Back To Antenna TV

[dishdude]

Yes, I agree, the good stuff online is being overshadowed by this compact high profit "powered" junk saturated all over Amazon and other websites. They reason for this is they are easy to ship, large profits and large promises.
The antenna you have pictured (passive) is the way to go. I would say one other thing, using the antenna pointing websites I posted above in my other post, you can calculate the distance.
I always promote buying the largest antenna you can, I do agree outside the home is always best but inside the attic with a larger more oversized antenna than you would need outside will work for many people not to far from towers such as I posted above.
I have done this in two different areas of South Carolina and worked well for all major networks, actually where my son lives he gets SC and NC stations, roughly 50 channels in all though granted some are duplicates with the second largest Channel Master installed in his attic, no boaster.

As far as amplification there too I agree unless needed. Most modern TVs have signal meters to show how strong a signal you have. My set up posted above with photos had one weakness, FOX network, everything else was 95 to 100% Fox would fall short and pixelate at times, so I went out and bought the cheapest signal boaster for $15 as pictured in my other post, this took care of the FOX network for good, no other problems with the other stations. Buying too powerful a boaster will create issues but chances are a low power one wont harm even the already strong channels, at least didnt with me.

(ps, born raised most of my past adult life on the South Shore if Long Island)

This is good advice, I'd add to stick to Channel Master or Winegard.

You can also use this site to help determine which antenna is appropriate for your location and where the broadcast towers are to help you aim it.

RabbitEars.Info

RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.

www.rabbitears.info

 

[incognito_2u]

This is good advice, I'd add to stick to Channel Master or Winegard.

You can also use this site to help determine which antenna is appropriate for your location and where the broadcast towers are to help you aim it.

RabbitEars.Info

RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.

www.rabbitears.info

Can’t go wrong with either of those 2 brands. Both are quality products with an excellent Customer Support network. Any questions emailed to either of these companies will be answered by an Tech, not a CSR or a sales person.

 

[Mr_Luke]

Digital over the air tv is the best pic you can get. All other providers of tv have to compress and uncompress the signal which compromises the pic quality.

It really is.
They broadcast from less than 2 miles away so I guess it's about time I started receiving their signal again.

 

[alarmguy]

I cancelled Time Warner cable back in 2015 when the monthly cost was approaching $100 and that didn't even include any movie channels. I installed an HDTV antenna up in my attic and tied it into the existing cable wiring. I got something like 60 channles but about half were in Spanish so I deleted them from the station memory. I was quite pleased with over the air HDTV broadcasts and the internet for additional content.

Now though I live in the mountains and there is no reception via an antenna. The only provider is through the internet with Spectrum or going with a satellite company like Direct TV. Spectrum just jacked up the cost to $85 a month with no options for slower download capability. I called them, threatened to cancel, asked for a long term customer discount, a senior citizen discount, a discount for signing up for a year or whatever they could do. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Goose egg.

It's $85 a month or no internet or TV where I live. The satellite companies are even more expensive. As far as I'm concerned the service should be about half of their current rate. They've got me over a barrel.

Can’t hurt to check =

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www.t-mobile.com

 

[53' Stude]

Can’t hurt to check =

High-Speed 5G Home Internet Service Plans | T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

Check your internet availability for T-Mobile's fast, in-home 5G internet by address. We're working hard to deliver our 5G internet across the country, so check back often!

www.t-mobile.com

Very good info sir. I have a antenna mounted in my largest window in my place. I can get 3 channels also as one has old western movies I enjoy watching. Thank You Alarmguy for your info😍🇺🇸🇨🇦👍

 

[Mr_Luke]

I got my new amplified indoor antenna today, from amazon for $30.
It really improved my signal for local TV a lot, and I'm satisfied with it.
If I'd realized it sooner I would have never bothered with that outdoor antenna mounted on a pole outside of my living room.
This is way better than that. The picture quality in HD with this antenna is way better than WiFi TV.
I mounted it high up on a window not too far from the TV. All it is is a piece of plastic with wires in it and a cable coming out of it.
I will leave a good review for it. It's a good little device for my own application.

 

[hrv]

I got my new amplified indoor antenna today, from amazon for $30.
It really improved my signal for local TV a lot, and I'm satisfied with it.
If I'd realized it sooner I would have never bothered with that outdoor antenna mounted on a pole outside of my living room.
This is way better than that. The picture quality in HD with this antenna is way better than WiFi TV.
I mounted it high up on a window not too far from the TV. All it is is a piece of plastic with wires in it and a cable coming out of it.
I will leave a good review for it. It's a good little device for my own application.

can you provide a link to the one you got....

 

[Mr_Luke]

Link to the antenna I bought.

 

[Eric Smith]

I got one of these shoot almost 20 years ago. It's missing more than a few pieces now. I've got it mounted on the edge of the 2nd floor roof pointed southeast here in KC. There isn't a channel I can't pick up. I wouldn't mess with any inside antennas mount outdoors and your hood for years.

 

[Eric Smith]

Check out antennas from well known manufacturers like Winegard, Channel Master, and Televes.

I live about 40 miles (as a crow flies) north of Boston and use a Channel Master Omni+ mounted on a 5 foot mast on my shed, (it was easier for me to get up there than my roof, and I’m afraid of heights 😳) I also use a Channel Master pre amp.

