Digital TV antenna

[JP.mpls]

My father in law has concrete walls with a layer of metal mesh, and stucco on the exterior. This seems to block the digital antenna signal a lot.
I'm considering installing the antenna in his attic for better reception. He has the classic red concrete tile roofing. Does this type of roofing also block/interfere with the digital signal?
Thanks, JP

 

[RobbieB]

Yup, anything in the path doesn't help. These things are small and best to mount outside.

 

[COcheesehead]

Ours works best pointed to a window. Hardly works pointed anywhere else.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

My father in law has concrete walls with a layer of metal mesh, and stucco on the exterior. This seems to block the digital antenna signal a lot.
I'm considering installing the antenna in his attic for better reception. He has the classic red concrete tile roofing. Does this type of roofing also block/interfere with the digital signal?
Thanks, JP

Two things. Number one, there is no such thing as a digital antenna. The TV antennas that were used pre digital TV will pick up the digital TV signals just fine.
Second point is, if you feel you have to put the TV antenna in the attic, I think you would be better served by buying a 20 foot pole unattached to the roof with a TV antenna and point it at the TV transmitters. YMMV , but I have not found that attic antennas pick up TV signals all that well, compared to an antenna that is up in the air and outside. I know some will disagree, however in my experience this is true.

 

[njhowie]

Our antennas are mounted in the attic and work fine. Much will depend on the signal strength you're receiving (distance from station transmitters), quality of your antenna(s), and any obstructions.

Your best bet would be to experiment. Take the antenna up in to the attic with a small TV, point it in the right direction and make small adjustments until you get the best signal you can on various channels. Also move to different locations within the attic - you may be pointing at a roof in one location, while if you put it somewhere else, you may be pointing out the side of the house. You have a lot of room where to locate it in the attic. If you can get good reception with the TV directly connected to the antenna in the attic, then you can complete the setup with strategically placed signal boosters to push the signal to the location(s) of the TV(s) in the house.

 

[easysurfer]

From trial and error, even a slight adjustment of the antenna position can make a big difference.

My setup right now is I have an antenna mounted on a large planter pot (I can't mount to actual building, building rules) and angled just right so that I pick up all the network channels. Did need some fiddling around.

 

[CincyDave]

They do still make antenna rotors. We had one many moons ago before cable and streaming.

https://www.amazon.com/AUDIOVOX-Rem...locphy=9015737&hvtargid=pla-304379134500&th=1

 

[Car-Guy]

Outside antennas always seem to work better for me.. But I live so far away from any transmitter (radio or TV) it doesn't matter much... Sometimes if the wind is blowing just right I can pickup one or two OTA TV stations but they always fade away in a hour or so. I even had a high quality external antenna on a rotor but that did help much either. About the only antenna that has worked for me is a power boosted cellular yagi mounted 25' up in the air... Nearest cell site is 10 to 12 miles away and the booster has worked well.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I went with an antenna mounted on a 6 ft. pole above my deck on the back of the house. Not the worst looking thing in the neighborhood. I've gotten used to it. At least it's a smaller, black, roundish look and not all the old metal spindles of days gone by. An attic mount in my aluminum sided house was not going to be an option.

As for antenna rotors, when I was a kid, our rotor was a large crescent wrench that was permanently attached to the tall metal pipe pole that had the antenna at the top (on the FRONT of the house). When we needed to turn the antenna, you'd open a window, send out one of the kids, and then yell "turn it just a bit...more...more...too far...ok, that's good".

 

[mf15]

Search Antenna Man on youtube you will find a wealth of info.
Oldmike

 

[MichaelB]

thread moved to the tech and media forum

 

[CRLLS]

Just how far away from the broadcasting towers is your father? My attic antenna picks up over 90 channels from 30 miles away. While tower mounted antennas will unquestionably get you stronger signal level, unlike days of old, today's digital signals only need "X" level of signal to get the same quality as being hooked by wire to the broadcasting antenna. It is something that can be tried without having to make it a permanent location. If it doesn't work, then you can go to an outside mount. In an attic, a Yagi-style antenna might fit well.

In my previous home, I had mounted my 4-bay bowtie antenna (similar to Channel Master CM4221) outside on my brick chimney. Another possible option that doesn't require a tower.

 

[pb4uski]

My father in law has concrete walls with a layer of metal mesh, and stucco on the exterior. This seems to block the digital antenna signal a lot.
I'm considering installing the antenna in his attic for better reception. He has the classic red concrete tile roofing. Does this type of roofing also block/interfere with the digital signal?
Thanks, JP

We have an YAGI-style attic antenna and transmitters about 30 miles away and amazingly to me it works pretty good. We get all the major networks except Fox which is odd since they all transmit from the same antenna site but I think that Fox has weaker signal. We have ~ 9" of spray foam and asphalt shingles on our roof. I'm not how clay tiles (not concrete, right?) would impact the signal.

I would try in in the attic and if it doesn't work then look at exterior options.

Is there coax in the attic?

While we had coax in the attic (long story) I'm not really using it. The antenna is connected to a Fire TV Recast OTA DVR in the attic that then transmits audio and video to each of our 4 TVs that already had FireSticks via our home wifi.

