OTA coverage maps

sabwa

You can view you local OTA coverage maps
fcc
antenna web

For all that neer experienced OTA tv it's a must. And the good news it's free. With the additional networks being added, (THIS movie net, Retro TV has hulk ,mannix, adam 12, and more, LW Living Well, home and garden, health and cooking plus outdoors exploration, US Universal Sports on NBC sooner or later will carry live sport programming, and much much more to come. And as I said above it all free, except the cost of a antenna, outdoor for distance more than 20 miles and signal avaliabilty. If you are tried of paying for tv the money you save can be used for gas, food and other expenses.

If you are having reception problems then you may need a outdoor antenna. You can also talk to local tv dealers and repairer and installers they will know what you need for your area.

Just buy what you need:
Determine your distance from the tower. Fcc and many other has info to help you achieve the HDTV signal
Some sell you what you don't need
Don't buy an amp if you don't need it. only for cable runs 75 feet and better. and deep fringe
Don't buy a Long range antenna if you live with in 40 miles it may be to strong and generate picture noise or no picture same for an amp
Install antenna as high as possible, works best between 30 and 50 feet
If you still have problems remember higher and bigger is better

JB Antennaman

4 Post and all of a sudden you are a expert.

NonMcTubber

I do not buy the JBantennaman " 4 Post and all of a sudden you are a expert."

It seems tome that you either debate on the issues, tell a given poster why you think they are wrong, but the I have made more posts than you argument hold no weight.

But for what its worth, I have a few quibbles with the sabwa position. (1) sabwa fails to mention TVfool, something that IMHO runs rings around antenna web for information and hard numbers. (2) By in large, sad to say, I have to feel both the government and the general public have not done a great deal to get up to speed on the digital transition. (3) And I have my own way of reading an exact address TV fool report. And my method is to look at the set of gettable channels, their content, and then decide which channels are worth having and which are not. With many in the not worth having group being distant exact duplicates of stations nearer and easier to get. Then one can decide what upgrades are required of an existing antenna system or design a new antenna system to do the job. With no absolute guarantees going in that any changes will preform as hoped so there is always the gambling money factor. And IMHO, it takes only a few hours of diligent reading to get up to speed on those issues, but no one can call them self a clairvoyant expert.
(5) The fact is that perhaps 98% of the American people have been unwilling to invest even those few hours of gasp self education it takes to get half way up to speed, and if they ever consider going back to an antenna, they will not be able to tell the difference between an honest or dishonest professional if they hire the work done. And if they do it themselves, they will probably make the wrong choices. (6) With my first honest vs. dishonest test being an honest professional installer will break it down, saying for X dollars, I can probably get you this set of channels, for X+Y dollars I can probably get you these additional channels, and leave it to the consumer to decide what is the best bang for the buck and where the point of diminishing returns are.

__________________
High definition is not the definition of my life.
But knowledge is power and HD does have some potential to increase content variety and choices.

sabwa

JB not an expert but just knowledgeable. Been tracking HD since the inceptions. DTV is free and don't bash or complain. HDTVs were made especially for OTA, cable and sat did not need HD they already had digital. In august the signal will be stronger for most station and increased for those that need. You heard of the knee bend effect related to DTV same as fm radio. The signal travel out to a distance and disintegrate. Same as if you are sitting with your knee bent. JB go to fcc.gov.maps and look at Raliegh Durham and fayeteville NC and view their coverage map. I live seventy miles from the stations in raleigh just south of fayetteville I have no problem getting those stations right where the signal end the knee bend take effect. Also Mr Antennaman I can tell you people with reception problems should move or raise the antenna 5 to 10 feet can make a different. And Mr antennaman June to August is a period to work out the BUGS and over time OTA will have all you need. Lastly that 100 dollars I save a month i'm buying a tower 50 feet max allowed by fcc for my tv to max out on channel. Just something to do with the extra cash. and a rotor

jim5506

The blind leading the blind.

__________________
Programming: Dish HD Absolute with 0.01 Cinemax
Displays: Sony VPH-D50Q - 7 ft on the wall; Hitachi 57R59
Receivers: DishNetwork ViP722k; DishNetwork ViP211K; DishNetwork ViP211; DishNetwork 301; 2 - TiVo Series 2's; Accurian 6000; Samsung SIR-T351; Panasonic ShowStopper 2000; ATI HDTV Wonder
Dish 1000 on 110,119,129; Dish 500 on 61.5; DPP44
Sony 80GB PS3; Toshiba HD-DVD

sabwa

fcc.gov.maps is where you can view your coverage. remember kilo watts and tower height makes a different, on how far the signal will travel 20 KW on vhf will equal about the same as 1000 on UHF.

electrictroy

The FCC coverage maps are rather poor. They show me inside the circle of WHTM but I barely see it. The TVfool Google Maps give a more-accurate depiction with color coding to show relative strength. The reason I can barely see WHTM is because there's a ridge between me and the transmitter. That was rude. Don't act like that Hothead Chef on television.