Whether you’re living on the beach in Sydney or kilometers away from the nearest town in the outback you’ve got to settle down and watch some TV sometimes.
But if you’re relying on a TV antenna, you’ve likely run into static once or twice.
That pixelating and glitchiness that always seems to come at the best part of your favorite show.
You might’ve been living with it for years. Just hoping it won’t pop up during a crucial cricket match.
But you don’t have to live like this forever. There’s something you can do about it, and we have a few tips and tricks you can try on your setup to boost your antenna signal and ban pixelation forever.
Just follow these six DIY tips on how to boost antenna signal strength and never fret again.
How to Boost Antenna Signal
There are a myriad of reasons you might be getting a bad signal. From antenna placement and angle to materials in your home that cause interference, or maybe it’s the area you live in.
But there are a few easy ways you can get a solid antenna TV signal.
If you aren’t particularly tech-savvy or don’t consider yourself a DIYer, it might be time to call the professionals.
But if you feel up to it, follow this easy and quick guide for things to try and improve TVs antenna reception.
Ditch the Foil
While it was a cheap homemade remedy in the old days of rabbit ears, that foil on your digital antenna probably isn’t doing much good.
By attaching tin foil to your antenna, you were, in theory, increasing the reception by extending the antenna.
If you were lucky, and the foil happened to mirror incoming radio frequencies, this might have worked in a past case. On the other hand, it was just as likely to mess up your reception for other channels.
Instead, it’s probably time to look for a stronger antenna or follow the rest of this guide to get better TV reception.
Reset Your Digital Tuner
This next tip is a 5-minute fix that may be all it takes to get better TV reception.
A digital tuner converts your incoming signal into a digital format your TV recognizers. But from time to time broadcasters will change their metadata which can interfere with your tuner’s ability to understand the signal.
Your digital tuner may be using this older data and therefore isn’t getting the correct channel information.
The easiest way to reset a tuner is to follow these quick steps:
- Disconnect the coaxial cable from your TV
- Run the channel scan on your TV
- Turn off and unplug you TV and/or converter box
- Reconnect all connections
- Do one more channel scan
This may fix all your problems with just a few steps.
Raise That Antenna
If a reset didn’t help it may be time to take a closer look at your antenna and its height.
The number one reason most people lose signal loss is that their antenna doesn’t have a clear line of sight to the transmission towers. When it comes to boosting your TV antenna signal at home, it’s important to take into account the range of your antenna and the potential obstacles that may be obstructing its signal.
Ideally, your antenna should be the highest thing on your property, excepting a lightning rod.
This will ensure the signal isn’t bouncing off buildings, trees, hills, mountains, or other types of objects and fragmenting. Obstacles create opportunities for the signal to split and arrive “out of phase,” with your antenna causing issues.
Experts usually recommend installing an antenna at least 10 to 20 feet off the ground. And the roof of your home is usually the best option.
Re-aim Your Antenna
Whether you’re using a uni- or multidirectional antenna it doesn’t do any good if it’s not pointed in the direction of a transmission tower.
If you are experiencing poor reception an easy fix is to adjust your antenna’s position. Even a few degrees can make a difference.
Simply enter your address here and find your closest transmission tower. Then it’s as simple as using your smartphone’s compass to point it directly at the tower.
It will likely be a little trial and error to find the perfect spot. But once you’re getting a straight signal you shouldn’t experience any loss.
Try a Booster
Even if you’ve heightened and straightened your antenna it may not be enough. The signal may just be too out of range or too weak to get a clear picture.
That’s where a quality antenna booster or TV amplifier (masthead or distribution amplifier) can help.
While many of the devices on the market now are essentially plug-and-play it still requires proper installation.
Incorrect installation can exacerbate issues or cause new signal interference or overload and distortion. Furthermore, incorrect installation can even affect mobile phone signal interference.
So here it might be time to call a professional installer to check the signal and installation.
Mount a Second Antenna
Maybe your antenna is working just fine, but it’s not able to pick up a signal from several different towers.
That means it’s time to install a second directional antenna.
This will make sure you are getting signals from several transmission towers and your TV will choose the best signal for each station.
It’s important to ensure you aren’t stacking antennas or building them too close to each other because that comes with its own set of headaches.
Ideally, you want to place at least 1 to 2 meters distance between antennas. Then you simply attach them together using a coaxial signal combiner.
One key is to make sure you are using the same length of coaxial cable between both antennas and the combiner to avoid phase problems.
When setting them up, be sure to install and check both antennae independently from each other before attaching them to the combiner. Simply run a channel search for both then combine them.
This will teach your TV to use both signals while prioritizing the best from both.
When All Else Fails: Call an Expert
Did you follow this how to boost antenna signal guide and still seeing the results you want?
When all else fails, it’s probably time to call someone who knows exactly what they are doing.
You might’ve gotten a little better reception by using this guide but it’s still not perfect. Or maybe lugging a bunch of heavy equipment onto your roof just isn’t your cup of tea.
Either way, there’s no harm in calling someone out to fix your problem.
Install My Antenna services include helping with tv antennas, tv antenna boosters, even setting up your television and audio visual system (we wall mount and make sure the cables and wires are managed properly too). We serve customers in areas all over Australia.
You can get a free quote on our website just by entering your address and phone number. Then a qualified and licensed technician can come out to your location to service your set and fix the issue right quickly and easily.
