Good over the air tv antenna?

New 5g cellular bands launched by Verizon are eating up the airwaves affecting antenna tv in my area. Booster/amplifiers don’t get you more channels from a far they will increase the signal strength of what is within range.
 
Rogueman2016s said:
New 5g cellular bands launched by Verizon are eating up the airwaves affecting antenna tv in my area. Booster/amplifiers don’t get you more channels from a far they will increase the signal strength of what is within range.
Click to expand...
Yeah I don’t use an external booster, the antenna has it built internally to the unit.

I’ve had Moku powered and unpowered, and one of those goofy powered rectangular box shaped units
in my situation powered works better (god only knows why). Some folks do better unpowered, needs to buy locally and keep receipts to determine what works best in his location .
 
I have a powered amplifier I bought off eBay paid around $5 it sits up in my attic connected to the as seen on tv clear tv antenna which I have hanging over a roof rafter I get around 40-60 channels depending on the day and if I rescan. Some of the channels do repeat as in I’ll get the same channels on lower and higher channels. The amplifier definitely improves reception and signal quality.

Antenna has gone up a few bucks.
 
The antenna you purchase and where you mount it is going to be predicated on whether or not there are any Lowband VHF (2-6) and/or Highband VHF (7-13) channels that you are trying to pull-in. Some antennas advertise that they can receive these channels when they can't. Low VHF signals are particularly difficult to receive and you need a necessarily physically large antenna to receive the long wavelength signals.
 
wag123 said:
The antenna you purchase and where you mount it is going to be predicated on whether or not there are any Lowband VHF (2-6) and/or Highband VHF (7-13) channels that you are trying to pull-in. Some antennas advertise that they can receive these channels when they can't. Low VHF signals are particularly difficult to receive and you need a necessarily physically large antenna to receive the long wavelength signals.
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We have a VHF Channel 2 about 75 miles away and my indoor Mohu pro picks it up, but the UHF station 35 miles away is very hit or miss.

Sucks to be in between TV markets, no true local stations so I need to move the antenna around if I want to watch certain channels.

Worse it’s a rental so no arial
 
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Rmay635703 said:
We have a VHF Channel 2 about 75 miles away and my indoor Mohu pro picks it up, but the UHF station 35 miles away is very hit or miss.

Sucks to be in between TV markets, no true local stations so I need to move the antenna around if I want to watch certain channels.

Worse it’s a rental so no arial
Click to expand...
ATSC 1.0 digital TV doesn't always work the way that you think.
Just because it says channel 2 on your TV doesn't necessarily mean that the TV station is transmitting on the physical channel 2 Lowband VHF RF frequency (55.25 MHz). It very well could be (and likely is) transmitting on a UHF frequency and is using virtual channel 2. It can work the other way around as well, meaning that your TV may be displaying UHF channel 18 and the TV station might actually be using Highband VHF channel 7.
If you are referring to WBAY Green Bay, then it IS actually using UHF channel 23 (RF frequency 524.0 MHZ) but is calling itself (and displaying) channel 2.
Your Moho indoor antenna is only listed as able to receive UHF and Highband VHF, but these types of antennas don't really do well on Highband VHF, they are really only good for UHF frequencies.
 
I use an antenna similar to this one found on Amazon… mine is no longer available, but this one is pretty similar. I mounted mine in the attic and just spliced it into the coax cables already up there. Used an app on my phone to get it pointed towards the transmission towers in Philly and boom, about 55 digital channels. My main TV didn’t have a built in tv tuner, so I got a cheap one from Walmart. I watch all NFL games using it because it’s HD broadcast and no streaming delay…

PBD WA-2608 Digital Amplified Outdoor HD TV Antenna with Mounting Pole & 40 ft RG6 Coax Cable 150 Miles Range Wireless Remote Rotation Support 2TVs​

 
I had a similar to this in my attic of my last home that we just moved from, it distributed to 5 TVs in our house, used a cheap RCA $15)boaster with it to insure one weak Fox Channel. All in all about 30 Channels. We also have always subscribed to streaming services. We never missed paying a cable company since cutting the cable around 2009 or 2010
I also installed this exact model in my sons home, he gets about 50 channels where he lives as he has two city areas off in a distance so gets duplicate major network stations and multiple local stations. I cant for the life of me remember if I got him the 100 mile or 60 mile.
https://www.channelmaster.com/products/digital-advantage-60-outdoor-tv-antenna-cm-2018

BTW - any claims to further mileage is a lie. You can not receive channels over the horizon (curvature of the earth) This is where high towers can catch those signals as TV signals are straight line.

