Did you know that up to 80% of the population watches TV at any given time?
Most of this is only because people are using televisions to watch popular internet shows. However, many shows aren’t available on the internet alone. It makes cable subscriptions viable in many cities in the country.
There are some areas where cable TV isn’t available, though. Antennas make it possible for these areas to get the same shows as they do. Their only issue is that they often get unclear signals.
Want to learn how to get better television reception? Read what we have below to know what you can do to have a clearer picture on your television now!
Table of Contents
1. Put Your Antenna Higher
Antennas work best if they have a clear view of any transmission tower in the area. This means that they need an unimpeded connection with their source. Simple things like trees or other buildings blocking your antenna can weaken its connection.
It’s great that it’s easy to raise the elevation of your antenna. Most antennas have adjustable rods that allow you to put them even higher. If your antenna doesn’t have an adjustable rod, then it’s best to buy a tall rod to install your antenna on when you first get it.
A metal rod with a length of 10-20ft should suffice if you live in the suburbs. Most houses there aren’t high enough to block the frequency signals that the antennas take.
Make sure that you install it on the roof of the house, too. Most households think that it’s enough to put install their antennas in the attic. This blocks most of the frequency signals and will always cause you to have a blurry reception.
2. Aim the Antenna in the Right Direction
Different antennas work in unique ways. Unidirectional, multidirectional, and omnidirectional antennas do a good job of giving your household good reception for your television. Regardless of which antenna you have, though, it’s always worth it to point it in the right direction.
It’s a great way to improve the reception of your antenna without doing much on your end. Pointing them at the direction of the closest radio tower helps them absorb more of their signals.
It’s best to use an antenna rotator when you’re doing this. These allow you to adjust where your camera faces without needing to get up from your chair. It’s also a great way to see the results of your changes for yourself.
If you don’t have a rotator installed, though, you must do it yourself. It’s best to have a partner with you when doing this. They can either be the one on the roof adjusting the antenna or the one telling you if the results are better.
3. Reboot Your Digital Tuner
A digital tuner is a device that helps antennas gather TV signals. They then convert these signals into watchable content that is then displayed on your television. While they don’t often pose a problem, their display often becomes blurry.
This is often because the tuner’s memory cache is full. Tuners save channels in their cache to allow you to switch to them with ease. If a new channel becomes aired, though, a full cache will still try to squeeze it in.
This causes the tuner to become slower and the display to become fuzzier. Rebooting is a simple way to resolve this issue. It clears the tuner’s cache and resets its channel list.
Do a channel scan after rebooting the tuner. It’s a surefire way to get all the channels available from your cable provider. Doing this also helps you have a large catalog of channels to flip through.
4. Weather-Proof Your Antenna and Its Elements
With your antenna being outside, it becomes prone to the elements. A strong wind can knock it down and lightning strikes can damage its insides. What’s worse is that they can become conduits for lighting to enter your house, too.
This makes it important to weatherproof your antenna. An important part to pay attention to is the coaxial cable. These cables are the most important part of the antenna since it feeds and transmits the signals that the antenna picks up.
A simple way to weatherproof this cable is to wrap them in electrical tape. Using moisture-proof tape also works, but you must ensure that the cable is 100% dry before you cover it.
You can also install some rubber boots on your cable. This prevents it from short-circuiting if it gets overloaded by lightning.
Replacing the screws of your antenna on the regular is also a great way to protect it from the elements. Lighting is hot enough to cause screws to melt if the antenna gets struck by it one too many times.
Against the wind, all you can do is reinforce your antenna. Using galvanized steel to secure it is a great way to do this. They’re strong enough to hold against fierce winds and such.
5. Scan the Nearby Area for Possible Interference
Do you want to know how to get better television reception from your antenna? A quick scan of the antenna’s surroundings is often all it takes to get one. Things like electromagnetic appliances can weaken the antenna’s reception strength.
Poor wiring can also be a culprit against your antenna’s performance. Unshielded cables often interfere with one another when they’re both energized. Since the antenna’s line is always energized, any use of electrical appliances can interfere with your reception.
This means that using a blowdryer or dishwasher can cause you to have a worse display on the television. Checking your area for these factors can lead to the root of the problem.
Once you find the culprit, it’s a good idea to redirect the antenna’s wiring away from it. Doing this often means that you must also move the antenna from its original position. Find a suitable area to place it beforehand to make the process easier.
This is easier if you have an over-the-air antenna in your home. Keep them away from devices like the microwave since they scatter radio signals. This prevents the antenna from transmitting them well.
6. Take Measures Against Power Surges
Power surges can damage many of your household appliances. Your antenna is no different. It uses electricity to power its functions, after all.
A power surge may not destroy your antenna outright, but it can damage it enough to affect its performance. A simple way for you to prevent this is by installing a surge protector. These can hold a certain amount of electricity should a sudden power surge happen.
It’s a great way to protect your antenna from overloading on electricity. Another way is to ground your antenna and coaxial cable. Preventing these from taking damage can save your antenna’s reception from getting worse.
7. Replace Any Suspicious Elements
Getting better antenna reception is hard if you have faulty elements on your antenna. Frayed wiring and improper grounding can affect your television’s display. They can also be a health hazard since they have much electricity running through them.
Replacing any compromised elements is a great way to improve your antenna’s reception. If you see that the coaxial wire has frayed ends, replace it as soon as you can. Any damage to this wire will affect the performance of the entire setup.
Doing this is also a great way to improve your antenna’s lifespan. Sustained damage will only cause you to replace your antenna sooner than expected.
8. Install a Preamplifier
Preamplifiers are an important add-on if you plan on splitting the signal to different locations. When the signal travels through different wires, it becomes weaker. This will make your signal weak as it reaches your TV.
A preamplifier helps by strengthening the signal for lengthy travel. This ensures that you get a good signal no matter how far your devices are. This also makes them perfect for large houses with many televisions to transmit to.
If you want your signal to stay strong, it’s best to pair a preamplified antenna with a TV signal strength meter. These also help you send signals to other devices like your smartphones or laptops.
9. Mount Another Antenna
Sometimes, your antenna will work too well and pick up signals from 2 different towers. While it may sound nice, it can cause conflicting signals to compete on a single antenna. This scrambles their frequency and causes the reception you get to become weaker.
An easy way to resolve this is by installing another antenna. This allows you to get both signals without them competing to reach the antenna. It will help you have an even better antenna signal than before.
When doing this, make sure that your antennas are quite the distance away. Their coaxial cables must also never cross. Doing these ensures that you won’t have any problem with either antenna.
Learn How to Get Better Television Reception Today
Do you want to watch your shows as clear as they can be? Learn how to get better television reception and make your pictures crystal clear today!
Are you still experiencing problems with your antenna’s reception? More problems can affect your antenna than you may think. Check out more of our blogs to learn all you can about fixing your reception today!