Instead of paying high cable or satellite bills, you could receive free TV over the air.
What Affects TV Reception
Several conditions affect TV reception.
This is a by-product of theanalog-to-digital TV broadcasting transition.
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You receive full quality all the time, intermittently, or not all.
Obstacles
TV signals are affected by physical obstacles, including hills and trees.
At very long distances, the earth’s curvature can affect TV signal reception.
Channel Master
One station might transmit from the north, another from the west, and another from the east.
If you have a directional antenna, it may not receive signals from multiple transmitter locations.
If you have a multi-directional or omnidirectional antenna, interference is more likely.
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You may create a homemade cliff effect.
TV Tuner Sensitivity
The sensitivity of your TV’s tuner or aDTV converter boxalso affects antenna reception.
Remove obstacles, if possible.
confirm your antenna has a clear shot in the direction of the TV station transmitter.
Check and replace antenna connections.
confirm the antenna and TV connections are secure.
Check for brittleness and fraying.
If you have an outdoor antenna, cables can get worn when exposed to the elements.
Indoor antennas can be chewed by pets.
You may not be able to check the portion of the cable that runs through a wall.
Consider replacing it with a thicker 18 AWG RG6 cable.
Costs of cables vary depending on brand and length.
Prices start at a few dollars for a three-foot or six-foot length.
Run a channel scan.
New channels may be added that weren’t available previously.
If a station registers, you should be able to watch it.
Note the rotor position for the new channels.
Also, place it as high as possible.
To assist, you may need a signal amplifier.
This also helps with low-sensitivity TV tuners and DTV converter boxes.
You also need to plug the amplifier into power.
Use a distribution amplifier for multiple TVs or use a separate antenna for each TV.
If you have more than one TV, ideally, you should have a separate antenna for each.
A more practical solution is to use a distribution amplifier.
Distribution amplifier prices vary depending on the brand, model, and the number of outputs provided.
The hard part is figuring out how much gain reduction you need.
However, newer antennas have better designs for pulling in signals but not because these are labeled HD antennas.
Check out an example ofhow to replace the satellite signal receptor with a TV antenna.
Find out if local stations broadcast on VHF or UHF.
Switch from an indoor to an outdoor antenna.
Anoutdoor antennacan improve your TV reception.
If you have a directional antenna, consider switching to an omnidirectional antenna.
This provides better access to TV signals from different directions.
Don’t assume that the distance range listed or advertised for your antenna is accurate.
Ratings may be based on optimum conditions.
