I am a single mom and recently cut out cable and internet to save money. My kids are going crazy. I thought that I could alleviate their boredom problem by ordering an antenna. I have two relatively new televisions, one upstairs and one downstairs. Since I am not extremely handy, and there is so much information, I just need to know what to buy. Do I need cables or anything other than the antenna. Ideally it would work best in the attic, but I have no problem putting it on a table next to my bedroom TV. I have added the following item to my shopping cart at amazon.com “Multi Directional HDTV Antenna” Manufactured by: ANTENNAS DIRECT, Model:DB2 . What else do i need? – From Helena in Harrisburg, North Carolina
Hi Helena,
Many of our customers have cut their cable cord and high monthly payments by getting a high quality antenna and enjoying free over-the-air TV. You still get to watch great network television shows with clear reception, so I think you and your boys will be fine as long as you can get an antenna that will pick up those digital signals.
Antenna
When you are choosing an antenna one of the most important things to consider is your location and how far you are from the broadcast towers. To get started we recommend going to www.antennapoint.com. This will find your nearest digital TV transmitters.
The DB2 is a multi-directional antenna so it is ideal for locations where the transmitting towers are not centrallylocated or when you are trying to catch signals from multiple cities. This antenna can be used inside, outside or in the attic, but it will probably perform best outside on your roof or second best in your attic.
Coaxial Cable
You will need a coaxial cable that connects your digital tuner (most likely located in the television for newer tvs) to your antenna. Never run the cable through a window or door. It’s best to go through the attic.
Antenna Mount
For the best performance in your attic we would recommend using antenna mount and don’t let the antenna touch the attic floor.
Splitter
Where ever you decide to place your antenna you can use a 2 way splitter to receive reception for both of your TVs from the same antenna. You will need 2 coaxial cables – one for each television. However you should note that using any splitter in your system will degrade your signal greatly. If you find that signal degradation occurs once a splitter is installed you should instead use a distribution amplifier to attach multiple television to your antenna.
Hope this information helps you. Let us know how it goes!