Nuclear Boob Tube
Submitted by Guest on Wed, 2011-06-08 15:05
By Jeff Alan
On June 3rd, 2011 the Darlington Joint Review Panel let it be known that they are now working on the environmental assessment report.
http://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/commission/joint_review_panel/darlington/index.cfm
Keep your eyes and ears open for horsefeathers. There's a lot to watch.
What else happens in about 90 days? The change-over to ATSC digital broadcasting is August 31st1. If you live in an area that meets the criteria and you get your television on UHF, you might need new equipment. Even if you do not use UHF, you will likely be tempted by the fact that many major television over-the-air broadcasts are in high-definition. The broadcasts come in as high as 1920x1080i with 5.1 surround sound and the ATSC standard allows for often higher bitrates than the pay services. Most (all?) flat-panel HDTV's sold in recent years and today come with a built-in ATSC tuner.
Why buy, when one can make? There are several tutorials out there2, and some are better than others structurally, aesthetically and functionally. Why buy new materials when one can re-purpose? You can make pretty simple antennas with a shoebox or less3. Better-than-retail antennas can be made from old 2x4's, hangers, foil and cardboard.
Better than cardboard is the corrugated plastic that election signs are made with. I know they like to recover them, but I have a pair of Green Party signs I am going to turn into an antenna. The next time an election rolls around, assuming your candidate is still the same you can use the sign again.
If TV isn't your thing (it isn't really mine), you still might enjoy watching The Nature of Things in HD.
Stay tuned...
1 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/bdt14.htm