Antenna installations

Plus, they are great if you ever go camping, hiking or biking too. Then you have a couple of options:. A television with a built in digital tuner is always going to be your best option.

However, a digital converter box will give you a few extra benefits as well in addition to providing you with a digital tuner:. This is a great digital converter box. To cover most any type of TV antenna installation, plan to have the following equipment tools ready:. Your ability to pull in pristine digital HD signals has everything to do with your location. Before going out and purchasing an antenna do your homework first. As mentioned, head on over to our TV station locator page to find out where you are located with respect to the television broadcast towers in your area.

Below is an example of what you might see. With this tool it is very easy to see your signal strength. The green color indicates you have a strong signal.

The yellow color indicates that the signal strength is moderate in your area. An outdoor antenna should be able to pull these signals in without issue.

However, you will be pushing the range and limits of an indoor antenna. The orange color suggests that signal strength is moderate at best. A properly installed outdoor TV antenna will be able to pull these signals in, provided it is sufficiently high and free of obstruction. Remember, although many antenna manufacturers claim ranges of miles or more, the reality is even the best performing antennas start to deteriorate after 75 miles.

This is due in large part to the curvature of the earth. The real difference between the two is the range in the frequency spectrum. UHF waves are shorter in length and higher in frequency, this allow them to penetrate walls and object more effectively than their VHF counterparts. In summary, if you have a choice between a VHF or UHF only antenna, choose the UHF antenna as many broadcasters and the better channels only operate in this frequency range. Okay, a little more technical before we move on.

Or head over to rabbitears. We did a comprehensive article that shows you how to properly use of the rabbitears. For some good troubleshooting tips, be sure to check out our article why do my channels keep disappearing?

Most outdoor TV antennas on the market are directional. This simply means that they are designed to be pointed directly at the TV broadcast tower they are receiving a signal from.

Directional antennas offer superior range and reception quality when compared to their omnidirectional counterparts.

However, their limitation is they only point in one direction, which can be limiting if you live near multiple towers like I do. Omnidirectional antennas , on the other hand, can receive signal from all directions or degrees. This makes them ideal for TV antenna installations where the terrain is relatively flat and free of obstruction. Therefore, carefully consider your options before purchasing.

Antenna manufacturers that claim miles, miles or more are, well, lying! Expect whatever antenna you purchase to operate efficiently in the 60 — 80 mile range, beyond that is difficult. Again, use our TV station locator tool to find out exactly how far the towers in your area are away from you. This is just an excerpt.

You can review the full explanation over on AntennaWeb. However, the downside with these, as mentioned, is if you live near multiple broadcast towers then the ability to move your antenna becomes challenging. This is when you may need to consider an antenna rotator. The major drawback to antenna rotators is the installation involved in setting them up.

You will need to run a power and signal wire to operate the rotator. This can be difficult for some installations. The other downside is if you plan to run multiple TVs off your single antenna, then everyone in the house is going to have to watch whatever channels are available depending on the tower your antenna is pointing.

This will not get full wife and kid approval! There is a better solution that comes with all sorts of added benefits and that is by installing a network tuner box.

These network tuner boxes often have multiple digital tuners in them that can run off of one single antenna signal. Check Latest Pricing. This is huge! This eliminates the need to add external splitters that effectively cut your antenna signal strength in half. By having a network tuner box you can locate the box almost anywhere, eliminating the need for splitters and keeping your coaxial cable run as short as possible.

Speaking of long cable runs. Get your network tuner as close to your antenna as possible. You can now add a second antenna to your TV antenna installation, point the second antenna toward the other broadcast tower and connect it to a second network tuner box. Half of which will receive channels from the antenna pointing in one direction. The other half will receive channels pointing in the other direction.

This network tuner box is packed full of features and is capable of receiving signal in the new ATSC 3. For more information on this box and the new ATSC 3. Choosing a good location can often be the difference between receiving signals and not receiving signals. Installing your TV antenna outside is always going to be the better option. This is because having to go through bricks, wood, drywall, windows, doors and other obstructions is all going to have an impact on your ability to receive a good reliable signal.

However, sometimes it is not feasible to do so for example if you live in an apartment or townhome. This will give you the height you need with only your rooftop and some insulation to penetrate. Wherever you ultimately decide to install your antenna, try to ensure that you have the clearest path possible to the broadcast tower.

This means avoid trees, other houses, hills or any other obstructions that may be between you and the tower. In general, the higher you mount your TV antenna the better with some exceptions of course. If you can get your antenna 20, 30 or even 40 feet in the air, your ability to receive a good reliable signal is very high.

After the installation, you should make sure the antenna is properly anchored. Antennas that are vertical will require a fixed anchor point at the end. You can use a chimney or a tree to serve as a suitable anchor for the antenna. Antennas can also be anchored to the ground.

You can also use poles and other structures to support the antenna. Antenna installation requires a lot of preparation, in addition to the tools mentioned above. A compass will help you to position your antenna toward the transmission towers. A professional installer will be able to provide you with technical assistance and customer service. Once you have gathered the components, you can start installing your antenna. Antenna installation is easy if you follow the instructions.

A professional installer will make sure that everything is properly aligned. Antennas are installed so that they are in the best position to receive the signal. The antenna will also help you get the best reception. The antenna should be placed at an angle convenient for the receiver. If it is not level, you can use a compass to orient it towards the towers.

When you contact us for technical support, we really appreciate the details about which step above the error shows, in order to accurately diagnose the problem your antenna might have. For better result, the distance between the control unit box and your TV set should be within 20 ft. And the distance between the antenna and the control unit box should be within 50 ft.

Connect the antenna to your TV, then perform a channel scan Mount the antenna on your rooftop for optimal performance. Consult related instruction manual to scan the channels if you use a digital converter box Find the setting option on the TV menu. After you set up the signal source, go to Channel Scan or Channel Manage to scan the digital channels.