# Boosting signal for Roamio OTA tuners



## derek87 (Oct 21, 2015)

I have am very late to joining the 20th (!) century in finally getting a Tivo OTA. for years, i've owned a poor man's tivo using my Mac and USB tuner to record our shows whether it be cable (before they encrypted everything) or OTA antenna. but the $300 deal at Amazon for the lifetime subscription was too good to pass up, so i took the plunge, and added a 3tb hard drive on it even before powering it up.

anyway, i'm grateful for this forum, and i've learned a lot, yet was wondering if i could get some specific advice for my situation:

- i noticed this weekend, for a little while, one of our channels (FOX) was exhibited pixelation and breaking up. i've never seen this happen before. when i checked the signal strength via the Tivo, it showed up in the 40s, but after about 5 minutes, it shot back up to 60-62. since then, i have been monitoring it closely and seen the signal fluctuate between 52-65...all giving me a clean picture.

yet, i was wondering if there was any simple way to make my system more solid (all other channels are higher than this) like adding some simple amplifier right before the Tivo unit. i don't want to overpower things, and i'd prefer to not have to go through the crawlspace to my attic to add a preamp up there nor try to fine tune my antenna which i painstakingly did a couple years ago and have had rock solid performance ever since.

i can only guess that because the Tivo is splitting the signal into 4 tuners, i have an issue with FOX when the signal is marginal, and i never saw this before because i was only feeding directly to my TV's single tuner.

yet, my concern is an amplifier that might solve my FOX problem might create problems with my other main stations (62-72).

any thoughts/experiences/cheap products/solutions to try out?

i of course may have just witnessed a "once in a blue moon" drop out on saturday for a couple minutes, but i'd like to try to get my reliability to the point that i don't have to worry about such things.


----------



## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

I've been relying on OTA only since early this year but in my experience having occasional brief break-ups on otherwise solid signal channels is not unusual; it's just part of digital OTA TV. (That said, it's still more reliable for me than satellite was.) I wouldn't worry too much about that one incident, just keep an eye on that station going forward. 

If it keeps happening, your only options are probably either tweaking the antenna (re-positioning/re-siting it or swapping it out for a different one) or adding a pre-amp. A pre-amp is typically attached close to the antenna but it doesn't HAVE to be. You could take the existing coaxial cable that now goes into the back of the TiVo and instead put it into a pre-amp that you sit behind the TV, then connect the pre-amp to the TiVo with a short cable. You won't get the maximum amount of possible amplification that way but it will still amplify the signal somewhat and it may be all the boost you'd need for the problematic channel.


----------



## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

derek87 said:


> i noticed this weekend, for a little while, one of our channels (FOX) was exhibited pixelation and breaking up. i've never seen this happen before. when i checked the signal strength via the Tivo, it showed if in the 40s, but after about 5 minutes, it shot back up to 60-62. since then, i have been monitoring it closely and seen the signal fluctuate between 52-65...all giving me a clean picture.
> 
> ...i was wondering if there was any simple way to make my system more solid (all other channels are higher than this) like adding some simple amplifier right before the Tivo unit.


The signal strength "meter" on a Tivo is a mystery to me and every real tech I've ever consulted. We've sat there with a real scope looking at the signals themselves at specific channels and the associated noise, and we can make no correlation to the Tivo "meter." Also it seems different from Tivo model to model.

The best we can figure out is that Tivo is using some kind of measurement or calculation formula to arrive at a "quality" number. And it's looking apparently AFTER some internal processing of the signal which may be selectively introducing its own issues. The actual factors involved are basically signal strength, noise at that signal point, co-channel interference if any, and reflected signal.

Better antenna, better aimed and positioned antenna, extremely high grade low-noise preamp at the antenna; these are the tools. (Knowledgable cable company tech to coordinate tweaking if it's cable TV.) No magic.

Preamps will sometimes require selective attenuation for some channels if the amp drives them too hot. In practice this is mostly art rather than science, particularly if you don't have a real good meter to work with. Trial & error, hoping for luck.

Theoretically an amplifier at the TV is always a horrible idea. It amplifies all the noise from the length of coax and the connectors. But beyond all reason they sometimes work! It is so rarely a solution that I would try to borrow such an amp rather than buy one.


