What's the difference between an old analog antenna and a new digital antenna? Not much.
Here is my antenna: Antennacraft HBU33 from Radio Shack.
Looks like a normal antenna, right? It pretty much is. The description of this antenna is High VHF-UHF antenna. What does this mean?
Jump in the Wayback Machine to the 1980s or earlier. TVs had two dials. Channels 2 through 13 were on the VHF dial. Channels 14 through 69 were on the UHF dial. Two dials were used because kids were the remote controls of the day. A kid has two arms.
So what is "High VHF" mean? VHF channels were divided into upper and lower bands. Channels 2 through 6 are lower VHF channels. Channel 7 through 13 are upper VHF.
Since my antenna doesn't cover Lower VHF I cannot receive channels 2 through 6.
But wait a minute! In an earlier post I said I get channel 3-1 and 3-2. What's going on?
Digital Aliasing!
Just prior to the digital broadcast conversion, stations were broadcasting both an analog and a digital signal. If you were watching analog channel 3, you could be sure you were watching channel 3. If you flipped on digital channel 3-1, aren't you watching channel 3?
No.
Prior to the digital conversion, channel 3-1 was actually broadcast on channel 2! What about channel 3-2? Its squeezed into the channel 2 spectrum.
Once the analog broadcast ceased, channel 3 was no longer used. (Just to confuse things, channel 3-1 and 3-2 move to channel 17 on conversion day! Why? Better reception on channel 17.)
Digital aliasing is handled by your TV tuner automatically. You see channel 3-1, but the turn is receiving its signal on its true channel.
For the Cleveland area, only two stations remain on VHF. Channel 8 broadcasts on real channel 8. Channel 19 broadcasts on real channel 10. Since those are both high VHF channels, I receive them.
You will need to research what sections of the spectrum you need. I did not need low VHF channels, so I didn't spend money on an antenna that could handle those.
Antenna prices vary widely depending upon your needs.
Antenna Location
You may be tempted to place your antenna in the attic. It may work, but the insolation, roofing material, and general house guts will cut your signal by 30% or more. For me, I was able to get a couple dozen stations. Good, but not great.
I decided to get a tripod mount for the roof. My station count more than doubled!
Make sure you follow local building codes and ground it properly. And don't do what I did. While in the attic running cable I managed to put my foot through the ceiling in the hallway. Now my wife is waiting for me to finish installing the new skylight!
A tripod mount is about $35. The pole for the antenna to mount to is another $10 - $20.
Where Do I Aim?
Since every location is different, you'll have to experiment.
When aiming, keep in mind what part of your antenna should point to the most stations. If yours resembles an arrow, you will be pointing away from those stations!
For my installation, I don't aim directly at the biggest antenna farm which is in Parma, OH. I aim it a bit further south. By doing that I weaken the signal from Cleveland, but increase the signal from Youngstown enough that I can watch channels from both markets.
Keep in mind the difference between analog and digital. Analog gets "fuzzy" as the signal weakens. Digital works perfectly until it hits a certain point. Once you reach that point the picture simply disappears. Experimenting is key!
Also note that weather, sun, and seasons affect your signal. You may need to experiment over the course of a year.
Check out this site for where your stations' towers are located:
http://www.antennaweb.org/
You could get an outdoor antenna rotator. I have not used one. As you will see later I have four sets connected. I want the antenna aimed the same at all times. Also, my DVR can't control the antenna position.
Connecting to Your TV
Don't use cheap coaxial cable. I had a bunch of RG-59 cable in my basement. I connected that to my antenna and got NO stations. The run from your roof to your TV set is quite a long distance. Use RG-6 or better.
I was able to reuse RG6 cable that was purchased for my satellite system years ago. Make sure you check for what you can reuse from your former TV provider.
Standard Definition TVs
If you are using a standard definition TV, you can still take advantage of digital over-the-air broadcasts. TVs manufactured in 2007 or later have a digital tuner. If not, you will need a set top converter box.
A few big box discount stores and electronic stores carry these, but supplies are getting limited. Expect to pay about $50.
They are very easy to connect. Simply plug in the antenna and connect the TV.
Back of a digital converter box
How is the picture? I have used three converter boxes. All will give you a digital picture as good as digital cable.
Connecting Multiple TVs
If you have a strong signal, simply purchase a splitter at the electronics store. These should only cost a few bucks.
A basic splitter did not work for me. I wanted to connect the antenna to four different TVs. Instead, I connected an amplified splitter. I purchased mine at a home center for $35. Sounds expensive until you realize that your TV provider is charging $5 to $7 per extra set!
Four way signal splitter and amplifier in the wild
If you do use an amplified splitter, keep in mind that you will need access to an electrical outlet.
Coming Soon
So you just installed your antenna, but sure miss that DVR. Next I will cover my DVR solution. Stay tuned!
