A Portable TV Can Save Your Life in a Weather Emergency

[@AntennaMan]

Affiliate Link to TV tuner dongles: amzn.to/3G45aG5 amzn.to/3ziQ3ou Link to PadTVHD app (download on Smartphone) mega.nz/file/1DViWbqB#q5IX0yc7WSagf-uqer7yuGhp7ADsiQa11uN_l6Enptk Affiliate Link to portable TVs: amzn.to/3zfMMWO amzn.to/3lV7uIH amzn.to/42Svddi amzn.to/40IjUSW amzn.to/3G3Gbma Affiliate Link to recommended antennas: www.amazon.com/shop/antennaman/list/2LH365VAPDKLC?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d

[@nethoncho]

This is awesome advice. Thanks for sharing

[@chingusfoot]

Are any of the portable tv shown ? Is there any one a better buy…. Your the Antenna Man you would know ?

[@56firedome]

Thank you for the links. I purchased a handheld tv back in 2009 but it's buried in storage and I have been wanting another.

[@Pallidus_Rider]

During an emergency - cell phone towers are often overwhelmed, due to demand. 🤓

[@laneclaypool8005]

I installed the app, plugged in my dongle and it says, "no device". Why isn't the device being recognized? I have an older dongle that plugs into micro-usb, it works fine on my older devices. I bought this dongle to work on my newer devices.

[@fevengr9245]

We had a portable battery TV with us in the basement last year when an EF-3 tornado passed within one mile of our home. The power was off and it was nice to be able to see a radar image from our local TV stations.

[@AntennaMan]

This is a prime example of the importance of owning one! I'm glad you are okay.

[@thedude5040]

The EF-3 tornado that went through my neighborhood left so much debris in the air that I couldnt recieve anything in my storm room until after the tornado. Granted I only got to my shelter about 90 seconds before the tornado hit. Are you from andover ks? At the time I only had a battery operated am/fm/weather radio in the storm room.

[@fevengr9245]

@@thedude5040 We live a few blocks west of the catholic church in Andover. We learned our lessons on preparation from being in the 1991 Andover F-5 tornado. It’s pretty weird coming up the basement steps to discover your house is missing.

[@thedude5040]

@@fevengr9245 i live NE of the 13th st community college . I felt the suction and could hear the tornado. We were pretty scared to open the metal door to our saferoom in our near walkout basement, afraid nothing would be left. I must of stayed in the shelter for several hours as it was mostly dark when I came out. It was the sound of the sump pump and low battery alarm that got me out of shock. I managed to get the generator fired up before the sump pump quit. Luckily I had no damage, well a torn off screen door and bent fence gate, but neighbors further up the block were no so lucky. The weekend prior I had just finished my DIY battery systems for lighting, charging cell phones, powering a radio, and a seperate battery for the sump pump.

[@PoleTooke]

You got a tv signal in the basement??

[@kathym6603]

Bless you Tyler. I was totally cut off last year for about 8 hours after a massive wind storm. I went to the Sheriff. He was cut off too. People were saying "you'll get a text from the power company." No phone, no text.

[@rextex4222]

I agree 100%. Last week we had severe weather and lost power . No power, no internet. The Mygica and my tablet let me know where the tornado's were through the night.

[@LarcR]

Luckily, the lead TV station for emergency reporting in my area also has a powerful FM station. When an emergency arises, they broadcast their TV audio signal on the FM station until the emergency ends.

[@BumWolf69]

During Snowmaggedon back 2021 here in Central Texas had no power and the cell towers got overloaded. Thankfully we got a good AM station that kept us up to date on what was going on. Definitely going to look into a portable battery TV for the next go around.

[@MrBillmcminn]

Excellent video Tyler. One thing many need to know is that cell towers that aren’t knocked out by an emergency are operating at a severely reduced capacity, cell phones in any emergency situation should only be used for communications. Streaming a local radio or television station will contribute to overloading cellular networks. Streaming to get information will drain cell phone batteries leaving people without information when they’ll need it the most. Even after power is restored, cable TV won’t be for days possibly weeks afterwards, even cable TV homes need TV antennas.

[@mikecampbell5856]

I have outdoor antennas and love them. When my son bought a house he had streaming sources and internet but no antenna on his TV. I had to fight with him to connect an antenna for local stations because we have a lot of blizzards here in Wi. He now has an app for his phone for that as well. Kids!!!

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Lol. Atleast your not like my parents and play on your mobile phones during a power outage.

[@RZ350NC]

Let's see now. Water and food stash, check; ham radio, check; shortwave radio, check; portable TV, hmmmm. Thanks Tyler for bringing this to our attention. Take care.

[@AbhinavTheNewYorkVyonder2K4]

In 2020 Masks check due to covid.

[@joeblow5214]

I mainly use a battery powered analog scanner to pick up the local NOAA repeater and sheriff's dispatch freqs to monitor severe thunderstorms. The signal here for local tv stations is on the fringe so we always consider TV a "when power is still on" nicety. Lots of local TV stations have rebroadcast agreements with FM and AM radio stations in areas where severe weather is a issue. In my area as well most cell towers have back up generators. After the derecho a few years ago even when we did not have power for several days our cell service still worked. Funny thing was that if I had a generator I would have had internet a day before we had power.

