Recently I’ve mentioned how annoying the digital transition is.
The government-mandated switch from analog to digital television signals has done nothing but cause problems as reception is intermittent at best and nonexistent at worst.
Prior to April 1, I hadn’t been able to watch local channels for more than a month.
It was awful. Luckily I had those “Scrubs” DVDs to fall back on.
However, my plight has been resolved.
Thanks to my father, my April Fool’s Day was nothing but pleasant.
After work he and my mother came to my Moundridge home and helped me install a rooftop antenna.
It was one of the newer models that also receives the digital signals that are permeating from Wichita.
Dad and I installed the antenna with relative ease.
We drove a stake into the ground and attached a tall pole to it.
Then, using the ladder Dad made all by himself, we crawled up on the top of my garage and attached the antenna to the top of the pole.
We then ran some coaxial cable from the antenna and into the house where we connected it to my television.
Installing the antenna was way easier than I thought it would be. Granted, I did a lot of watching the work be done, but it didn’t look like Dad struggled too much.
Of course, there was a gap of the process I missed because I made a Taco Bell run to the McPherson store, so he might have broken a sweat.
In any event, the fact remains that I can now watch all the local channels without getting so frustrated by the horrible signal that I am forced to scream obscenities at my television, even though it doesn’t help.
It is like I have stepped out of the darkness. I can now see the light of local television, and it is glorious.
With our bellies full, Mom, Dad and I all enjoyed the most recent episode of “American Idol” before they went on their way back home.
I’m still enjoying the reception the antenna has afforded me, and the blustery wind of recent days hasn’t done anything to mess with it.
If you too are more than fed up with the DTV garbage and you don’t have a rooftop antenna, I would suggest getting one and seeing if it helps.
I can’t make any promises, but it has helped me so much that I want to shout if from the rooftops.
The only downside to having reception again is that I get to see the weather forecasts.
Seeing how confused Mother Nature is makes me want to put the “Scrubs” DVDs back in so I can forget about what’s going on outside.
It is April for goodness sake. The weathermen need to adjust their weather receptions I think.