----------



## jamesteixeira (Nov 22, 2014)

Take the antenna out of the attic and put it outside, preferably with a clear line to the broadcast tower. I found that even though my antenna is now located lower outside on my balcony than it was in my attic, I get much better reception. I ran the coax under the door to the balcony but I can do that because I don't go out there that much.


----------



## heifer624 (Jul 12, 2009)

This is a good site to see exactly what you should be receiving:

http://antennaweb.org/


----------



## derek87 (Oct 21, 2015)

thanks for all of the helpful insights and responses.

i hope Nashguy is right and it was a rare occurrence. hard to tell except wait it out...

antenna web: yep check on that. i used it to figure out my antenna choice and configuration when i installed my antenna a couple of years ago.

thanks for all of the info on amplifiers. i guess i really just need to play and see what i get. i do think Tivo's scorecard is a bit puzzling. i don't see as much variability with my computer tuner, but again, maybe it's some complicated algorithm. i rarely have looked at such number except when i set up the antenna originally and now when i had the surprising pixelation event on saturday evening.



jamesteixeira said:


> Take the antenna out of the attic and put it outside, preferably with a clear line to the broadcast tower. I found that even though my antenna is now located lower outside on my balcony than it was in my attic, I get much better reception. I ran the coax under the door to the balcony but I can do that because I don't go out there that much.


if i could easily do it without legally fighting our homeowner's association, i would have had that antenna on the roof from day one. admirably, the antenna i have (CM4228HD) has worked very well.


----------



## A J Ricaud (Jun 25, 2002)

derek87 said:


> if i could easily do it without legally fighting our homeowner's association, i would have had that antenna on the roof from day one. admirably, the antenna i have (CM4228HD) has worked very well.


Your homeowners assoc. is violating FCC rules if it prohibits exterior mounting of a broadcast antenna or satellite dish. I don't have the link handy but you should be able to Google it.


----------



## lmacmil (Oct 26, 2015)

Wil said:


> The signal strength "meter" on a Tivo is a mystery to me and every real tech I've ever consulted. We've sat there with a real scope looking at the signals themselves at specific channels and the associated noise, and we can make no correlation to the Tivo "meter." Also it seems different from Tivo model to model.
> 
> The best we can figure out is that Tivo is using some kind of measurement or calculation formula to arrive at a "quality" number.


My local ABC station is low power and only gets a 52-55 reading on the Tivo meter. I experience much more pixelation and audio dropouts on this channel (although some days it is fine) than I do on the others which typically read 70 or so. Part of my problems is large oak trees between me and the towers. Not sure anything will overcome that (except a chainsaw!)


----------



## tgenius (Sep 15, 2006)

So my antenna was in the wrong spot but now it's solid. The "low" signals are in the mid 50s, majority over 60, and even 1-2 are in the 70 range (top on OTA is 75) This is in Miami, FL


----------



## derek87 (Oct 21, 2015)

A J Ricaud said:


> Your homeowners assoc. is violating FCC rules if it prohibits exterior mounting of a broadcast antenna or satellite dish. I don't have the link handy but you should be able to Google it.


you are absolutely correct...yet, even with approval, to properly wire it from the roof into my unit/home would be no small feat. given the success of my antenna in the attic prior to the Tivo, i have hopes that this solution should remain working and even though it was work, was a simpler solution than going to the roof, HOA policies notwithstanding.


----------



## pfiagra (Oct 13, 2014)

A J Ricaud said:


> Your homeowners assoc. is violating FCC rules if it prohibits exterior mounting of a broadcast antenna or satellite dish. I don't have the link handy but you should be able to Google it.


Not necessarily; it depends upon who owns the roof. If the OP lives (like me) in a townhome, the HOA owns the roof and it's not an FCC violation for them to prohibit me from placing my antenna on their roof.


----------



## jamesteixeira (Nov 22, 2014)

derek87 said:


> if i could easily do it without legally fighting our homeowner's association, i would have had that antenna on the roof from day one. admirably, the antenna i have (CM4228HD) has worked very well.


HOA's cannot block antenna's meant to receive television signals or satellite dishes under 3 feet. It is supposed to be against the FCC laws.


----------



## tgenius (Sep 15, 2006)

Just as a question, is putting the antenna in the attic not an option?


