As opposed to installing an antenna on your house’s roof to receive air-based television signals in the St. Louis area, there are many benefits to performing an antenna installation in your house’s attic. Benefits include a simpler installation because you are able to be more comfortable inside your home on a level field; it is more stable than standing on a slanted roof. You also do not have to worry about thinking your antenna looks unsightly or one of your neighbors will give you a hard time because of your antenna’s appearance. Rather, since installing a digital TV antenna in your attic will completely encase it, neither your neighbors nor yourself will have to deal with a potentially unpleasant looking antenna. Your antenna will also last longer because it will not be exposed to external elements such as wind, rain, snow, and thermal radiation.
While there are many benefits to installing an antenna in one’s attic, there is a drawback to this type of antenna installation in St. Louis. Because the antenna is installed inside one’s home, the television signals have a much harder time reaching one’s antenna compared to a roof-based set up. Generally speaking, one layer of asphalt shingles layered on top of typical wooden home roofs minimizes television signal strength anywhere from one-third to one-half. If one’s home, specifically one’s attic, receives powerful enough signals that adequately penetrate a home’s exterior, then one has nothing to worry about. Other materials including metal roofing, metal gutters, aluminum siding, foil-backed insulation within a home’s walls or under the roof can all either slow down or completely keep out television broadcast signals to one’s attic-installed antenna. Because there are so many variables it is essential to get one’s attic antenna installed in the perfect spot to maximize reception for local St. Louis programming. However, if one receives mediocre to poor signals from an attic-based antenna installation in St. Louis, extra equipment may be necessary. If one needs to keep the strength of the broadcast signal strong, one can employ an amplifier or a preamp in order to increase and keep moving the signal towards one’s attic install. Along with technological additions to increase signal reception, moving and installing one’s attic-antenna to the right spot can also do the trick to enhance reception. No matter if one either moves the antenna, boosts the television signal with an amplifier or a preamp, hooking up the antenna to a mast and not letting it make contact with the attic floor will maximize the life and performance of the attic TV antenna installation.
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Do you want the sharpest picture, the clearest images and the best deal in television? Well, here it is: Simple rooftop TV antennas in the Denver area that cost between $30.00 and $300.00 are outperforming cable and dish networks. NO monthly fees! Most people are not aware that programming produced by high definition through local channels that are FREE. The wide bandwidths simply can’t be handled by Dish and Cable companies, so they send it to you in condensed form, ask you to pay for it, and are happy that you are not aware of a better deal. YOU can be the very first in your family or among your friends to spread the news of this simple truth: Digital Television or DTV is the best thing to happen in the world of television since it started being broadcast all night. (Remember hearing about test patterns?). You will receive reception better than cable or satellite at a fraction of the cost. Ask your antenna installer now for more information. Using just a simple rooftop antenna, you can watch all the following channels on the following FREE in Denver: Station Channel Network KWGN 2.1 CW KWGN2 2.2 Ind KREG 3.1 CBS KCNC 4.1 CBS KRMA 6.1 PBS KMGH 7.1 ABC KUSA 9.1 NBC KUSA 9.2 Ind KBDI 12.1 PBS KBDI 12.2 PBS KBDI 12.3 PBS KTFD 14.1 Tel KRMU 20 PBS KTVD 20.1 MyN KFCT 22.1 Fox KRMZ 24.1 HBC KDEN 25.1 HBC KDVR 31.1 Fox KRMT 41.1 Ind KWHD 53.1 Ind KPXC 59.1 ION Here is a homeowner’s guide of Local TV Stations that are FREE Most people in the St Louis area are not aware that the clearest, sharpest picture on your television is produced by high definition programming through local channels that are FREE via a TV antenna install. Dish and Cable companies cannot handle the wide bandwidths because they have to handle so many different channels, so they send the images to you compressed (to get more room). What's this mean? You are not getting true high definition programming, and charge you for it on top that! Take a look at the map on this page to get an idea where all your digital towers are located. You can watch all the channels on the following list free, with great reception with an inexpensive properly installed rooftop antenna: Station Channel Network KTVI 2.1 Fox KMOV 4.1 CBS KSDK 5.1 NBC KSDK 5.2 NBC KETC 9.1 PBS KETC 9.2 PBS KETC 9.3 PBS KETC 9.4 PBS KPLR 11.1 CW KPLR 11.2 Ind KNLC 24.1 Ind KDNL 30.1 ABC WRBU 46.1 MyN KUMO 51.1 ION Be the very first in your family or among your friends to learn this simple truth: digital television or DTV is the best thing to happen in the world of television since color. You will receive sharp screen detail, better than cable or satellite at a fraction of the cost. TV antennas cost between $30.00 for use inside the city and up to $300.00 for long-range distances according to where the DTV towers are located in your area. Ask your antenna installer in St Louis now for more information. There is a difference in broadcast quality when getting your local channels via an antenna or your cable company. While the switchover to digital TV from analog was completed several years ago, you might find yourself in need of a “refresher course”. Maybe you’ve brought an old TV in from the garage for the guest bedroom, or found a great deal on an older one at a second-hand store.
