How to Hook Up a TV Antenna
There are a few antenna options available., Use a rotor., Identify the antenna connection on your television., Connect the antenna to your television using coaxial RF cables (also known as "F" cables)., Set up your television., Adjust your antenna...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: There are a few antenna options available.
Rabbit ears, multi-element beams, and large array antennae used in remote locations.
Pick the one that best suits your requirements.
Rabbit ears have two telescoping rods you can move around.
These are optimised for receiving VHF signals.
While they are better than nothing, they are not the best solution for good television reception.
Multi-element beam antenna are the most common antenna, and will serve you well.
Those are the ones you commonly see on roof tops or masts.
They have several elements, each one longer than the other.
This design eliminates multi-pathing and focuses the signal, acting sort of like an electronic version of a magnifying glass.
They come in a variety of sizes.
Larger antenna are great if you live in a remote area, in a valley, behind a hill, or other significant obstruction where you may need a larger antenna to get the maximum amount of signal—but don't buy anything bigger than you need to do the job.
Really big TV antennas are meant for remote areas.
If you are closer in you may pick up too much signal which will lead to distortion, or get channel interference and crosstalk from catching weak overlapping signals from further away. -
Step 2: Use a rotor.
If your location is such that one channel is broadcast from north of you, for example, and another channel is broadcasting to the west you, you may need an antenna rotor so you can turn the beam toward the station's tower.
If the angles only vary a little bit, or the stations are all fairly close, you shouldn't have much of a problem.
If the angle is more than about 30 degrees apart, you may need the rotor—depending on how far the towers are.
If you don't have a rotor, but find yourself running up the roof to adjust the antenna every time you change the channel, you'll soon be looking for the best rotor for the job! , It will probably be what is called an F connector, or a round, threaded nub with a small hole in the end.
There are older styles of connectors, such as the Belling Lee connector, or the spade-and-lug style connector, but digital signals are best served by an F connector.
Note: if you have an older style connector, visit Radio Shack or your local TV store and get the correct adapter.
Digital televisions have a special input for digital reception, usually marked "DTV" or "DTT".
They will not be able to mate to the old connectors directly. , There are two basic types: screw in and push on.
Either of these will work but the screw-on variety holds a little tighter. , Using your television's setup menu (consult your owner's manual for exact procedures), set your Input to either "Antenna" or "Air." Some televisions have multiple inputs: make sure you're setting the correct input during this procedure.
If you also have cable, and multiple inputs, you can set one input to be cable, and the other to be the antenna input. , Scan through the channels with your television tuner to see what channels are within range.
If you see a fuzzy picture, reorient the antenna until the signal is clear.
Note: some antennae are motorized, saving you the trouble of running up to the roof to adjust the antenna.
For digital television, you may have special menu options for a full scan and a "manual scan." To optimize your antenna placement, you must do a full scan every time you change the position of the antenna.
Write down all the settings, do a full scan, and count the number of channels found each time. , Find each channel's broadcast location (distance and angle) by looking at a customized map appropriate for your area.
If all the channels are in one direction (within 20 degrees), then it is easier to aim a directional antenna.
In the case that you need different settings to get different channels, then write down not only how many channels are picked up by the scan, but which ones.
Determine the main settings that you need and write them down close to the television.
Do the manual scan with each setting to add all the channels to your TV menus, and set the antenna appropriately for each channel that you watch.
Some televisions will memorize the channels that come in strongly enough to make a clear picture.
You can set this as you search for and find broadcasters. -
Step 3: Identify the antenna connection on your television.
-
Step 4: Connect the antenna to your television using coaxial RF cables (also known as "F" cables).
-
Step 5: Set up your television.
-
Step 6: Adjust your antenna.
-
Step 7: Locate your local broadcast locations.
Detailed Guide
Rabbit ears, multi-element beams, and large array antennae used in remote locations.
Pick the one that best suits your requirements.
Rabbit ears have two telescoping rods you can move around.
These are optimised for receiving VHF signals.
While they are better than nothing, they are not the best solution for good television reception.
Multi-element beam antenna are the most common antenna, and will serve you well.
Those are the ones you commonly see on roof tops or masts.
They have several elements, each one longer than the other.
This design eliminates multi-pathing and focuses the signal, acting sort of like an electronic version of a magnifying glass.
They come in a variety of sizes.
Larger antenna are great if you live in a remote area, in a valley, behind a hill, or other significant obstruction where you may need a larger antenna to get the maximum amount of signal—but don't buy anything bigger than you need to do the job.
Really big TV antennas are meant for remote areas.
If you are closer in you may pick up too much signal which will lead to distortion, or get channel interference and crosstalk from catching weak overlapping signals from further away.
If your location is such that one channel is broadcast from north of you, for example, and another channel is broadcasting to the west you, you may need an antenna rotor so you can turn the beam toward the station's tower.
If the angles only vary a little bit, or the stations are all fairly close, you shouldn't have much of a problem.
If the angle is more than about 30 degrees apart, you may need the rotor—depending on how far the towers are.
If you don't have a rotor, but find yourself running up the roof to adjust the antenna every time you change the channel, you'll soon be looking for the best rotor for the job! , It will probably be what is called an F connector, or a round, threaded nub with a small hole in the end.
There are older styles of connectors, such as the Belling Lee connector, or the spade-and-lug style connector, but digital signals are best served by an F connector.
Note: if you have an older style connector, visit Radio Shack or your local TV store and get the correct adapter.
Digital televisions have a special input for digital reception, usually marked "DTV" or "DTT".
They will not be able to mate to the old connectors directly. , There are two basic types: screw in and push on.
Either of these will work but the screw-on variety holds a little tighter. , Using your television's setup menu (consult your owner's manual for exact procedures), set your Input to either "Antenna" or "Air." Some televisions have multiple inputs: make sure you're setting the correct input during this procedure.
If you also have cable, and multiple inputs, you can set one input to be cable, and the other to be the antenna input. , Scan through the channels with your television tuner to see what channels are within range.
If you see a fuzzy picture, reorient the antenna until the signal is clear.
Note: some antennae are motorized, saving you the trouble of running up to the roof to adjust the antenna.
For digital television, you may have special menu options for a full scan and a "manual scan." To optimize your antenna placement, you must do a full scan every time you change the position of the antenna.
Write down all the settings, do a full scan, and count the number of channels found each time. , Find each channel's broadcast location (distance and angle) by looking at a customized map appropriate for your area.
If all the channels are in one direction (within 20 degrees), then it is easier to aim a directional antenna.
In the case that you need different settings to get different channels, then write down not only how many channels are picked up by the scan, but which ones.
Determine the main settings that you need and write them down close to the television.
Do the manual scan with each setting to add all the channels to your TV menus, and set the antenna appropriately for each channel that you watch.
Some televisions will memorize the channels that come in strongly enough to make a clear picture.
You can set this as you search for and find broadcasters.
About the Author
Amy Knight
Writer and educator with a focus on practical organization knowledge.
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