If there is any one item you can’t do without in the transition to all-digital television broadcasts, it would be the antenna needed to grab the signal.
Televisions and converter boxes aside, neither will do much good without the feed from a good antenna.
“I can assure you that not all antennas are suited for DTV,” said Richard Schneider, president of Antennas Direct, a St. Louis firm that came up with its own design in an already confusing market.
Whether you have used set-top rabbit ears with UHF loop or a roof-top antenna, the key to keeping your TV working is to understand how the signal works.
Know this: There is no such thing as a digital or HD antenna. Designs vary, but the premise is the same.
And if you’re already getting a good analog signal, chances are you’re fine with the antenna you have — as long as it has a UHF component.
All television signals are transmitted on either VHF or UHF frequencies. The common channels from the old days are from 2 to 13 on the VHF band. Efforts to move TV onto the UHF band, channels 14 to 69, never really caught on universally — until now.
Digital signals work better on the higher UHF band and some parts of the upper VHF. The transition, though, puts most stations onto the UHF channels.
That means that a giant TV antenna isn’t really necessary anymore. Slimmer ones will do fine. Why? Because the signals are more focused. They don’t bend around mountains and obstacles.
“Digital is unforgiving,” says Denny Duplessis, a longtime antenna installer in Ithaca, Mich., whose website offers plenty of reception options based on where you live. “But there are ways to be sure you’ll have a good signal when Feb. 17 rolls around.”
The physics haven’t really changed. The width of the antenna is key to which stations you receive. The wider the antenna, the lower the channel you’ll get. Since most stations won’t be lower than channel 7, there’s no need for anything wider than 32 inches.
The length of the antenna relates to its “gain” and how far you are from the transmission tower. In the Denver area, nearly all the stations transmit from Lookout Mountain. The farther you are, the longer the antenna should be and sizes range from 26 to 160 inches.
Topography plays a role too. If you’re in a heavily wooded area, you might want a longer antenna to improve the gain.
And point the smaller end toward the signal source.
Consider a rooftop or outdoor mounting if you’re unable to place one in your attic. And if it’s in the attic, make sure there are no insulation baffles with metal backing between the antenna and the signal source.
Remember, you won’t get snow or ghost images in digital. You’ll either see the picture or you won’t.
Check out to help determine your needs.
