It is no secret that over-the-air broadcast TV has much better image quality, access to more channels and that it is cheaper. Instead of having to pay all kinds of fees to set up a cable connection to your home, you can just get an antenna, set it up in your home and you will start receiving television programs for free.

However, if you have been signed up to cable TV most of your life then you probably have no idea how this aerial type of signal works. Without proper knowledge and experience, you won’t be getting the best possible image quality and you won’t be able to catch all of the free broadcasted programs.

Fortunately, there are people who have already done the “math” and have found out what are the best locations for an antenna and in which direction you should point it at.

Here are some of those ways to boost your TV antenna signal.

Get the right antenna

Not all antennas are made equal. Some will deliver the same signal strength no matter where you point it or place it. Others will require you to place it right next to the window to boost the transmission emitted by the broadcast tower. So, which one should you get?

Well, there are two general types of receivers, outdoors and indoors. The rule used to be that the higher you place it outside, the better image you will get on your television, but things have changed since then as per advice from installers from tvaerialinstaller.co.uk. Indoor receivers have become much more effective than the ones we used in the past. Although, you will still need to get the right one.

You will have the option to get an amplified one or an unamplified one. Naturally, the ones with more features will probably be much more expensive, but if you have no need for those extra features, you can just buy the cheaper one and you will probably have the same experience.

However, if the broadcast towers in your area are too far away from you then you will definitely need a more powerful indoor receiver. For example, if the nearest tower is 20 miles away from you and you have an antenna that has a range of 10 miles then the image quality won’t be as good as you expect it to be. In this case, you will need one that is amplified to have a ranger bigger than 20 miles away, just to be sure.

If you are unsure where the broadcast towers are located in your area, you can use one of the many online websites to find out this kind of information.

Keep in mind that outdoor antennas have a lot more range than the indoor ones.

Location

Once you have bought the right receiver, it is time to find the perfect location for it. Of course, you can still try placing it anywhere you want and check the signal. If you are getting a crisp image with most of the channels then you can leave it there. But, if you want to boost the signal, you will need to find the perfect location in your home. If you have trouble mounting the antenna in the right location, you visit this site for TV aerial installation in Sheffield.

If you choose to use an outdoor receiver then you will probably need to mount it on your roof. This might be a bit more complicated because you will need to be working outside and on high ground, but once you have set it up, it will work flawlessly. Not everyone has the right tools to mount it on a roof. Assuming that you too do not have the appropriate tools to properly mount the receiver, you should consider installing it in your attic. Sure, it might not have a clear view of the broadcast tower, but it might be enough to catch the signals.

An indoor antenna will need to have the smallest amount of interference possible and the best way to achieve this is to either place it next to a window or a wall that faces the broadcast tower. Make sure there aren’t any metal obstructions in front of it because they can skewer the signal.

Direction

Another very important part of properly installing an antenna in your home is to point it in the right direction. Although, before you do anything, make sure that the device is plugged in and that it is connected to your television. Turn the TV on and go through a couple of channels to check whether the signal is strong or weak. If it is already strong then you can probably leave the antenna as it is.

However, if you are still having a problem getting a stable signal then you will need to make sure that you are pointing it at the broadcast. Even rotating it just a few degrees can actually make a huge difference in the quality of the image.

Consider multiple antennas

Not everyone has enough room to place the receiver in the perfect location which is why they decide to purchase multiple receivers. Assuming that you have this kind of problem too then you can get the exact same model twice and then mount them either side by side or one on top of the other. This method is called antenna stacking and it is actually quite effective and common.

By doing this not only will you boost the strength of the signal, but you will also increase their range. The broadcast towers in your area might be too far away from your home which means this might be the only option you have to catch their signals.

Get an amplifier

Unfortunately, even after all these different ways to boost the signal of your TV antenna, you can still end up with an awful image on your television. Fortunately, you still have the option to buy an amp which can boost the receiver’s strength. Some receivers even come with their own amplifier.