Font Size:

Even if you subscribe to cable or satellite, you may have considered adding an antenna for those times that your service is interrupted, due to severe weather, etc.

Using set top antennas, or “rabbit ears”, for digital television can quickly lead to frustration, unless you live within line of site of the transmitter.

So, you made the decision to install a permanent TV antenna for years, or even decades, of free DTV service. Now you ask…What type do I need? Can I mount it in the attic? Do I need a pre-amplifier?

The more informed before you purchase, the better the chance of a satisfactory outcome.

A great place to start is http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ISSUES/erecting_antenna.html

Check the additional links under “Antenna Issues”. There is a wealth of knowledge covering every aspect of TV antenna design, selection, and placement. Yes, for those not technically inclined, it’s drinking from a fire hose. But, if you dig through the links re-reading a few pages, I think you’ll become a more confident consumer.

After you become RF savvy, needing to find out just how far away…and in which direction the TV transmitters are from you try http://tvfool.com/

Here you can get estimated signal strengths for your exact address.

Please share your antenna selection and installation stories, both the successes and failures…and what you learned along the way. Good luck!