I can’t think of anything more frustrating than bad cable reception. Imagine watching a movie filled with suspense or just before the resolution of a cliffhanger on your favorite tv show and your tv goes blank with this message on the screen’ no reception’. You would literally scream your head off.
Bad reception can be caused by how wrongly placed your tv antenna is or maybe you don’t have the best tv antenna booster installed. No need to fret as there are some ways by which you can make your tv antenna work better for you. Here they are;
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TV antenna work Better than Cables.
When you purchase your tv antenna it comes with its own cables for installation. Well, as much as these cables are great, there are even better ones which you can buy. These other cables are sure to give you a great reception.
One such cable is the RG6. Not only will you get better reception with this cable, but you would also get even more channels. The RG6 has great shielding and better insulation and it is made for higher frequencies.
More Metal
Okay, this has worked many times for me. If you keep having poor reception on your tv, try adding say, a wire hanger to your tv antenna metal. This is one tried and true method that always works. The caveat here is, it works for just metal antennas. If you have a plastic-enclosed antenna, this might not be the solution for you.
Change your antenna locations
This is one sure way of getting your tv antenna to work better. Start by trying out different locations within your home especially if you use an indoor antenna. Try out locations like your windows, and different walls as your cable allows, then tape your antenna to that location for better reception.
Use Longer Cables
So, to have more room to change the location of your antenna, use longer cables. You might find out that your best reception spot could be at your skylight so you would need longer cables to keep it in place up there.
Horizontal placing instead of Vertical placing.
Funny right? But in most cases, this has proved to be the solution to better reception. Instead of looking for spots where you can place your tv antenna vertically, try placing it horizontally even on the floor and you would be surprised at the good reception you would get. Laying your tv antenna flat on the floor prevents disruptions to the signal. Walls, ceilings, and windows would most likely have signal disruptions. users should also read how to fix Roku Remote not working problem.
Mount your antenna outside.
It is easier to have your tv antenna inside your home or apartment because it is easy to manipulate the locations and get good reception. Another better way to get good reception is to move your antenna outside. Your roof is a great place for you to start. When placing your antenna, always place it facing the signal tower’s direction.
It is also prudent to remember permits you might need to mount an antenna on your roof or sidewall of your house. Make sure to get all relevant permits to avoid breaching the law.
Best to get a VHF antenna
More than 91% of tv stations use the UHF band to broadcast. So, most tv antennas especially indoor antennas are augmented for UHF, they could also be optimized for VHF. So if you have an issue getting a particular channel you want, try finding out if the broadcast band and if your antenna is equipped to carry it. So, the best kind of antenna to use is the VHF antenna as it is optimized for all bands.
Remove any Electronic interference
You know the standard arrangement is to place the tv on top, your DVD underneath, maybe your stereo next. Well, this might look to you as simple, but it could be interfering with your tv antenna reception.
What you need to do is unplug all such electronic systems and see how your reception fares. If you find out you have better reception, then one after the other plug back the electronic systems. This way you get to find out which one of the devices causes the interference.
Use an Amplifier
This is important especially when you live far away from signal towers. An amplifier would work at making your tv antennas receive the stations. Remember an amplifier is needed if you live over 20 miles from the closest signal tower.
Remove the Amplifier
Contradictory right? Well, just as the amplifier works well when you live far from signal towers, it would be a hindrance if you live close to the towers. If you find that your reception is flaky, try removing the amplifier and seeing how your reception becomes.
Re-Scan
Every few months re-scan your tv antenna on through your tv. Sometimes you might find additional channels have been added to your tv. So, every now and then re-scan.
Ground your Shield
One of the ways which you can do this is to ground your shield in soil. For example, you can place your tv antenna between a plant and the tv. What happens is once the antenna touches the soil, all forms of interference disappear. The only way isn’t only through the soil, you could use a metal pole which goes into the ground, this is a sure way of getting great reception.
Better Tuner
Try getting better tuners as this is the part of your tv antenna that receives signals. Do not assume the tuners which come with your antenna are the best there are. The tuner you have might not work best for your location. Try changing your tuner and see if your reception gets better.
These are just some of the few ways by which you can get your tv antenna to work better. The list isn’t exhaustive, but it is a guide, as you might have other methods that have worked for you. Feel free to add it to the list.
