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A few of the simplest indoor antennas are described below, but a great variety of designs and types exist.

If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. There can be a good number of these dependent upon the antenna in question. The standard today is 75 coaxial cable, which is less susceptible to interference, which plugs into an F connector or Belling-Lee connector (depending on region) on the back of the TV. Multidirectional antennas are designed to pick up signals from any direction. They may look small in a photo, but when they are seen for real they may be larger than expected.

The Monoprice Active Curved HDTV Antenna is a simple, inexpensive, slightly curved indoor antenna with an amplifier for a 60-mile range.

Coax cable Before you start shopping for an antenna, you should check what channels are available near you. Your subscription has been confirmed. The length of the elements is key to the operation - they should be approximately a half wavelength at the frequency of operation. Ive been PCMags home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. The multiple booms enable the antenna to provide a significantly higher level of gain for a given length, and as a result they can be ideal for some situations. Some portable televisions use a whip antenna. Cubical quad Larger antennas will weigh more and need more robust mounting arrangements. Since directional antennas must be pointed at the transmitting antenna, this is a problem when the television stations to be received are located in different directions. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. TV antennas This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. This can be achieved, for one station at a time, by using a rotator operated by an electric motor to turn the antenna as desired. In reality there is no such thing as a digital TV antenna.

They tend to be shaped like fins, arrows, or tubes, and need to be pointed toward the stations theyre tuned to. Placing an antenna indoors significantly attenuates the level of the available signal. Buying TV antenna amplifier / booster There is a vast range of different types of antenna available for television reception. To prevent the antennas from interfering with each other, the vertical spacing between the booms must be at least half the wavelength of the lowest frequency to be received (Distance = /2). This is where a "digital TV antenna" might be important. If you want to cut the cord but keep live TV, you'll need the right antenna to tune into over-the-air broadcasts. Within the basic Yagi antenna, the elements tend to be straight wires or pieces of narrow tube. Almost all indoor antennas are multidirectional, and many outdoor antennas are as well. "[17], As discussed previously, antennas may be placed indoors where signals are strong enough to overcome antenna shortcomings. Internally, the thin, flat square is a loop antenna, with its circular metallic wiring embedded into conductive plastic. Indoor antennas may be mounted on the television itself or stand on a table next to it, connected to the television by a short feed line.

Outdoor antennas provide up to a 15dB gain in signal strength and 15-20dB greater rejection of ghost signals in analog TV. Analog television signals are susceptible to ghosting in the image, multiple closely spaced images giving the impression of blurred and repeated images of edges in the picture. As the television aerial is likely to be in place for many years, it is necessary that it does not fall, with the risk of general safety, even after many years of use. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Often when multiple antennas are used, one is for a range of co-located stations and the other is for a single transmitter in a different direction. Tropospheric propagation 1996-2022 Ziff Davis. More Antenna & Propagation Topics: Finally, if you can mount your antenna outside and aim it, the Monoprice Digital HD7 Outdoor Antenna is the most affordable way to get broadcast TV. [citation needed] They connect to televisions only with a coaxial cable; they may also be sold with a signal amplifier requiring a power source. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. If mounted properly, they can tune into any station within range, regardless of whether the stations positioned north, south, east, or west. Satellite TV dish installation

[1] They can also be mounted in a loft or attic, where the dry conditions and increased elevation are advantageous for reception and antenna longevity. An antenna of higher gain will be able to receive weaker signals from its preferred direction. Return to Antennas & Propagation menu . An isotropic source is a theoretical point source that radiates equally in all directions. However the dipole has a wide bandwidth, so often adequate reception is achieved without adjusting the length.

This means that the antenna needs to be more accurately directed towards the transmitter. These antennas tend to be a combination of two antennas in one overall TV antenna array. Electronics Notes Bookshop. Ham Radio Products.

This means they need to be adjusted to properly get signals from stations, so youll need to plan carefully when mounting them.

Although many people are now opting for Internet / broadband based deliver of their television content, the use of terrestrial (and satellite) delivery is still very widespread. Antenna installation guide

Next is the active or driven element. These are simple, flat antennas with a typical range of around 35 miles. In the previous standard analog television, used before 2006[where? Theyre easy to set up, and dont require knowing where each station is. An alternative is to use a single antenna mounted on a rotator, a remote servo system that rotates the antenna to a new direction when a dial next to the television is turned.

The other side of the feedline is connected to the ground plane on the TV's circuit board, which acts as ground.

The antenna can have a smaller or larger number of rod elements; in general, the more elements the higher the gain and the more directional. The television broadcast bands are too wide in frequency to be covered by a single antenna, so either separate antennas are used for the VHF and UHF bands, or a combination (combo) VHF/UHF antenna. [13] One layer of asphalt shingles, roof felt, and a plywood roof deck is considered to attenuate the signal to about half.[18]. This format gives a higher level of gain and therefore tends to be used more widely these days. It should be noted that decibels are based on logarithms and therefore 10dB is an increase in gain of 10 fold, and 20dB is an increase in gain of 100 fold. Ionospheric propagation

Check out these pages on our website: Ferrite rod Antenna alignment meters are more likely to be needed to reap the improved gain of high gain, narrow beamwidth antennas. For side-by-side placement of multiple antennas, as is common in a space of limited height such as an attic, they should be separated by at least one full wavelength of the lowest frequency to be received at their closest point. The measured gain of rabbit ears is low, about 2dBi, or 4dB with respect to a half wave dipole. Electronics Notes offers a host of products are very good prices from our shopping pages (in association with Amazon). There are a few other variations on this them with TV antennas sometimes having their directors with a triangle shape instead of the bow tie shape.

