[mtownsend]

Originally Posted by mdoverstreet

Is TV coax the same as CB coax as in it shouldn't be coiled? I know CB coax shouldn't be coiled up because it will cause signal loss. If there is any extra, run it back and forth instead of coiling.

Yes, that is correct. Coiling cable like that can act as a kind of signal choke. It's good to have a little bit of cable slack to work with, but if you have excessive amounts of extra cable, it's best to cut the cable to a more appropriate length and put a new connector on the end (assuming you have the tools to do this).

is the antenna supposed to be pointed with the "V" shape open toward the towers or in the opposite way? I suppose the open "V" end would be something of a focal point for the signals?

The open end (mouth) of the "V" should be pointed toward the transmitters.

I would like to get rotators for both my uncle and I, but how difficult are they to install and use?

If you're a generally handy person, then it's probably not that hard to do. It is definitely more work than installing an antenna by itself because you need to run an extra cable (for power and control) and set up two sections of mast (one piece to hold the rotator, and the other that goes on top of the rotator to hold the antenna). If the mast is going to be tall, then you'll probably also need to add guy wires and a collar to reduce stress on the motor. However, the overall skills required are not that different than installing just an antenna. Just make sure you give yourself time (and perhaps the help of a friend) to plan the installation and put it all together.

Speaking of converter boxes, he got a RCA box that has the analog pass-through. I've heard good and bad about those boxes. More bad than good though. What do you think? I have got one that was bought at a Radio Shack. Can't think of the brand name of it though. Was thinking about giving him that one.

I would say the most significant difference between converter boxes for the average consumer is how well the user interface works for them (on-screen menus and remote control functions).

There are some technical differences between the boxes like how well they deal with multipath, their Noise Figure specs, and picture/sound handling details, but all of these $40 coupon type boxes are, by definition, limited to standard definition picture quality and stereo sound. You can't do 1080 resolution 5.1 channel home theater audio with these boxes, so I would stress usability and personal preference over output quality.

I would try each of the boxes you have and get a personal feel for how you like the remote control layout and commonly used controls. In the end, you should probably just go with the one that is the easiest to use for your uncle.

If you have some marginal channels, you might find that one box does a better job of holding on to channels than the other. If that is the case, then this might be a more important factor than the user interface.