I am tempted to try a different type in the new home, might make it more easy with the way the attic is.
https://www.channelmaster.com/colle.../extremetenna-80-outdoor-tv-antenna-cm-4228hd

(as @Rogueman2016s has posted, antennas I guess like everything have gone up)
 
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I have this one from Antennas Direct indoors sitting on a low cabinet. My neighbor with rabbit ears gets 3 channels, I get 16 which is the max for my area. It's not cheap but it it darn sure works.
1712844051155.webp
 
johnmyster said:
I made a Gray-Hoverman design antenna some (8?) years ago from a scrap of 2x4 and some suspended ceiling wire that I had on hand. Dimensions available online. Much to my neighbors' dismay, it's hanging from my chimney and still going strong.

Someday I'll add a second element pair or a backplane if I find a suitable refrigerator shelf or grill grate.
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Why we have HOA's. LOL
 
It depends on the signal strength of your stations. With a strong signal even a bare piece of copper wire works. The further the station and the weaker the signal the bigger, better, higher you need the antennae to be. Don't forget free streaming services if you have internet.

Paco
 
willbur said:
they definitely dislike them and I definitely dislike HOA'a
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In my 60 year old middle-class neighborhood with no HOA, it would take far greater than a homebrew antenna to determine if I'm a good or bad neighbor. Which is, as it should be.
 
I've tried several of the various versions of the rectangular type antenna someone posted earlier. While those passive ones work okay, I've found the Antop amplified antenna we're currently using to be the best one. I didn't expect an amplified antenna to do any better than non-amplified but was pleasantly surprised by the one we have. we get a ton of OTA stations and don't subscribe to any streaming or cable services.
 
johnmyster said:
HOAs have to approve antennas? Or just antennas that don't look store bought?
Click to expand...
1. No, HOAs do not get to "approve" anything. (though some may not know it *LOL*)
2. You have a "right" to receive over the air signals with an external antenna or satellite dish. However the FCC does allow HOA's to be able to have "reasonable" restrictions as to the size and some other unique uncommon situations. I can see if you choose an unusual home made antenna that could be an issue.

In the regulations the FCC comments on what size dish can be consider a "right" to have (which it the typical size dish now) They actually list the size in inches. Same with reasonable size roof antennas. But dont think your going to erect a 25 or 50 foot tower in your yard.

https://www.fcc.gov/media/over-air-reception-devices-rule

Below is all covered in the link above. It's not that long and complicated.

"
Q: What types of restrictions are prohibited?

A: The rule prohibits restrictions that impair a person's ability to install, maintain, or use an antenna covered by the rule. The rule applies to state or local laws or regulations, including zoning, land-use or building regulations, private covenants, homeowners' association rules, condominium or cooperative association restrictions, lease restrictions, or similar restrictions on property within the exclusive use or control of the antenna user where the user has an ownership or leasehold interest in the property. A restriction impairs if it: (1) unreasonably delays or prevents use of; (2) unreasonably increases the cost of; or (3) precludes a person from receiving or transmitting an acceptable quality signal from an antenna covered under the rule. The rule does not prohibit legitimate safety restrictions or restrictions designed to preserve designated or eligible historic or prehistoric properties, provided the restriction is no more burdensome than necessary to accomplish the safety or preservation purpose."
 
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CKN said:
HOA's cannot prevent you from putting up an antenna. It's Federal Law as stated above.
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they have bullied me! I cant even plant a flower they do not approve of and limit number of "approved" and where. I'll present this to the HOA regarding antennas
 
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