[@j95lee]

The am stations in my area (mostly KFI640 and KABC790) have actually done a good job relaying information during emergencies, notably the CA wildfires. In fact, for immigrant communities where English is a second language, AM Spanish and Asian language stations are a vital source of information. In an apartment with lots of obstructions, bad weather can really mess up reception. But I always got AM radio during the many blackouts in CA, with no reception issues. And I use CD stereo from the early 2000s and a portable cd player with am fm radio. A portable tv should also prove useful in a disaster. I'd like to buy one, especially since I live in a rather volatile state. But if it can't get good reception it's moot point.

[@davidsradioroom9678]

You have the advantage of living in a large city. Radio stations there tend to have a good news team to provide emergency coverage.

[@RJDA.Dakota]

This proves the value of radio, especially MW radio stations with respectable newsrooms.

[@mikemandell132]

In your area some of the wildfires burned the cell towers. They had to bring in COWS after a couple days. CalFire coordinated with ham radio to communicate, as some of the repeaters also burned and they kind of combined resources. For a couple days. Then the trucks arrived and cell came back up.

[@radiodude1976]

@@davidsradioroom9678 This comment is spot on (for now). As soon as you venture out to markets smaller in size than, say, Boston MA most (if not all) radio stations are automated with no human beings live on the air at all outside of morning drive hours. Sadly, as time goes on this will likely happen to the larger cities as well.

[@madmax2069]

​@@davidsradioroom9678 you don't need to live in a large city to get good AM reception, with no power you're going to be able to hear those AM stations from hundreds of not thousands of miles away.

[@bloqk16]

Very true about having TV, as contrary to what is advised [by those that are with agencies handling emergencies] about having a radio for emergencies? In many smaller markets, radio stations serving locals have dwindled to near nothing; as those stations are carrying nationwide syndicated programming. Whereas with TV, there's still a semblance of local TV stations serving its markets. The lack of local radio serving its market was brought up in an ABC-TV [US] "Nightline" report from 2002, where a chemical railroad train derailment in Minot, North Dakota, happened; which resulted with a spreading chemical hazard for the community. Local officials went to the cluster of local radio stations, owned by Clear Channel, to have the stations put out an emergency alert; but that alert was delayed by several hours due to none of the stations having on-air staffers; all the stations' programming were coming from satellite feeds. The only staffer at the radio stations cluster was an engineer, whom could not go on-the-air until he got clearance from Clear Channel HQ.

[@davidsradioroom9678]

You are absolutely correct! I live in a medium sized city. No radio station provides emergency coverage. We have three local channels who do provide up to the minute warnings of emergencies. I have my portable TV, and I am ready for an emergency.

[@kensmith5694]

Correction you are ready for some emergencies. How long will your TV run for?

[@xXRenaxChanXx]

They make weather radios for a reason.

[@kensmith5694]

@@xXRenaxChanXx Yes, having one is a really good idea. Also a short wave can be a good thing if you can tune to the ham bands. Amateur radio folks will do what they can to keep the public informed.

[@davidsradioroom9678]

@@xXRenaxChanXx My weather radio does not show live radar with projections where a storm will hit. Only the local TV stations do.

[@raymondmartin6737]

I agree. I have the Dongle and a 4.3 Inch size RCA branded portable, which came in handy to receive WESH TV in the Orlando area while we were there for 2 months at Merritt Island, near the Kennedy Space Center, and could watch ME-TV shows on that channel, as the residents at the AirBnb we were at did not have reception of it there with no cable or antenna for OTA TV, only had ROKU on theirs.

[@ebinrock]

I have the MyGica tuner. Definitely use the included rabbit ears rather than the loop, it works a lot better. Also good to have a dedicated weather radio for backup.

[@LongBinh70]

A few years ago we were hit with an F1 tornado (Western CT) and power/cable TV/landline phone/internet were out for 10 days. I had a portable 8K generator that kept the food from spoiling, lights on, and most important, water from the well. But other than static-ee radio, we were cut off from civilization. Never again. I invested in a whole-house generator, an antenna, and a small TV just for aiming the antenna, and despite climbing the hill behind the house to mount the antenna, I could only get one major station because of the hilly topography. But it was better than nothing. I have since connected to Starlink, which opens up a whole new world. Oh, and cell towers backups are batteries. After a few days without power, they go down. Those that remained up were overwhelmed with traffic.

[@NEPatriot]

Well, during Sandy, I did not lose power despite the fears of it. But...1010 WINS, now run by Audacy, had simulcasted their signal on 92.3 then a failing top 40 station "92.3 NOW." There also was WCBS 880. Getting hyper local, WGCH crapped out here in Greenwich. Ironically, 92.3 is now WINS-FM...or as it goes on air "1010 WINS on 92.3 FM." As for a portable TV goes...need a good antenna to get a chance at a signal, but I will get one.

[@jennifergarrett6809]

Tyler thank you for always looking out for all of us. It's things like this that keep me watching you.

[@bobriemersma]

I remember analog TV and strong signals when this sort of thing was once viable. Not so in the ATSC era.

[@eminence_front6043]

Yes...ATSC isn't as durable as analog. They cut output power so much it hurts signal strength at longer distances... and bad weather.

