With the impending switch to DTV, I am faced with the loss of a dear old friend.
Since around 1980 or so, I have been the proud owner of the ultimate clock radio. As I recall, my father bought it for me and it cost around $60, which was outrageously expensive at the time. I believe that the Honor Roll may have played a role in this particular transaction.
In addition to its space-aged good looks, it has the ability to receive "TV Sound". It enabled me to fall asleep while listening to late night TV and to wake up to local news, long before my parents allowed me to have an actual television in my room.
I have replaced the single speaker several times over the years to keep it alive, but the clear and present threat is DTV. Now, before you foolishly suggest that I simply replace it with something more modern, you should understand that after nearly three decades, I can completely program this thing in the dark, with my eyes closed, without regard for my level of consciousness or sobriety. Two years ago, my wife (who, incidentally hates this thing) bought me a new clock radio with similar abilities for Christmas. I thanked her and immediately suggested that she return it and get her money back. This thing's staying.
About three months back, in anticipation of the pending disaster, I ordered one of those rebate coupons for a DTV converter box and it came in the mail today. I've never seen a converter box as they seem to be sold out everywhere, but I'm on a waiting list for one that will cost me $9 with the coupon.
There is a simple antenna connection on the back of the radio (it features three antenna options: the telescoping one, the use of the power cable as an antenna, or an external one). Is it unreasonable to expect the DTV converter box to work with this thing?
It should. That's what's at the antenna end of the shielded cable. Use the same adapter and tie it in to this unit. You'll have to select your stations with the box and just live the ultimate clock on channel 3.
Can we talk about bacon/potatoes/cheese/beer now?
Yeah, as FT sez. Depending on the output of the converter box, you may need a balun. For non-radio geeks, that would be a little transformer thing that has 2 wires coming out fused together in a flat piece and a screw on connector for the coax on the other. Hook one wire to the "ground" screw and one to "TV/FM" screw.
And we got on the waiting list for TV Stamps too. They came in the mail about a week ago, while we had no power. Uncle O fixed it all up for us so we can continue to get programmed.
I hear the Magnavox unit from Sam's is the one to get.
It is nice but it gets no better reception than the unbranded one from Wally World.
Is the unbranded wally world one cheaper?
$9.00 after coupon as well. I bought two Wall-Es and my BIL bought to Mags, seemed to work as well in the same environ. I am still modifying my antennae 
Great to hear, I got my coupons yesterday. Guess the coupon program got it's bailout.
Nice to know that the coupons are coming out to folks. I hope to get one soon too, as I got on the waiting list about a month ago and the NASCAR season is starting this month (Don't bother telling me how you hate nascar...it's one of the few things I need an antenna for).
Clem
As long as the converter box you get has a coaxial OUTPUT and not just RCA jacks then it will work. You will also need a 75 ohm dipole to 300 ohm coaxial balun as mentioned before to hook the coaxial out of the converter box to the 2 screw terminals on the back of your radio. You are also going to need some sort of TV antenna for the input of the new digital box.
PS I wanna hear what the wife says when this thing grows another box and a bundle of cables another antenna, and wall warts to make it work. I think you are going to be spending some time on the couch out of earshot of it anyway.
