basement antenna problems

[hockeydawn]

I have a tv in my room and I have an indoor antenna for it. I get channels but sometimes the picture freezes and I lose the signal. I have the antenna in a window. What else can I do to stop losing a signal

 

[kanewolf]

Your antenna needs to be raised and maybe pointed a different direction. In the US you can use antennaweb.org with a compass to determine where the antenna should point. BUT, in a basement, you may be out of luck without putting the antenna outside.

 

[Solandri]

Also, if your antenna is passive (just a cable between your TV and the antenna) and the antenna cable is very long, then consider getting one with an active amplifier. You lose signal strength along the length of the cable, and a long cable can introduce a lot of signal loss.

An amplifier takes the signal as it comes from the antenna (with minimal signal loss) and boosts its strength so it can get down a long length of cable. An amplifier cannot create a signal where there is none (i.e. the antenna can only weakly pick up a signal). But it can prevent signal loss over the cable. This is especially important if you decide to put the antenna higher up in the house (like in the attic) and use a really long cable to get the signal down to the basement.

If the signal the antenna is picking up is just too weak, then you need to orient it better (use antennaweb.org), move it higher, move it outside, or get a better (more expensive) antenna.