How can I rig up a TV at my tailgate?

[nlroma1o]

Hey Guys,

My buddy and I were discussing what we would like to have at our tailgates this year, and we both thought it would be awesome if we could somehow get a TV hooked up so we could watch the 12 oclock games that are on while we get hamm boned in the parking lot. Has anyone done this, or know how it could be done?

I have one of those inverter boxes that you plug into your cigarette lighter outlit in the car and it provides enough juice to run a TV. The issue is getting a signal. Do those old attennas still work? Not sure if they will pick up a signal now that everything has been switched to digital? Anyone know how much it would cost to get a satelite signal? I was thinking of using my Dads AT&T wireless stick from work and just streaming the games from online and then using a VGA cord to connect to the TV. But that will use up an INSANE amount of data on his stick. Probably wouldnt matter though becasue his company pays for it.

Any help is much appreciated.

AND YES!!! YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO THE TAILGATE IF YOU CAN MAKE IT TO THE GAME!!!
Im thinking im going to have to come up with an IRISH ENVY flag to hoist at the site.

GO IRISH!!!

 

[BestBIrish47]

The TV if it is a Digital ready TV (ASTC Tuner) you can rock the regular Rabbit ears. If it is not, (NTSC Tuner) then you are going to need some kind of conversion device like a converter box. Hope this helps!

 

[phork]

If only alcohol could power a TV...

 

[Big23Head]

Go here: AntennaWeb, choose an antenna and do all that. It will let you know what antenna range you need and what stations you can pick up from your location with it.

Rabbit ears should work but if you need a bigger range to pick up station buy one from amazon, should be good for $35 at the most. Like BestBIrish said above you will need to have a TV with a tuner or converter box, most have tuners if it's newer. You should get ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX in most locations with the HD antenna. As long as big trucks aren't driving by constantly near your tailgate you should get great reception.

The only way to get ESPN, etc... would be to stream or literally hook a satellite up.

 

[edgesofsanity]

Couple points, all depending on how dedicated to the project you are:

1) I'd probably recommend getting a gas powered generator instead of running it all off your car battery - though it depends on how big the TV is (i.e., how much power it needs to run). If it's small (not a big screen), you should be fine for a few hours. Keep in mind generators are usually noisy and reek of gasoline, though, so you need an area a little ways off to vent the smell.

2) The way the pros do it is to have direct TV or the like and purchase a portable dish - if you have an account with satellite already, it's a simple matter of buying the dish (you can go "cheap" and DIY with a $250 dish and receiver if you have experience setting up satellite; or an auto-tuning dish/receiver for ~$800) and setting it up on your car on gameday, running the coaxial cable and enjoying the game.

3) alternatively, if you have a laptop and cable at home you can always buy a Slingbox ~$90 and wirelessly stream your cable signal to your laptop - hook up the video output to your television. This way will also need a wireless broadband connection, or a tether with your already wireless iPhone/android data plan.

4) rabbit ears on a digital television (or via a digital converter on an old tv) works just fine for a 1 time event.

Good luck!

 

[MPClinton22]

My brother came out to a game last year, but while we were tailgating his alma mater (Clemson) was playing. I let him log into the ND internet using my student ID (I believe ND has wifi for guests too) and used his Cox account info to log into ESPN 3. If you have some way of connecting your computer to your TV like an HDMI cord, this could also work for you (assuming the game is on ESPN3...)

 

[nlroma1o]

Thanks everyone for your help. I think I am going to test out a set of bunny ears for the first tail gate and see how it goes. Im pretty sure generators arent allowed in the Joyce lot. So im just going to have to run the car and use the power inverter i have.

Maybe i can convince a buddy to bring their satelite dish for the MSU tailgate.

Also. Im serious when i say anyone on this board can stop by the tailgate. I will prolly have to just post from my phone where i am parked in the lot when i get there. Or i can get an obnoxous flag or some kind and fly the colors.