The antenna is simply plugged into the television receiver and placed conveniently, often on the top of the receiver ("set-top"). [4] Combined with a signal increase of 14dB due to height, and 11dB due to lack of attenuating building walls, an outdoor antenna can result in a signal strength increase of up to 40dB at the TV receiver.[4]. The wire connecting the antenna to indoors is referred to as the .mw-parser-output .vanchor>:target~.vanchor-text{background-color:#b1d2ff}downlead or drop, and the longer the downlead is, the greater the signal degradation in the wire. Although most simple antennas have null directions where they have zero response, the directions of useful gain are very broad. Computer Products. Outside this range the performance falls and the aspects like the gain, power transfer and the like fall away. Of course Amazon has TV antennas, though the AmazonBasics indoor TV antenna(Opens in a new window) is no longer available new. But check on the Internet or with your local dealer to find out whether antennas need to be bought to match your particular area. There are also varying local ordinances which restrict and limit such things as the height of a structure without obtaining permits. These act to concentrate the beamwidth and give additional gain.

Indoor antennas can also benefit from RF amplification, commonly called a TV booster.

[4] They are often perfectly adequate in urban and suburban areas which are usually within the strong radiation "footprint" of local television stations, but in rural fringe reception areas only an outdoor antenna may give adequate reception. Parabolic reflector antenna Careful positioning of the antenna can produce a compromise position which minimizes the ghosts on different channels. Band-pass filters or "signal traps" may help to reduce this problem. [14] CABD (communal antenna broadcast distribution) is a system installed inside a building to receive free-to-air TV/FM signals transmitted via radio frequencies and distribute them to the audience.[15].

Weight: The weight of the antenna can be an issue in some circumstances.

Monoprice remains one of the best-kept secrets for home theater enthusiasts and installers, with reliable and inexpensive antennas, cables, and other A/V equipment.

The downside is that they are much heavier, requiring three booms and as a result, the weight is much greater.

Once you know what TV you can get near you, you can figure out the best antenna to buy. This doesnt mean the map is useless for indoor antennas, though; yellow and green stations can be tuned into with small and medium multidirectional antennas mounted outdoors, which means you can probably get a signal from them using an indoor multidirectional antenna. The level of gain will need to be sufficient to enable a good signal to be received.

The gain for the television antenna over an isotropic source will be 2.1 dB higher than gain with respect to a dipole. Sometimes television transmitters are deliberately located such that receivers in a given region need only receive transmissions in a relatively narrow band of the full UHF television spectrum and from the same direction hence allowing the use of a higher gain grouped aerial. Meteor scatter

Terrestrial television is broadcast on frequencies from about 47 to 250MHz in the very high frequency (VHF) band, and 470 to 960MHz in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band in different countries. The reflector can be a straight wire , but in many designs this is much bigger.

This is because indoor antennas are highly dependent on the architecture of your home and any sort of structures that can interfere with signals.

For example, in the United States, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 allows any homeowner to install "An antenna that is designed to receive local television broadcast signals", but that "masts higher than 12 feet [3.5m] above the roof-line may be subject to local permitting requirements. As the name suggests, these antennas have a single reflector and driven element, but multiple booms containing directors. AntennaWebs TV station tool categorizes nearby stations based on the sort of outdoor antenna you need to tune in. It is difficult to design a single antenna to receive such a wide wavelength range, and there is an octave gap from 216 to 470MHz between the VHF and UHF frequencies. Having a basic understanding of the different types of television antenna (TV aerials), their specifications, and their advantages and disadvantages will enable an informed decision to be made bout which is the best type to choose.

Frequency and bandwidth: Antennas are only able to cover a certain frequency range. So traditionally separate antennas (or on outdoor antennas separate sets of elements on a single support boom) have been used to receive the VHF and UHF channels.[4]. Beamwidth: As the gain increases so the beamwidth of the antenna decreases. Multidirectional antennas are the most common kind of TV antenna.

The most common types of indoor antennas are the dipole[2] ("rabbit ears") and loop antennas, and for outdoor antennas the Yagi,[2] log periodic,[2] and for UHF channels the multi-bay reflective array antenna. Unlike the Yagi antenna which as a driven element, reflector and a series of directors, the log periodic consists of a number of elements that act like dipoles.

That leaves a lot of live television on the table, which you can get for free. . [4] To convert the signal from antennas that use twin-lead line to the modern coaxial cable input, a small transformer called a balun is used in the line. Sometimes the position needs to be experimented with to get the best picture. Antennas Direct is a popular brand with a wide selection of indoor and outdoor antennas. You can slap it on any smooth surface, like a window, without using tape or any other adhesive.

