What kind of range can I expect to get from a digital TV Signal

[Bill Cunningham]

The U.S. has been digital for a while now, but Canada is making the big change on September 1st. I have satellite service now, and a digital tuner in my TV.. But, if I also install a Digital antenna, what kind of signal can I expect from TV stations that are not local.. i.e. 50-100 miles away? I used to do pretty good with the old analog tv/antenna on a 40 foot tower. What kind of gain do you get on digital over analog? Can I put up a 'omni' or do I have to use a beam type for the DX stuff..

[jared herbert]

We get decent service from stations that are 75 and 100 miles away. Still using the same antenna that has been on the house for over 30 years. It is just mounted on a short mast on top of a two story house. There are so many variables though, hills, elevation etc. We are in fairly flat farm country with no big hills or changes in elevation. the stations were breaking up some tonight, though, a big rain storm, not here but in the vicinity of the transmitter towers.

[Jerry Bruette]

Bill

No such thing as a digital antenna. I'm getting digital signals from stations that are about 60 miles away with a antenna that is over 20 years old, only about 20 feet off the ground and has no amplifier. The signals drop out sometimes depending on weather conditions but I think a amplifier would help some of that.

Digital TV is much more pleasant to watch in my opinion and the souond seems to be better than analog.

Jerry

[Eric DeSilva]

+1 on UHF = UHF, and anyone selling you an "HD" or "digital" antenna being engaged in pure marketing.

The signals still propagate the same. The biggest difference is that the digital modulation scheme doesn't degrade the same way. Analog sort of gets worse and worse; digital usually stays looking good right up to the point where it falls off the cliff and you get nothing. Here in the US we have www.antennaweb.com--you might see if that includes Canadian data now, or if there is some pointer to a similar Canadian set up. That site will tell you exactly what you need to receive digital signals in your area.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Bill, TVO is the last holdout, they're still analogue.

I live in Toronto and receive US stations as well as Canadian stations.

PBS has 4 wood working shows on Saturday, Scott Philips, Woodsmith, Roy Underhill and Tommy McDonald, so now that I don't pay for cable, I get 3 more wood shows.

regards, Rod.

[Lee Schierer]

With digital you will either get a picture or nothing. If the signal isn't there you don't get a snowy picture like you did in the past with a weak station you either get a good picture or nothing.... I'm using the same antenna I've had for 35 years. It is mounted inside the roof in the attic. However, our signals are all coming from less than 10 miles away.

[Greg Portland]

Eric already listed the antennaweb site, that is an excellent resource. I have required a large directional antenna to pull in channels from 100mi away but this was mounted in the attic (versus outside on a mast which makes a big difference). IMO, stick with your current setup and see how it performs (most ASTC tuners will display signal strength). If you have a high signal strength but a poor picture then you're getting a lot of reflections. At that point try to resolve any reflection issues (move the antenna) or get a directional antenna that won't pick up as much of the side reflections. Also note that you can multiplex multiple antennas together if necessary (one big directional for the far stations, a omni for the close stations).

I try to exclusively use Channelmaster products. RadioShack, Terk, & others have only led to disappointment.

[Greg Portland]

With digital you will either get a picture or nothing. If the signal isn't there you don't get a snowy picture like you did in the past with a weak station you either get a good picture or nothing.... I'm using the same antenna I've had for 35 years. It is mounted inside the roof in the attic. However, our signals are all coming from less than 10 miles away.
Incorrect. You can have 100% signal strength and a horrible picture due to reflections (if you're near an airport, mountains, large buildings, etc.).

[Eric DeSilva]

I think the point is that digital doesn't degrade nicely the way analog did, whether attributable to multipath or weak Rx levels.

[scott spencer]

We've got a Terk indoor antenna at work that works pretty most of the time, but it's uncanny how well it can work one night, and how finicky it can be the next. Either this antenna is sensitive or there are other variables in play.

Are there any concerns with lightning if you mount an antenna on the roof?

