I have 2 TVs in my house not hooked up to cable, and I use old-fashioned rabbit ears on both of them. For the most part, I can get UHF channels okay, but I can’t get anything at all on VHF (WPRI or WNAC). I live in Natick, and according to dtv.gov, I should be able to get those. I also wonder if it could be the tuner in the TV. But do you think a flat antenna would work better? I saw a video on YouTube of a DTV bandscan from Hudson, MA and it had both said channels.
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Best indoor VHF antenna
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
AFAIK you would need rabbit ears (V shape) to receive VHF signals properly. I have a combo BoostWave AR-468 indoor antenna which has both VHF ears and a loop antenna for UHF. It is amplified which is useful on several stations but most don't need it. The amp is adjustable. Seems to work pretty good.
I have to disagree with landtuna, especially considering how close he is to our Phoenix-area tower farm, on 1500-foot South Mountain. I had few issues with reception when I lived in Phoenix and had rabbit ears, 5 miles SE of the towers. But they're useless to me in Mesa, 25 miles ENE of there, and I'll have to guess that the terrain and vegetation of eastern New England will also make them useless in the Boston/Providence markets as well.
The main problem with rabbit ears on digital VHF is that there's no way to visually correct for phase differences between the elements. Back in the analog days, those phase differences would cause ghosts. Today, the signal just disappears. It's trial and error, and like Ye Goode Olden Dayes of analog TV, the antenna might have to be adjusted differently for each channel. Lotsa luck.
Overall, you'd be much better off with a dipole of the appropriate length, preferably with a reflector for some directivity.
The main problem with rabbit ears on digital VHF is that there's no way to visually correct for phase differences between the elements. Back in the analog days, those phase differences would cause ghosts. Today, the signal just disappears. It's trial and error, and like Ye Goode Olden Dayes of analog TV, the antenna might have to be adjusted differently for each channel. Lotsa luck.
Overall, you'd be much better off with a dipole of the appropriate length, preferably with a reflector for some directivity.
I am not disagreeing with you Keith but remember, I had a ton of problems with both inside and outside antennas until this past year. I am 8 miles line of sight from the towers (they are directly west of me) but all three VHF stations were problematic for years after the digital conversion. Over the past year there are fewer issues but there are still times when 8 and 10 don't come in without a lot of pixilation (have to watch 10's SD feed). Also, I cannot receive about half of the LP stations.
I do get better reception with the big outdoor VHF/UHF than I do with the indoor but the indoor works most of the time. I was just trying to make the OP aware of an indoor that does work for me.
He's closer to Boston (roughly 15 miles east of Natick) than Providence (30 miles south), and that makes a difference. Completely different reception issues than we have in Phoenix, other than both areas having VHF-HI stations. I'm not familiar with Natick, but I did have family further west, in the Springfield area, and big antennas with rotators and preamps were mandatory for anything other than the local Springfield stations back in the analog era. I can't see it being any different today. It really sounds to me like he needs something directional.
I've heard different opinions on this, so I thought maybe I'd ask here and get confirmation. I live in a brick apartment building with TV transmitter locations mainly to my north and west, anywhere from 20 to 45 miles away. There is one transmitter to my south, about 15 miles away. My only windows face south, with the building's walls in the way in every other direction. I am not permitted to have an outdoor antenna. If I were to buy one of these amplified indoor antennas, would I be able to pick up anything other than the signals from that tower to my south (WTNH New Haven and whatever else is on there)? I have an Insignia HD Radio portable that I can get HD reception on indoors from all directions in a 25-mile radius, but I realize that digital TV is a different animal.
My reception situation's not too different from yours. I'm also in a brick apartment building where I am limited to indoor antennas.
I'm able to receive all the full-power New Bedford/Providence stations.....along with most of the full-power Boston area stations....the exceptions being WMFP, WBPX. WWDP, and WYDN.
I've been thinking about using an amplifier.....but past experiences with amplifiers back in analog days were less than satisfying. Now that things are digital.....should I consider trying an amplifier again?
Thoughts anyone?
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How far are you from any high-powered FM transmitters? If you're anywhere close (30 miles or less), then be sure to put an FM trap between the antenna and the preamp. Being adjacent to Channel 6, the FM stations could overload the preamp, causing all kinds of intermod, noise, and similar crud. Enough to generate junk on top of the TV stations and prevent them from being viewed, even with a good signal.
Sounds like this definitely applies to me. I'm only a couple of miles from West Peak in Meriden, home of a half-dozen or so big "Hartford" radio signals. Or does the warning only apply if I have a TV Channel 6 in the area too, which I don't?
I used to live in the south end of New Brtiain (CT). I could almost never get WTNH-TV (ABC) channel 8 of New Haven. Their sister station which transmits from the same site, WCTX-TV (MY) channel 59, was hit or miss. I'm being told that WCTX-TV may be a subchannel of WTNH-TV soon. Make sure your antenna is able to tune VHF channel 10!
The closest station to the old VHF channel 6 band in central Connecticut is WESU-FM 88.1 of Middletown (Wesleyan University). The other stations on West Peak in Meriden are 92.5, 93.7, 95.7, low-power 96.1, 102.9, 104.1 and 105.9. Even in New Britain, a Walkman with a crappy FM tuner could still get the overload from there, despite being a few miles to the north.
The closest station to the old VHF channel 6 band in central Connecticut is WESU-FM 88.1 of Middletown (Wesleyan University). The other stations on West Peak in Meriden are 92.5, 93.7, 95.7, low-power 96.1, 102.9, 104.1 and 105.9. Even in New Britain, a Walkman with a crappy FM tuner could still get the overload from there, despite being a few miles to the north.
