There are upsides and downsides to consuming content through TV antennas. Catching the best signal strength can be somewhat tricky. When installing the antenna, you need to know a couple of things to ensure you get the best reception.
Instead of waiting for the signal to fix itself, let’s look at a few things you can do to improve the signal strength.
In general, here are some steps you can follow to adjust an outdoor TV antenna:
- Determine the direction of the TV transmission towers: Use a compass or an online tool to find the direction of the TV transmission towers.
- Adjust the antenna’s direction: Aim the antenna towards the direction of the TV transmission towers. If you use a directional antenna, such as a Yagi antenna, ensure that the antenna elements are pointed in the correct direction.
- Fine-tune the antenna’s direction: Use a TV antenna rotator to fine-tune the direction of the antenna. This can be helpful if you are having trouble getting a strong signal from a specific channel.
- Check the signal strength: Use a TV antenna signal strength meter or an app on your TV or device to check the signal strength. If the signal strength is low, try adjusting the antenna’s direction or moving the antenna to a different location.
- Secure the antenna: Make sure the antenna is securely mounted and does not move when the wind blows. This can help ensure a stable signal.
Check Your Equipment
Starting the first thing you need to do is inspect your equipment. Don’t be one of those people who waste hours of effort to improve the signal when their antenna cable is damaged.
One of the most common issues is antenna cable deterioration. The coating on the cable can wear away from exposure to the environment, thus resulting in bad signal quality. Check all the connectors and cables between the TV and the antenna. Once you are assured that the antenna works properly, even if you still get bad quality.
Antenna Placement & Adjustment
Unsurprisingly, the antenna placement plays a huge factor in getting a continuously strong signal. You’ve probably noticed that most antennas are stationed on roofs or balconies. The high altitude of the antenna helps to send an uninterrupted signal to the broadcast towers since there are no obstacles in the way.
If you don’t have the option to place the antenna on an elevated surface, try to find a position where the antenna isn’t close to any walls, which might interfere with the signal. Before hard mounting the antenna, make sure you find the direction of the nearest broadcast towers. Tend to point the antenna to the nearest one.
If you don’t know the location of the broadcast towers in your area, some sites can help you find them- https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps. When you find the direction that gives you the best signal, it’s time to mount the antenna.
There are a couple of things you should know for mounting the camera. It would be best if you assured that the antenna is sturdy and properly fixed to the surface you have placed it on. The weather can be very unpredictable if you have a smaller or bigger outdoor tv antenna. Strong winds can sway the antenna ruining the reception of the signal.
Another thing to keep in mind is the material of the surface where you mount the antenna. If the roof is made out of metal, it’s preferred that you elevate the antenna at least 10 feet above the roofline.
On the other hand, if you place it on a wood-construction building, you want to keep it at 4 feet above the roof. After you have everything in its place, it’s time to scan channels. You successfully adjusted the antenna if you get high numbers of channels scanned. If not, try placing the antenna even higher. Or try changing the direction slightly.
Move the direction of the antenna slowly while checking the TV for signal strength of 90% or above.
Additional Measures
Looking back, we mentioned the issues that can be fixed with just a few adjustments. Now let’s look at the other factors that come into play that aren’t solvable with a few minor tweaks.
As antennas are getting cheaper and cheaper, It may be time for an upgrade! People certainly tend to forget that antennas need to be maintained or checked once in a while. Exposed to the cruel beating of the environment, cables and connectors are prone to damage. Even if there isn’t any visual damage to the antenna itself, it never hurts to get an upgrade.
As previously mentioned, antenna cables are sensitive and may be damaged over time. To help the cables have a longer lifetime, you can coat them with weatherproof grease, which helps keep moisture out, as for the connectors.
You can easily find plastic covers for them in your local hardware store. (1) You can check how to boost an outdoor TV antenna signal.
Conclusion
If the area you live in consists of large buildings with shared living spaces, you might be limited to taking measures into your own hands. To further understand what might cause bad reception, you need to know it’s not just physical interference that might disturb the signal.
Electromagnetic disturbance comes from frequencies close to the TV transmissions, which might cause problems. (2)All things considered, setting up or adjusting an antenna for TV isn’t complicated. Remember that safety should be your main priority when trying out these recommendations. We hope these learning guides help you with your present need.
References
(1) connectors – https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/connector.html(2) electromagnetic disturbance – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/electromagnetic-disturbance
