How to Mount Outdoor TV Antenna

That the installation of an indoor antenna is a trivial task, an outdoor TV antenna can be a bit more complicated to install. Before starting to climb to great heights to install your TV antenna, first create an implementation plan. Determine the appropriate location, angle and direction of the antenna. Consider these quick tips before you start.

Grenier vs. roof
In general, television antennas outdoors can be installed in an attic or a roof. Although the facility has not attic you rocking on a roof, the reception is not the same quality as the same antenna on a roof. Attic Antenna installed may be disrupted by electrical appliances, cables nearby and roofing materials. The metal roof exacerbates the problem because it can completely destroy the signal. Radio waves can penetrate steel armor and will not be received by an antenna installed in the attic. In any case, we strongly recommend roof mounting.
Before starting to climb the ladder, take safety measures concerning the installation and maintenance. You must make sure weather conditions are appropriate to be on the roof and the roof or ladder is not wet. Because of the risk of electric shock, do not install the antenna near power lines.

Find the right direction
If you have omni-directional antenna skip this section.
Directional Antenna TV outdoors must be oriented in the right direction. The first step is to determine which way your aerial points. The management is evident with Yagi antenna television's most popular outdoor. Yagi antenna receives radio waves from its elements to the scene. The figure below shows the direction and polar pattern Winegard PR-9032 Yagi antenna. The same principle applies to all Yagi antennas: Antenna directors must be pointed towards the towers. The next step is to find the direction of the towers from your location so you can place your antenna accordingly. Check AntennaWeb to find programs in your area and a compass for transmission towers.

Spot
An ideal place for an outdoor installation of TV antenna is one where a line of sight between the antenna and the tower is free. This is rarely possible. But at least, make sure the antenna is not pointed directly into a nearby house or a tree. Even a tree can block a signal on the UHF band and cause a significant reduction on the VHF band.

The high, the better
Generally, the higher the placement of your TV antenna is the better. An obstruction can potentially block the signal, refuse acceptance of certain stations, or produce low quality images. By placing the antenna as high as possible on your roof, these problems will be eliminated.

Avoid Metal
When installing your TV antenna, take special care to avoid metal present in other parts of your roof or nearby rooftops. Any metal object at a distance less than the wavelength becomes part of your antenna, changing its electrical properties such as resonant frequency, bandwidth and directivity. So how close to metal objects is acceptable? Depends on the frequency, on the UHF band, the separation of three feet would be sufficient, but on the low VHF band you need 5-8 times more than that.

Shorten the cables
Antenna cables should be as brief as possible. Radio signal energy is dissipated while traveling along a cable and the longer cables are more energy signal is lost before coming to a TV. After your antenna has been mounted, shorten the cables that go from the antenna in your house. Cut these cables will also prevent cuts that may be caused by wind blowing the cables out of the antenna or anything snagging the excessive length.

Consult professional help
If in doubt, call a professional. Most stores that sell TV antennas also have the opportunity to send a professional to do the installation. Most of these installation programs to ensure their work, which is useful if you encounter problems. In addition, these individuals are available to solve problems that you may be facing.