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Best TV antenna

H

Hockeygoon

Member
I think I've paid my last Dish bill. What's a good TV antenna for to reach 100 miles (Kansas City)?


Suppliment it with Roku for $10 a month and I'm done.
 
Pretty much a thing of the past. My mom has one that sort of looks like a flying saucer that if hook up has a rotor built in But all she gets is 4 channels and we are here at Camdenton MO. and she get those from Springfield MO which is about 75 miles. When they went digital they also lessened how far you could be from the station
 
I'm curious about this too, we plan on going to an antenna when we go back to MN in the spring. Wife has been looking at omni-directional antennas, some of them get good reviews. We have broadcast towers all around us but some almost 40 miles away.
 
Most places, 75 miles is about the maximum range for reliable over the air TV. AntennaWeb.org, RabbitEars.com and TVFool.com will show you what TV signals are around your location. Search the archives, over the air TV, antennas and amplifiers have been discussed somewhere on YT every month or two for the last 15 years, ever since TV signals went digital.
 
When my satellite bill hit $70 bucks I got rid of it. My antenna evolved into having two 100 mile reach ones pointed 90* apart to catch the signals of my main tv sources. Before the switch to digital, I could pull in St. Louis which is about 80 miles to my NW. Trees, buildings, power lines, etc. will degrade your reception. Height helps but that makes for problems with wind and lightning. Once was trying to work on my antenna which was thirty five feet tall then, and looked up at the clouds above, which were moving, and got the sense the antenna was falling. Had to keep looking back down to try to get rid of the feeling. Best antenna pole I've had was one that pivoted from a double pole base about a third of the way up.Antenna pole itself got bigger as it went up and made it almost balanced. It was very easy to work on (they all will eventually need some) and repair.
 
bought a 45ft tv antenna tower and put it up 20 yrs ago. my son couldnt understand why i didnt put dish up, cause i dont want to pay monthly bill. the antenna has worked very well, were 55 miles away. had a antenna rotor installed, which we never used, eventally the gears stripped out of it,so its locked solid, had a guy climb it to fix that. we must get 20 plus channels, told the wife if there isnt anything to watch, turn it off and do something else. by the way the picture is exceptional since the switch to digital
 
Wish I could do that but where I live I would have to have a tower that would be 75-100 foot and then the air port which is 3 miles from me would probably make me take it down. And even then I bet I would not get more then maybe 10 channels and the sad thing is there all the fake new type channels which only give you about 10% of the truth
 
There is no miracle antenna.

If there is no signal, then there is no signal.

If you are in a good reception area, an attic antenna is best as it is protected and not a lightening attraction.

If you are in a poor reception area, getting the antenna above obstructions helps.

Boosters are more for running multiple TV's than bringing in a poor signal.

Check this reception chart, it will give you an idea what signal you have, and what antenna you need.
Antenna Reception
 
100 miles is a long stretch for digital TV, particularly since most channels are UHF these days. What's the terrain like between you and KC? If there are any big hills, fuhgetaboutit. The main thing will be to get the antenna as high as possible.
 
There just aint one to receive a tv signal that far and have a good pic. Buy the materials and have an engineering firm build one would be the only way to get good signalls Antenna and wave propagation are set in stone and that is just the way it works
 

I have one that I bought off of Amazon. Small enough to set on top of the china cabinet inside the house. It will get the Omaha stations which are 75 to 80 miles away. It is maybe 90% efficient. Most days it works quite well. Other days I might as well mot even bother. For the times it does not work, there seems to be some kind of interference between here and there that blocks the signal.

Weather has nothing to do with it.
 
I bought a made in USA RCA antenna at Home Depot recently for $43 and I can get somewhere around 40 channels here in NW SC.
And we are in pretty hilly country and our house is down in a low spot.
You should be able to get a signal booster to put in the line from the antenna.
Richard
 
You are wrong, I am 112 miles line of sight west of Nashville Tn. Have an antenna mounted on a 40 ft tower and receive all major networks as well as 28 other channels in HD tv . My antena is ahy-guard brand.
 
The best reception is from a yagi antenna, but they are channel and direction specific.

Lately I use Pluto tv as an internet based alternative.
 
When I was a kid in the mid 1950's, we could get 2 channels on our TV.
Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA.
Both are 100 miles away.
 
(quoted from post at 08:20:10 01/16/21) The best reception is from a yagi antenna, but they are channel and direction specific.

Lately I use Pluto tv as an internet based alternative.
Click to expand...