[@mephitusincognito7918]

Radio is actually good about the weather around here.. many locally owned stations... so is a NOAA weather radio, and a scanner for the HAM and emergency bands... ATSC glitches out badly with lightning so it depends on the storm if i get a usable signal on the portable.. But overall I agree wholeheartedly on owning a TV that can be battery powered, you can see the damage for yourself and get updates on the progress of the power company...

[@TheKillogicEffect]

When I see there is a new video from Antenna Man I dont ask questions I just hit like buttons and prepare to be informed!!! Great suggestions, its easy for people to overlook such a simple thing these days. Awesome video sir, thank you!

[@davidsradioroom9678]

I do the same. Never had to change to Dislike.

[@JustinColeYT1]

A portable TV and a NOAA Weather Radio is nice to have during Severe Weather, but mainly the NOAA Radio. I will say, ever since FOX O&Os put the national FOX Weather network on its digital sub channels, it makes a portable tv a new option in big markets.

[@ZZ24AS]

With " nice weather conditions," in the U.S,no matter that you need portable tv for knowing when a tornado or hurricane is " stopping by in your neighbourhood for a visit." Nice one Tyler.😎

[@AbhinavTheNewYorkVyonder2K4]

How about other countries like India/Nepal?

[@sirdarklust]

More than anything, I would say that you should have one of those multi-band hand cranked survival radios.

[@christopherdunne7848]

That would depend on the reliability of your local radio stations. There are NO wind-up units I know of, that feature ATSC 1.0 television video.

[@sirdarklust]

@@christopherdunne7848 I was saying that I'd rather have a survival radio.

[@catholiccontriversy]

Definitely good. I have one that picks up the 3 bands (and I get the weather band pretty clearly where I live, which is great), and has a flashlight and reading light, and sos siren, and can be powered by crank, solar, or USB (and I have 2 power bricks). The great thing is the radio also can act as a power bank.

[@elsuperpollo2273]

I'm just glad I get into amateur radio, I have physical DVDs, downloaded media content I saved on my raspberry pi and I love using on the air tv.

[@Jody-kt9ev]

A major problem is that all TVs are digital now. This very problem is why I still think that preventing analog TV on the lower VHF frequencies is stupid. During the transition between analog and digital TV, I had both types of TVs running during the time thunderstorms passed over. Analog TV became snowy, but was usable. DTV completely crapped out and was useless. Satellite TV craps out also as it is digital. I live in Texas and during the big cold spell a couple of years ago our power went out over and over. Do you know what I used to get the news? A 60 year old transistor radio that receives AM. AM may have static, but does not crap out!

[@BradleyBrown]

Great points! Radio is useless where they're just rebroadcasting national syndicated shows. My parents had an old Bently battery powered tube TV that took like 12 C cells, and had huddled around it in their vehicle on the DC outlet when we've had large ice storms that brought down the power for as much as a week. We used to be at least able to tune to our local news channel 6 on the radio until they went digital and we lost the FM feed around 87 MHz. I'm glad to see modern portable TVs again that can tune the digital signals!

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

I have one of those late "chinese special" b/w portable CRT TV's. Got it as an impulse buy from an excellent local "junk" store. Makes a decent composite monitor.

[@mikek92]

Use to have a portable black&white tv/radio combo. Ran on D cell batteries. Unfortunately, they shut analog down...R.I.P. tv ! On a side note, I FINALLY convinced the wife to turn off the TV service we had for years. The letter with them going up another $10.00 a month was it ! Saving $118.00 and change, that's without any premium channels, ouch... Now have Philo streaming @ $25.00 a month, 3 Onn steaming boxes from Wallyworld and a new 43" TCL 4K TV w/Roku built-in it. Back to the ole' antennas too!

[@tonyv8925]

Yes...after watching Tyler's channel for awhile, we cut the cord and replaced our tvs with ROKU tvs and installed an outdoor antenna then cut the cable service ($149 a month!) and never looked back. I picked up a 19" Polaroid tv for next to nothing on black Friday sales and have that hooked up to rabbit ears hanging on the ceiling as my emergency back up tv. I have an inverter and a 12v gell cell battery (good for about 8hrs). Works good and get lots of channels on outside antenna. Thank you Tyler!

[@loulopez554]

We have one and have used it more than ever since the CA. Storms.

[@wadebarnett2542]

I may need one tomorrow!

[@SteveBrandon]

I've relied on my CD Walkman for information in weather emergencies (mainly a tornado in 2018 and a derecho in 2022, plus various snow and ice storms) which sounds like a crazy non-sequitur but it's also a radio which includes Weather Band, a great source of information when the local Ottawa AM and FM stations were stuck in weekend pre-recorded content mode (as is the case for the derecho, which happened on a Saturday). A TV would be useful for visuals, which the Weather Band radio station obviously can't provide, but I don't know if I'd buy one that I couldn't watch on a moving bus or commuter train the way I could with old NTSC LCD pocket televisions from Casio. Maybe I'll go the dongle route since my laptop computers were a source of entertainment for a while (with content I had previously downloaded since I didn't have any Internet after the tornado and derecho) until the batteries ran out (the power was out for four or five days after the tornado and for eight days after the derecho and I didn't have any way of recharging them).

