Adjusting The Rabbit Ears On Your TV Set
| Field | Watching Television? |
| Went Obsolete | Never truly went obsolete, but cable took off in the 1980s |
| Made Obsolete By | Cable and other signal providers |
| Knowledge Assumed | Broadcast signal is still available, basic analog transmission principles |
| When useful | Remote Areas, Free and so minimal cost, when primary signal provider is down, in some cases when lines are down. |
Before cable and satellite people received their television signals over the air. Some people put large antennas on their roof, but for many the rabbit ear antenna sitting on top of their television was their only antenna. It usually consisted of two collapsible antennas at a minimum. They could either be attached directly to the tv, or separate on their own base. Sometimes they had an additional loop antenna for picking up UHF signals as well.
- Extend the antennas. Start with them oriented upright and with about a 30 degree spread between them. Each antenna should be about 15 degrees from vertical and they should start with their spread parallel to the face of the television.
- Artifically extend the antennas with additional foil, clothes hangers, etc. In some cases extending the cable and wrapping it around objects like bats.
- Tune the TV to the channel you want to watch.
- Move the antennas through the basic combinations pausing to assess the reception that each provides. Often this required knowing how your body might interfere with a signal, so you wanted to get the signal slightly off and then back away to asses the reception.
This skill may actually return to more people now that high-definition, over-the-air digital broadcasts have begun. This technology uses the same frequencies as analog TV, so you can use the same antennas, too. Just hook up your rabbit-ears and enjoy the show!
