What to do for TV tuner?

**Adam F** · 05-29-2001, 06:19 PM

I am getting ready to buy my 6.4" NTSC LCD in the next week or so. I need to figure out some type of TV tuner system. I know I can go out and buy a diversity tuner and antenna for $150, but are there any alternatives? I thought about throwing a VCR in the back and using it's tuner and playing movies in it, but every time you turn the inverter off it resets itself. I don't want to use a tuner card in a computer because I won't always have the computer on, and I wont have the computer for another few months. Does anyone know of any other way to get good reception? I wonder if I could hack an old VCR and use just the tuner and a few buttons and the IR receiver?

**Catlas** · 05-29-2001, 09:58 PM

Theoretically yes. Practicaly not really. You might be able to hack it apart enough to get the mechanicals of the tape player out but that may cause the VCR to not work properly because part of its circuitry is missing.

Catlas

**Adam F** · 05-30-2001, 01:16 AM

Thats what I figured. I may just bite the bullet and buy a diversity antenna/tuner. Anyone know where I can get a kit for less than $180?

**pajero** · 05-30-2001, 03:43 AM

its not worth the money

**jshrieve** · 05-30-2001, 05:34 AM

Maybe where you live it's different, but where I live, there are hardly any broadcast channels and they're all very very very poor quality. ALl the hills, maybe.

It'd be pretty super rare that I'd find a show on one of the few channels that I want to watch right when I happen to be in my car but stopped. =P

I'd need a TiVo for my car! ;P

**Adam F** · 05-30-2001, 09:45 AM

Reception is not a problem. The problem is do I want to spend $180 bucks on a tuner or do I want to rig something myself. I may just stick a VCR in the back and be done with it.

Dustin Haug · 05-30-2001, 01:42 PM

You could wire up the VCR so that it doesn't ever completely lose power. Then it won't reset, and I doubt it draws much power when turned off. If it does though you could spend a few dollars and get a small solar panel that can provide some charge for your battery when the car is off and that will offset some of what the VCR draws. It'd be cheaper than the tuner kit.

**Adam F** · 05-30-2001, 01:46 PM

I was thinking about that. But I don't want to do that cause it would be running off a 600 watt inverter that sucks up juice pretty good and has a big old fan that is quite loud. Plus there may be times when I don't use it all day long and I just dont think it would be a good idea. That would be too much hassle to use a solar charger, plus I park in the garage. Good idea though. I wonder if there is a way to use some sort of capacitor to store some energy, just enough to keep the vcr on standby. I beleive the manual says it uses like 3 or 7 watts on standby.

**JamesB** · 05-30-2001, 02:40 PM

You could try to hack your vcr to provide a constant "clock" source ... IE. find the components which handle the settings, etc (volitile ram) .. and provide whatever voltage it runs at (when in standby) ...

-J