HDTV Antennas

[Rinkydink]

Just ditched my Direct TV service. They are owned by AT&T. When I was employed by them I paid $10.85 per month for the top channel package. The day I retired it increased to $130.00+ for the next to bottom package. I only kept it for the local channels and DVR. I am down to just streaming services now but my 84 year old MIL lives with us and tech savvy she ain’t. 😳 I’m looking into getting an antenna so she can pick up network and PBS channels so I don’t spend my days downstairs showing her the streaming ropes again and again. 
 

Anyone done this and have some dos and dont’s?

 

TIA. 

Frazzled Son in Law. 

[Skywagon]

I have one at the beach. I don’t remember it’s brand but it pulls in about 75 channels. One thing you might do, there are some fringe channels that come and go based on weather. When you are setting it up, I would recommend going through each channels and if the channel is weak, take it out of the menu/guide. 

[Rougarou]

I've got one roof mounted.  I pipe it into the house, then use an amplifier to hit all the TVs.  We don't much use OTA TV, but it is available when power goes out.  Seems locally, if the power is hit, the internet substation loses its juice too (no backup).  I fire the genset and viola, 'bout 35 channels for us,......since we ain't near a major metro area.

 

I had a little indoor one to use before and it'd pull about 20 channels.  Hidden behind the TV and worked like a charm.

[Hosstage]

Roof mounted, old school style metal antenna with the "fingers" tuned by pointing at the nearest tower. Many others available as well. Ideally, mounted as high as possible in the house or attic, roof being the best.

[lkraus]

A lot depends on your location. https://www.antennaweb.org/ is pretty good at predicting which stations you will receive, many of which broadcast on multiple channels. Another is https://www.channelmaster.com/.  These sites recommend antenna types and also show you where the broadcast antennas are located, which helps you orient your receiving antenna.

 

Although TV stations now broadcast a digital signal, they are not necessarily HDTV.  The main channel may be high definition (1080p) for some programming, but the additional channels are usually 720p or even 480p.  Lower resolution allows for more channels in the same bandwidth, so stations can carry more adverti$ements.  Many of the secondary channels are re-runs of old 480p analog TV shows anyway, so you are not missing anything.

 

We can receive ~60 channels OTA using an attic mounted antenna. An amplifier and splitters in the basement send the signal over coax where needed, currently about 6 rooms. We are about 13-18 miles from the nearest broadcast antennas, which fortunately are all positioned within an 15º arc from our house, so one orientation of the antenna covers them all pretty well.  I installed the coax during construction so it was pretty simple. The attic mount probably reduces the signal strength a bit, but has worked well for 21 years. Our previous house had a chimney mount and I usually had to do some work on it every year or so due to weather - repairing bad connections, or re-orienting it after high winds.

 

I edit the channels found by a scan to about 15, deleting network duplicates from other cities, foreign language channels, government channels, children's channels and other assorted crap.  98% of our actual OTA TV watching is probably on just four channels.

 

Mom lives in a 6th floor apartment about five miles closer to town. She is using an old style rabbit ears antenna with a UHF loop, no amplifier. All the digital channels here are using UHF frequencies so she tweaks the direction of the loop for two channels, but she can receive 21 channels. I think the building construction (I-beam frame, stucco exterior, steel studs for interior walls) is reducing the signal strength quite a bit, but she has more channels than she uses.

[Brodiepunker18]

I use a Clearstream 2Max antenna. I have mine outdoors on my patio of my apartment but it can be used indoors as well. 
 

I always had issues getting fox where I live until I got this antenna 5 years ago. 
 

I haven’t had cable or satellite in 10 years because the cost is prohibitive for one and for two I don’t watch enough tv…not to mention when I do all I see are commercials…so the more channels I had the more commercials I saw…or the same 5 shows on 30 channels 🙄

[Lowndes]

There are a bunch of websites that show you how to build a very simple OTA HDTV antenna such as this one:  https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/build-diy-hdtv-antenna/  All different sizes and shapes.  Just google "how to build OTA HDTV antenna".  Viola.

 

If you have one good eye, half sense, can follow directions, use a ruller, bend a paper clip, and tighten a screw, you are fully qualified.  If not....cc.  I don't meet any of the qualifications but still got it done.

 

 

I quit watching TV altogether on Jan 1, 2021 and have found it very liberating, brain-cleaning, and cheaper.  No "social websites" either.  I'm of the opinion that MSM is so biased and controlling by what they show and DON'T SHOW that it's basically treasonous.  Don't have to crawl around the attic or roof anymore either.

[realshelby]

Being an Amateur Radio Extra class I have...shall we say studied antennas on occasion! When you go to the store and it proclaims "HD" antenna that is simply a marketing term. Most HD programing is broadcast on the same frequency range ( or close enough ) as the original tv over air broadcasts. So, just by a TV antenna and you are good! I have 3 old school VHF TV antennas in my attic. Man, they work fine! The golden rule is bigger is better with antennas. Those small indoor flat antennas don't work well unless you are in a metro area. Yet a set of old school extendable rabbit ears can work very well. Still the best is the beam type if you can figure out where to put them. There is a whole new world of over the air broadcasting now. If you have not seen how many channels there are in some areas, be prepared to be shocked. I am over 100 in this area....

[lkraus]

All the TV channels in our area have moved to UHF frequencies (I've actually disconnected the VHF portion of our antenna.)  I had assumed that was true everywhere, and the VHF frequencies had been assigned to other uses. but I've found that is not true.  The Channel Master site not only shows the common channel name for your local stations but also lists the associated radio frequency (RF) channels, like this one for Arlington, VA.

RF channels 2-13 are using VHF frequencies picked up by the long (usually straight) elements of your antenna - "rabbit ears". 

RF channels 14-69 are using UHF frequencies, received by short antenna elements, often shaped as loops. 

I think the RF channels are still changing, but Channel Master and antennaweb.org seem to have current info.

Just another reason to see what your local stations are using before selecting an antenna.

 

 

[brianh70]

I'm just using one of those cheap plastic indoor antennas.  It's powered by a USB connection.  Most modern TVs will have a USB port on them somewhere or you can just use a spare cell phone charger.  I get about 15 channels with it and I live in the sticks.  One of my favorites is GetTV which mainly airs classic TV shows from the 50s - 80s.

 

Amazon doesn't have the one I bought a couple years back, but it's basically the same as this:

Amazon.com: [Advanced 2022 Chip] HDTV Antenna; Long Range 330 Miles Reception, Black Indoor Antenna; Power Amplifier for Signal Boost; 16.5 ft Coaxial Cable; Supports All HD Digital TV formats; Claev USA : Electronics