HOW IS AN OUTDOOR ANTENNA CONNECTED?
First you would want to mount or position your antenna on the rooftop for optimal performance. This is just a suggestion, as you may mount your antenna anywhere you believe to get the best reception. You would want to face the front of the antenna towards the TV towers. Perform the channel scan to view the channels that are coming in with no interruptions. Once a digital signal is acquired, it will be a clear picture. You may need to move around the antenna to detect which position and direction works best in receiving the channels of your preference before mounting the unit down. Remember to always do a new scan when repositioning the antenna. If a signal is interrupted, a blank screen will show on your TV. Once the antenna is mounted and the coaxial cable connected, you are ready to attach the cable to your digital tuner or TV.
MY TV SETUP IS NOWHERE NEAR A WINDOW. WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO USE AN ANTENNA?
Generally, the fewer obstructions between the antenna and the tower and the higher the antenna is mounted, the better the chances are to receiving a strong signal. But the antenna doesn’t have to be in a window as long as the signal is strong.
IF I CONNECT MULTIPLE TVS TO AN ANTENNA, DO WE HAVE TO WATCH THE SAME CHANNEL?
No. Each TV can view the channel of their choice.
DO I NEED A "DIGITAL TO ANALOG" CONVERTER BOX FOR AN HDTV ANTENNA?
The answer to this question depends on how old your TV is. If your TV has the following words “DTV”, “ATSC”, “HDTV” or “Digital Receiver” on the TV’s original box or within its instruction manual, it will not need a converter box. If your TV is an older model, it may need a converter box to work with a digital antenna. To be more specific, your TV needs what is called an ATSC Tuner card to be able to be used with an antenna without a converter box to pick up digital OTA signals. (This rule applies to all Tube TV’s)
WHAT IS OPTIMUM HEIGHT FOR SIGNAL STRENGTH?
Your signal strength will vary by mounting site and the direction your antenna faces. Likewise, the height at which the antenna is installed will also affect signal strength. A few feet up or down may make a big difference in the level of the received signal(s), especially on UHF channels.
CAN THE SIGNAL GET TOO STRONG IF I TURN ON THE SMARTPASS AMPLIFIER?
Yes, this typically occurs for antennas within 20 miles of a TV station. At that distance the signal is already so strong that amplification can over-drive your tuner. When the signal is that strong the TV tuner cannot understand the signal and causes self-oscillation to fix. Have customer turn of amplifier and run another scan.
MY ANTENNA WAS WORKING THE OTHER DAY AND NOW IT’S NOT, WHAT HAPPENED?
If there is any type of amplifier in your set up, first find the power supply to it and make sure it’s plugged in and the outlet is in working order. If it is plugged in make sure the indicator light (if it has one) is lit up. Next, unplug the power supply, plug it back in and then go to your TV and run a full digital channel scan. If that does not work, then you need to walk through your existing set-up to check for damaged parts. Check and/or replace damaged or old cables, splitters, transformers, and amplifiers. Also check the antenna to make sure it has no physical damage to it, and that it has not been turned towards a different direction. After you troubleshoot, or make any changes always run a full digital channel scan on your TV to see if that fixes your issue.
CAN YOU ATTACH AN EXTENSION COAXIAL CABLE TO REACH A ROOM AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL ANTENNA?
Yes, you can. Just keep in mind that the more coaxial cable you use, the more signal loss you have. If you find that signal is lost, an amplifier may help if the antenna does not come with one already.
HOW AM I ABLE TO DETERMINE IF I NEED AN HD INDOOR ANTENNA OR AN HD OUTDOOR ANTENNA?
Determining which antenna would work best for you will take a little investigating. Search TVFool.com for distance information for broadcast towers in the area. This will help you locate the towers available and their distance. We recommend going with an outdoor antenna for people over 45 miles away from the nearest tower.
HOW TO ENSURE THE BEST PERFORMANCE AND RECEPTION FROM YOUR ANTENNA
Go to https://whatsonnow.titantv.com/Antop/Lineup, and enter your address and zip code in the address box, then hit the submit button. This will give you an approximate number of stations you are likely to receive, as well as where to point a directional antenna or to point the surface area of an omnidirectional antenna (like a paper thin bar antenna).Point your antenna towards the towers if applicable (not required on UFO models). Perform channel scans with the Smartpass Amplifier in both the on and off positions, and the fully variable Smart Boost Amplifier, from low to high. This will give you the highest number of channels and the best quality picture. These channel scan should be performed every few months to see if new channels have been added. Since tuners are digital they do not auto populate or become available on your TV until you run a channel scan.
