Antenna Installation

The following information is for installing an HDTV in an outdoor location. We also provide guidance on how to install an antenna in your attic.

Placement Tips

There are many things that will affect the performance of your antenna, but as a general rule, the higher you can get your antenna the better. UHF signals are line of sight so the higher the elevation, the better your chances for success.

Indoor installations are often problematic for two reasons. First, they are lower than a roof mounted installation. Second, the digital signal is weakened by every wall the signal must pass through. This is especially concerning as UHF signals are more sensitive to attenuation from building materials than lower band VHF signals.

Next, outdoor is better than indoor. Mounting your antenna in the attic may get it high, but the attic's insulation will cut your signal by almost 50%. We realize that many people don't like the looks of an outdoor antenna or may fear that their home owners association won't allow it, but outdoor mounts typically perform the best. If you have any questions about the legality of installing an antenna on your roof, chances are that the law is on your side. You can read the FCC directive on Antenna Installation.

It is important to note that the behavior of the antenna can be affected by the presence of nearby metallic objects, such as older antennas, air handlers or metal roofs. Try to keep a few feet of distance between your new antenna and existing metallic objects.

If you live on lower terrain and the location of the transmitters in your area requires you to point the antenna into the side of a hill, your chances for success may be poor. People who live in deep valleys or canyons need to accept the possibility that getting HDTV through an over the air antenna may not be possible. Similarly people who live in high-rise apartment buildings will have more success if they live on the side of the building facing the transmitters. If you live on the opposite side of the transmitting towers and do not have roof access, you may not have much success.

Similarly, if you live more than 70 miles from the transmitting towers, you will either need to build a tower, have a tall mast on top of your roof, or live on high terrain. We have customers receiving their signals at over 100 miles, but they either live on top of a tall hill or have their antenna mounted on a tower in their back yard.

Mounting Tips

Adjustable mounting clamp can be used with a wide variety of masts.

Tripod Mounts like this are available at Radio Shack for about $20.00.

Every antenna we sell includes an adjustable mounting clamp that can be affixed to a variety of mast and mounts. We sell a couple of the more popular antenna mounts, but due to shipping costs, it is typically more cost effective to get longer mounting masts from the likes of Radio Shack or the local hardware store. Five foot tall antenna masts are essentially just 1-1/4" pipe that can be bought from Radio Shack for about $8.

Tripod mounts (available at your local Radio Shack) typically run about $20.

Wiring Tips

All of our antennas are equipped with female "F" type coaxial connectors that integrate with standard RG6 coaxial antenna cable. Connect the cable to the outlet in the balun box and then feed this cable down to your HDTV tuner remembering to close and seal the balun box.

HDTV antenna amplifier

If your cable run is greater than 50', we would suggest a pre-amplifier like our PA-16 HDTV antenna amplifier. A signal amp won't help you pull in distant stations, but will help you over come signal loss from long cable runs, splitters and junctions.

If you will have both a UHF and VHF antenna, you may want to consider our UHF / VHF antenna combiner.

Professional Installation

If all of this looks a little more challenging than you want to take on, please visit our list of recommended installers or contact our customer service department and we will be happy to refer you to an installer in your area.