Introduction

Today's digital broadcast signals are very fragile. The signals are much more fragile than the analog TV signals used prior to the year 2009. As a result, locating and aiming your TV antenna is very critical in getting reliable reception of TV channels. Moving a TV antenna as little as 2 feet could make a huge difference in TV reception, especially if the antenna is indoors. This page will provide you a simplified method for finding a good location, for your TV antenna, and aiming it in the best direction.

Before locating and aiming your TV antenna, it is recommended to check and make sure you have the correct antenna for your area. Read the page titled How to Select the Correct TV Antenna for Your Area - Step-by-Step_Guide

1. Locate the TV Broadcast Towers Near Your Location

1.) Go to https://www.rabbitears.info/searchmap.php. This tool will show the TV channel signal strengths as well as show how far away the TV Broadcast towers are from your location.

2.) Move the push pin and place it directly on top of your exact location. You may need to move the pin to your general location and then zoom in on the map in order to place the push pin directly on top of your location. Once this is completed, press the "GO" button"

3.) You will get a list of the live TV broadcast towers in your area. The list will look similar to the list on the right.

4.) Your location is in the center of the bullseye. Take note of which direction the major TV broadcast towers are. In most markets, the major networks are all located in one direction. In this example, all of the major networks are located toward the south-west.

5.) If you are using an outdoor or attic antenna, aim your antenna in the direction of the major network TV stations. In this example, the TV antenna would be aimed toward the south-west. If the major network broadcast towers are NOT all in the same direction, aim the antenna in the direction where there are the most stations. Many antennas can pick-up signals from behind and from the side. Fine tuning the aiming direction will be completed below.

6.) If you are using an indoor antenna, the antenna should be located in the room or area that is closest to the majority of the broadcast towers shown on the bullseye. In this example, locating the indoor antenna in the room that is in the south-west most part of the building will provide the best results.

2. Fine Tune Your Antenna's Location and its Aim Direction

As mentioned above, moving your antenna as little as a few feet can make a HUGE difference in TV reception. Most individuals randomly move their antenna around, perform an endless number of channel scans, and hope that their antenna will receive all of the channels all of the time. The fact is, even though the antenna may appear to be working now on some channels, you may experience signal drop-outs days or weeks later. This is due to the fact that either the incorrect antenna is being used, the antenna is not located properly, and/or the antenna is not aimed properly. For indoor antennas, the best position is NOT always a window. It is common for an indoor antenna to work better when it is pointing through a wall instead of a window. There is no way to tell unless you use a TV signal quality meter. A signal quality meter will help you locate that "perfect" position for your antenna. Locating the "perfect" position will help you receive weak TV station reliably. Consumer grade signal quality meters are available in both a non-portable form and a portable form. The non-portable signal meter are required to be plugged in and required to be connected to a TV using a HDMI cable. There are also a few portable signal meters that work with batteries. These devices are simply a portable TV that contains a built-in signal quality meter. These portable signal quality meters are helpful if a power source and/or a TV is not near by. For example, if you are trying to find the perfect location and/or trying to aim a roof-mounted TV antenna, a portable signal quality meter is a preferred device to use. Portable signal meters are more expensive than the non-portable meters.

Homeworx TV Tuner with Built-In Signal Quality Meter

The Homeworx external TV tuner, made by Mediasonic, contains a good signal quality meter. This is one of the cheapest consumer grade signal quality meter available. This device is non-portable and can be purchased for about $30.00 from Amazon or eBay. The Homeworx device is an external TV tuner that hooks directly to a TV using an HDMI cable. There is a built-in signal quality meter that is highly accurate and reliable. To learn how to use the Homeworx signal quality meter to improve your TV reception read the page titled Mediasonic Homeworx TV Tuner With Built-In Signal Quality Meter