The first thing to know is that it’s no longer possible to just extend the rabbit-ear antennas and turn it on. You’ll need either a connection from a cable or satellite TV box, or a digital TV (DTV) converter box. While the government’s rebate program ended several years ago, a box for around $50 is still available from retailers like Walmart. A DTV converter box should have the following features:
Everything that you’ll need should be in the box’s package (including full installation instructions). By snapping a picture of the back of your TV with your cellphone or a digital camera you can double-check on what you’ll need to make the connections. Sadly, you’ll lose the “watch one program while viewing another” feature of your VCR. The reason is simple—you now have just one available signal. Let’s assume you have the box connected to your VCR for signal input. Unless you get another box and connect each to TV and VCR respectively, you’ll only be able to watch whatever channel the box is set to display. Overall, the switch was a good one...start enjoying the sharper quality and better channel selection of DTV! Installing a TV antenna might not be the most well-known procedure in the age of cable and satellite television service; however, many people still have a need for it. People in remote areas might need an antenna or those with old antennas might need to replace it. This demonstrates that antennas are still being utilized for many different reasons. The entire technology of transmitting and replicating images through radio waves is slightly over 50 years old. Since the middle of the 20th Century, technological advancements have moved at a rapid pace for the television industry. Nevertheless, these fast technological changes within the television industry still make “regular” television antennas necessary to have reception of ground-based programming.
It is a necessary piece of information to determine where the most powerful transmitter is when installing a television antenna. Due to radio wave’s affinity to radiate horizontally or vertically through the atmosphere, the earth’s natural topography does not always lend the closest transmitter to provide the greatest signal strength to one’s antenna. In order to migrate an image from a transmitter to a receiver, the image must be very good. For a good image to be sent, the radio wave must have no obstructions what so ever. A lot of areas work well to affix a single or double antenna. These areas contain homes in minimal or sparsely populated areas with small hills creating the landscape. However, it might work equally as well if a home is situated high enough. Quite often, a television antenna may be affixed a little over the apex of the roof to grab the signals. An efficient receiver is built with multiple sentences on the identical antenna mast. The reception of the radio waves are accumulated and moved through a unique coax connection via a filter and into the HDTV. Because the radio waves are acute to outside meddling, the coax is cautiously shielded. The coax features a solitary leader and a dual exterior conductor of the entire foil and the intertwined slender wire. The exterior conductor is engineered to keep out any disturbances. To obtain exceptional reception, it is imperative that the exterior controller cables are cautiously layered in creases in order to prevent it from touching the interior conductor as one hooks up the cable ends. The clarity of the image displayed on one’s television is governed by directors and reflectors as well as by the cable’s integrity. Hence, securing the cables to the mast will minimize, if not stop, the cables from flapping in the wind. Additionally, ensure that upon adding to the interconnection filter, ample cable is available for an easy bow. With this, one will not incur any spaces, broken cables or moisture in the filter. Television antenna experts highly recommend having a spotter during installation. The installation is very easy and the equipment is not excessive in weight. It is simply a way to look out for one another and to prevent life-threatening or potentially fatal injuries. When comparing the usefulness of an antenna for your television's reception, the taller the antenna is, one's television will likely receive more channels and a better picture quality. However, prior to permanently hooking up a television antenna, one should thoroughly search for the most powerful signal. Searching includes affixing a television antenna on a part of the mast, hooking it up to a television and changing its position around the exterior of one's home until the best television reception possible is found.
Searching for the best possible signal is highly imperative when one wants to receive channels 14 to 69 on the UHF television band. UHF television signal waves naturally travel in an up and down direction, with 10 feet of space between each wave. In between each 10 foot space exists vacuums of space with nothing in it. In peripheral television reception where the UHF television signals are not very strong, the UHF television signal might simply not come in contact with the antenna completely and travel right by it if one's antenna is not located efficiently. Adjusting the antenna’s location a yard or horizontally or vertically might possibly be the difference between getting crystal clear reception or no reception at all. In order to properly and efficiently look for the perfect signal, one must have a 7/16” wrench (which works for nearly all antennas) or a 9/16” wrench (designed with Channel Master Antennas) in mind to affix the antenna to a 2 to 3 yards portion of the mast. One also has to determine the length of the coax cable that runs between the antenna and the television. Obtaining the proper length to adjust your antenna's position is imperative to securing the best signal possible. If it is the first time installing an antenna, there are a few things to remember. The first thing to do is to affix the antenna on a portion of the mast. Secondly, with a coax cable, connect the antenna to a color television. Being able to communicate with someone minding the television while one is on adjusting the antenna's position around one's home will be very helpful. Doing this will be beneficial because one will be able to keep one's antenna pointed in the direction of the television station's transmitters and adjust it until the television receives the best possible reception available. If one already has an antenna installed, there are some slightly different directions. While experts suggest looking for the optimal place to put an antenna in the first place, one can also work with one's antenna current location. This method enables homeowners to “look” for the optimal height to obtain a better signal without being forced to remove and re-install the antenna elsewhere. In order to see where the sweet spot for your antenna's height is, the following guide will tell you exactly how to do it:
While nearly all US homes now access television programming through either satellite or cable TV, there are still some areas that can only receive it over-the-air.