Even though there is no VHF Channel 6 in the area, I am only about 4 miles from the nearest Class B FM transmitters.....and a whole boat-load of other Class B's and A's under 30 miles away.
Sounds like the FM trap suggestion would indeed apply to my situation.
My current indoor set-up consists of two ancient Radio Shack 15-624 twin bow-tie antennas in tandem.....along with a couple of pairs of equally ancient Radio Shack VHF "Rabbit Ears" also in tandem....with all 4 antennas being fed into a combiner.....and then into an old (but good quality) Sony HDTV decoder box.....and finally into an old analog TV.
Like a lot of other folks....I've read and seen all the hype about the so-called "new generation" of TV antennas......but am highly reluctant to try any of them for fear of wasting money without any improvement in my reception situation.
Any of you guys have experience with some of the newer indoor/outdoor antennas out there?......especially the passive ones? I admit I'm biased against the amplified ones.
Thanks for all the input. Guess I'll buy a non-amplified indoor antenna, slap it on a window and see what happens. I have a TV that's been doing nothing since I cut the cable-TV cord six years ago, so even if I only get New Haven, it's better than nothing and I'll be getting subchannels to boot.
When the channel repack hits the Providence market, WSBE, now on ch 21, will be moving to ch 2. This is the result of accepting payment in the spectrum auction to move from UHF to low VHF. WPRI, now on ch 12, will be required to move to ch 7. This was not due to accepting payment, it's just bad luck.
I'm already dreading the prospect of WGBH going to RF5 and WSBE going to RF2.
I do currently get WPRI (RF13) and WNAC (RF12).....but I'm not looking forward to WPRI moving to RF7 either......meanwhile.....WJAR and WLNE.....neither of which I ever watch.....will be waltzing happily into the sunset on RF25 and RF24, respectively.
What's that old expression about "the luck of the draw"?
The biggest winner in the spectrum change of those stations you mentioned could be WLNE, which will go from RF49 at 350 Kw max with a directional antenna mainly to the west and south at around 284 feet, to RF24 at 465 Kw with a nondirectional antenna radiating its full power in all directions at 313 feet, and an increase in coverage area to around 58 miles from Rehoboth. Also WJAR will go nondirectional keeping its current height and 1000 Kw power at RF25. As far as WPRI, WNAC, and WSBE, it will be interesting to see how the reception will be after the spectrum change and when ATSC 3.0 is started.
And what will happen to Telemundo in Providence when WRIW shuts down,? Are they waiting for WNEU in Merrimack, NH (which has Telemundo on a subchannel) to start broadcasting in Needham - and their signal should reach the Providence area over the air?
One other question is is there a firm date when WMFP and WYDN will shut down their current transmitters due to their channel sharing agreements?
And what will happen to Telemundo in Providence when WRIW shuts down,? Are they waiting for WNEU in Merrimack, NH (which has Telemundo on a subchannel) to start broadcasting in Needham - and their signal should reach the Providence area over the air?
One other question is is there a firm date when WMFP and WYDN will shut down their current transmitters due to their channel sharing agreements?
I live in a concrete building, on the fifth floor, in Boston's South end neighborhood. When I first I moved in, I was using my old rabbit ears on the TV in my living room. By aiming them directly toward the window, I could pick up channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 25, 38, 44, 56, 62, 66 and 68 perfectly. In my bedroom, I had a single rabbit ear antenna on an old TV/VCR combo. I could pick up all the same channels except no 66, and 38 was marginal at best.
I purchased an Amazon Basics amplified 50 mile range flat antenna for about $25. I removed the amplifier and do not use it. I find that hanging it in the window works fine to receive all my locals, but it is far from being the optimal position to receive the most channels. Laying it horizontally flat on shelves to either side of the window is the optimal position for me. I am able to receive all the aforementioned channels perfectly. I also can now pick up 8 WBTS-LD Boston, 10 WJAR Providence, 24 WFXZ-CD Boston (prior to channel-sharing with WGBH-TV), 27 WUTF-TV Worcester, 48 WYDN Worcester, and 58 WCEA-LD Boston. So the newer antenna did work much better for me.
I also get weak, unwatchable signals on 6 WLNE-TV New Bedford, 12 WPRI-TV Providence, 13 WYCN-CD Nashua, 28 WLWC New Bedford (prior to channel-sharing with WPXQ-TV), 46 WWDP Norwell, and 60 WNEU Merrimack.
I purchased an Amazon Basics amplified 50 mile range flat antenna for about $25. I removed the amplifier and do not use it. I find that hanging it in the window works fine to receive all my locals, but it is far from being the optimal position to receive the most channels. Laying it horizontally flat on shelves to either side of the window is the optimal position for me. I am able to receive all the aforementioned channels perfectly. I also can now pick up 8 WBTS-LD Boston, 10 WJAR Providence, 24 WFXZ-CD Boston (prior to channel-sharing with WGBH-TV), 27 WUTF-TV Worcester, 48 WYDN Worcester, and 58 WCEA-LD Boston. So the newer antenna did work much better for me.
I also get weak, unwatchable signals on 6 WLNE-TV New Bedford, 12 WPRI-TV Providence, 13 WYCN-CD Nashua, 28 WLWC New Bedford (prior to channel-sharing with WPXQ-TV), 46 WWDP Norwell, and 60 WNEU Merrimack.
Wow. All those stations from the same window in a concrete building? Or do you have windows that face in different directions and move the antenna among them? Sounds like the former to me, and now I am definitely interested in an indoor antenna, especially if one can get those results for $25.
Good question! I should've specified that I only have two windows, one in each room with a TV. Both face almost due north, so neither faces the direction that any of those signals is coming from. I have a feeling if I had any windows/exterior wall facing south or west, I might be able to pick up another channel or two from New Bedford/Providence.
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