[@gregyohngy]

I have the MyGica dongle. Beats the LED portable TV's for reception, price, and electricity! Had the B&W Casio, but my cell phone is 4x's the size!

[@SteveBrandon]

@@gregyohngy I had a larger colour Casio with possibly a 4 inch TFT screen that I lost at some point around Christmas 2004. I still have a colour Casio with a smaller screen but, obviously, I can't watch anything on it as it has an NTSC tuner.

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

@@SteveBrandon I picked one of those old Casio pocket televisions up a couple years ago at a flea market/yard sale. 100% would rather use the Sony Watchman I have lying around. Sure, the picture only contains luminance, but its still wipes the FLOOR under that god awful STN LCD screen. Thank goodness for modern LCD technology!

[@Golfingferdie]

I live in Florida, East Coast, I use antenna for normal day to day TV use. I can confirm to what Tis guy is saying,

[@nickybjammin7629]

This guy knows what’s up 🙌🏼💯

[@UNCJerry77]

Had my portable TV ready when Hurricane Micheal hit my area a few years ago. Had no power for 2 days. Best $80 spent!

[@trustbuster23]

If you already have a TV with an OTA tuner and an antenna, another option is a small Jackery or other power station that lets you keep running the TV when the power goes out. You just have to check on the back of the TV and see how many watts the TV uses and then make sure you get a power station big enough to handle the load. We have a small TV with an antenna specifically for emergencies. It doesn't pull a lot of power and the little power bank can run it for several hours if necessary.

[@madmax2069]

Have fun lugging that big TV down into the basement, and the runtime on that is not going to last long.

[@cayden9224]

In my area there's a media company that owns several radio stations and they all have radio shows all day as well as a program manager and an engineer all day and most of the nights (I'm assuming most of those people go home at night) and the stuff they play is so much better than anything on a radio station owned by the big radio companies.

[@STB-jh7od]

I have a pair of dynamo powered radio/flashlights for emergencies, it has NOAA channels. I also had USB ports to charge phones.

[@markconnelly9940]

Thanks for the app link. It prevented me from returning the tuner since the google play store doesn't carry the app. I installed this in my work truck on my 10.1" android stereo. Works great!

[@mistermac56]

Excellent video Tyler. Depending on emergency sirens or depending on cellular service for information during severe weather is not smart. Everyone should have more than one way to get emergency information, such as a battery powered NOAA Weather Radio, an AM/FM battery powered radio, and a AC/DC portable TV or USB TV dongle for a laptop or mobile phone.

[@radiotvphononut]

LOL, I still have a late-1970s Panasonic B&W portable TV/radio that we used during power outages and storms, up until analog broadcasting ended. I thought about taking an older 12" B&W set that is capable of running on 12V, and mounting the circuit board from a DTV converter box inside of the set. I may do that one day, but I probably still need to invest in a modern battery powered TV, and then I can say that I've bought one new TV in my life.

[@schoolsgirl]

Antenna Man is correct. During 9/11 we couldn't reach mom in NYC. It was crazy. For two days we kept trying to call & we could not get through. Both cell towers and landlines were down.

[@kensmith5694]

A few points: 1) Remember that an antenna amplifier won't work without power. Rabbit ears may be your best option. 2) A "power bank" is a good thing to have to keep your TV running. 3) A USB TV stick on a laptop can give you a picture big enough to actually watch TV on. 4) It likely is only a matter of time before someone sucks the life out of local TV news too.

[@christopherdunne7848]

I own a Coby 7” TFTV791. Tyler is absolutely correct about the supplied-antennas. Sadly on the downside on the Coby, an electrical charge MIGHT get you 1 hour of TV reception. I have the car charger for it….er….somewhere….

[@stanleybest8833]

You are so right. I love Chilly Billy Cardile in Night of the Living Dead. I still have a portable 12 volt TV, but it's NTSC. No current broadcast TV stations reach my area. Joy to the death of ATSC 3.0

[@aRc11-11]

Great suggestion.

[@robertbeda959]

Good info. I've had a 7 inch RCA black Friday special for years. Works great.

[@ColoRadio6996]

Tyler Agreed Also don't forget to monitor local Amateur radio.

[@kensmith5694]

Yes, hams are out there hoping to help. Sadly they don't get the respect they should.

[@dank9296]

Great idea! Thanks for posting.👍😎

[@jeffreybennett323]

Well spoken. You said it all. Hope more people will listen.

[@PC4USE1]

Have an old one-I know it works with an AC adapter but IDK about the battery. Bought it in 2009. Once again,useful info,Tyler.

[@catholiccontriversy]

When I was 7 my grandparents bought me a little black and white analog tv (it was my favorite color yellow, so that's why they got me it), and my mom thought it was a stupid gift (there wasn't much on network TV for me at that time, and it wasn't cable ready, and from retrospective reviews it is like "objectively the worst option at the time"), but then the blackout of 2003 happened and we were the only people in the neighborhood with a battery operated TV (it could do wall outlet, car outlet, or 10 C-cell batteries). Because ATSC 1.0 is leaving and I could only find rechargeable TVs (after the blackout I can't rely on "up to a 4 hour charge," I need replaceable standard batteries or a crank backup), I got an emergency radio that has crank and solar backups that also acts as a power bank, flashlight, and emergency siren. EDIT: I should also note that this radio also has a tuner for the weather band.

