over the air channels are dependant on three things:
1. the signal strength in your area
2. the sensitivity of the antenna
3. the sensitivity of the hardware the antenna plugs into (usually called a tv tuner)
you can buy amplified antennas
or
you can get an antenna and buy an amplifier for it
i have learned using an over the air tuner with high sensitivity is a remarkable improvement.
once i tried a usb tv tuner with an amplified antenna (didnt work much at all)
then i tried a tv tuner from hauppage that had lots of reviews talking about how sensitive it was (how good it was at picking up stations)
using the same antenna, the higher sensitivity improved the reception.
you dont have to have a highly sensitive tv tuner.. you can amplify the antenna and feed the stubborn tv tuner a stronger signal.
of course, its always the better option to have each piece of hardware in the chain of connections be of the high class category to receive the higher class results.
i was getting good reception at night with the antenna inside the house, but during the day the reception was almost non existant.
i moved the antenna outside and i could get reception during the day again.
over the air television is not usually something you can simply purchase without doing any research or looking through specifications.
some antennas are designed for UHF only .. some antennas are designed for VHF only.
despite what the antenna is designed for, the physical design of the antenna can also play an important role of the final result.
you might get your antenna shape perfect, but if the metal isn't sensitive.. you will need an amplifier (or a new antenna with better metal).
the easiest way to do it is probably getting some fiberglass pole pieces and glueing them together with some JB weld and sticking the pole in the ground.. then run a cable to inside the house.
if you have the leisure, you could attach the antenna up on the roof with a screw on mast (or take a chance with wrapping a mast around the chimney)
some people have had decent results with the antenna in the attic.
if you are far away from the signal.. purchasing things from places like walmart or kmart or any other name brand store, they usually have inferior products that are better suited for people within the city the broadcast is aired from.
from 50 miles away, its like trying to color in a coloring book with a rock.
one of the nice things about the fiberglass antenna is, you can start low and see what kind of reception you get.. then add another piece of pole to raise the antenna to see if the reception gets any stronger.
then glue it all together when you are satisfied with the reception strength.
you might get by without needing to pour concrete into the ground, but the pole has to be deep (like 4ft deep or more)
and if the pole needs to be really long, its probably easier to install an antenna tower than it is to install a pole with cables anchored from the pole to into the ground.
it can work (and might be cheaper) but the cables take up valuable space sometimes.
my biggest complaint would be putting another hole in the house.
i want a house that doesnt have obnoxious holes or wires everywhere.
and that means one hole for electricity and another hole for cable and/or telephone.. then run the wires through the attic or basement (or crawlspace).
i'm in an apartment building and i cant attach anything to the house.. but they said i could install a pole into the ground if i wanted to.
but even then, the anxiety of having to run a cable into the building was really an expense i couldnt afford (couldnt afford the cable or the antenna or the pole..!!)
anyways.. the add-on amplifier for the antenna works the same way an amplifier works with car subwoofers.
the power isnt enough and needs a boost.
if you havent already done this.. you need to find one of them websites that graphs your location to the location of the signal.
it can help you determine how many miles away you are, and that will help you determine what antenna you need.
the entire process was color-coded one time i did it.
each broadcast station had a color representing the distance, and then there was antennas that fit into a specific color category.
this website can tell you how far away you are, and what degree you need to point the antenna:
http
/www.hdtvantennalabs.com/location/
this website uses the color-coded options to help you select which antenna to buy:
www.antennaweb.org
when you are searching for an antenna.. they will usually tell you what the range of the antenna is.
it could be miles or it could be color-coded.
they will also tell you if it needs to be mounted way up in the sky above the roof and/or if some type of amplifier is needed.