It's a pretty cool set up as any TV in the house can watch live TV or access recorded shows. So if DW is watching a recorded show in the living room and decides to go to her she-cave to sew, she can just pause the recorded show in the living room and turn the tv off and go up to the she-cave, turn on the TV and resume viewing that show exactly where she left off.

The bonus is that you don't need to have coax going to each TV as the audio and video is tranmitted via your home wifi.

 

[rk911]

Two things. Number one, there is no such thing as a digital antenna. The TV antennas that were used pre digital TV will pick up the digital TV signals just fine.
Second point is, if you feel you have to put the TV antenna in the attic, I think you would be better served by buying a 20 foot pole unattached to the roof with a TV antenna and point it at the TV transmitters. YMMV , but I have not found that attic antennas pick up TV signals all that well, compared to an antenna that is up in the air and outside. I know some will disagree, however in my experience this is true.

+1

 

[RobbieB]

They do still make antenna rotors. We had one many moons ago before cable and streaming.

Yes they do and still the best performer will be a high outdoor large antenna with a rotator to aim (the high gain high directional antenna) to wherever the broadcast antenna is. On another note the broadcast antenna location is not always the station location. Here in the central valley the studios are in the cities and the antennas are up on the hills surrounding.

I was aiming my antenna at Stockton (where the station was) and later found their antenna was on the hills behind me. Totally in the wrong direction.

 

[arcyallen]

Two things. Number one, there is no such thing as a digital antenna. The TV antennas that were used pre digital TV will pick up the digital TV signals just fine.

Almost. Any old UHF antenna can be used for digital TV, but a VHF antenna (like a set of rabbit ears) is worthless for digital signals. And whatever you buy these days will indeed by labeled "Digital TV antenna" regardless of what you and I call them.

To the OP: Trial and error. Height, size, and line of sight make all the difference. Ours is small, amplified, and 30 miles from the tower in a hilly area and it still works great. Yours may work great in the attic, or you may indeed have to get it onto a pole for the extra height.

 

[CRLLS]

Almost. Any old UHF antenna can be used for digital TV, but a VHF antenna (like a set of rabbit ears) is worthless for digital signals. And whatever you buy these days will indeed by labeled "Digital TV antenna" regardless of what you and I call them.

To the OP: Trial and error. Height, size, and line of sight make all the difference. Ours is small, amplified, and 30 miles from the tower in a hilly area and it still works great. Yours may work great in the attic, or you may indeed have to get it onto a pole for the extra height.

Almost. VHF antennas are not always useless. The Chicago area CBS station broadcasts on high VHF. A UHF (aka "digital") antenna would be almost useless for one of the 3 major TV channels. Broadcasting frequencies vary by location. Some locations do have ATSC stations only on UHF. Not so in Chicago.

OP, I would not install a high tower until a simpler, less expensive solution proves to get unacceptable reception.

 

[Chuckanut]

I have two flat digital antennas in my home. Each is connected to a TV/DVR combo, one upstairs, one downstairs. Most of the channels are clear and problem free except for a weak channel that is farther away.

Interestingly, this weak channel usually works well with one of the setups and not the other. At times, the upstairs TV gets a good clear signal. But the lower floor TV is not so good. Then the upstairs reception decays hill while the downstairs reception improves greats. Perhaps changes in atmospheric conditions? Go figure.

 

[jim584672]

Gets all channels, even 3 VHF.

 

[ERD50]

Yes they do and still the best performer will be a high outdoor large antenna with a rotator to aim (the high gain high directional antenna) to wherever the broadcast antenna is. ....

A bit too general. In the Chicago area, the major (and a lot of minor) stations are all concentrated in the downtown area. Rotators are very rare around here, because they just aren't needed. The only ones I'm aware of is for people out halfway between Chicago/Rockford or Chicago/Milwaukee.

-ERD50

 

[JP.mpls]

Thanks for all of the comments.

We are in Florida. I would like keep the antenna inside if possible.

Right now it is inside an attached garage, and working just okay.

I will be crawling around in the attic next to see if it makes an improvement.

For some goofy reason there isn't attic access in the garage, I will have to crawl over there from the other side of the house.

If they go along with the plan, I will report the results.

JP

 

[CRLLS]

Thanks for all of the comments.

We are in Florida. I would like keep the antenna inside if possible.

Right now it is inside an attached garage, and working just okay.

I will be crawling around in the attic next to see if it makes an improvement.

For some goofy reason there isn't attic access in the garage, I will have to crawl over there from the other side of the house.

If they go along with the plan, I will report the results.

JP

Likely a firewall between the garage and the main living area. However I do know of some home with an access point. Possibly added later, after the occupancy permit was issued and permits signed off.

 

[Surewhitey]

We are 30 miles from most signals on the highest point of Dallas. Ours works fine passing through the TV cabinet, hidden away (3/4" plywood) and the wall with brick exterior. Many 2 story houses & trees between us & signal too. Working well unless it's a windy day, then more like 80-90%. We've found that there is a sweetspot for getting everything here as ABC comes from the North & everything else from the South...