Keep an eye on your inbox! Phased array antennas General antenna installation guides A form of antenna using directors that look very similar to a bow tie have also appeared on the market. The basic Yagi is a popular choice for many TV antenna installations and it has a long boom and a number of elements at right angles to the boom: starting at the back there is a reflector. There are many different types of antenna. Alternatively, two or more antennas, each pointing at a desired transmitter and coupled by appropriate circuitry, can be used. Antenna baluns Antenna height. [4] This means it is not as directional and sensitive to distant stations as a large rooftop antenna, but its wide angle reception pattern may allow it to receive several stations located in different directions without requiring readjustment when the channel is changed. Antenna types like the multi-boom types tend to present more surface area to the wind and can be more susceptible to the wind. Although having part of the reflector missing may not be noticeable on many installations, if too many parts fall off, not only may they present a danger, but their performance will degrade. They arent perfect, though; multidirectional antennas are weaker than directional antennas, so their ranges are much shorter. Another reason for the V shape is that when receiving channels at the top of the band with the rods fully extended, the antenna elements will typically resonate at their 3rd harmonic. It's a multidirectional antenna and features a 35-mile range. Thanks to its bigger size and included amplifier, this indoor antenna sports a much longer 50-plus-mile range than the Eclipse. Here are the streaming services and devices you need to get started. With that in mind, we've selected the best antennas for a variety of different scenarios. It is no use installing a wonderful aerial, only to have a high loss coax feeder that will attenuate the signal before it arrives at the television. [5] The boundaries of each band vary somewhat in different countries. As an antenna design provides higher gain (compared to a dipole), the main lobe of the radiation pattern becomes narrower. Waveguide Earlier antennas used a flat cable called 300 twin-lead. Discone A television antenna (TV aerial) is an antenna specifically designed for use with a television receiver (TV) to receive over-the-air broadcast television signals from a television station. Places unable to be reached by television broadcast transmitters are known as "black spots" in Australia. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/how-to-find-the-best-digital-tv-antenna, Read Great Stories Offline on Your Favorite, PC Magazine Digital Edition (Opens in a new window), How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files, How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac, Samsung 55-Inch Class The Frame QLED TV Review, How to Watch 4K Broadcast TV: A Guide to ATSC 3.0, Fire TV, Roku, WebOS, and More: A Guide to Smart TV Platforms. Attic installation

In front of the driven element, there are a number of other elements which are called directors. Be aware that in some countries, and even in different areas of a country television transmissions may be made on widely different frequencies. A single transmitter location may transmit signals for several channels. Cord-cutting has become synonymous with dropping cable and satellite subscriptions in favor of video streaming services. [4] It is a simple half-wave dipole antenna used to receive the VHF television bands, consisting in the US of 54 to 88MHz (band I) and 174 to 216MHz (band III), with wavelengths of 5.5 to 1.4m (18 to 5 feet). [citation needed], Sometimes it is desired not to put an antenna on the roof; in these cases, antennas designed for outdoor use are often mounted in the attic or loft, although antennas designed for attic use are also available. This is due to the signal being reflected from nearby objects (buildings, tree, mountains); several copies of the signal, of different strengths and subject to different delays, are picked up. Feeder: The feeder or coax is a very important element of the overall television aerial installation. The oldest and most widely used indoor antenna is the rabbit ears or bunny ears, which are often provided with new television sets. Note: Electronics Notes receives a small commission on sales at no cost to you. Outdoor antennas are more expensive and difficult to install, but are necessary for adequate reception in fringe areas far from television stations.

[4] A VHF/UHF antenna is really two antennas feeding the same feedline mounted on the same support boom. VSWR

The only issue with receiving a digital TV signal as opposed to an analogue one is that the signal might be on different frequencies. TV antennas guides include: It even provides a helpful map that shows distance from each station and the type of antenna you need to get a strong signal. The antennas have different shapes and sizes and many look different to the others.

The purpose of the antenna is to intercept radio waves from the desired television stations and convert them to tiny radio frequency alternating currents which are applied to the television's tuner, which extracts the television signal. Soon after television broadcasting switched from analog to digital broadcasting, indoor antenna marketing evolved beyond the traditional "rabbit ears." The more directors, the higher the gain.

Aerials are attached to roofs in various ways, usually on a pole to elevate it above the roof. Vertical antennas As the name implies, these TV antennas or aerials have their main elements in in particular the directors having the form of an X. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. That is, the antennas might both pick up the same station; the signal from the one with the shorter cable will reach the receiver slightly sooner, supplying the receiver with two pictures slightly offset. Reception form indoor antennas can be problematic in weak signal areas. Some of the main specifications include those listed below: Forward gain: The forward gain is the amount of gain in decibels that the antenna exhibits when compared to a reference antenna and expressed in decibels, dB. [10] These are composed of multiple half-wave dipole elements, consisting of metal rods approximately half of the wavelength of the television signal, mounted in a line on a support boom. Antenna alignment