----------



## dstrong (Oct 22, 2015)

I'm two weeks into using OTA...bought the Winegard flat antenna and have it positioned near my Tivo OTA. It brings most channels in well but there seems to be a trade-off between Fox TV and our Public Access TV. In one position, I get Fox and not Public Access, in another, I get Public Access and not Fox. Sometimes I get both but it's usually one or the other. I'm thinking of moving the Winegard up to the attic but wonder if just a different antenna might work better near the Tivo. The signal is 8.5 miles away over relatively flat ground...not quite line of sight but close to it.


----------



## raqball (Feb 23, 2015)

dstrong said:


> I'm two weeks into using OTA...bought the Winegard flat antenna and have it positioned near my Tivo OTA. It brings most channels in well but there seems to be a trade-off between Fox TV and our Public Access TV. In one position, I get Fox and not Public Access, in another, I get Public Access and not Fox. Sometimes I get both but it's usually one or the other. I'm thinking of moving the Winegard up to the attic but wonder if just a different antenna might work better near the Tivo. The signal is 8.5 miles away over relatively flat ground...not quite line of sight but close to it.


You don't need to have the antenna close to or near the Tivo..

I use 2 indoor antennas placed in different areas then ran to a combiner and out to the Tivo.

Before doing this I was constantly moving my antenna between 2 locations. At one spot I'd get most channels but a few would not come in. If I wanted to watch the few that did not come in, I'd move the antenna to that location so I could watch them. This however caused the other channels to not come in.

I now have it nailed down using the 2 antenna setup and everything is working fabulous!

But yes, if you can put the antenna in an attic that could improve the signal. General rule of thumb is the higher the better..


----------



## derek87 (Oct 21, 2015)

tgenius said:


> Just as a question, is putting the antenna in the attic not an option?


perhaps, i wasn't clear. i do have an attic in my antenna above our 3 story town home. it has worked well for us for "single tuner" boxes like our computer based tuner or our Sony Bravia tv, but i encountered that random blocky video this weekend for a few minutes.


----------



## tgenius (Sep 15, 2006)

derek87 said:


> perhaps, i wasn't clear. i do have an attic in my antenna above our 3 story town home. it has worked well for us for "single tuner" boxes like our computer based tuner or our Sony Bravia tv, but i encountered that random blocky video this weekend for a few minutes.


As was explained to me (on AVSForum) is that the Roamio with it's 4 tuners takes the OTA signal and splits it in 4, which I too was perplexed as my signal connected straight to the TV was great, no problems (it's a direct run to the Roamio, no splitters) and I was experiencing some channels working great, some nothing at all. We re-positioned yesterday and now all channels come in with signal anywhere between 52 and 72. As you may or may not know, max signal on Roamio OTA tuners is 75.


----------



## derek87 (Oct 21, 2015)

tgenius said:


> As was explained to me (on AVSForum) is that the Roamio with it's 4 tuners takes the OTA signal and splits it in 4, which I too was perplexed as my signal connected straight to the TV was great, no problems (it's a direct run to the Roamio, no splitters) and I was experiencing some channels working great, some nothing at all. We re-positioned yesterday and now all channels come in with signal anywhere between 52 and 72. As you may or may not know, max signal on Roamio OTA tuners is 75.


yep: i understand that 4 tuner box is going to decrease the effective signal. it was too long ago to remember whether fine tuning would help our FOX reception. our signals are all usually 60 and up (i have checked FOX randomly since that one freak occurrence and the lowest i've seen was 52, but it typically is in the high 50s to low 60s so hopefully, we will be in general good but only time will tell.

so far, it isn't a deal breaker, but it's something to look out for in our situation. if i see it happening regularly, i'll have to invest money looking into a preamp/amplifier or crawling up into our attic to see if i can do better with positioning. but for now, i'll just watch with cautious optimism


----------



## jacksails54 (Jun 3, 2015)

tgenius said:


> As was explained to me (on AVSForum) is that the Roamio with it's 4 tuners takes the OTA signal and splits it in 4, which I too was perplexed as my signal connected straight to the TV was great, no problems (it's a direct run to the Roamio, no splitters) and I was experiencing some channels working great, some nothing at all. We re-positioned yesterday and now all channels come in with signal anywhere between 52 and 72. *As you may or may not know, max signal on Roamio OTA tuners is 75*.


Not sure I understand this comment. I have the Roamio OTA and I have signal strength higher than 75 on several channels. Are you referring to a signal strength number other than what is in the Tivo menus?


