Outdoor TV antenna direction is vital for good signal reception.
However, it’s often a struggle to get the antenna facing in the right direction, and it can be very frustrating.
So why is the direction important, and how do you know the right direction to point your antenna?
Also, is there a way to make aiming an antenna correctly easier?
Read on to learn the answers to these questions, plus helpful tips on proper antenna direction.
Table of Contents
- What Is Antenna Directivity?
- Does the Direction of an Antenna Matter?
- What Makes a TV Antenna Directional?
- How Do I Know the Right Direction to Point My Antenna?
- Which Direction Should I Point My Outdoor Antenna?
- Tips for Good Antenna Direction
- FAQs
- Conclusion
What Is Antenna Directivity?
Antenna directivity is the directional pattern of a TV antenna’s radiation.
And this pattern, expressed in dB, determines the antenna’s reception of signals from the transmission tower to the TV.
For this reason, you must orient an antenna in a specific direction for good signal quality.
The higher the directivity, the more focused the signal beam to the antenna. That also means that the beam can travel further away.
Thus, a higher directivity is always the best option for a TV antenna.
That’s because the antenna must receive signals from towers typically very far from the antenna.
However, in cases where there’s directivity from all directions, such as is the case with an omnidirectional antenna, the directivity is 0dB.
Note the directivity of an antenna is directly proportional to antenna gain.
Does the Direction of an Antenna Matter?
Undoubtedly, the direction of an antenna is important for maximum coverage.
So aiming your antenna in the right direction will increase its performance.
The gain in the main direction helps have a better TV signal.
That said, the type of antenna will determine the direction you should point the antenna.
And placing the antenna in the wrong direction is out of line with the incoming signal.
Also, it makes the antenna vulnerable to multipath interference due to obstacles on the signal’s path.
That’s when the broadcasted signal bounces off several times on objects before reaching the antenna. And the result is that your antenna receives the same signal multiple times.
But by pointing the antenna in the right direction, the antenna can focus better on the right signal.
What Makes a TV Antenna Directional?
Now, the antenna’s ability to focus on signals in either one or all directions makes it directional or not directional.
For example, if your antenna is a typical directional one, like a Yagi, it has a 45 to 90 degrees radius.
Thus, it focuses the RF (radio frequency) energy in the required direction. That way, it limits its connectivity to that particular area.
With such antennas, to change the signal it’s receiving to another one, you must adjust the new signal’s direction.
On the other hand, an omnidirectional antenna receives signals from all directions. Thus you can point it in any direction.
Now you might wonder if this is necessary.
If you live in an area where the transmission towers are in different directions, such a feature can come in handy.
That’s because you won’t have to keep adjusting the antenna direction.
How Do I Know the Right Direction to Point My Antenna?
Fortunately, there are several ways to figure out the best direction to point your antenna:
- Use an app: Today; several apps will help you know the direction of transmission towers within your locality. Then you can aim the antenna toward the direction of the tower. Such apps include Antenna Point, Signal Finder, and Rabbit Ears.
- Use a signal strength meter: There are various signal strength meters you can use to align your antenna in the right direction. Typically, these meters have LED indicators that blink at different signal strengths.
(Caption: Signal strength meter)
- Visually aligning the antenna to the tower: Now, this entails a lot of trial and error, so it can be difficult. However, it’s much easier if you already know the direction of the transmission towers around you. But ensure that there are no obstructions along the path of the signal from the tower to the antenna.
Which Direction Should I Point My Outdoor Antenna?
For an omnidirectional antenna with VHF (very high frequency)-attracting poles at the center, just ensure that at least one of the poles points toward the direction of the tower within your area.
As it receives signals from all directions, it’s less affected by orientation.
In contrast, if you have a directional antenna, ensure it points directly toward the transmission tower.
Tips for Good Antenna Direction
The following are some tips to help you point your antenna in the right direction:
- Adjust antenna: See, there are always reflections and interferences to the transmission. Thus, adjusting the antenna helps you get a better signal reception.
- Avoid standing too close to the antenna: When you stand in front of a directional antenna, you block the signal. As a result, the signal may suffer from absorption, reflections, and proximity capacitance, compromising the signal.
- Find appropriate placement position: When determining a good location to place your antenna, avoid buildings, trees, or any other objects that obscure the signal coming from the tower. Instead, try to get an accurate alignment for your antenna and the transmission tower.
- Know the direction of the transmission line: When you know the direction of the transmission tower, it minimizes the time you spend lifting and turning the antenna trying to find a signal. Thus, it speeds up the process of acquiring a strong signal. But more to that, it helps you know how high you should place your antenna for better signal reception.
- Know the type of polarization of the signal: Polarization is the direction of the electromagnetic fields that the antenna produces. And this direction must match that of the signal received. Consequently, the type of polarization of the signal helps determine the direction to aim the antenna.
- Use quality coax cable: You might think that all that matters is that the coaxial cable is not faulty and has no visible signs of damage, such as fraying. However, a cable of poor quality will compromise the quality of the signal, causing pixelation. And no amount of direction changing will fix that.
FAQs
What Is the Front of an Outdoor TV Antenna?
The front is one of the ends of the antenna, with the short elements in the front part of the antenna.
Which Direction Should My TV Aerial Be?
The antenna should point in the direction of the transmission tower.
That will ensure that the antenna polarization matches that of the incoming signal.
Consequently, you’ll get a strong signal.
Conclusion
That’s all about outdoor TV antenna direction. As we’ve seen, the direction of your antenna determines the quality of signal that your TV receives.
Thankfully, now you know how to determine the best direction to point your antenna. Granted, there are many types of antennas.
But by employing the tips mentioned above, you can position whichever antenna you use perfectly.