WHEN DO I NEED TO RUN A CHANNEL SCAN?
We would suggest to run a channel scan for the following reasons: • Changes in weather • Changes to the location of the antenna • Changes to the antenna system • Any movement to the antenna • If your viewing channels are missing If you haven’t scanned in a couple of weeks, you may receive new channels that were not available previously
WHEN I INSTALL THE ANTENNA, WILL I HAVE AN ON-SCREEN GUIDE SO I CAN SEE WHAT SHOWS ARE ON AND WHEN?
It depends on the type of ATSC tuner card that´s built into your TV or converter box. If your ATSC tuner card incorporates what is known as a PSIP Digital Standard (Program and System Information Protocol), then yes you will have a digital on screen guide for your programming. You will need to look in the manual of your TV or converter box to find out if it has PSIP capabilities.
WHY IS IT THAT MY ANTENNA GETS A GREAT PICTURE FOR MOST OF MY CHANNELS, BUT A FEW OF THEM ARE REALLY BAD?
This is a very typical problem for most antennas. Over-the-air broadcasts come from a lot of different towers, in different locations, and with different frequencies. Because of this, some channels can come in great, and others not so well. Antennas are designed to work best when pointed directly at the station. If the antenna is pointed north, all those channels might come in great, but stations from the south may appear very weak on your TV. To troubleshoot take into consideration the location of the stations, which frequency they are using, and how strong the TV station is broadcasting the signal. (Having a smartpass amplifier in place can work to re-scan and help the issue)
I ADDED AN AMPLIFIER TO MY ANTENNA AND NOW I GET FEWER CHANNELS THAN BEFORE?
Your location plays a huge part in an amplifier’s performance. You may be very close, 3 miles or less, from a powerful transmitter that is causing the problem. If you are already receiving a strong signal an overload will result in distortion, causing your reception to worsen. Check your address using one of the following FCC links below: ANTENNAWEB.ORG ANTENNAPOINT.COM or TVFOOL.COM Step 1: Enter in your complete address. Step 2: Review the results to see what signals you can expect to receive and to determine if the signal problem is due to maybe the distance of the signal.
BESIDES THE ANTENNA, WHAT ELSE WILL I NEED TO PURCHASE?
Everybody’s scenario and set up is going to be different. There are a couple suggestions; besides the antenna you need something to mount it on such as a J-pole for outdoor antennas maybe a splitter to receive reception in other TV’s in the home, a stand for indoor antennas. You might need coaxial cable to go from the antenna to your TVs. If you are trying to hook your antenna to multiple TV’s, you should get an amplifier if your antenna is not equipped with one already. If your TV is older and does not have an ATSC tuner card, you will need a digital OTA converter box.
I BOUGHT AN ANTENNA AND I CAN’T GET ANY CHANNELS!
Check to make sure you have correctly connected the antenna to your HDTV or receiver. Re-Scan for Channels. Make sure your TV’s setup menu, is set to the Antenna or Air mode. (Refer to the TV manual for these detailed instructions). Reposition the antenna in a different location. Maybe higher on a wall or closer to a window. Facing the direction of the broadcast tower is usually the best. Signal strength will vary based on certain conditions; Distance from the tower, hills, buildings and even tall trees can impact reception. Always re-scan for channels after moving the antenna. If the antenna has an amplifier and it’s being used and a signal cannot be received, turn off the amplifier and try again. In some instances, the amplifier may cause self-oscillation, which may interfere with the signal (meaning you may be too close to the TV transmitter tower and need to turn off the smartpass amplifier). Channel reception depends on what’s being broadcast in your area, how far away you are from broadcast towers and your surroundings. Try the antenna in different locations, sometimes moving a few feet can make a difference.
HOW CAN I KNOW WHICH ANTENNAS ARE HIGH DEFINITION AND WHICH ARE ANALOG?
It is a common misconception that only certain antennas are capable of receiving HDTV. The truth is that HD signals are broadcast on the same VHF and UHF frequencies that have been used since the beginning of broadcast TV. All antennas have the ability to receive HD broadcast.It is a common misconception that only certain antennas are capable of receiving HDTV. The truth is that HD signals are broadcast on the same VHF and UHF frequencies that have been used since the beginning of broadcast TV. All antennas have the ability to receive HD broadcast.