Roof top TV antennas

[gbryan]

Hello, has anyone successfully pulled in TV channels (like major networks etc.) by installing a rooftop antenna?. We don't often wish to watch other than movies but there are some events it would be fun to see(Oscars, Superbowl). Any info on this would be helpful such as best systems, suppliers, cost etc. We live not far from Graton to the north.
Thank you!

[tomcat]

We found a good roof top digital antenna doing an internet search and when we installed it we were amazed at all the channels we get over the air.
Of course, we live in south west santa rosa and have pretty good line of sight to the big tower in SF.
We were very happy to say bye bye to comcast.
Your results will vary depending on obstacles in the way. (hills, trees, etc.)
Good Luck.

Tom

Hello, has anyone successfully pulled in TV channels (like major networks etc.) by installing a rooftop antenna?. We don't often wish to watch other than movies but there are some events it would be fun to see(Oscars, Superbowl). Any info on this would be helpful such as best systems, suppliers, cost etc. We live not far from Graton to the north.
Thank you!

[Chris Murray]

We're between Graton and Forestville, don't have good line of sight, but still get 2, 4, 5, 9 & 22 using a Lava antenna. Not reliable enough if you're upset if you miss an episode of your favorite soap, but OK for occasional viewers. We have a conventional big antenna for 7 & 11 but that's a bit less reliable. There's a web site called Solid Signal that sells pretty much every antenna around, and I think they have customer service that may be able to help. They may point you to a site where you enter your address and it tells you what channels you can receive - told us we wouldn't get any.
FWIW we do have Netflix for entertainment, so mostly watch OTA for news and Jeopardy:-)

[BobHeisler]

Nowadays, since network programming is so dismal and the premium channels have many of the best produced TV shows, merely receiving local channels is not adequate enough.

We found a good roof top digital antenna doing an internet search and when we installed it we were amazed at all the channels we get over the air. ...

[radiodave]

Location, location, location.

We live in Guerneville on the river and can't get any TV with a rooftop antenna, even raised 20' above the roof, because there's a hilltops between us and the TV stations--and most stations are far away.. But if you're in a better location, it's worth investigating. You can start with rabbit ears or a coat hanger for starters.

www.antennaweb.org/ has a great tool that will tell you what stations you are likely to receive. I t correctly shows 0 station for my address. For Graton Rd at Hwy 116, it shows 8 stations and 13 channels (many stations broadcast multiple channels). www.solidsignal.com and https://www.antennasdirect.com are also good resources.

[seenhear]

Location, location, location.

We live in Guerneville on the river and can't get any TV with a rooftop antenna, even raised 20' above the roof, because there's a hilltops between us and the TV stations--and most stations are far away.. But if you're in a better location, it's worth investigating. You can start with rabbit ears or a coat hanger for starters.

www.antennaweb.org/ has a great tool that will tell you what stations you are likely to receive. I t correctly shows 0 station for my address. For Graton Rd at Hwy 116, it shows 8 stations and 13 channels (many stations broadcast multiple channels). www.solidsignal.com and https://www.antennasdirect.com are also good resources.

Radiodave hits it on the head, and the links he provides are what I was going to post too.

It's unlikely you'll get consistent reception from Graton, but you never know, if you happen to be on the SE side of things, with a fairly unobstructed view toward SF, it is possible. I know people in Windsor who get good reception, and SW SR is a pretty solid spot. Long ago I lived in Rohnert Park and had spotty HDTV reception. People up on the crest of Fountain Grove seem to do well.

FYI, there is no such thing as a "digital" antenna. Digital SDTV and HDTV (also digital) are broadcast over the same old radio waves that old-style analog TV was broadcast on, so the exact same antenna that you used in the 1970's or whenever, could still work to bring in glorious HDTV with digital surround sound, etc. The digital signal is modulated over an analog radio frequency, then de-modulated by the digital "ATSC" tuner in your TV. So don't buy an antenna just because it says "digital" on it. Likewise don't NOT buy one because it doesn't say "digital" on it. There is no analog TV in the USA any more, so all antennas receive "digital" tv if they work at all. :)

Funny story: when Iived in LA, I was up in the attic of our new (very old) house and checking on the cable & satellite TV wires. Up there covered in dust and debris was an old TV antenna from the 1960's. I unhooked the cable from the satellite dish and connected it to the antenna, and then to my HDTV, and presto! I had over a dozen stations in perfect digital glory for free. :)

MOST channels now broadcast in the UHF range. A couple of channels (I forget which ones) broadcast in the high VHF range. So if you could only have one, a UHF antenna would be the best bet. www.antennaweb.org will help you decide which one.

Do not start with rabbit ears, nor a coat hanger! You might get what was the old KFTY (now Spanish I think) if anything, but that's about it. From where you are, you're probably going to want a very large directional antenna. Get the biggest one you can fathom. Just be willing to sell it used if it doesn't work out. You'll need either a motor to turn it, or someone on the roof to help you fine tune the direction. Most channels you want will be from the same direction (Sutro Tower in SF). So once you lock in one channel from Sutro, that's probably the best you'll do for the rest. Antennaweb.org (IIRC) also tells you the broadcast power each station uses. Start with the highest powered channel; see if you can lock them in. If you can find that signal, then go and fine-tune the direction on the weaker stations.

If you end up with borderline reception, consider installing a tall mast. The higher the better. UHF (and for the most part VHF) radio waves are nearlly entirely reliant on line-of-sight. In very rare instances people in strange locations get a stronger signal by pointing toward a mountain that is reflecting the original signal than they do pointing directly at the broadcast tower. But I don't think this will happen around Graton. I've often wondered though if it might work for people in Kenwood to point their antennas at Sugarloaf... :)

Good luck and report back! I wish I could get a Sutro signal! It would be nice to drop cable. I want the SF local stations, but that's about it.