9 Tips And Mistakes To Avoid When Mounting A TV Antenna

For many people, lounging in their comfy chair and watching TV is one of their favourite past-times, and for very good reasons. You can just shut off the outside world, forget about problems and just enjoy your favourite TV show, movie or game. Also, there aren’t a lot of things that can mess up this quality relaxing time. However, there is one.

If the image quality is bad, if the signal’s coming and going, or if the sound is off – you will probably get frustrated and irritated, and your me-time will become an unbearable experience. Most of these problems occur because there’s something wrong with the TV antenna.

On that note, we’ve decided to compile some useful TV antenna mounting tips, as well as warn you about some common mistakes that can be made. So, without further ado – let’s get right to it.

Tips To Fall Back On When Mounting A TV Antenna

Let’s start on a positive note and focus on antenna-mounting tips.

1. Decide On A Type

There are two main types of antennae – indoors and outdoors antennae. Depending on where you live and what kind of program you want to enjoy, this could be the most important decision you’ll make. So, before you go out and buy yourself a new aerial for your TV set – decide which one you’re going to get first.

To make sure you choose the right one, do the necessary research. Generally speaking, indoor antennae have weaker reception and do not offer the same image quality or the extensive program scheme as the outdoor ones. However, sometimes, they’re the only option based on where you live.

2. Research The Antennae

Aside from doing the research on which type is best suited for your needs and living conditions, you will also want to do your research on the aerials themselves. As you can probably guess, there are some high-quality and some low-quality models on the market. You will usually be able to tell them apart just by looking at the price tag, but keep in mind that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. Sometimes, they’re just made by greedy manufacturers. So, make sure you properly research the market and choose the one that suits your needs the most, but the one that also fits your budget.

3. Don’t Skip On Cabling

One of the most common problems that occur with aerials is the loss of signal due to faulty, low-quality cabling. Unfortunately, most of the time, the cables that come with aerials aren’t the best models on the market. They’re often cheap, thin, prone to breaking and usually wear far quicker than they’re supposed to.

Therefore, right after you invest in a new antenna, make sure you also invest in some high-quality cabling. Most importantly, buy yourself a high-quality coaxial cable, as they’re the ones that usually cause the most problems, according to aerialandsatelliteexpress.

4. Look Around

If you live in a densely populated neighbourhood, you should probably take a look around and see how your neighbours have positioned their aerials. This should give you a pretty good idea in which direction should you point yours.

5. Call For Professional Help

The indoor aerials are very easy to set up. Even a kid could do it. On the other hand, outdoor antennae, especially the ones mounted on rooftops, are not. If you want to make sure yours is installed properly, you’ll probably want to call for professional help. Our advice would be to do a little research and find a reliable TV aerial installation crew and have them do it for you. It’ll cost you a few quid, but you shouldn’t have any problems later on.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Mounting A TV Antenna

Now, let’s take a look at some aerial-mounting mistakes to avoid.

6. DIY Jobs

While many believe that mounting an antenna doesn’t require any skill or expertise – we beg to disagree. From what we’ve learned, most problems with TV antennae are directly related to doggy installations. More often than not, you’ll see signs of DIY installation as soon as you take a look at the mount – the aerial will be pointed in the wrong direction, the roof will be damaged, the materials used will be sub-par, and so on. So, in our own humble opinion, the number one mistake you should avoid is trying to mount the antenna all by yourself

7. Installing Used Antennas

While this isn’t an installation mistake, per se, buying a used antenna just to save a few quid isn’t going to play out good for you. These have a limited lifespan, just like any other product, and if you buy a used antenna, you’ll probably get something with only a few years left in the tank, and that’s the best-case scenario. Also, what happens when you buy an old model that can’t pick up a digital signal? Just by new ones.

8. Installing An Antenna Near Power Lines Or Metal Objects

This won’t ever happen if you hire a professional to do it, but if you try and DIY it, do your best to keep the gear away from power lines or metal objects. Power lines and metal objects will certainly interfere with the signal you’re receiving, so no matter how precise and good you mount the antenna – you will get stuck with bad reception.

9. (Not) Using An Amplifier

An amplifier can be more than beneficial if you need to boost your antenna. However, if there is no use for it, you will only achieve the opposite effect. If you use an amplifier that is too strong, or even use one when you don’t need it – you will struggle with getting a got signal. If you even manage to get one, that is. But also, if you don’t consult with a pro and you don’t get one, you also might not get any signal at all. So, be smart and consult with the people that know what they’re doing when it comes to these things.

Conclusion:

There you have it. Perhaps you’ve been one of the people that were led to believe that installing and mounting a TV antenna was child’s play, but we sure hope we proved you wrong. Hopefully, you’ll take our advice to heart if you ever end up needing it. Take care!