The issue in this thread, is OTA antennas...not satellite dishes. The original poster acknowledged, and I have seen elsewhere, that the satellite dishes are condoned by the home owners association at TV.

So the issue here is....is there a current resident willing to challenge TV for the installation of an OTA antenna?

Or you can wait three years for me to move to Florida.

As for me..................I really do not want to see those crappy looking, lightning attracting, hurricane hurling antennas here..... imho.

I think nobody "REALLY" wants to see them. But the issue is a good one. The Villages cannot outlaw something that the Federal Government says cannot be outlawed.

There is a screwy exception to the antenna rule. The case of Ham Radio operators (who are part of a worldwide emergency radio communications network) cannot put up their antennas if local covenants forbid it. Towns, cities and villages cannot forbid them, but Community Development Districts can. I know those antennas can be unsightly, but in case of a disaster, many times they are the only link to the outside world.

OTA is great
 

Ok it's time to come out of the closet. We use a Winegard MS 2000
Round Omnidirectional Television Antenna.

http://www.dennysantennaservice.com/image/21042566.jpg

This antenna is smaller than a dish and does not need to be rotated. We receive all major networks in HD much clearer than cable or dish. NBC is not always reliable yet. The photo is not of our TV house but very similar.

We also use a DVR sold by Dish network for OTA signals. No monthly fees like TiVo.

Are we the only ones?

I do not have a problem with ham operator antennas and realize the important part they have. During the Viet-Nam war the only calls home you could make was by going to the base mars station and being connected with a ham operator who would then patch in with the phone.
Having had several roof antennas at the homes I have owned I also understand that the cost is minimal and sometimes the reception is good.
Just because something is legal does it always make sense?
I don't like the price of cable or satelite, but to try and get an antenna installed here just seems cheap-o to me.
p.s..............I am talking the tall antennas with multiple rods

Where (in what part of The Villages) are you located? When we were there in late Feb, I asked the guy in Radio Shack in Wildwood whether an antenna in the attic above the garage would work in the villages. He said no, it would have to be a very large antenna located outside the house. After reading your post, I checked the Wingard website, and it said the MS 2000 antenna's range would be 35-40 miles, and I believe it said no antenna would "reach" to 60 miles.
I would like to know the comparative cost between satellite and Comcast caable. I understand Comcast has a low seasonal rate for snowbirds during their absence. I haven't heard whether either of the satellite companies offer that?

We started with Comcast but when they tried to charge $185 for "installation" in a new Villages home instead of the $41 quoted on the phone, we disconnected and have been using amplified rabbit ears (from Radio Shack) ever since. The quality of reception varies quite a bit. Since digital is "all or nothing", antenna placement is quite critical. We only get a dozen channels: CBS (6.x), ABC (9.x), CW (18.x), and whatever seems to be broadcasting through 27.x, 40.x, and 45.x

I talked with a x-Motorola engineer who was quite knowledgeable about antennas and lives locally. The Villages is not a good location for OTA reception but with proper equipment and placement (the higher the better), you should be able to pull in virtually every channel within 60 miles. There are several site on the web that will help you through the process of selecting the right gear. The people with whom I have talked at Radio Shack vary in their opinions from "forget about OTA reception around here" to "with the right antenna ..."

Rabbit ears are OK for now, but we would like to pull in a few more channels (PBS for sure) and not have to fiddle with the rabbit ears all the time. I plan to try the Winegard MS2000 (discovered 10 minutes ago via this thread, thanks Virginians) before exploring more substantial systems. I have looked at satellite systems and there is a package of just local stations (all we want) for about $12/month. That is appealing because of consistently good signal, and the possibility of combining the "satellite box" with a DVR.

As others have noted, the FCC guarantees your right to receive OTA transmissions and FCC Federal Statutes supersede homeowner regulations. I doubt that anyone would complain about a small external antenna (like the Windeard MS2000) but it would be interesting to know if anyone has installed a big outdoor antenna in the Villages. I think that the Antenna Police would try to have it removed, but in the end would have to defer to the FCC statutes.

It looks like there are 12 digital channels that might work with the right equipment. They are from 56.4 miles to 59.4 miles from Adriana Villas in Hemingway. And all with a compass heading from 113 Deg. to 116 Deg. I am wondering if a large antenna in the attic with an amplifier will work. Since all stations are the same direction a rotator will not be needed. I might give it a try this fall when I come down. I am in the process of closing on a CYV.
Bob

There are alot of us here in TV wondering. I'm tired of the rip-offs. The airways should remain free, like before. Cable and satellite interest (profit) have kept developement of inexpensive reception from being developed. The airways were " sold off" by the government. Same for telephone.

If you want to put up a big fat over-the-air antenna on your roof in The Villages, the Federal Government says you can and here's the basic rule:

"The rule (47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000) has been in effect since October 1996, and it prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal."

That said, why would you want to since you can receive the same basic local channels in much better quality via cable for about $25/mo.

What he said
 

+1

Who has time to watch TV in TV? ;)

Trudy

remember why you bought in TV in the first place....Was it the look...Everything in its place? Neat and clean? Don't change or there will be cloth lines in the back yard, fences to let the dog yip outside all day, yard barns in every yard, then what will you have left, just another unkept neighborhood...Someday you will want to sell, remember the look you liked , keep it that way for me when I get ready to buy....

Just a thought ^l^

Florida law already allows clotheslines. once again superceding condo/hoa rules

Thats just what we need. NIMBY!