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Best TV antenna

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kinarfi

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I've given up on Dish and Comcast and DirecTV because they all start you at $49.99 and before long you're up to $139.99 a month and I don't really watch it any more any way and I can get it for free out of the air. I have one of those flat antennas and it does pretty well, but not quite well enough, so I plan to put one in the attic, anyone know which is the best or just real good?
 
Fractal antenna..
 
My impression is that, for the UHF frequencies that are typically used by digital TV channels, a bow-tie type antenna works well. Here's an example of a cheap home-made one that can be put in the attic. You can also buy commercial versions, of course.
 
cheap home-made one that can be put in the attic..
Fractal antennas are the answer why mobile phones are so small today.. you do not need an attic to fit the antenna. The video shows how easy it is to make a fractal antenna at home.
 
Fractal antennas may be great but do you have any info on how to design one for UHF TV frequencies?
 
First thing, put the aerial outside - putting it in the attic is crippling your signal before you even start.

Second, most aerials are Yagi's and perfectly fine, and give the highest gain - another option is log periodics (lower gain) or 'bow-tie' type ones, lower gain still.

It's not worth messing about making one, they are cheap and easy to buy commercially.
 
Nigel;
It has worked fine for my limited use, and its better than nothing.
Do you know of a better site? thats there not to just sell you antennas?
 
Nigel;
It has worked fine for my limited use, and its better than nothing.
Do you know of a better site? thats there not to just sell you antennas?

It's not a question of a 'better' site, I've never even heard of that one (as it's half a world away), but no such sites are accurate - they are only a theoretical suggestion based on a vague location.

They do give an indication, which may be useful to some extent - but don't rely on it's accuracy.
 
Antennas indoors behave too much unpredictable to choose a solid performance. Worse when multiple frequencies are in the menu. I also refuse to have cable television (never had) and will never have, if I have to pay to watch commercials. My electrical power bill is lower than the cable service would be. Where does it make sense ?:mad:

I live deep in a dense forest sorrounded by 600 ft hills, and there is only one channel nearby with the signal strenght to penetrate here. My expensive Shakespeare marine TV dome antenna proved marginal -when positioned after lots of trials-. After lots of tinkering, the one that has been reliable 4 years now, is a six feet of RG 59 patch cord terminated with nothing, tossed behind the bookcase in no particular shape.:eek: Nothing on the exterior nor attic.
My spectrum analyzer does not show other stations, so am at my best attempt.
A piece of coat hanger has also proven to be better than the expensive active marine antenna.
Something to try is a discone antenna. Make one or RadioShack's; and do not pay attention to the impedances, they mean nothing to match modern TV digital tuners.

If your home has a metal roof, hey! hook a whatever wire to it; you may be surprised !

To succeed, be prepared to spend a few hours tinkering and positioning whatever works for you, and hope that the satisfactory signal you end with, is not affected by your body presence at the couch in front of the TV.
My internet signal is also airborne, transceived via a 7 foot dish.
 
My expensive Shakespeare marine TV dome antenna proved marginal -when positioned after lots of trials-.

Why on earth would you use a Marine aerial unless you were on a boat?.

Presumably ANYTHING Marine comes with a fairly stupid price tag, and it's made for a specific and exact purpose, which isn't to pick up TV reception at home (unless your home is a boat).
 
It's not a question of a 'better' site, I've never even heard of that one (as it's half a world away), but no such sites are accurate - they are only a theoretical suggestion based on a vague location.

They do give an indication, which may be useful to some extent - but don't rely on it's accuracy.
Actually it is spot on. You tell it your home address so its not so "vague" and when I google map the stations you can see the towers.
 
Why on earth would you use a Marine aerial unless you were on a boat?.
Presumably ANYTHING Marine comes with a fairly stupid price tag, and it's made for a specific and exact purpose, which isn't to pick up TV reception at home (unless your home is a boat).
Because
-I have one
-It is omni-directional
-It has preamplification
-It will not corrode
-It does not know if it is mounted on a boat or on a roof.
-The radio waves do not discriminate.
:)
----> **broken link removed**
 
WOW, Thanks for the replies, Fractals are cool and may make a good antenna, I'll almost bet that is what I have and maybe if I use the supplied, option use, power supply for it, I'll be good, the https://tvfool.com/ site was right on for my area and confirmed what I knew and corrected some of what I thought I knew.
Again, thanks, there was stuff in there that I didn't know and hadn't found,
Kinarfi
 
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