[@fallwitch]

Thanks for the interesting video. I would add having a few battery powered radios is probably as good or not a better bet than portable tellies tho. They don't use as much power (will last longer) and typically have better range.

[@AntennaMan]

A portable radio is a good investment but how helpful it is in a disaster depends on the radio stations in your area. Most are nothing more than voice-tracked personalities and cookie cutter playlists.

[@fallwitch]

@@AntennaMan I would suspect if you live somewhere where there are not a lot of radio stations there also won't be a lot of telly stations either. In addition, radio signals are still broadcasting in analogue (and digital). Analogue signals have a much longer range than most modern telly digital signals, especially AM. As far as being cookie cutter playlists yes you are 100% correct but in a major disaster this would not be the case as they would be broadcasting news and info. Best practice would be to have both and hope where you are there is a signal for at least one.

[@catholiccontriversy]

​@@fallwitch also helps if the radio has a weather band tuner, which is JUST weather news. My emergency radio has a hand crank and solar backup, weather/AM/FM, has 2 different lights (flashlight and reading light), and siren.

[@johns9652]

I had a 'Watchman' way back in the day, before portable TVs were really a thing (91, 92?). Was really cool until an ex stole it. I've also had various battery powered portable sets since then, but when everything went digital they ceased to work. I've been watching your videos for a few years now, and I'm especially interested in the new ATSC 3 you've been telling us about. Any portables that have that tuner? Guess I'm watching your 'RCA tablet with TV Tuner' video next.

[@AntennaMan]

No portable TVs with ATSC 3.0 tuners but that's to be expected as we are in the very very early stages of it. The current ATSC 1.0 signals are not going anywhere for at least 10 years. The whole thing might even flop as it's not live on NYC or Philadelphia.

[@johns9652]

@@AntennaMan Hmmm. I've been saying to myself I was going to wait until 3.0 came out to buy a new set... And now that I did watch your RCA tablet vid, that was an old one you can only find second hand. To top it off, you only mentioned Android in this video and that one, and I have iPhone. I really hate Comcast, and I've never liked this whole digital tuner thing, I miss the old days. I thought about going with T-Mobile internet since I already have their phone service, but I live in an area where there is this odd bubble of crappy coverage, no matter who your carrier is. I don't even live in a valley, it's just this weird spot a couple hundred yards across, basically covers my neighborhood and the shopping center across the street.

[@catholiccontriversy]

​@@johns9652 the problem is you're not going to find a tv tuner for iPhone because apple is very selective about what can use lightning port, whereas android is open source and doesn't care. The link for the app Tyler provided also needs to be side loaded because it's not in the google play app store, but only apps on the apple app store can be installed on iPhones.

[@currentsitguy]

Definitely worth having. I have one that does double duty. It's a 10 inch Leadstar that is rechargeable. I searched for one that has HDMI in. That way 99% of the time it serves as a monitor for my Raspberry Pi, but when a storm comes I can plug in the portable Mohu Leaf antenna and monitor things even it the power goes out. I also have a Halo car jump starter that happens to have a built in AC power outlet for extended power.

[@stevejohnson1321]

Even WBZ AM used to be something of a beacon for emergency information. It's now iheart. Though it's better than a lot of area stations -- nothing like how it was 30 years ago. And as most of you know, some TV stations are more helpful than others.

[@mcz68l]

Here in the Raleigh Durham area WRAL TV usually simulcast on the local FM channel 101.5 (same owners) during an emergency

[@_bob_8170]

That’s pretty cool, I remember early nineties and late 2009 you could tune a radio to a channel and pick up game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. But in late 2009 most if not all over air broadcasting went digital and we lost all those shows.

[@mcz68l]

@@_bob_8170 I retired from the NC National Guard Last year as a full time technician back before the digital transformation I would tune in the WRAL (Raleigh NC) and the station in Wilmington NC on the coast as a quick troubleshooting method when a pilot would say that their FM radio didn't work

[@AntennaMan]

That's really cool!

[@hobsonbeeman7529]

Tyler, you’re the man on this technology. I always enjoy your videos as what you say is grounded in facts. Keep up the great work!

[@yourpalfranc]

Great timing, Tyler!! The good news is that I'd bought one of the portable TVs you'd recommended in an earlier video to take up on the roof with me and dial in the antenna that you recommended for me. So, when the power went out for 6 hours in the high winds last weekend, I had a portable TV!! The bad news is...the rechargeable battery was completely drained. BUT, the UPS that my HDhomerun is plugged into still had charge, so I plugged in there. Mind you, the emergency broadcast I needed to receive was the NCAA Basketball Tournament!! LOL This is like 5 hours into the outage when I figured out I could do all this. I got plugged into the UPS which is also in the closet where my antenna drop connects to the HDhome run, so I have antenna! Right?? Wrong?? The ac power link for my outdoor antenna amplifier also needs power. I'm figuring the UPS can still power everything and I'm just about to make all the connections when...the power comes back on!!! So, now your video reminds me that I need to get the portable TV charged, and test all the connectivity before the next wind event that's supposed to occur over the weekend. There are two NCAA games on Saturday!! LOL As always, thanks for the great content and ideas!!! ~Frank

[@NJBeachbum12]

I like your new delivery style. Very professional and smooth as butter!

