A couple antenna questions - testing and amplification

[enchant]

I've had it with my cable company and I'm looking to cut the cord. Gigabit ethernet isn't terribly expensive for streaming from Netflix and Amazon, but I need to work on the local broadcast stations. I'm about 30 miles from most of them, so any old antenna might not do the job. I'm going to get a decent outdoor antenna and mount it on the top-side of the house nearest the stations.

Back in the days of analog, it was a familiar scene. The guy is out on a latter tilting the antenna, while the wife is leaning out a window yelling, "better...better... no, that's worse... better... RIght there!!!" But now with digital signals, you've either got a perfect picture or nothing. I wish TVs were outfitted with some sort of signal strength indicator so I can keep turning the antenna till it's directed perfectly. Maybe some TVs are. Not mine.

Without having to spend hundreds of dollars for specialized equipment, is there a way for me to know the quality of the signal I'm getting?

Question #2... I've currently got coax cable coming in from the cable company and going around the house to my TVs. Can I simply disconnect the cable box and connect the coax to my new outdoor antenna? I'm assuming I'm going to need an amplifier (or amplifierS). Where in the line should these be placed? At the antenna? At each TV? Both?

Thanks for any help.

 

[americanaudiophile]

Some post online say you can use a Silicon Dust HD Homerun tuner card with their smartphone app as a cheap signal strength meter.
The quality won't vary with the signal strength but the stronger it is the less prone to fade during weather conditions it will be.
If you cable wire is RG6 that will be fine. You should use an amplified splitter. For info check out
https/www.channelmaster.com/Antenna-Selection-a/134.htm
http/www.winegard.com/offair?q=offair