Q. We live within 20 miles of several television towers. We've gotten rid of cable, and would like to just have an antenna. I am concerned that my metal roof and wall will interfere with reception. Does anyone have any experience with this?
A. I was just googling and came across this product you should buy these one from over here
Winegard FV-HD30 FreeVision HDTV Antenna
Receives free digital & HD programming?no monthly programming fees
Receives channels that cable & satellite don't get (multi-casting technology)
Clearest HD possible?no compression
Back up in emergencies/bad weather
Winegard FV-HD30 FreeVision HDTV Antenna
Receives free digital & HD programming?no monthly programming fees
Receives channels that cable & satellite don't get (multi-casting technology)
Clearest HD possible?no compression
Back up in emergencies/bad weather
What is the best indoor DTV antenna on the market?
Q. I've had trouble getting DTV reception ever since they switched over in 2009. I know setting up an outdoor antenna on the roof will give the best reception, but I am not able to do that right now. Thanks for any good recommendations.
A. Your geographical location may not be strong enough for an indoor DTV antenna to work effectively.
The AntennaWeb.org mapping program, provided by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), locates the proper outdoor* antenna to receive your local television broadcast channels.
Based on geographical maps and signal strengths, AntennaWeb locates the best antenna for you — whether the antenna is for use with a home satellite system, high-definition television (HDTV) or a traditional analog set.
You enter your zip code and answer a few questions and the online calculator will recommend the proper kind of HDTV antenna for your location. BRILLIANT!
The AntennaWeb.org mapping program, provided by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), locates the proper outdoor* antenna to receive your local television broadcast channels.
Based on geographical maps and signal strengths, AntennaWeb locates the best antenna for you — whether the antenna is for use with a home satellite system, high-definition television (HDTV) or a traditional analog set.
You enter your zip code and answer a few questions and the online calculator will recommend the proper kind of HDTV antenna for your location. BRILLIANT!
What Properties of a TV Antenna Make it Better Than Other Antennae?
Q. I need to buy a better TV antenna for my TV's and need to know what properties of an antenna make it the best to get the best reception. For example, is larger better, is some metal construction better than others, is the number and length of the elements most or more important. In other words, if you were constructing a TV antenna and wanted it to get the best reception and how would you construct it??
A. The following are a few general over-the-air (OTA) antenna and reception guidelines:
• Outdoor antennas are always better than indoor antennas.
• With rare exception the higher the antenna mounting height the better.
• Depending on the circumstances, for a given antenna type a larger antenna can offer advantages. Larger (and often more directional) outdoor antennas generally become more common as TX-to-RX distances increase from the Near Fringe range and beyond.
• Each local TV transmission antenna has its own specific coverage area and propagation pattern. This, along with other important factors such as terrain and distance, largely governs the size and type(s) of TV antennas that will provide the best signal reception.
• For a given antenna type the greater the number of antenna elements the greater the antenna gain.
• The shorter the antenna downlead the better.
• The lower the antenna VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio) the better.
• Heavier metal construction helps withstand repeated exposure to environmental conditions, wind and birds.
• Heavier antenna construction requires stronger support and mounting hardware; including rotators where applicable.
• The performance of outdoor antennas will slowly and gradually decline over time due to physical degradation resulting from continuous exposure to the environment.
• The reduction of RF and EM noise and interference can be greatly improved by proper grounding and bonding of the antenna mast, downlead shielding and the metallic chassis of related components, which in turn helps improve the carrier-to-noise ratio.
• Brand name alone is not a good indicator of antenna performance.
Within the DTV Antenna Resources Google Docs page to which I have provided a link below you will find a link to the excellent OTA FAQ & Knowledge Base on the Digital Home Forum Website, as well as a large assortment of related resources and other helpful information to help choose the best antenna for your site. After reading through the OTA FAQ & Knowledge Base I highly recommend that you thoroughly peruse Ken Nist’s informative HDTV Primer Website. Also take a look at the DIY antenna resources listed on said Google Docs page in an effort to acquire a little greater insight into the various elements that govern antenna behavior and performance. Using these resources, combined with assorted mapping tools, such as those on the TV Fool Website and others, you will be well on your way to selecting the best television antenna and related hardware for your location.