[@AntennaMan]

Thanks for the kind words. Some viewers criticize my looks and presentation skills so I appreciate the comment.

[@NJBeachbum12]

@@AntennaMan I’ve been watching you for a long time. Always getting better. Videos are very informative. I used your info for my OTA setup, which works great. Shared your channel with many people. Disregard the negative BS. You’re doing everything right!

[@wpherigo1]

I like your recommendations. Very sound.

[@eminence_front6043]

My tv has battery backup and outdoor antennas. Power outages haven't affected my TV . Plus a generator for long term power failures.

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

A couple weeks back the neighborhood power went out (weather related). One finding out what happened, I put my phone to the side and took out my 9999 in 1 brick game and the radio. Didn't want to waste my phone's battery. I shit ye not comrades, all the "adults" in the house (who are SIGNIFICANTLY older then me) continued pissed away on their phones...

[@mikemandell132]

Amazon does not appear to carry the "Tyler" model tv. Seriously, local radio is better than you imply. In our area, WAEB operated on a generator during Sandy giving all the local info you needed. You may recall. The noise from the generator (apparently NOT a pure sine wave inverter) was terrible, but it worked. Cell towers, post-Sandy, are all required to have an 8 hour battery backup. "Important" towers have generators that can go several days. However......the less-known thing about cell service is the major carriers have pre-emptive SIM cards. The tower may be "up" but YOU may not be able to use it (all circuits busy). You have to be what they very, very loosely describe as a first-responder, some kind of government big shot, or a self-important, entitled liar to get a pre-emptive SIM (like ATT FirstNet). Otherwise you become just another of the uninformed rabble trying to get up to date info from the ham radio operator in your neighborhood (ha).

[@flukep1228]

Uses to count on a portable radio was enough when problems hit. Now a portable tv is the thing.

[@GaryLive-f1d]

Thank you Tyler for the video.

[@drunkbuzzard3237]

I had a tiny battery powered 2 inch color TV during the Northridge earthquake many years ago and it was great. I was the only one who can see what was going on.

[@hilaryweiner893]

I feel fortunate living in the Washington DC area because WTOP radio (news) still partners with the local NBC affiliate that actually uses their own meterologists (not national ones), so I'm set with a battery operated FM radio. A portable TV makes more sense in areas that don't have a decent local radio news station.

[@averysgranny]

We had no communication ...Internet WiFi, or cell service during the recent devastation in western nc, hurricane Helene... we sure need something like this...

[@jerryspann8713]

Some years ago I purchased a 28 inch flat screen from Best Buy. It was an Insignia and it still works today. However, it uses a wall wart with a positive center 12 volt connection. You can operate the TV with a 12 volt battery pack.

[@frankb8652]

Yes indeed, those corporations have sucked the life out of radio.

[@jeanroddenberry6433]

I was in NYC for Hurricane Sandy, and the local NPR stations did a pretty good job of letting us know what was going on. But it's good to have alternatives.

[@kensmith5694]

In places with NPR stations it usually is your best bet unless they get knocked out too.

[@jeanroddenberry6433]

​@@kensmith5694 Unfortunately, there are places with minimal radio except for corporate schlock with no live DJ to give the news. And these are the ones that don't bother to have a generator during blackouts. A portable tv would be a better option in that case. But a powerful radio that can get stations from far away works, too.

[@Doug41160]

Local radio is pretty much useless during weather emergencies. Corporate radio and smaller owners either automate or pipe in music from a syndicator for most of their schedule with the exception of weekday morning drive and in some cases weekday afternoon drive as well. When i was formerly employed with clear channel, now iheart, i was laid off and replaced with a deep voice jock via a voice track from one of their bigger market stations. This is primarily why you never get urgent weather info because the station has been left unattended and left in "auto-drive". Too few stations have at least activated the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which will automatically interrupt by over-riding the control room board with the message starting out..."an urgent weather message....." and its computer generated voice comes direct from the NWS and you get the warning sooner than from a tv station, if you happen to have the radio on at the right time. Fortunately, we have one FM station near me who does that. The rest don't seem to care. Except for their profits. You're right, tv is more reliable during these emergencies.

[@kensmith5694]

Yes, we now live in an era that was predicted in a joke many years back. Basically it was that the stations in many places only needed 4 weather reports as recordings. "The good weather will continue for for two more days" "there is a storm coming" "this bad weather will continue for another two days" "The weather will improve over the next few days". The station then only needs a barometer with 4 contacts on the needle and you are done.

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

I had no idea that made portable TVs anymore. My first TV as a kid was a portable Casio TV that ran on AA batts. I used it on road trips up until the transition to digital.

[@AntennaMan]

Yes, they do make portable TVs!

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

@@AntennaMan I'm gonna get me one so I can watch me some fox news when the tornada hits.

