TV Antenna

[Jennifer03]

I recently moved in an apartment and can't afford to pay for any type of satellite dish service at the moment. However, I would still like to be able to watch some local channels. I purchased a $35 indoor antenna from Radio Shack, but it didn't work. I also tried using rabbit ears which did not work either. Does anyone happen to know what else I could try, or could it possibly just be the location of my apartment building that is causing the problem?

 

[MAKmom]

I think the building needs an antenna on the roof.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I think the building needs an antenna on the roof.

More than likely, especially if the building is older and more concrete was used than in newer buidings. My mom's condo was basically all concrete and the only solution - before cable - was to run the antenna all the way to the window.

 

[bicker]

You can enter your exact address into this URL and get advice about what channels you should and should not be able to receive, with what type of antenna, and what direction you need to have exposure to in order to receive that reception:

http://antennaweb.org

 

[ASFCurly]

I don't have any idea about the antenna, but would you be able to get the most basic cable? We have that available around here and it is pretty cheap.

 

[bicker]

That's a good point. Cable companies are required by law to provide broadcast channels for a very low price (even if it less than their cost), typically around $10-$15 per month.

One wrench there is that your landlord may have taken steps to prevent you from being offered that service. (That's one of the downsides of being a tenant.) Hopefully, that's not the case. (The FCC is trying to pass a new regulation that would make such things illegal... they're meeting to talk about it this week.)

 

[Jennifer03]

Thanks for the responses everyone! The apartment building I'm living in was built in 2000, so it's still pretty new. I don't know about the antenna on the roof, since my parents are able to just use rabbit ears at their house to watch the local channels. I'm going to look into just paying for the local channels through a cable company. Hopefully it won't be too expensive. Thanks again!

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

What's a TV antenna?

 

[Hercules10]

Are you getting ANY reception or is it just snow? They also have amplifiers for signals.

 

[JR6ooo4]

If you have the cable (or even just the jack) plug it in and see what you get! Sometimes it works.

Mikeeee

 

[elismom]

go into the menue on your tv and make sure it it switced from cable to air.
We don;t have cable we pull in quite a few channels

 

[bicker]

Actually, antennas are about to become really the way to go, for more folks, than they have been for many years.