What To Know About A HDTV Attic Antenna Installation

Time and time again many of my customers purchasing an antenna on my site already have the intentions of installing it in their attic. Although it’s hard to pass up the convenience of this type of installation…no tall ladders, no outside elements to deal with and of course much more safer. You may want to think twice on an attic install. It may be well worth the extra effort to get up on that roof of yours or maybe even hire a handyman to do the dirty work!

Simply Put…Outdoor Antennas Out-perform Attic Antenna Mount Ones

The first thing I tell customers when ordering their antenna is that I do not recommend an attic antenna mount for areas that are more than 30 miles away from the desired TV broadcast towers, and even in this instance there should be very little terrain to weaken or block the signal between the transmitters and your antenna.

Since digital signals get weaker the further away they are from the broadcast towers, you definitely need an antenna that has more "gain" the farther you are from the source of the signal. Is your attic large enough to “house” an attic antenna? As you and I both know some attics just don’t have the space needed for an antenna, let alone crawling around up there trying to maneuver one in the position you want for optimal performance. So it might be a good idea to take a peek up there and look around! All our antennas have their dimensions in the "product descriptions" so it will be pretty simple to determine if one will fit up there.

An Attic TV Antenna Is Usually Not A Good Choice

There are many factors that may play part in why mounting your antenna in the attic it is not such a good idea. First, your building materials.

·         Aluminum siding

·         Foiled–back insulation

·         Metal roofs

·         Chimneys

·         Metal ducts

·         Asphalt shingled roofing

All of the above have a huge impact on how well your antenna will receive the signals. In few cases it's quite possible you can loose up to 50% of your signal with an attic mounted antenna! Yes that’s right, 50%! Take for instance your asphalt roof shingles. They can degrade your incoming signal by at least 3db. With this in mind, a good rule of thumb is, a HD attic antenna that is more than 10 miles away from the broadcasting towers in most all cases will need a preamplifier. With all the obstacles you may have to contend with, purchasing a strong antenna coupled with a preamplifier is your best defense for attic installations.

Don't get me wrong...I do have many satisfied customers who have mounted their antennas in the attic. Just wanted to throw these possible conditions you may have that I mentioned above. Could save you a lot of time a frustration...you can thank me later! If you think you fall into any of the "unfavorable" conditions mentioned above...Mount it on the roof!

If still uncertain contact me for a personal recommendation based on your conditions. I will be glad to help!