HD OTA Indoor Antennae

[taelon721]

We just got a Polaroid TLX-04240B HDTV. Hooked it up, and found out that I needed an antennae for the HD locals. I live in the Tulsa, Ok area, so our major electronic stores are Bestbuy and CircuitCity. Probably 15 miles from the TV towers. We won't be using cable or satellite.

Looking for an indoor antennae. Checked the websites for the two stores I mentioned above, and there were some bad reviews on the antennaes I looked at. I don't mind spending up to $70 for an antennae as long as we don't have to move it, when we change stations. Other reviews claimed a cheapo $10 antennae worked as good as a $50 one.

Any suggestions? I just can't afford to buy my parents a $70 antennae that doesn't work.

Thanks....

 

[Mdvalenz]

AntennaWeb

just put in your info and it will tell you what channels are in your area and what type of antenna to use to get them.

 

[navychop]

Two rules:

1. For indoor use, you won't likely find a better antenna than the Silver Sensor. Zenith/Sears.
2. Never buy Terk. Overpriced, good looking, underperforming junk.

 

[ciwsguy]

I can tell you from my own experience that unless you are fairly close to the transmitter towers (i.e., 5 miles or so) you likely won't be happy with HDTV reception from any indoor or attic mount antenna. I'm 21 miles from the digital transmitter towers, have clear LOS and get Excellent reception from my $25 Winegard 4 bay bowtie outside antenna. I picked up analog TV channels I didn't know existed when I installed it. Before I had an attic antenna and had nothing but ghosts & snowstorms on analog UHF freqs. Rabbit ears worked OK as long as I held onto the antenna with my hand. I just flat gaveup on rabbitears and the attic antenna.

 

[teamlazyboy]

i have a junked up set of 20db phillips rabbit ears that are probably 10 - 15 years old running with a 30 db amp. I'm more than 30 miles from the Huntsville, AL market and more than 60 miles from the birmingham market and i get ALL of huntsville's HD at > 80% and most of birmingham's HD at > 50% signal.

point is that your case may be different than others..but at 15 miles i wouldn't worry about reviews untill you've used an antenna, a lower end setup may work just fine for you.

 

[vikingrob]

Two rules:

1. For indoor use, you won't likely find a better antenna than the Silver Sensor. Zenith/Sears.
2. Never buy Terk. Overpriced, good looking, underperforming junk.

I have a Terk which picks up a digital station on physical channel 40 quite nicely from about 50 miles from the transmitter. It also helps that it is the same general direction of the transmitters for the Minneapolis stations.

 

[Jim5506]

A small outdoor antenna will have fewer reception problems than an indoor antenna because there are so many reflections and attenuations going on indoors.

That's not saying an indoor antenna will not work, they often do but still the signal is subject to the aforementioned complexities.

 

[taelon721]

Thanks

Thanks for all your input guys.