Outdoor Antenna HDTV

I got rid of my cable and have internet, Netflix, and Prime. I have been using a indoor antenna, that just isn't cutting it. I am thinking of getting a outdoor antenna, Walmart has one for $33 that says it has 150 mile radius. When I moved into my house I had the cable company re-run all the wires, the base of everything is in the basement. I would like to try and use it for my TV's but the antenna is only setup for two tv's. Are spliters going to hook up more then two? Or a amplflier? all my Tv's are HD, but have really week internal antennas. And do these hold up in the snowy weather?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/150-Mile-Range-TV-Antenna-Remote-Controlled-Outdoor-Amplified-TV-Antenna-w-Full-360-Rotation-FREE-HDTV-Access-Long-Range-1080p-Reception-THINK/848498821?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227237378382&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=283906894932&wl4=pla-473913393587&wl5=9006420&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=848498821&wl13=&veh=sem

I have a big Channel Master antenna on my roof. I have DirecTV, so I feed it into that box and it distributes the signal for me, but for you, I'd think you need an amplified coax splitter, something like this.

Also, you can use this website to help locate the channels near you: https://www.antennaweb.org/

Google Double Bay Gray Hoverman antenna. I made one from parts I already had in the shop and stuck it up INSIDE one gable of my house and it works 100x better than any antenna I've ever bought. 

Pretty much any outdoor antenna will spank an indoor antenna. Got mine for $18 (+a $14 mount) on Amazon and it worked wonders.

I plan on putting it on my roof, do you often have to adjust it? I don't see myself changing it often once it's on the roof.

When we ditched sat/cable for internet and OTA only earlier this year, we started out with one of the $20 'sheet of paper'-sized window antennas. Didn't work nearly well enough, so I looked around and eventually picked up one of these and mounted it on top of our roof. It has worked MUCH better and really haven't had any issues picking up all of the broadcast stations in the area.

we have 2, arranged 90 degrees apart.  Lets us get more stations that way.

One thing to note is antennas are antennas, there's no HD involved.  They just receive the signal, so any old outdoor antenna (for the right type of signal) will work. These days most TV channels have moved to UHF but there are still some VHF channels out there, check to see what's available in your area before buying anything.

Do a search for TV stations in your area.  There is a website HERE that shows your address and all the transponders in your area.  If they're all in Erie, you can get a directional antenna, point it toward town and call it a day.  If they are all around you, you need either an omnidirectional antenna or a motorized one.

I have had motorized antennas and I hate them.  They always seem to fail, especially cheap ones.  That, plus waiting for it to rotate every time I change the channel is annoying.  Personal taste, I guess.  I don't want any stations other than Harrisburg and Lancaster anyway so I just have an indoor Terk (which also sucks so I'm going to put up an outdoor omnidirectional.)

Omnidirectional antennas will pull in stations from all around you, but not from as much distance.  Directional antennas listen better over long distances, but are pretty deaf in other directions... hence why if they're all in one direction you don't need a spinner, just a directional.

So, possible scenarios:

- you live downtown, and the transmitters are all around you in Erie, but the next town with a station is 100 miles away.  Get an omnidirectional and call it a day.
- same as above, but you live 15 miles from downtown, and all the transmitters are in one general direction.  Get a directional antenna, point it toward Erie, and call it a day.
- you live 15 miles out of town, but you want to pull in Cleveland, Detroit, and Toronto, then get a directional with a rotator.

Another thing to note:  DTV broadcasts on the same exact frequencies as old TV, they just send a digital signal instead of analog.  This means that a special DTV antenna is not required.  An old "clothes tree" antenna will work just as well but it will be ugly.  The only difference is what the TV itself does with the signal.

Follow the link Curtis provided and find the distance to the towers you want to receive.  Closer is obviously better.  Ideally, you will have line-of-sight from your antenna to the tower.  I think anyone claiming 150-mile radius for their product is probably stretching the truth a bit.  I can pull stations within about 30 miles with my attic-mounted antenna, but nothing from the next major metro area less than 100 miles distant.  Whereas a weak analog signal would give you a snowy picture, DTV is pretty much all or nothing.

When connecting multiple TV's, keep in mind that every split cuts the signal strength in half.  An antenna amplifier may be useful.

porschenut said:

we have 2, arranged 90 degrees apart.  Lets us get more stations that way.

Do you just feed them into a splitter, but backwards? Our biggest issue is that the two stations we want to get are in different directions and we've yet to come up with a solution that works. 

I just installed that exact antenna on my house in Avon Park Florida and pick up all the channels from Tampa, about 85 miles. The thing works great I was really surprised after trying to get the $50 antenna from Walmart to work. Make sure you have it clear line of sight, download a compass app and point it at your favorite stations, hopefully they're all in the same general direction. I don't use the motor because you will have to search for channels and probably lose the ones you already have programmed.

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Following.

Do I need to put the antenna outside, or will it work in my attic?   I live in a suburb of Indianapolis, and I can't get some channels with my powered rabbit ears.  POS.  I'm thinking of getting an antenna from Fry's and sticking it in my attic.  I rent and I live in a subdivision, and I don't want an antenna on my roof.  

Will the neighbor's two story house kill the signal to my ranch home in the opposite side of the station?  Can I just find the old cable TV coax and hook it up to the antenna?  Do I need a powered antenna?  

In reply to Kramer :

You can try the attic but it will work better on the roof, yes just hook up to the existing cables and get an antenna with an amplifier, I paid  $34 for the one that is linked.

I got an outdoor antenna from Amazon and mounted to the exterior chimney. Used a website on my phone on the roof to aim it properly.  Ran 50' coax to the main splitter in the house where the cable box used to feed in.  That runs out to 3 different televisions, the closest two have a great signal, I used a booster on the furthest and it too has a great picture.  Do it, you wont regret it. 

We have OTA and internet. The antenna we have came with the house and is one of those old arrow shaped things from back in the day. Looks like this. 

I get about 18 channels including two from Montreal (hockey night in Canada anyone?). Montreal is a two hour drive. 

Thanks for getting all this information up here.  We experiencing this exact issue.  The little $19.99 "amazing antennas" are not that great because they are indoors and only can do so much.  My wife and I are looking for an outdoor antenna.

The wire looking antennas work well I assume but look ugly (ish). Affordable however.

The 360 dome ones are more pricey but look sleeker.

Its a toss up still, but thanks for the info

Ashyukun (Robert) said:

When we ditched sat/cable for internet and OTA only earlier this year, we started out with one of the $20 'sheet of paper'-sized window antennas. Didn't work nearly well enough, so I looked around and eventually picked up one of these and mounted it on top of our roof. It has worked MUCH better and really haven't had any issues picking up all of the broadcast stations in the area.

I told Mrs. Deuce about this thread and two days later the antenna linked above showed up. I put it on the roof yesterday and we can finally get all the channels in our area for the first time since cancelling cable. She's watching football and is VERY happy. Many thanks.