Indoor TV Antenna

Luke Porter wrote:
I'm wondering if the $20 or $30 indoor TV antenna's are any better than the $10.

I'm trying to get a channel below 13. The bunny ears on my $10 job are 3' long. The bunny ears on the more expensive antennas are 8-10".

even though the TV station is assigned to channel between 2-13 it likely is not transmitting on a VHF frequency. many , maybe even most, TV stations that had analog frequency assignments between channels 2-13 (VHF) moved to UHF frequencies after the switch to digital. the FCC allowed them to keep the previous channel identities to not further confuse the viewers. look for an indoor antenna that has amplification...those will have a 120-VAC cord in addition to the coax connection. and make sure that the antenna has both VHF and UHF receive capabilities.

The length of the antenna is critical to the reception of TV. The new digital TV channels are mostly broadcast on the UHF frequencies and require shorter (not longer) elements for proper reception. You can go to www.tvfool.com and check your area for reception. If your local Networks are broadcast (not the numbers on the TV) are on channels 14 or higher then you need shorter elements while broadcast channels 2-13 require the longer elements.

Many of the so-called "digital" indoor antennas don't have "ears" at all. Your antenna needs to be rated for UHF and VHF reception. There are a few channels still broadcasting on VHF and in my area this includes two large networks. If you know that the channel you are looking for is available where you are, try your antenna out a window. Most of the time, the hard to get channels do come in with the antenna outside - which means get an antenna made to go outdoors and put it on your roof. When you look at the websites that identify the digital broadcast channels and their direction, the site will say that this is based on an outdoor antenna on a twenty foot tower. Also turn the antenna and you may find that different channels come in (though you may lose the ones in the other direction.)

When you say "Channel below 13" are you talking broadcast channel or display channel, they are occasionally the same but not often.

IE: Channel 2 (Detroit) broadcasts on 7

7 (Detroit) on 41

I won't say which antenna is better, sometimes the lower cost one wins out, Generally for lower frequencies longer is better, but INDOOR antennas, depending on you use of language either SUCK (Quality of recption wise) or do not SUCK (in signals well).

Suggestion: Find the frequency, not the channel (many converters give you both or you can go to any of the "US TV CHANNEL" links on the web)

Do the arithmetic (75/(Frequency in MHz)

Adjust each "Ear" to that length, and lay 'em flat with 75 Ohm cable and you should be right close to as good as an indoor antenna gets.

Lamda (Wavelength) is 300/F(MHz) so the figure I gave you was a quarter wave. You have just made a half wave (2 quarters) Dipole, native impedeance of a half wave flat top dipole is 72-75 Ohms (Same as your coax) so you good)