Cutting of the connection and getting to experience HD TV can be pretty great. But the question is what if you face some problems with the reception. For example, when a storm comes, your pictures might start pixelating. Or you might have put in the effort to set up the antenna and then wired it to the TV only to find out that you aren’t getting all the channels. Here are a few tips to address the issues that you face with an antenna.

  1. Elevate your Antenna

The higher is the antenna in regards to the obstacles like trees, buildings, and mountains, the better will be the reception.

  • When the antenna is elevated, the radio frequency will bounce off the tree surface when it travels from a transmission tower.
  • Thus, the signal will split up and is going to take on different paths to antennas. The signal loses its strength and arrives quite delayed in respect to the others.
  • In the time of analog TV, it leads to ghosting of the TV pictures. This is actually the weird appearance of a duplicate of the images which you are watching on the TV. However, these are bit offset from the other.
  • At present times, this leads no picture or pixelation. It is called interference or distortion. Hence, the higher you place the antenna, the less will be the interference.

  1. Aim the Antenna Properly

Multi or unidirectional antennas provide you with powerful reception. However, it should point accurately.

  • The antenna should point towards the source of the radio signal.
  • In case the reception is poor, you should re-aim your antenna towards the transmission tower. A little tilting can make a lot of difference.
  • It is necessary to pay attention to the antenna mast to check if it is level or not. An antenna mast which isn’t vertical from the top to the bottom can have poor reception.
  • When you are done, run a channel to check if new channels are appearing.

  1. Alter the Position of the Antenna

Like a re-aiming antenna, moving it by few inches can also make a difference.

  • If you want, you can move the antenna to a completely different portion of the house.
  • After you dismount the antenna from the mast, place it on a different location like the attic or the roof for testing the reception.
  • Moving antenna works due to the physics of signal transmission and the fact that small distortions lead to obstacles in the line of sight of the antenna can disrupt the present reception of the antenna.

  1. Reset Digital Tuner

In order to receive digital television, you will require a digital tuner that is placed on the TV or the converter box. Reset the tuner for clearing the existing memory and then recompile the channel list. For this, you need.

  • Disconnect antenna coaxial cable from converter box or TV.
  • Do a scan of the channel on the TV or converter box.
  • Unplug the converter box or TV.
  • Now, reconnect the antenna.
  • Plug in the TV set or the converter box.
  • Perform a channel scan once again.

  1. Secure it Against Elements

Wind, rain, and even hot sun can erode and wear down outdoor equipment. An antenna might have a strong and a waterproof frame but the connectors and screws might be of inferior quality.

  • Inspect the outdoor antenna, cables, and other devices. This will offer you the opportunity to replace and note eroded or rusted parts even before it leads to any problems.
  • Check the connection between the equipment and coaxial cables. You should waterproof if required.

  1. Check the Close by Items which Cause Interference

Electrical appliance and the reflective surface can weaken or distort the signals of radio frequency.

  • You will notice one or more of the channels that drop out because of appliance activation. In certain homes, the ones with old wires, these items will generate radio frequency noise which seeps into the power system.
  • Thin sheathed antennal cables can’t provide sufficient insulation caused by electromagnetic interference.
  • Test the noise just by unplugging the home appliance and then isolating the cause.

  1. Provide Protection against Power Surge

Thunderstorms can lead to power surges and can damage the television. If direct lightning hits on the antenna, it can destroy the devices that are connected to it.

  • Ground the coaxial cable and the outdoor antenna which is connected to it. This will provide protection against the direct strike,
  • You can also install surge protection on coaxial cable.

TIPS

  • Before taking any step, you will have to figure out the problem.

Choose the tip as per the problem.

How can I boost my outdoor antenna signal?

How to boost your outdoor tv antenna signal
  1. Install a signal booster. One of the first things that you can do concerning how to boost your outdoor tv antenna signal is to install a television signal booster on your television.
  2. Find a better location.
  3. Avoid wireless devices / interference.
  4. More Coaxial Cable.

How can I make my TV antenna stronger?

Do TV antenna boosters really work?

So does an amplifier help? In this case, an amplifier absolutely does help pull in more signals, because the towers are so far away that adding more signal helps defeat the noise.

Does grounding a TV antenna improve reception?

Does grounding the antenna improve the TV reception? Answer: It some rare case it may help the reception a little but usually it does not. Grounding also helps reduce the chances that the TV antenna will be struck by lightning. In a nutshell it is always best to ground all outdoor TV antennas.