An outside antenna that is able to receive both VHF and UHF bands is a good choice for yielding the best reception. The switch to digital TV (DTV) in 2008 does not affect the selection of outdoor antennas. In most cases older analog ones work perfectly well with new DTV broadcasts. If you used an older analog antenna before and received good reception, the FCC recommends that you try it first before purchasing a new digital or HDTV one. The agency says that you should connect a DTV converter box and perform a "channel scan" in order to best gauge your antenna's reception. This will give you the best idea if your old antenna is capable of receiving the best quality digital signals. Assuming that you either require a new TV antenna or have never had one, you'll need to position it properly for the best signal. "Ghosting" is a thing of the past with DTV...instead, poor quality reception will either give you a "pixelated" picture (tiny squares and blurriness)...or worse yet, a simple blue or blank screen. The higher in elevation and more distant your home is from other buildings, mountains, etc., generally speaking the better your reception. Fortunately, the good news is that even the worst location is capable of a good signal. Assembling the antenna and mast is simple enough--instructions are included. Traditionally, a fireplace chimney or rooftop eave are good locations. The mast is attached to a chimney with metal straps, which are available at places like Home Depot or Radio Shack. A special bracket is required to attach the mast to a roof eave,again, instructions and mounting hardware are included. Use care in connecting the wires found within the coax cable to the antenna--ensure that the individual wires don't come in contact with the foil shielding, or reception will suffer. Always use good quality electrical tape to secure the cable to the antenna mast...cut the tape, don't pull or tear it. The use of a signal filter may or may not be required. The antenna box should indicate if one is necessary. Once everything is installed, but before finalizing the antenna and mast position, the FCC suggests that you check the signal strength at the TV. By having a helper inside the home to utilize the signal strength meter, found through the "Menu" options on the DTV converter box, you can position the antenna for optimum reception. You may find that adding a motorized rotor greatly improves your signal. This device rotates the antenna mast with an indoor controller to locate the best available position. A final word regarding caution: it's always a good idea to have an assistant on the rooftop with you to provide any assistance you might need. While this work doesn't require any physical assistance, as with any rooftop work you should never be by yourself. While one may think television antennas are extinct like the dinosaurs, more and more television watchers are actually finding them more and more useful every day. Antennas are becoming especially useful to get the clearest and sharpest reception from their HDTV. The following article will cover the benefits of over-the-air (OTA) reception and go over how to discover digital television signals in one's local television market and in adjacent towns and localities. You will also be exposed to a variety of kinds of television antenna and will learn which antenna is the best choice for different reception environments.
There have been a lot of benefits from switching from analog to digital television broadcasting. It has removed some very bothersome picture contortions including the white snow and shadowing issues; these are things that gave analog television a bad name. Now, with digital television, you will be able to either see a perfect, high quality image or nothing at all. Since nearly all local and syndicated television shows are not in high-definition format, normally, local stations broadcast their digital signals in standard-definition throughout the daytime. In the evening, primetime programming is broadcast in full widescreen HDTV. No matter what your level of experience with an off-air antenna, there are a multitude of great reasons to think about mounting one on your house to complement your current television service:
Once you select your antenna, you will then have to pick up a HDTV tuner to get the digital television programming. If you have already bought an “integrated” HDTV, then you don't have to worry about this step because the tuner is already built into the television. If your television is HDTV-ready, you will need to hook it to a HDTV tuner. If you already have satellite television service from a major provider, with an HDTV package, more often than not, your HD satellite receiver most likely includes the over-the-air HD tuner. Once you have your antenna and your televisions (with tuner if necessary) all set up, the next step is to find the over the air digital television signal. When television stations send out their signals, it is sent out through what industry professionals call “line of sight.” Obtaining steady DTV reception outside of the curvature of the earth (roughly 70 miles) is a hard task. If there are topographic features such as mountains or high rises that are between your house and the transmitting towers, reception issues can occur. Therefore, one should determine where one's local station's transmitters are physically located. In order to figure out the closest transmitter to your own home, it is suggested to go to this website. After typing in your address, a list of nearby stations will come up. Each particular transmitter station denotes the best type of antenna for each particular station. If you have also chosen to utilize a DTV box to receive no cost, air-based broadcast channels, more likely than not you have stared at the possibility of also erecting a TV antenna on the exterior of your house.