----------



## tgenius (Sep 15, 2006)

jacksails54 said:


> Not sure I understand this comment. I have the Roamio OTA and I have signal strength higher than 75 on several channels. Are you referring to a signal strength number other than what is in the Tivo menus?


Based on everything that was explained to me, it the maximum signal strength on the OTA Tuners is 72 (corrected!). Only way you can go higher is if you use CableTV when measuring signal. If you somehow are getting over 75 on OTA, then I'm not sure how!


----------



## namwoljr (Aug 8, 2014)

I've never seen anything above 72 for OTA on my roamio basic. I've set it up in two completely different cities with a rooftop antenna and very strong line of site signals.


----------



## raqball (Feb 23, 2015)

namwoljr said:


> I've never seen anything above 72 for OTA on my roamio basic. I've set it up in two completely different cities with a rooftop antenna and very strong line of site signals.


I just checked mine and 72 is the max on mine as well. I have several channels max out at that exact same number..


----------



## lmacmil (Oct 26, 2015)

tgenius said:


> Based on everything that was explained to me, it the maximum signal strength on the OTA Tuners is 72 (corrected!). Only way you can go higher is if you use CableTV when measuring signal. If you somehow are getting over 75 on OTA, then I'm not sure how!


I have one local channel (CW) that will reach a peak of 85 or so (OTA) before settling in about 75. What's strange is that is a low power channel relative to the major networks (all of which max out at 72). All towers are within a couple miles of each other and all are 7-9 miles from my house.


----------



## teasip (Aug 24, 2002)

OTA signal variation such as this is most likely due to multi path signal variances. More important reading is not necessarily signal strength but dB reading which usually allows for pixelation/dropout at levels <15 dB.


----------



## jacksails54 (Jun 3, 2015)

Here is a pic of a signal strength higher than 72. Before I repointed the antenna to improve another channel, this particular channel (21-1, Harrisburg, PA) had a signal strength of around 83. This station is about 27 miles from me. My antenna is in the attic.


----------



## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

derek87 said:


> I have am very late to joining the 20th (!) century in finally getting a Tivo OTA. f..............


Really, really late since it's the 21st century now.


----------



## derek87 (Oct 21, 2015)

aaronwt said:


> Really, really late since it's the 21st century now.


haha: that was actually not a typo in my original post. i have had friend persuading me for years to get one, and i believe way back as far as in the (late?) 1990's. it's taken me all these years to finally buy one 

i'm a pretty techie/gotta have new technology guy, but this was one area i resisted for the longest time (although i had my poor man's tivo [computer based solution] for a long time).


----------



## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

lmacmil said:


> My local ABC station is low power and only gets a 52-55 reading on the Tivo meter. I experience much more pixelation and audio dropouts on this channel (although some days it is fine) than I do on the others which typically read 70 or so. Part of my problems is large oak trees between me and the towers. Not sure anything will overcome that (except a chainsaw!)


An antenna mast taller than those trees would save you having to fire up that saw.


----------



## HD_Dude (Sep 11, 2006)

A J Ricaud said:


> Your homeowners assoc. is violating FCC rules if it prohibits exterior mounting of a broadcast antenna or satellite dish. I don't have the link handy but you should be able to Google it.


Absolutely correct.

An HOA or condo cannot ban antennas. Here's a quote from the FCC, saying that their Federal Law:

_"...prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal."_

Now there are exceptions. Like, if your HOA provides you with a master antenna, you might not be able to say, 'no way, I'll use my own.' But it's worth checking out the full ruling, here:


----------



## dstrong (Oct 22, 2015)

dstrong said:


> I'm two weeks into using OTA...bought the Winegard flat antenna and have it positioned near my Tivo OTA. It brings most channels in well but there seems to be a trade-off between Fox TV and our Public Access TV. In one position, I get Fox and not Public Access, in another, I get Public Access and not Fox. Sometimes I get both but it's usually one or the other. I'm thinking of moving the Winegard up to the attic but wonder if just a different antenna might work better near the Tivo. The signal is 8.5 miles away over relatively flat ground...not quite line of sight but close to it.


I went ahead and switched to the Winegard "freevision" today and put it in the attic. I now get perfect reception on all the channels I expect to and picked up a few more.


----------



## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

jacksails54 said:


> Here is a pic of a signal strength higher than 72. Before I repointed the antenna to improve another channel, this particular channel (21-1, Harrisburg, PA) had a signal strength of around 83. This station is about 27 miles from me. My antenna is in the attic.


