Setting up an antenna for digital television: how to accurately aim at a TV tower and catch channels

Digital television has completely replaced analog in Russia, however, the issues of tuning, choosing equipment, improving the quality of the transmitted signal, as well as choosing the right antenna direction and reducing the noise level do not lose their relevance.

Self-tuning the antenna to a digital signal

It will not be difficult to set up digital signal reception on your own, it is not necessary to use the services of specialists. Thanks to simple instructions , it is possible to set up work between the broadcasting tower and the
antenna , and get a high-quality digital picture on the TV screen on your own.

Where to direct the antenna: we determine the location of the TV tower

To catch high-quality TV waves, orient the antenna towards the TV center transmitting a digital signal in the DVB-T2 format
.

If the repeater is located in the line of sight, it is not necessary to observe the accuracy of the direction, if the tuning is carried out far from the telecentre, increased accuracy is required.

In small settlements with one broadcasting tower, the location of which is known, it will not be difficult to orient the receiver. In large cities or remote settlements, where the location of the nearest broadcasting tower is in question:

1. Visit the “Digital TV Coverage Map” section on the official website of the Russian TV and Radio Broadcasting Network.
2. In the search bar, enter the address of the antenna installation, and click “find”. A tab will open with the distance to the nearest TV center, direction and frequency of broadcasting.
3. On the map, select the nearest tower, which is indicated by the red TV tower. Click on the tower icon to find out if the address of the tuned receiver is within the broadcast area, distance and direction to the repeater.
4. Select a channel package and see if the tuning site is within the coverage area highlighted in red or blue.
5. Point the antenna towards the nearest TV center.

Necessary equipment

To watch TV channels in digital format, you need the following equipment:

• a modern TV with an adapter that accepts a DVB-T2 signal;
• UHF antenna :
  • room – suitable if the tower is located in the line of sight, no further than 15 km;
  • street – installed when the distance to the tower is more than 15 km and in the presence of obstacles in the form of relief and buildings;
  • collective – for apartment buildings above 5 floors.

Reasons for no signal related to antenna direction and alignment

It happens that the antenna is connected to the TV receiver, but there is no signal. Let’s figure out the common reasons:

• problems with signal reception – when determining the direction of the antenna, the terrain and buildings were not taken into account, or the antenna was not directed towards the tower;
• the antenna is out of order;
• incorrect connection sequence between the antenna and the TV receiver;
• no coverage area – no towers transmitting a digital signal;
• incorrect connection from connector to antenna.

How to tune the antenna to strengthen the signal and avoid interference?

The image quality deteriorates with unsure reception of a digital signal, and sometimes there are interference in the operation of digital television, although less often than when receiving an analog signal. To avoid this and get a clear picture, you need to:

• raise the external antenna higher – the quality will improve due to the reception of a direct signal;
• position the antenna as far as possible from electrical equipment and metal objects;
• avoid installing additional connectors and tees;
• specify the direction of the antenna to the source of the signal transmission;
• position the amplifier as close to the antenna as possible.

Do-it-yourself installation and configuration of the T2 antenna: https://youtu.be/nopjSi-DSuk Having the necessary equipment, you should try to establish reception of a digital signal yourself. Follow these simple instructions to improve the signal and eliminate interference.