Mounting an antenna will make your television’s reception much better and efficient. This is especially true for distant based channel signals in addition to making your television's picture clearer. Even though erecting an antenna is not rocket science, one should become familiar with a couple things regarding the installation. There are some basic and common sense things that one should go through before attempting an antenna installation. Prior to breaking the ground, utilizing Call Before You Dig, will help you make sure there are no gas, electricity, or other utility lines underground. It will most importantly save your life and/or a big bill from your local utility. Double and triple check your surroundings to ensure that there are no power lines anywhere near you. Severe injury and/or death may possibly occur if the antenna gets anywhere near the lines or touches it. Lastly, obey all town, county, and state laws regarding height restrictions. After you have determined there are no legal or environmental obstructions, your next step is to buy the correct antenna for your individual circumstances. Purchasing one that is weather resistant is highly recommended. You will need to get an appropriate mast for your antenna; this is used in order to go above your roof-line to get the best reception. Aluminum piping is very cheap and is an ideal piece of equipment for mounting. If you are putting your antenna in the ground, getting an additional yard or so to the length of your mast will work with the area of the pole that goes underground. Miscellaneous parts needed include the antenna cable, a minimum 100 pounds of concrete, and mounting hardware. If you are planning to mount your antenna in the ground, you will need to make a hole in the ground for the antenna mast. Most holes can be a yard deep, while areas that experience a frozen ground should go 4 feet down. Then you will need to prepare your concrete and put it in the hole. The next step is to secure the antenna to the mast. Ensure to follow the manufacturer's mounting instructions to the T. If you deviate or make the slightest change, the warranty will no longer be valid. Hook up all coaxial wiring to the antenna and ensure there is enough length in the cable to enable it to move in the wind as well as expand during temperature extremes. Drill a hole into one's home where the antenna cable will be inserted inside. In order to make a weatherproof seal, one can use an exterior-type caulk or even foam on the inside and out. One must wait until the concrete is full dried prior to installing the antenna mast. Keep in mind, unless one applies a fast curing concrete, a concrete footer required for your antenna might take up to a full week to cure. After everything is set, you are ready to enjoy your antenna. Installing an antenna is certainly not rocket science. However, one must follow directions and use common sense to keep oneself safe along with one's antenna and home. Digital TV offers outstanding picture and sound quality as well as a better channel selection. An expertly setup TV antenna system is guaranteed to give you years of uninterrupted and crystal clear TV reception.
The best method to select a well-built product and avoid installation mishaps is by doing the job right the first time. What follows are basic installation guidelines for TV antennas and related accessories. Selecting the Proper TV Antenna Mounting Choose a stable mounting apparatus. The 5 foot tripod and the eave mount are the two most popular mounts because of their stability and adaptability. Begin by assembling the antenna (if necessary) according to its instructions. It will be securely placed up utilizing the trunk pipe which utilizes the pre-included U-bolt kit. All three major High Definition antennas require the trunk diameter to be no more than 22.2 millimeters. Installing the Preamplifier One’s preamplifier is securely placed upon the trunk pipe immediately under the antenna utilizing its included U-bolt. For this item the trunk diameter can be no more than 1 1/2 inches. With all parts now assembled and installed, connect a limited segment of 75 ohm coaxial starting at the antenna outlay connector, ending up at the preamplifier input connector. The Base Block Next, make a connection between the preamplifier outlay conduit branded “power source" and the base block. This last item is usually installed where the signal feed coaxial will enter the home. Connect the base block "outlay" connection through the wall to the "ANT" connector on the preamplifier power source/supplier. This part supplies minimal voltage electricity through the coaxial lead, which powers the trunk mounted preamplifier. The power supply is able to be found anywhere from a yard from the antenna preamplifier or as much as 50 yards away. Now connect the power supply to the television. If multiple TVs are served by a signal splicer, make the connection to that instead. Connecting the Base Hook up a base wire that goes from the TV antenna hookup to a compatible base like a base rod. The base wire is able to be hooked up utilizing a trunk pipe strap or it can simply be a wire secured to a bolt on the antenna base. Also connect the base block to the ground. Final Notes Dark adhesive bands are recommended for use in securing the coaxial to the trunk/mount by cutting it to fit, not by pulling and tearing it. This particular brand works extremely well in frigid temperatures and in the sun, and will do its job for many years. |