The signal shown in the Signal Diagnostic screen is real time and before processing. Check the System Info - TiVo box Diagnostics and each tuner will display the signal strength after AGC has done its job and the signal has settled down. With cable it's usually 87,90, and 92 unless there is a problem. Diagnostics on a Roamio are mostly broken.


----------



## teasip (Aug 24, 2002)

Just be aware that signal strength/dB loss can vary on different days at different times, and seasons (I'm in N. Texas outside Dallas). With cooler weather or at night my signals with an attic antenna lock in better than during mid/late morning hours during the summer. Foliage coverage also has a role. I keep thinking about trying to get to my RS antenna in my attic (blown in insulation now makes it more difficult to access) to see about moving it around. I had found an interesting article online about how the plywood angle of roofing and placement location in proximity to same with your antenna can impact the signal (multi path). The further back the better they claim. Don't forget about length of cable run having an impact on dB loss as well (I suspect this as a culprit in my situation even though it is a dedicated run).


----------



## jeff92k7 (Jan 18, 2006)

Getting good OTA reception is like dark magic at times. Thankfully, there is science that we can use to make sense of it, but even then, a lot of it is trial and error.

First of all, let me post this link... http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/siting.html
That will give a lot of good info about why some antenna locations work fine and other locations (even inches apart) don't work. Knowing the difference between VHF and UHF channels in your location may help to understand your particular reception issues. You can find out which channels are VHF or UHF in your area by going to antennaweb.org or tvfool.com. I prefer tvfool.com because of the extended reporting for your location. FWIW, I wish all the channels were VHF specifically to reduce a lot of the reception issues since VHF waves travel through walls and other obstructions better.

One note regarding earlier comments about amplifiers... Digital TV signals are either there, or they are not. An amplifier will NOT create signal if there is not one there. You should always look to properly locate the antenna first. An amplifier is ONLY to overcome cable/splitter loss. If you normally get good signal, and then it goes away briefly at times, then amplifying the signal into the TiVo to overcome it's internal splitter is not going to help anything. That is a clear indication that you are losing reception at the antenna.
Think about it: If there is no antenna, yet you put an amplifier on the line, you still have no antenna. You're just amplifying noise from the cables. Same thing goes if there is an antenna but it isn't getting a signal. Amplifying no signal is still no signal.
If you normally get good signal, then adjust the antenna to a better location that (nearly) always gets good signal. Don't put an amplifier on the line hoping it will help. In reality, you could cause more problems with an amplifier where one is not needed. You can actually overdrive the tuners CAUSING signal breakup if you are attempting to amplify an already good signal.

Now, let me tell you some of my issues with reception lately. We just moved outside of Knoxville (very hilly terrain around here). The broadcast towers for all the major channels are on the same ridge line about 20 miles away. I can actually see them if I walk ~100ft over to a fence neighboring a large farm. However, there are large trees in the way between them and my house, and I don't own the property next to the farm so I'm stuck with finding a good place for an antenna behind the trees.

Sticking a mast in the air is not an option for a couple of reasons. 1. It would have to be over 100 ft up to get above the trees. That would be ridiculously expensive. 2. there is an HOA that restricts antennas to the rear of the property. Legalities aside, I don't really feel like pissing off the neighbors right off the bat. So that leaves me with an antenna that is blocked by trees no matter where I put it.

For the first few days, I just had my big antenna (antennacraft HBU22) leaned up against the wall in our master bedroom, since that's the wall facing the towers. I got decent reception, but of course, the wife doesn't want an ugly antenna in the bedroom. Next step was the attic. This is where things got weird. I tried it all over at the end facing the towers, as well as farther back and angling it through the shingles, but never could get a spot that worked for everything. Seriously, a movement of a 1/4 of an inch in some places would be the difference between good signal on one channel and bad on another, to reversing the good and bad channels. There was nowhere I could find that would get good reception on all the channels. VHF came in fine, but the UHF channels were basically half good and half bad - even though they are transmitted from the same place.

Back in Dallas, the best antenna I had was a 4-bay "bowtie" antenna that I made out of coat hangers and an aluminum foil reflector that we had in the attic in that house - 35 miles away from those towers. However, I trashed that before we moved. Figuring I could get similar reception from a similar antenna, I ordered a Solidsignal HDB4x. Got that, put that in the attic, but results were the same. TINY movements were the differences between good and bad channels.