Not to mention that all rotors suck and eventually drift off from where they are supposed to be.

I still think the db8e is where its at. Im picking up signal 68 miles away from my roof.

Anothwr option is a homemade variant for in your attic. I used that before this antenna and it was really good.


https://makezine.com/projects/digital-tv-coat-hanger-antenna/
 
> When I was a kid in the mid 1950's, we could get 2 channels on our TV.
> Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA.
> Both are 100 miles away.

Those stations would have been VHF. Today, the majority of stations broadcast on UHF. And digital broadcast has a shorter range than the now-obsolete analog broadcast.
 
I got online for $60 what is called a UFO antenna made by Antop, installed in place of the satellite dish, we get 24 channels in pretty hilly terrain, very happy with it.
 

I've had good luck with the "Will brands" model on Amazing for 30 bux with a 28 to 36 db gain. That one holds up better to the wind and sitting birds better than others I've tried. Works better than the Yagi. I'm about 60 miles from the stations. KC has a bunch of stations. Get 40 some out of Wichita. I just put one in for my neighbor who cancelled Dish. Took that dish off and then hack sawed some slots in the top of the pole to squeeze it down so it would fit around it using a regular clamp instead of the one that came with it.

Don't know how to make this an url that can be given a name.


https://www.amazon.com/Will-Brands-Antenna-4K-Cable-Motorized-Installation/dp/B07797JBDW[url]
 

Tried to make a url with a name and the whole thing blanked out. Don't know how to do it.

I've had good luck with the "Will brands" model on Amazing for 30 bux with a 28 to 36 db gain. That one holds up better to the wind and sitting birds better than others I've tried. Works better than the Yagi. I'm about 60 miles from the stations. KC has a bunch of stations. Get 40 some out of Wichita. I just put one in for my neighbor who cancelled Dish. Took that dish off and then hack sawed some slots in the top of the pole to squeeze it down so it would fit around it using a regular clamp instead of the one that came with it.


https://www.amazon.com/Will-Brands-Antenna-4K-Cable-Motorized-Installation/dp/B07797JBDW
 
I'm dropping cable today. I tried an antenna, but I could only get 2 channels, so I did some research. If you have internet, which apparently you do since you are using Roku, look into these 2 services: Stremium or Locast. Both provide all the local channels. They are about 5 bucks a month. Stremium has DVR capabilities, Locast does not. Locast is not available in all areas, I'm not sure about Stremium.
I was going to invest in on of the premium antennas, but for 5 bucks a month, this is much better. I went with Stremium, by the way.
 
Yagi is good but "Log Periodic" is better. Difference is that each element serves 3 purposes, not like a Yagi, i.e. having a director in front of the receiving dipole pulling in the signal, the dipole picking up the signal, and a reflector behind the dipole to reflect signal content. Course a Yagi beats a simple dipole which has no directors nor reflectors.

The elements are wired together in an X pattern alternating from side to side. Some are rated at 175 miles but lot of variables there. Also you need dual band for VHF and UHF station base frequencies. The other thing for long range is to get above potential attenuation elements like trees and hills.

Then some antennas have a pre-amp up at the elements....best type but coax (low loss foam filled type best cable) has to supply power up the pole and bring signal down the pole unlike a pre-amp in the house where the coax enters...or close to it. dB gain in the antenna mounted type is much better due to no cable loss getting from the receiving elements to the receiver in the TV.

For multiple stations in different directions a rotator is necessary and is usually mounted up immediately under the antenna array.

Digital signals are picky in that you will bet boxes of part of the signal...off and on information across the screen on weak signals whereas the old analog receiving systems still had the full picture, just full of "snow".....system "noise" competing with a small signal.
 
There really is no "best" antenna. Most of them will do about the same job.

Things to know:

Distance - ALL TV broadcasting is in the frequency range that dictates LINE OF SIGHT signal travel and reception. 100 miles is an unrealistic expectation. The higher the tower, the longer the range. The higher you mount your antenna, the longer reception range you get. Regardless, it is still line of sight. Accounting for the differences in altitude, tower height, and obstacles (like hills) height above the curvature of the Earth will determine your distance for reception. A "better" antenna will NOT get you more distance. Height will get you more distance.

Amplification will help a weak signal. But, there is only so much help you can get from amplification. If the signal has a lot of noise in it, an amplifier will amplify the noise as well as the signal.

Size. A larger antenna will usually gather more signal,but the best size is a full-wave or half wave. This has to do with resonance. The antenna that is tuned most closely to the frequency you are trying to receive will generally work the best.
 
