Antenna Installation and Troubleshooting Tips
Everyone is familiar with antennas, whether or not they know what makes them work. It could be a TV antenna, radio antenna, or helium antenna; the list goes on. Most times, antennas get installed professionally, but what happens when it starts to malfunction? It is important to know at least how to troubleshoot these problems. It would give you a vague idea of what the problem with your antenna is. Typical issues that may cause antenna problems and most likely require Professional Installer help include:
- Poor availability of TV reception
- Old antenna equipment (like analog TV antennas)
- Damaged antenna due to weather conditions and other natural elements
- Faulty antenna input in the TV
- Wrong antenna location
- Rust/Loose wiring connections
- Antenna obstruction
Troubleshooting Antenna Problems
TV antennas are really common and tend to be the easiest to troubleshoot. It takes more than plugging and unplugging the TV to get it up and working again. It usually requires checking your connections, performing a channel scan, and adjusting your antenna. Now that the basics are covered, here are some common issues, possible causes, and tips/solutions when troubleshooting.
Problem: Your TV is not receiving a signal.
If your antenna is installed correctly and you have run a channel scan, you should receive some of the local channels.
Causes:
- No clear line of sight to the broadcast towers.
Trees, buildings, or hills between the antenna and the broadcast towers may cause obstruction and stop the signals from reaching your antenna.
Tips/Solution: You can elevate the antenna by placing it at a higher place or by using a mast that’s taller than the current one. This will help to increase signal reception by getting the least amount of obstruction for a better line of sight to the broadcast towers.
- Coaxial cable issues
In the coaxial cable distribution, you should often check for loose cable fittings, corrosion, or a compromised cable. A splitter could also make the signal strength weak. It is also possible that the coaxial cable is too long (100 feet and above).
Tips/Solution: Remove the splitter, try connecting directly, and then get a distribution amplifier if the reception improves.
- You are beyond the range of the antenna/above 70 miles from broadcast towers
Go online and check your address or zip code to know if your antenna is within range. Getting professional installers would help you prevent this entirely.
- Your Digital Tuner is faulty
This is a rare occurrence; however, it does happen.
Tips/Solution: To test this, try installing the cable and antenna to a secondary TV. If it works, you know exactly what is faulty.
Problem: Receiving all channels except for one (or more)
Causes:
- The station is broadcasting on a different frequency.
While most TV stations use UHF frequency, some use VHF. Some antennas can pick up both.
Tips/Solution: Use an antenna optimized to receive VHF and UHF frequencies.
- Line-of-sight issues
There may be obstruction by other towers or lower elevations.
Tips/Solution: Change the location or elevation of the antenna to see if the problem persists.
Problem: Bad signal regardless of close proximity to Broadcast towers.
Cause:
- Your TV may be receiving interfering signals.
Sadly, this problem is not easily solved by getting a bigger/stronger antenna.
Tips/Solution: Move the antenna far away from other antennas and metal objects. If this doesn’t work, get an attenuator.
In conclusion, antenna issues are best left to professionals. However, you can always try to troubleshoot it yourself.
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