In the end, I mounted the HDB4x antenna outside on the wall facing the towers in a very small spot that gives very good reception on all but one UHF channel and good reception for that last channel. I tried it on the roof and all over that facing wall and found that one spot on the wall that worked the best, even though it is actually much lower than the roof line. Ran that to the basement and left the HBU22 in the attic to do VHF. I used a UVSJ to combine them and now have good signal on both our TVs. No need for a preamp on anything since the signal is plenty strong enough now, even with splitting the signal and ~100ft of RG6 to each TV.

Even with all the knowledge that I have learned over the years about RF, it still came down to trial and error with antenna placement.

Also, side note: The new outdoor antenna required me to sink a new ground rod at that location and then tie it together with the existing house ground at the opposite end of the house. ALWAYS make sure your antennas are properly grounded.


----------



## Sskarmar (Nov 10, 2015)

Some help would be appreciated with Roamio OTA reception. I understand the issue of internal splitting that impacts performance. We have shown this in our household using the Winegard 5500A, which according to tvfool should receive all scanned channels (all green). Reception is perfect when then the antenna is directly attached to the TV but only receives about half the channels and also has intermittent pixelation on random channels when attached to Roamio.

I am willing to go on the roof but am totally confused about what antenna to buy because we should be getting everything with the Winegard. 

Suggestions?


----------



## Wil (Sep 27, 2002)

Sskarmar said:


> I am willing to go on the roof but am totally confused about what antenna to buy because we should be getting everything with the Winegard.
> 
> Suggestions?


That's not a bad antenna/amp combination at all and it's a shame to have to replace it (though it has a very lossy cable attached as I recall, really too bad), but the signals on some channels are apparently not quite strong enough to survive the splitting within the Roamio. You've tried moving the antenna around? Nice as the included amp is, it is very low gain. You might get better results turning the amp off and feeding a higher gain inline amp (maybe you could borrow one to try).

Hell, if you ARE able to borrow an inline, also just try ganging it on the already amped signal as well. That's a no-no since you'll likely over-drive some channels but worth a try since the internal amp is so low-gain.


----------



## MikeBear (May 21, 2015)

Sskarmar said:


> Some help would be appreciated with Roamio OTA reception. I understand the issue of internal splitting that impacts performance. We have shown this in our household using the Winegard 5500A, which according to tvfool should receive all scanned channels (all green). Reception is perfect when then the antenna is directly attached to the TV but only receives about half the channels and also has intermittent pixelation on random channels when attached to Roamio.
> 
> I am willing to go on the roof but am totally confused about what antenna to buy because we should be getting everything with the Winegard.
> 
> Suggestions?


Ok, first thing you need to understand for your Tvfool report, is that is the BEST CASE scenario. That means you have NO trees around, an outside antenna, with no interference, etc. In other words, Tvfool isn't perfect, and can't predict 100%

Ok, didn't see that your antenna is amped already. You need an outside antenna, with more signal gathering (margin) ability.


----------



## jeff92k7 (Jan 18, 2006)

Sskarmar said:


> I am willing to go on the roof but am totally confused about what antenna to buy because we should be getting everything with the Winegard.
> 
> Suggestions?


I would suggest going to tvfool.com and posting in their forum. There are some experts in reception that hang out there that could answer better than anyone here can. They can also advise on which antenna might best fit your situation.

I have learned that those internal flat antennas are pretty worthless. They may work well if you're within a couple of miles of the transmitter and there are no obstructions (or signal reflections to cancel the signal), and the antenna is placed in a non-coated window facing the towers. Other than that, they are pretty worthless. (See that link I posted above for more info about reflections and such).


----------



## mjh (Dec 19, 2002)

A J Ricaud said:


> Your homeowners assoc. is violating FCC rules if it prohibits exterior mounting of a broadcast antenna or satellite dish. I don't have the link handy but you should be able to Google it.


Here's the link you're thinking of:

https://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

Here's the relevant section:



> The rule (47 C.F.R. Section 1.4000) has been in effect since October 1996, and it prohibits restrictions that impair the installation, maintenance or use of antennas used to receive video programming. The rule applies to video antennas including direct-to-home satellite dishes that are less than one meter (39.37") in diameter (or of any size in Alaska), TV antennas, and wireless cable antennas. The rule prohibits most restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal.


----------