?? Can U get RFD channel & Weather Nation, the Discovery channels , with an Antenna.. I'm pay'n through the nose, on dish , those are all I watch, except for Locals,,,
 
When I moved to where I am now back in 1980 I put an antenna up in a tall tree on the hill behind the house with a rotor on it. I could get 5 or so channels out of Springfield and 4 or 5 out of Columbia and 1 channel from another town. Now I'd be lucky if I could get 5. My mom who lives on top of the mountain gets 4 channels and there all channel 10. There just 10-1 10-2 10-3 and 10-4
 
On a hill with cheap indoor antenna 60 mi is about it. Get a good internet connection and you won't miss it. Rise has been working good for me.
 
So what do you do when you cannot get good internet connections?? Hughes net is Okay but that is about it and that is the only thing I can get and it is no good for any thing like movies or other such things
 
Hockeygoon,

Here is what I have,

Guido.
cvphoto71435.jpg


cvphoto71436.jpg
 
old,

My guess is 30 to 35 miles as the crow flies. Trees are in the line of sight, but seams to make no difference. 75% are junk for me, but I get all the local lower channel stations. That is from channel 2 to channel 29,

Guido.
 
Probably would not work well for me. ALL stations are well over 50 miles as the crow flies and many more like 75. When the station went digital I put in the best antenna I could find on my moms place and right now she gets all of 4 channels and there all from one station
 
old,

This setup was complete except the mast. Newest version comes with rg6 coax. Wireless remote for the rotor, and it does not move with wind. Line of sight aiming for the signal to be strong is a must.

Also it's a good idea to scan for channels once a month. I picked up 6 channels on 15 last scan.
15-5 is the weather channel,

Guido.
 
I've always found that the "do something else" thing ends up costing more money than the cable subscription. Time you're done buying parts, materials, tools, for the project, you've got a year of streaming TV subscription paid for.
 
By the way my mom lives on top of one of the Ozarks mountains me I live at the bottom so even if I put an antenna up I probably would not get many if any channels. In 1980 when I moved here I put up an antenna in a tree and got all the channels available in the area. But with the digital not any on that antenna
 
(quoted from post at 00:30:46 01/16/21) I think I've paid my last Dish bill. What's a good TV antenna for to reach 100 miles (Kansas City)?
Click to expand...

Check the FCC website - no ads and good data. It will tell you right away what channels you can expect to receive. And at that distance if you can get any channels you will need an antenna booster. A booster has one part that mounts at the antenna and one part is inside your house plugged in to AC power.

https://www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps
 
Long green line man,

Have you ever heard of SLING? I bet you it's cheaper then what you are paying for your tv.
History and Discovery, live and on demand.

No contracts, pay by the month, all on line. No local channel though. I share the subscription, and it works hoody with a good internet speed. 3 gb or better,

Guido.
 
Here's my about seven year old temporary hillbilly antenna. It gets all the stations from Madison Wi. about 50 miles North and Rockford Il. 30 miles East. It does catch some interference when a car goes past.
cvphoto71473.jpg


cvphoto71474.jpg


cvphoto71475.jpg


cvphoto71476.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 21:52:52 01/16/21) Here's my about seven year old temporary hillbilly antenna. It gets all the stations from Madison Wi. about 50 miles North and Rockford Il. 30 miles East. It does catch some interference when a car goes past.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto71473.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto71474.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto71475.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto71476.jpg">
Click to expand...

If you put a piece of cardboard covered with tinfoil behind it you will reflect it back at the antenna and increase its range.
 
(quoted from post at 14:27:15 01/16/21) Hockeygoon,

Here is what I have,

Guido.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto71435.jpg">

<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto71436.jpg">
Click to expand...

That is the same one that I have. Works good MOST of the time, but is not 100%. When it does not work, it is not the fault of the antenna. There is some kind of interference between here and Omaha, and it has nothing to do with weather.
 
> Here's my about seven year old temporary hillbilly antenna.

That thing looks real hazardous for pets and small children.
 
Also pay attention to the cable used between your TV and the antenna. The weaker the TV signal and the longer run to the antenna calls for a good quality coaxial cable. Probably RG6. Some times its a trade off of cable length and antenna height. The longer the cable run, the more loss of signal in the cable. The higher the antenna the stronger the signal going into the cable. Also be aware that every break in the cable will introduce some additional loss. Splitters to allow one cable to feed multiple TV's will introduce loss of signal to both TV's.
 
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