DTV Antenna Resources
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhpmqnbb_15f5t9j3gb
(Updated and revised when needed)
Finally, when it comes to splitters, combiners and other “passives” you should exercise great care; true high performance, low loss 75Ω splitters and combiners are very difficult to find ...and often quite expensive if you want or need the best. A typical, inexpensive 2-to-1 passive splitter, if 100% efficient (which they’re not,) will produce no less than a 3 dB loss in the signal. Therefore, it’s always best to keep the use of such passives, particularly when it comes to antenna downleads, to an absolute minimum whenever possible.
Clearly the process I’ve outlined above may be too much to expect from the average antenna buyer but it would be the best informed, least costly approach. If you feel overwhelmed or you would rather someone simply choose a TV antenna for your site then you should consider hiring a professional antenna installer. A third (and least recommended) option is to take your chances and purchase whichever TV antenna is recommended to you. Regardless of the option you choose I recommend that you use the TV Fool and TitanTV Websites to determine if the antenna you purchase is receiving all of the TV channels that are available to you.
• Outdoor antennas are always better than indoor antennas.
• With rare exception the higher the antenna mounting height the better.
• Depending on the circumstances, for a given antenna type a larger antenna can offer advantages. Larger (and often more directional) outdoor antennas generally become more common as TX-to-RX distances increase from the Near Fringe range and beyond.
• Each local TV transmission antenna has its own specific coverage area and propagation pattern. This, along with other important factors such as terrain and distance, largely governs the size and type(s) of TV antennas that will provide the best signal reception.
• For a given antenna type the greater the number of antenna elements the greater the antenna gain.
• The shorter the antenna downlead the better.
• The lower the antenna VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio) the better.
• Heavier metal construction helps withstand repeated exposure to environmental conditions, wind and birds.
• Heavier antenna construction requires stronger support and mounting hardware; including rotators where applicable.
• The performance of outdoor antennas will slowly and gradually decline over time due to physical degradation resulting from continuous exposure to the environment.
• The reduction of RF and EM noise and interference can be greatly improved by proper grounding and bonding of the antenna mast, downlead shielding and the metallic chassis of related components, which in turn helps improve the carrier-to-noise ratio.
• Brand name alone is not a good indicator of antenna performance.
Within the DTV Antenna Resources Google Docs page to which I have provided a link below you will find a link to the excellent OTA FAQ & Knowledge Base on the Digital Home Forum Website, as well as a large assortment of related resources and other helpful information to help choose the best antenna for your site. After reading through the OTA FAQ & Knowledge Base I highly recommend that you thoroughly peruse Ken Nist’s informative HDTV Primer Website. Also take a look at the DIY antenna resources listed on said Google Docs page in an effort to acquire a little greater insight into the various elements that govern antenna behavior and performance. Using these resources, combined with assorted mapping tools, such as those on the TV Fool Website and others, you will be well on your way to selecting the best television antenna and related hardware for your location.
DTV Antenna Resources
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhpmqnbb_15f5t9j3gb
(Updated and revised when needed)
Finally, when it comes to splitters, combiners and other “passives” you should exercise great care; true high performance, low loss 75Ω splitters and combiners are very difficult to find ...and often quite expensive if you want or need the best. A typical, inexpensive 2-to-1 passive splitter, if 100% efficient (which they’re not,) will produce no less than a 3 dB loss in the signal. Therefore, it’s always best to keep the use of such passives, particularly when it comes to antenna downleads, to an absolute minimum whenever possible.
Clearly the process I’ve outlined above may be too much to expect from the average antenna buyer but it would be the best informed, least costly approach. If you feel overwhelmed or you would rather someone simply choose a TV antenna for your site then you should consider hiring a professional antenna installer. A third (and least recommended) option is to take your chances and purchase whichever TV antenna is recommended to you. Regardless of the option you choose I recommend that you use the TV Fool and TitanTV Websites to determine if the antenna you purchase is receiving all of the TV channels that are available to you.
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