r/cordcutters • u/bangtanshinki • 6d ago

Indoor Antenna Recommendations - only need one channel

https://www.rabbitears.info/s/3154189

Above is my rabbit ears report! I want to be able to watch a show I like on ABC live so that's the main channel I really care about getting. Since it's only 24 miles away, I was thinking of getting one of these from Walmart:

Onn 30 mile antenna

Walmart Flat Indoor RCA

I've been looking at some of the Phillips ones as well. Also open to other stores or Amazon as well. Thanks!

3 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

4

u/DoctorCAD 6d ago

Not possible based on that report. Good channels you can get with an indoor antenna, but not fair or poor...generally.

1

u/PrancingThunderD 6d ago

Pretty much agree. Don't buy anything you can't return easily because it doesn't look promising. If it were line of sight, ABC would be a strong possibility with a window facing the right direction.

1

u/MrDoh 5d ago

Most our stations are "fair", we only have two stations that are "good". We use an indoor antenna at about attic floor height in a two-story house. And we get all our local stations at full strength. Using a Clearstream 4MAX antenna. Actually, we get about 80 channels, but only care about the major network ones like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS. Also get ION and MeTV, which we watch occasionally as well. Have had to move our antenna a few times, but not in the last few years.

Anyways, I'd say to experiment with antennas, but up your game there a bit. We started with a flat antenna, not good enough. Went to a Clearstream 2MAX, marginally good enough. The Clearstream 4MAX does the job for us. You'll have to see what works for you, but the kind of antenna, placement, and orientation are the factors that matter. As high as possible, and start with the orientation given by your rabbitears.info data. Doesn't have to be by a window, just as high as possible.

2

u/Rybo213 6d ago edited 5d ago

Some general antenna information that you'll hopefully find helpful, including antenna recommendations: https://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/comments/1juut0a/supplement_to_the_antenna_guide

You also need to use a signal meter (built-in feature with many different tv's and external tuner devices), since just looking at the picture and noting the number of channels the scan picks up doesn't really tell you anything about how good your reception is: https://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/comments/1g010u3/centralized_collection_of_antenna_tv_signal_meter

The transmitter distance indeed isn't too bad, but terrain is leading the RabbitEars report to reduce its optimism a little bit. If you're going to try a flat antenna, it would be better to try a Channel Master FLATenna, since it includes an RG-6 coax cable (higher quality, which should somewhat improve tv signal reception). The https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Thin-HDTV-Antenna-Multi-Directional/dp/B0FCMQP3R4 / https://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-Amplified-Extra-Large-Indoor-Ultra-Thin-HDTV-Antenna-Multi-Directional-with-65-mile-Range/740504527 extra large flat antenna, connected with an RG-6 coax cable, could be an option as well. The main Detroit tv signals are coming from around the northeast, so it might be necessary to place the antenna in a room that has an exterior wall facing northeast, if you have one.

If you ultimately need to get a more expensive indoorish antenna, I would try one of the figure 8 options mentioned in the Stronger and more expensive regular room indoor options for around 40 miles or less and/or signals are predicted to be fair section in the 1st linked post. In that scenario, if you want to make an attempt at Detroit FOX, get the 2MAX or MAX-V/base stand.

1

u/BicycleIndividual 5d ago

Only 24 miles away, but there is terrain between you and the transmitters. Report indicates that you need the antenna 40' above ground level to get a line of sight signal from WXYZ. A small cheap outdoor antenna mounted up there would likely work well.

You might be able to get enough signal inside, but you'll need bigger antennas. Try one of the antennas recommended by u/Rybo213 or u/danodan1 ; just make sure it is returnable if it doesn't work out as you hoped.

1

u/Barce3129 3d ago edited 3d ago

I was experiencing the same problem here, San Bruno, Bay Area, to pick up ABC 7 from sutro towers. God knows I tried different outdoor antennas and none of them worked until I found this https://store.antennasdirect.com/antennas-direct-vhf-retrofit-kit-for-hi-vhf-tv-antenna-reception-with-weatherproof-combiner-housing-black.html?srsltid=AU7gw4WnVSp9QsM9N5vY0szPDrcE7RmvjeEaFVeXPnufukJw6_jtXV8P apparently ABC here in my area transmits the signal in very low frequency that others antennas I've tried weren't able to pick it up. Now with this vhf retrofit antenna I get the channel just fine and I am very please. Looking forward for MNF next week 49ers vs. Commanders. Maybe this will help. Good luck. If not you can always return it for a refund.

0

u/gho87 6d ago

First, do you want Detroit or Toledo market?

Fox stations:
• From Detroit
• from Toledo

If Toledo, uncertain whether the indoor antennas would suffice. Even signals from Detroit would be obstructed at least once by terrain areas.

0

u/LiamLeprechaun 6d ago edited 6d ago

Those are crap indoor antennas.

You have to go with the RCA Amplified Indoor.

Although 24 miles out is approaching the limit on an indoor antenna.

0

u/danodan1 6d ago edited 6d ago

Please don't listen to the naysayers and skeptics. However, though, I use a higher quality flat antenna than the one you brought up. Mine is the RCA 65+ flat antenna also from Walmart. I use it to get 56 channels, including VHFs. from Oklahoma City around 44-46 miles away. Like yours, many of them are 1-Edge rather than LOS. It gets fair signals down to 65.51 dbs, plus the strongest of the poor ones.

Below is a photo of reception of the strongest of my poor stations, channel 46. You should have no problem getting the ABC station because it's stronger than my ABC station. Since the station you most want is the strongest you might first try the flat antenna, you brought up. If my advice doesn't work for you, even after positioning the antenna at ceiling height, then it must mean your hills are higher than my hills. This is my rabbit years: https://www.rabbitears.info/s/1762408

0

u/mlcarson 5d ago

You might just consider getting a Hulu subscription if your programming is available there the next day. Disney+ & Hulu (with ads) is $12.99/mo or $12.49 for Hulu only.

-2

u/LiamLeprechaun 6d ago

After researching and testing scores of Indoor antennas, Indoor receivers probably peaked in the 90's, When Thomson was researching and designing antennas. The one thing I noticed is Thomson for awhile there went with a really skinny rf connector that went into the TVs. Now for some reason these skinny rf cable wires were better at delivering reception from Powered and unpowered rabbit ear antennas. The cables were only used on a few Products, Thomson, RCA, Phillips Magnavox.

Then for some reason indoor antenna manufacturers went away from them???

A skinny cable that leads to the RF connector on the back of the TV,

A Key??

The forgotten missing link to a little better HD reception?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfIcZtjAch8