With the holidays just around the corner, more people are starting to tune in on their television screens to view their favourite TV shows. To ensure you get the best picture quality and strongest signal strength, here are 6 tips on optimising your reception.
Let’s talk height
Generally, the higher you can position your antenna, the better. It is found placing your antenna more than 30 feet above the ground is best practice and will receive the clearest ‘over-the-air’ connection with your local tower. If you’re looking to position your antenna on the roof in order to achieve this height it would be wise to ensure it has outdoor capabilities.
With that said, it’s advisable to contact an expert prior to installing a TV Antenna in Melbourne, as it can be dangerous to attempt this without proper training. Luckily, there are a variety of affordable services that can provide assistance in this regard, meaning that you never have to put yourself at risk for the sake of higher quality TV viewing.
Indoor & Amplified Antennas
Indoor antennas have become increasingly popular in recent years as the fundamental technology has been refined and has improved its capabilities. When choosing an indoor antenna, you will have to decide between an amplified or non-amplified version. Amplified antennas simply just boost the signal strength in order to attain a stronger connection, this will be necessary if you’re a long distance from your local tower.
Let’s discuss the location of your tower
Knowing the location of your tower is important as it can determine what type of antenna to use, where to position it and whether it needs to be amplified. A standard rule claims that if you’re are more than 30 miles away from your tower it is necessary for it to be amplified. To find out where your local tower(s) might be, there are several online services that help you find out what’s around you.
Shorten your Cables!
It is found that there is a correlation with cable length and signal strength. It is wise to ensure that the length of the cable is as short as possible between antenna and receiver. There are also a variety of cables to choose from, which is an important decision, as the quality of cable can also have a dramatic effect on your signal strength.
Placement
When deciding where to position your antenna, be aware of any metal or other obstructions that might prevent you from getting the best signal. With outdoor antennas the process is a whole lot easier as you can just place it on your roof or in the attic. However, with indoor antennas it gets tricky and all comes down to finding that sweet spot. Finding this sweet spot can take a little trial and error, so try test placing the antenna in multiple locations and running a channel scan with each new placement.
Ask an expert
Personnel knowledgeable about signal strength and the dynamics that go into finding the sweet spot in your area like neighbours and roommates can be helpful. Even antenna and TV signal technicians can advise on your antenna model and capabilities and suggest any other solutions based on their expertise.
It is clear that there are many fundamentals that go into achieving the perfect antenna connection. Therefore, it is best to completely familiarise yourself with the whole process before tweaking and adjusting, as you could be doing more harm than good.