[@matthewjbauer1990]

For me, I think that having my HDHR Flex, antenna amp, my router and modem on my UPS + having a giant Rockpals power station should be good enough. I should be able to get 8-10 hours of power with this setup, but If it seems to be longer that the power is out, I can always power off everything and only use it when needed. Plus, I can charge everything in my car if needed. Having just the internet and a TV + DVR box on the power station served me well enough earlier in the year when a wind storm/EF1 tornado knocked a tree down near my house causing a 2 day power outage. But, I can see the appeal of a portable TV. Plop in some batteries and away you go.

[@patrickmartin4996]

Yes, most radio stations are not great in this day...

[@billredding2000]

This technology "competition" (for lack of a better descriptor) -- radio stations vs. TV stations -- reminded me of the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles (1979)...which (BTW) was the very first music video MTV aired. ;-) Anyway, will be looking into getting this kind of TV as I already have 2 home-made (homebuilt) 12v portable emergency power stations (using 12v Deep Cycle marine batteries, recharged with solar panels) so can run it off those. I'm also putting a CB radio in my Jeep AND I keep a decent FRS radio in there for emergency use, too...in case there's no cell coverage during an "event." Additionally, BOTH have the NOAA Weather Channels. With a 12V TV, that'd make 3 alternate sources of information -- better than having only 1 (a cellphone)...not to mention a couple of emergency radios on hand as well. No, no GMRS radios, or HAM: Don't want to get into those right now. And the other radios require no license. Went through no cellphone service during and for 4-5 days after Hurricane Ike (Galveston, TX, 2008)...the tower SEEMED to be working after the storm (generator was running), so I'm not sure it wasn't FEMA blocking calls to allow First Responder ("official business") calls only. -- BR

[@JCWise-sf9ww]

Something worth considering a battery powered TV, AM radio stations just mite not provide up to date weather info. Say what about a Battery back up AC inverter system, you could not only have TV, but also power lights if it's night time and some appliances in an emergency. We had a wind storm two years ago that blew a tree limb off and broke the power line to our place and it took the power utility 18 hours to fix it. I had a solar charged bank of 12vdc batteries and AC inverters to keep our freezer and refrigerator cold enough and other necessary things powered over night.

[@MKEPTV]

i used a portable tv for a power outage that happened last year. Also i think its important to have a NOAA WEATHER battery operated radio i picked up a midland WR400 weather radio with AM/FM radio i have now on my nightstand and use it all the time for music and when severe weather happens the NOAA alert come on a must have for all your viewers.

[@Dan_KM8DAD]

The Mygica phone dongle looks interesting although it does have a USB-C connecter. You would need a USB-c to Micro-USB connector to use it with older Android phones that have the Micro-USB ports. Not a deal breaker as the connectors are available for less than 10 bucks. Not sure how it would work in extended signal areas. I live 25-40 miles from the nearest towers and use a rooftop aerial to bring those signals in. It would make more sense in my case to use the PC dongle and rooftop plug the cable in. Only consideration there would be a power outage cutting juice to the antenna amp and/or a surge from a lightning strike that could potentially fry the PC. Still it may be a good option in areas closer to local transmitters.

[@davidlyttle5749]

great video ,i have a 3.5 inch AUVIO it works great but not where i live i use for travel. radios are poor even local stations

[@Markimark151]

I had a blackout a month ago and I used my portable TV and radio with an antenna and batteries! Especially when there’s no internet connection due to a storm that knock out the service, thankfully we get live TV that alerted severe thunderstorm in our region! We had no power for four days straight! Old technology like antenna radio and linear television can work in emergency situations!

[@tonyv8925]

I found an old AM/FM car radio at a yard sale for a dollar...hooked it up to a 12 gell cell and ran a 20 foot wire into the antenna jack. Hooked up some old PC speakers and I really get good FM reception and even better AM signals. Great for power outages. Runs continuous for about 12 to 20 hours before battery needs a recharge.

[@Markimark151]

@@tonyv8925 I also got one that had a tape and CD player from an old vehicle! Those old combo decks are easy to use, they don’t use internet! I wish car manufacturers use easy to install AM/FM radios, the older ones are more reliable!

[@salty6pence672]

You the Man Tyler.

[@NY411Info]

We had good News coverage from AM/Medium Wave Radio during the ice storm of 1998 in Upstate NY. I've owned 2 portable handheld TV sets. I had a 5" NTSC and a 10" Digital with a ATSC tuner, and they both sucked at reception with the supplied antenna. This is planned by the FCC anyway. My old early 80's RCA would pick up all kinds of channels with just a 4 foot wire shoved into the 75 ohm coax connector. The FCC made the electronic manufacturers make their tuners in radios and TV sets less sensitive to keep the advertising from stations local. This way you don't hear ad's from distant stations. FCC sucks, and ruined the free over the air way of broadcasting. I'm sure someone got a lot of kickback money out of the deal. Look at a 70's Pioneer radio tuner. (and many other brands, I still have a 70's Pioneer running)Shove a small piece of wire in the antenna jack and you get stations from 60ish miles away. Connect it to a outside antenna and get 200+ miles away. Done it been there. The FCC is not here to help the end user (You and I). They are here for the money of corporate companies, highest bidders gets the vote. My $.02.

[@johngallagher912]

Most of these portable tv's (as pictured) have TERRIBLE reception.