[Rod Sheridan]

We've got a Terk indoor antenna at work that works pretty most of the time, but it's uncanny how well it can work one night, and how finicky it can be the next. Either this antenna is sensitive or there are other variables in play.

Are there any concerns with lightning if you mount an antenna on the roof?

Hi Scott, the Canadian Electrical code requires that the cable be grounded where it enters the building.

There must be a similar requirement in the US............Regards, Rod.

[Eric DeSilva]

Regardless of what the code requires, grounding an antenna on your roof is a good idea. Interestingly, most people seem to think the grounding is to direct a strike away from your house to ground, which really isn't the case at all--I freaked someone out once by suggesting he ground his antenna to his metal gas line, which was buried (he seemed to think I was trying to blow his house up). The real issue is that antennas tend to actually build up a static charge as a result of air passing by them. That static charge makes them, for lack of a better explanation, attractors of lightning. The ground is designed to bleed the static charge off.

[scott spencer]

Thanks Eric and Rod....I will not challenge the laws of physics when it comes to lightning, so I'll definitely ground!

Sorry for the segway Bill, but I thought it might be pertinent to others who are pondering a TV antenna.

[Dick Strauss]

Rabbit ears get stations about 30 miles on flat ground here in Ohio. All of the digital antennas I tried (4 different models from 4 different manufacturers) did not work as well as old fashioned rabbit ears (with in the house installation). We have a station abaout 15 miles from here but their antenna is 35 miles form here that is very inconsistent.

[Bill Cunningham]

Thanks for the info folks.. I only get on here a couple of times a week, so their might be a delay on response. I was not sure on the antenna, not sure if the frequencies were being changed as well. If there is not Freq. change, then the old antennas would work well. I'm on Sat. TV here now, took down the tower several years ago before it fell down, and being 50 miles from Toronto, and another 30 miles across Lake Ontario, I wondered if I put a tower back up, and a decent antenna, would it suck in channels from the U.S. 80 miles as the crow flys. I knew digital signals would not degrade the same as analog, but didn't know if they would hold up over that distance, and if they did, what kind of beam would I need to get em.. For the last few years that I had the tower, I just used it to hang a 20m and 80m dipole from. There was a TV antenna at the top, but the line to it degraded and broke several years earlier, and I was too old and fat to climb up and put a new one on. I guess I will pick up a directional antenna someplace, giver a try, and see whats happens

[Jim Becker]

The bottom line will be what kind of transmission strength each station broadcasts at. There is no harm in trying out what you can get outside of the cost of the antenna and mounting it. But do that before you cancel your sat service... ;)

[Bill Cunningham]

We don't go full digital in Canada until September, so I still have some time. I would imagine many of the major stations are already digital, I have not seen a standard 'tuner' on a new TV for quite some time..
If I can eventually get rid of the sat tv. which is pushing 1k bucks a year, I can buy some pretty fancy signal boosters and stuff for that kind of money anyway..

[Michael Conley]

Bill,

I don't think that antennaweb.org, which was already mentioned, covers Canada but tvfool.com does. That site will give you all the tools that you need to choose an antenna and point it in the right direction. You will probably need a good hi-gain directional antenna to get more than one channel.

Even though the antennaweb.org site does not cover Canada, it will also give you some good advice on selecting the right antenna.

[Bill Cunningham]

Bill,

I don't think that antennaweb.org, which was already mentioned, covers Canada but tvfool.com does. That site will give you all the tools that you need to choose an antenna and point it in the right direction. You will probably need a good hi-gain directional antenna to get more than one channel.

Even though the antennaweb.org site does not cover Canada, it will also give you some good advice on selecting the right antenna.


Hey!! Great Thanks Mike.. I was hoping there was a Canadian version someplace.. I'll check it out..

[Caspar Hauser]

I have no idea if this works or not, but there is wood involved and it will thin out the wire coat hanger herd a little, plus it reminds me of 'Blue Peter'.

http://cdn.makezine.com/make/television/04/DTV_Antenna_FINAL.pdf

CH