View Full Version : Help with reception
jtk1925
08-21-2005, 11:08 PM
Help. I have a cheapo Radio Shack antenna. My local stations are to the South of me in Phoenix. I have a two story house, but the back side of the house is only one story, and the front of the house is two stories ( I have a downstairs attic and an upstairs attic). My tv is in the back of the house on the bottom floor. The back of house is to the North. So, I put the antenna in the back patio and faced it North. I got great OTA reception on most all channels, but when I move the antenna indoors and put it on top of the TV, I only get NBC. The rest of the channels don't work. My only obstacle is my house itself. Any thoughts? I put the antenna in the down stairs attic, but I still only get NBC and PBS, and it seems the antenna only works when if points to the outside, which is North, but the stations are to the South of me. I need a good antenna for my attic, one that can get signals to the South even though it has to go through my upstairs portion of my house. Obviously I am not antenn inclined, so please help.
Ratman
08-22-2005, 06:55 AM
What antenna are you using?
What type roof?
Is your home stucco?
Why not leave it outdoors?
jtk1925
08-22-2005, 11:38 AM
Yes, my house is stucco. The roof is tile. I can't leave it outdoors on my patio, as I simply was running the coax out my back door as a test. If I can't find a good antenny for the attic, then I will try for an outdoor antenna on my roof, but I am trying to make it as simple as possible.
Ratman
08-22-2005, 12:05 PM
I hear ya... but unfortunately the stucco is reinforced with wire mesh and tile roofs (from what I understand) block the signals also.
So... you can try the attic, but it may prove futile.
If all your digital stations are UHF and under 25 miles, you can try this:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F003%5F001%5F002%5F000&product%5Fid=15%2D2160
jtk1925
08-22-2005, 01:05 PM
Thanks for the info. I am not too afraid of mounting an antenna on my roof, but I would need to ground it, and I dont' know how to do this. Also, what kind of coax can I use outside?
Ratman
08-22-2005, 01:12 PM
For coax... use RG6/U.
For grounding:
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/basics.html