It’s a small and compact antenna and unless the weather is terrible, all the main local and sub channels come in great (60-75% strength). Sometimes I even get Maine and RI stations. There’s almost 70 of them available, but a lot of those are repeats or stations I don’t care about and I only programmed in about 35 of them.

In addition to Sling TV, I get just about everything I got with cable for less than half the price, actually much less than half the price.


Just don’t but this hunk of junk from Amazon:

View attachment 134027

Not sure why but we just bought the second one for my parents. They've had it a lot of years but just put it up 1 1/2 years back. Still works fine but now rotates on its own. Dad duct taped it in place but it stills works great and pulls in a lot of channels 60+ miles away.

 

[hrv]

Link to the antenna I bought.

Thanks...

 

[supton]

I don't really watch TV, so if any of you fellers want this thing, come get it!

Bummer. Always wanted a tower, have come to realize it won’t do anything for me, I live in a semi valley.

Cut the cord years ago, don’t watch much of anything anymore. Just don’t take away my fiber, omg don’t know how i got by before…

 

[Mr_Luke]

Thanks...

You're welcome.
All these people that think I threw away $30 on this indoor amplified antenna ought to see the picture quality I'm getting with it.
More stations? How many do you need, and how many can you watch at one time?

I scanned with a 25' coax cable with a 30" piece of speaker wire at the end of it and got 15 stations, some with very nice HDTV.
As soon as I set up this indoor amplified antenna last night in a window, (not even facing where the broadcast area that's NW of me), I got 35 stations. I was thrilled.
So 35 stations without even trying, but they tell you not to waste your money on $30 indoor amplified antennas.

 

[Hyundai Respecter]

You're welcome.
All these people that think I threw away $30 on this indoor amplified antenna ought to see the picture quality I'm getting with it.
More stations? How many do you need, and how many can you watch at one time?

I scanned with a 25' coax cable with a 30" piece of speaker wire at the end of it and got 15 stations, some with very nice HDTV.
As soon as I set up this indoor amplified antenna last night in a window, (not even facing where the broadcast area is that's NW of me), I got 35 stations. I was thrilled.
So 35 stations without even trying, but they tell you not to waste your money on $30 indoor amplified antennas.

It all depends on how far you live from the broadcast towers, I think I remember you saying you live pretty close, so that type of antenna will work very good for you. I tried an indoor antenna like that square one and it worked ok for some channels, but not on others. But I’m 40 miles away from most of my local towers and get better reception with the outdoor antenna.

 

[mk378]

I got one of these shoot almost 20 years ago. It's missing more than a few pieces now. I've got it mounted on the edge of the 2nd floor roof pointed southeast here in KC. There isn't a channel I can't pick up. I wouldn't mess with any inside antennas mount outdoors and your hood for years.

View attachment 134337

Yes I've installed one of those.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082DN8L6T

The mounting pole it comes with is junk, suitable at best for indoor (attic) use. Provide something better if mounting outdoors.

 

[Mr_Luke]

It all depends on how far you live from the broadcast towers, I think I remember you saying you live pretty close, so that type of antenna will work very good for you. I tried an indoor antenna like that square one and it worked ok for some channels, but not on others. But I’m 40 miles away from most of my local towers and get better reception with the outdoor antenna.

I understand. I used to drive a truck to the Boston area every Monday from NH and I loved going there.
I did I-93 and the I-128 and I-495 loops and most cities connected to it.

One station is right in town that has a few other stations with it. I can reach that well with just the speaker wire as an antenna.
Another one is a local station NBC affiliate that's about 25 miles NE of here. I could reach it weakly with outdoor antenna and speaker wire antennas, but now it comes in as 75% of the possible signal which is excellent.
My goal was to reach a city 16 miles NW of here that has about 10 stations, and I now do even though the antenna isn't even in my NW window.
I was thinking of extending the antenna cable to try it in the NW window but that would mean dealing with a cable routed into my kitchen to the living room 25' away, then I figured I'm glad to have the reception I get with the antenna placed not too far away from the TV. I suppose I will try placing it in there just to rescan the stations and see what difference it might make. But I'm liking this HDTV more than WiFi TV and I may retire my WiFi TV.

 

[alarmguy]

Just so everyone understands, with digital TV, there is no such thing as a good picture, the picture is always good. You either have a signal for a picture without pixelation or you dont. If you have the signal then you have the perfect picture. There is no such thing as static or other strange things like back when TV signals were analog.

 

[alarmguy]

It all depends on how far you live from the broadcast towers, I think I remember you saying you live pretty close, so that type of antenna will work very good for you. I tried an indoor antenna like that square one and it worked ok for some channels, but not on others. But I’m 40 miles away from most of my local towers and get better reception with the outdoor antenna.

Yes, just like the old engine saying, there is no replacement for displacement.
Always get the largest antenna you can and if you do an attic antenna get the next largest size to make up for the roof.
Outdoor can always be best but you can do just as good in an attic depending on how far the stations are. In the photos I posted in this thread. I think the max distance for me was 30 miles, straight line you do NOT use road miles. The attic antenna got every available station with one size larger to make up for the roof ect.

 

[doitmyself]

All of the outdoor antennas shown in this thread are directional, correct? My problem is that the half dozen stations within my range are all in completely different directions.

 

[mk378]

Yes but close stations can still be received even if not pointed directly at them. So if you have a fixed mount, point at the farthest station then see what others also come in. If the other far away station happens to be exactly 180 degrees away, a Yagi has significant gain in that direction as well.