directv,dish network,do the reciever/boosters use a lot of power ? and for energy effecient radios that have strong tuners what do you use ? thanks for tolerating the newbie
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Rob_O
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:29
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TomChum is doing wireless internet via his cell phone. Info on his setup is here http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_988_0.html
The "entertainment system" at my camp is a satellite radio feeding a pair of computer speakers. I can run it all evening on a single 100AH battery and barely change the charge on my battery. TV would need significantly more power so I don't have one out there.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2011 17:32
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thanks Rob_O,i appreceate the info
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 27 Apr 2011 19:05
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Quoting: rcachevy what are you guys using for tv ,radio,and wifi antennas ? if it's amplified or directv,dish network,do the reciever/boosters use a lot of power ? and for energy effecient radios that have strong tuners what do you use
Are you looking for OTA tv information?
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PlicketyCat
Member
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2011 15:31
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We have satellite internet, and through that we can listen to several streaming radio stations or watch movies & TV (Hulu & NetFlix mostly) via our laptops.
The satellite modem and our wireless network router only uses about 50w, so it's not a significant power drain on our battery bank at all.
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spelk1
Member
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2011 18:27
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8ft C-band dish with a digital reciever. There is a lot of unencrypted stuff still out there including all the major networks, christian programming, sports and movie networks. Also satellite radio, a 3G+ data stick and a shortwave radio.
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unixfmike
Member
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# Posted: 30 Apr 2011 06:59
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Quoting: rcachevy what are you guys using for tv ,radio,and wifi antennas
I was using a laptop tethered to my cell phone for the occasional internet connection. I had a DVD player hooked up to my 19" tv. I also had a small $5 portable radio that seemed to pick up all 3 radio stations just fine.
--MikeW
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rcachevy
Member
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# Posted: 1 May 2011 11:56
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thanks guys !i've been planning for awhile and it struck me that i hadn't thought about how much power and what equipment would be required to get a strong tv,radio,and possibly 3g internet signal,or if i kept directv how much power the reciever would draw.your guys responses have been very helpful,i'm still up in the air about what kind of radio to buy,i have 3 or 4 different boomboxs around. keep them coming i read all !
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PlicketyCat
Member
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# Posted: 1 May 2011 15:07
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Best place to start on Audio/Video is the EnergyStar list. Then look for the absolute lowest power consumption you can afford since on-grid "efficient" isn't quite as stringent as off-grid efficient. The thing that sucks power the most in a stereo is the amplifier, so that would be the first one to focus on. If you aren't trying to blow someone's clothes off with your speakers, you probably don't need a huge amplifier anyway ;) You can get a fairly decent amplifier/receiver with low distortion at human decibel levels without pulling a lot of power... but if you want to be able to hear it across the county without distortion then you're going to be pulling a lot of juice.
Most flatscreen LCD TVs have the lowest power consumption, and some of the combo units with DVD/BluRay built right in have a lower combined consumption than the standalone units. They can be more expensive, and if you're only using the TV then they draw a little more than a standalone would since the player is in standby.
But the main thing for all electronics is to turn them off, completely off not just in standby, when you aren't using them. Put them on a power strip or wire the outlet to a wall switch so you can cut the power entirely with just a flick of your finger. The phantom load of stand-by draws a surprising amount of power. So keep in mind while shopping for equipment that whatever you end up buying has to be able to keep it's settings etc when you cut the power... a lot of the units out there reset and start flashing if the power is lost, and it's really frustrating to have to spend 30-60 minutes reprogramming everything just to watch a movie or listen to some music.
The only thing we leave on all the time is our satellite internet modem, our wireless router, and our laptops... which don't draw that much in standby/hibernate mode, and it's nice to have that instant on connection since we use it for everything. But we do shut everything down if we're running low on power in the battery bank, or expect to be. The scanner, printer, and network file server are on a power strip and only get turned on when we need them. Same will go for the TV and gaming consoles (that multifunction as CD/DVD/BluRay players in our system as well)... no use, no juice.
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rcachevy
Member
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# Posted: 1 May 2011 16:34
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thanks plicketycat ,great info especially the energy star list
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