[@rickmaudlin2160]

Great points !

[@simonmann3260]

Our local tv stations simulcast their audio on our local am and fm stations. That saved us during Hurricane Matthew a few years ago here in Florida. I would think that's today's standard in most places. A portable radio will do you better than a tv or cell phone hooked up to a tv tuner draining your phone or dealing with poor intermittent tv reception.

[@MrNickb-s500]

Thank you Tyler for this VIP info 😊😊👍👍👍👍👍

[@vanderpoolfarmsl.l.c.9983]

Thanks for this, Tyler. Just one question; Why do you think TV stations will be up and radio stations may not? Seems to me like the opposite should be true.

[@AntennaMan]

TV stations have a lot more resources in terms of news and other infrastructure. A lot of radio stations are bleeding dry. This issue is not that radio stations would be off the air but rather there's no one in the studio to provide accurate, real time weather information compared to a TV station.

[@kensmith5694]

@@AntennaMan Yes, I remember a thing about a sports reporter IIRC on some AM station working something like 36 hours straight when an earthquake hit California. He was the only one on that station that could get on the air for some reason.

[@jeffreyjones6409]

I guess I never thought of the cell towers going down. Good idea, thanks for thinking of us. I do have a NOAH weather radio which also helps in a weather emergency but am going to look into getting one of the portable TV 's as well. Thanks again.

[@kensmith5694]

The other thing that can happen is the cell system still being up but overwhelmed because everyone and their dog is trying to use it all of a sudden,

[@billyjohnson1286]

I have a battery operated weather/shortwave radio! And it could also be powered by solar and hand crank! Can you recommend a good antenna for a better shortwave reception? I think the best thing to have in a event of a civil emergency like World War III is a shortwave radio!

[@kensmith5694]

"short wave" works best with a really long wire as antenna. The wavelength of a station is WaveLength = 300Meters / MHz. For 10MHz the math is easy 300Meters/10MHz = 30Meters A 1/4 wave antenna is a good length to use 30Meters/4 =7.5Meters. In feet this is roughly 22 feet if wire. A longer antenna can work even better

[@edgbostonnorth7167]

Good info Tyler..thx

[@coreybabcock2023]

I went to NYC that same weekend after Sandy passed through I took Megabus from DC to get there stayed all weekend it's was so surreal to see midtown Manhattan dark at night and no subway service south of 34 st and did you know goal zero gave away lots of portable solar panels and escape 150s and extreme 350s Im still jealous cause of that

[@danny6032]

When Hurricane Ian hit I never lost power but the area where the towers are did have widespread power outages and I was having signal issues with almost every channel, even the strong UHF channels.

[@yvesbrissette4074]

Some Portable TV's are called TYLER ! Yes Tyler !

[@AntennaMan]

Yes, crazy coincidence!

[@wxfreak]

And a NOAA weather radio if you are in the US and parts of Canada

[@FrancisLitanofficialJAPINOY]

Also parts of Mexico (Mexico City, Oaxaca) and the Bermuda Island (UK overseas).

[@BaconFaceMcGee]

It would work fine for us but it wouldn’t work for my grandparents's house. There’re too far away from the TV Towers.

[@frankm496]

Great info and suggestion. Tyler, can you do a video regarding the electric car manufacturers eliminating AM radio in their future cars.? maybe other platforms doing the same? As you know AM radio has always been the place to go to for important information during an emergency and is also an open platform for speech/other stuff. I think there is fight going on to stop it. I figured you would have more Insight on this topic since it is also OTA related? Really appreciate all you do.

[@AntennaMan]

I'll actually be making a video about how AM radio is dying in the future. I understand why car manufacturers don't want to spend money on a technology that will soon be dead.

[@AntennaMan]

Also, there isn't a fight to kill AM radio. The medium is dying on its own. It sounds like crap and very few people under age 55 listen to it, making it a tough sell for advertisers. Some AM radio stations are going off the air and selling the land the towers are on.

[@angeloppa]

​@@AntennaMan well with that attitude, am will die for sure. it has advantages over fm, and no one listens to am for the sound quality lol... electric cars are being forced down our throats without even being close to having sufficient infrastructure or short charging times. and you'll need an am radio when you can't charge your car during an outage lol

[@christopherdunne7848]

It amazes me that AM is actually still around in 2023. The FCC has tried to, er, help them, with the so-called AM Revitalization Plan (read: FM translators for AM stations). Also, we’re at the point where the land for an AM station’s towers is more valuable than the station itself. KDWN in Las Vegas gave up its AM 720 in March 2023, and is only FM via a translator of a local HD. I’m sure KDWN will profit fairly well by selling the tower land.

[@angeloppa]

@@christopherdunne7848 so it’s all about money as usual...

[@dougkeklak2009]

I’m more of a battery radio with the NOAA weather and type of guy. But this is good advice too just in case.

[@spiderkidLarry]

Dang Tyler never thought of that, plus you can hook up to my antenna wow now really wouldnt do me any good cause i need a booster to get channels, but still might be good to have, we are starting to have bad storms where I live now. Thanks

[@josephregallis3394]

We have a weather radio. If we find out it doesn't help us we will consider a portable TV.