How big is it? Is it easy to attach to the TV? Where are you going to put it outside and is that easy? What if you have 2 TVs? Also, once you find a station, will you always have that station? Sorry about all the questions but these are things I would need to know.
I do not have all of the answers for you, @Chrissy Page . However, it is about 2 feet long, and under 10 lbs. Bobby got a little plastic pipe pole, and he is going to put it up on the roof , or by the roof. Amazon has a good selection of antennas, and some of them you can just stick up in your window. that might be all you would need, and not even have to have someone install it. You would have to look at the antennas and see. If you are close to the local tv station antennas, then even the small ones would pick it up. I am not sure if it works with more than one tv, but maybe @Bobby Cole can answer that question, as well as how easy it was to put up (after he does it tomorrow). As far as I know, once you find the station, you should be able to always get it. Remember the old TV's with rabbit ears, or even the big outside antennas ? this is the modern version of those. So whatever it can receive, it should always be able to receive. Here is the one we got.
No rush in getting answers, Yvonne but thanks. The price is certainly good. Lots of good reviews also. My concern obviously is ease of installation.
That looks like a nice one, @Yvonne Smith. I don't have a drill, nor can I afford one, and installation is always an issue for me, as well. @Chrissy Page Each television has to be connected to an antenna, unless you're able to pick up channels via your digital tuner in your television. To test that out, you could detach the cable and change the input setting from 'cable/satellite' to antenna, and see what it picks up. That usually takes up to 30 minutes or so for it to go through the process. As @Yvonne Smith mentioned, these are comparable to the old antennas on top of the houses, which would be whole house antennas. With those, there's a way to hook each individual TV into that...I think they're called splitters or something. I'm not that well versed, but did go the cord cutting route several years back. I don't have a whole house antenna here, so needed two separate antennas for the TVs, and just used a DVD player on the 3rd TV, rather than buying a third antenna. You may be able to receive enough stations via your television's internal tuner, especially if it's a newer TV. Mine aren't that new, and I'm about 35 miles out from the city, so I really need antennas to obtain the local stations. @Yvonne Smith I'm so envious that you can get Create!! My mom raves about that, but I don't get it here. @Chrissy Page If you do the test I mentioned, don't forget to change the input setting back when you reattach the cable to the television, and you might need to reset your cable box, but it's a pretty easy process. PS if anything I've stated here has changed, feel free to update me, I'm re-learning the subject. Perhaps @Yvonne's antenna can be used as a whole house one, I'm not sure how all of those connections work, nor exactly how splitters function.
@Diane Lane , that sounds a little scary to me. Although I did buy and get in the house and set up my TV in my bedroom all by myself. Connected all the wires to the right places. I don't think I've ever been prouder of myself! Although these TVs aren't heavy they are awkward to carry by yourself. So I had a small chair on wheels that I put it on and wheeled it to my bedroom.
If I was nearby I'd do it for you, @Chrissy Page. Is there someone you could ask? It's actually really easy to just disconnect the cable from the back, especially since you connected it initially. I totally understand about carrying them around. Thank God they're not the huge backed heavy ones anymore, those were impossible to maneuver by one's self. Your television remote (from the actual TV, not cable company) has the set up button where you initially selected cable/satellite when you hooked it up, and that's easy to switch back, once you're familiar with where it is. For me, the confusion comes when you have extra components connected, the way I do downstairs. I used to be good with things like that, but that changed after the accident, and I'm no longer able to map things out in my head the way I could. I have a blu-ray player and also a sound bar connected, and I get very confused by all of the cords and connections these days. One day I'll sit down and paint them or otherwise label them so it's less confusing, but if you don't have extra components attached, it's fairly straightforward. @Ken Anderson I hope this is o.k., if not, just delete this part of the post. Here's a forum I go to on the subject of Cord Cutting. There's a lot of information over there that might be helpful for those here who are interested in the subject.
I only have one controller, I probably had another one but I would have to dig around to find it. No, I have nobody nearby to do anything for me. I have lights that have gone out and they are the type I can't replace without the chance of falling off a high ladder.
Please don't be so paranoid about what's okay. I'm not that picky and, besides, your post seems to be entirely on topic.
Okee-Dokee........the antenna is now on the roof!! Coming out of the box it took me about 15 or so minutes to put it together. A #2 Phillips and a Reed and Prince screw driver is all I needed. You don't even need to know how to read in order to get it right which might appeal to some of our less proficient college students of today. I did have to pick up an 18" X 1 1/2 " piece of PVC to serve as a pole, an anchor plate and a PVC adaptor for the plate at the hardware store. (about 5 beans). In my case I wanted it on the roof so I had to make a small deck to offset the rake of the roof so the pole would be vertically plumb but all that said, the total amount of work was about an hour. Thus far I have only checked a couple of directions and we get 28 EXTREMELY clear channels. Without looking at Yvonne's post I believe she noted the same number of channels but at least now the antenna isn't just sitting on our front porch. The directional remote is going to take a little getting used to because the antenna only goes 360 degrees otherwise the thing would go round and round with the wire. Just the experiment of sitting it on the porch tells me that it can be installed just about anywhere you might want. If you aren't worried about the directional ability and just want to shoot for a conglomeration of towers a person could probably put it on a table in the back yard or in your attic. Over all, easy stuff and a great product. But, there is always something to beware of. If you want it installed on the roof, DO NOT look at the gutters as I did. Now, I have a couple hours of work tomorrow cleaning the things out along with some shingles that need replacing and the neighbor's pine needles to blow off of our roof!!! I like my neighbor but I wish I could get him to come clean his needles out of our gutters and roof. No, on second thought, he might fall off our ladder or something and we'd wind up paying for hospital bills. It's a derned if you do and derned if ya don't type of situation.
Thanks Bobby for the info, I would not put it on my roof and I already know my gutters need cleaning because that's what the plumbers told me when I called them one rainy night because I though I had a leak. After hours emergency call and it was water falling from my gutters on to a puddle and bouncing up. Since it was costing just $145 to have them come out I decided to have them come in and fix a toilet that needed a $12 part. I really am a ditzy blonde.
Okay now Chrissy, I wasn't going to ask but I just can't seem to get something out of my head. Uh, about the plumber thing. Did I get it right when you wrote that you called a plumber because your roof leaked? Granted, it was great you got your commode fixed but............?? There has to be some information missing here. Yeah, I know I am WAY off topic but this inquiring brain just has to know.
The plumbers told me it was my gutter leaking but I though it was a pipe on the ground that had broken. It was dark and it was pouring. A saw a small puddle and gurgling water and it looked like water was spraying up and I do have pipes in that area. My sprinkler system and my drain pipe. I even took a video of it but it was kind of dark so it was hard to tell.
That's a little clearer now. I did have a small fear that something was either amiss with your assessment of the problem or the plumbers union had absorbed yet another union other than the pipe fitters who are now responsible for natural and propane gas. In that case I would not blame you for not getting an antenna because it might take a plumber to put it up on the roof and an electrician to plug it in thereby costing you about $500.00 for a $39.99 antenna. But, all that said and my brain is cleared of the leak problem, you might still want to look into the "flat" antenna which can sit in your window and receives signals up to 50 miles.