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Cable television gets more expensive every year.  Satellite TV is also costly and suffers from propagation anamolies.

There is an alternative to high monthly television bills....free over-the-air (OTA) television.

Digital televisions are equipped to receive these free signals.  After entering initial settings (see the television manual or look it up online), connect an antenna and you're set.

Small indoor antennas, even those hawked as so-called miracle antennas, will usually only bring in a few signals that may fade when you walk around the room or the weather changes.

Indoor antennas with built-in amplifiers may bring slight improvement, but a simple outdoor antenna provides better and more stable reception.  

FCC regulations permit all viewers, not subscribing to pay television cable or satellite service, to install an antenna sufficient to receive local signals.  

Municipalities, HOAs and other land use regulators cannot override this right, even if their regulations deny outdoor antennas--or Over The Air Receiving Devices (OTARDs) in FCC lingo.

See FCC LEGALITIES below.

Installing a basic outdoor antenna does not require an extensive knowledge of electronics.  Falling off a ladder or coming in contact with high-voltage power lines are the biggest potential hazards.

Here is what you will need:

Directional antenna:  Sold by most home improvement outlets or available online.  Prices start at around $35.  Generally the more expensive and larger antennas receive more channels.  Some antennas come equipped with rotators, which usually perform better.  Antennas made for RVs are also good for home use.  If you are competent doing metal work, plans are available online to fabricate your own antenna...some even use coat hangars.

Mast pole(s) to hold antenna:  Two ten-foot sections of chain-link fence top rail, stood up vertically with one end pushed slightly into the ground, work well as a mast.  The two poles attach together and provide 20 feet of antenna height, sufficient for most applications in the Jacksonville area.  For a two-story home, use three ten-foot sections to get 30 feet.

Mounting bracket:  An eave-mount bracket that attaches to the edge of the roof is a simple and effective means to keep your antenna securely in the air.  Usually the bracket attaches to the roof edge with two wood screws. There are also chimney mounts but with many homes having steep roofs, reaching the chimney safely can be a challenge.  Mounts are usually in stock at home convenience outlets.

Coaxial cable:  Get enough cable to reach from your television set to the antenna.  To keep cable runs shorter and more convenient, try to place your television near an outside wall.  Drill a small hole in the wall or window frame and route the cable through that hole.  Often cable is sold in 50' lengths (or multiples).  It is best to have a little extra cable in case later you want to relocate the set.  Excess cable can be coiled taped and placed behind the television.

Tools & Materials

A screwdriver, pliers and/or wrench.  And a drill if you need to make a hole. Electrical or duct tape. Ladder to reach eave of roof

STEPS TO INSTALL YOUR OUTDOOR ANTENNA:

(1) Assemble antenna and attach to the top of the mast pole. Tighten this mounting hardware.

(2) Install eave mount at the edge of the roof.

(3) Attach the coaxial cable to the antenna.  A screw-on connector usually comes attached to both ends of the cable.

(4) Secure cable to the mast pole near the antenna using electrical or duct tape to keep it from moving in the wind.

(5) Walk the antenna up from the ground and attach to the eave mount.  An assistant makes it easier.  Leave this eave mount hardware slightly loose.  CAUTION: Do not place your mast/antenna near any overhead power lines.  Assume worst case if it should fall, no closer than 25 feet or so to any overhead line.

(6) Route the coaxial cable to your television.  Drill holes if necessary.

(7) Attach the other end of the coaxial cable to the television's antenna port.

(8) Rotate the antenna for best reception and tighten the bolt(s) that secure the eave mount to the mast.  Leaving these bolts very slightly loosened is OK and makes it easier to re-orient the antenna later from the ground.

OVER-THE-AIR TV AS A BACK-UP

Cable systems sometimes fail, especially during bad weather.  Even if you subscribe to pay television, having backup over-the-air television capability is a good idea.

A small beam antenna mounted temporarily on a short piece of PVC indoors can provide an adequate signal during extended outages, such as those caused by tropical storms or hurricanes. 

For better results, attach a small tripod to hold your antenna and set it outside as needed.

DOWNSIDE OF OVER-THE-AIR TELEVISION

You won't get ESPN and other sports channels.  If you like lots of college/professional football and basketball, you'll miss these.

Other popular cable channels like A&E, Investigation Discovery, News, CSPAN, National Geographic, Turner Movies, etc. will not be available.

But for many people, there will be numerous alternatives available to watch.  And no monthly cable bills to pay.  

You can also stream to your television via internet.

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MORE OTA TV 
By Matt Stennett, WA4TKG

My OTA television antenna came from BJ's, complete with a run of coax and a weather proof boot on one end, for about $65. The cable has F connectors and so does the Boe-Tie sealed outdoor Antenna.

I thought this antenna was a bit cheesy looking, but rather than have preconceived ideas, I put it up.

Mast sections were available at Lowes. Home Depot no longer bothers to carry sections of over-priced, stubby sections of mast, which cost about $8.00 each, and are only about six feet in length.

The "RCA" brand Antenna Rotor WAS available from HomeDepot.Com, at the BEST price, cheaper than Ham Retailers, for about $85.00.

I disassembled the roof mount of an old satellite dish base, and stuck a section of mast into it...perfect base plate. Then, simply stuck the rotor on that, and put the antenna on the top section and plugged it into the pre-mounted rotor.

If you want ALL the TV channels available to our area, you need to get a rotor. St Augustine just popped on the air recently, with about a half dozen channels. Basically looks to be "Local Access" type channels.

I have been able to receive channels from as far South as Orlando, but only when there's a Band Opening. I have about 50 channels available with this set up, but have to rotate the antenna of course.

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Notes on Over-The-Air Television

By Sandy Ingle, KG4CQK

When sub-channels are counted, I am able to receive more than 60 channels with an indoor Mohu Leaf antenna hanging in a 2nd story window at my house in Riverside (Jacksonville - January 2017.)

I have found that indoor antennas on the ground floor at my house only receive about 30 channels, apparently because I am surrounded by two-story homes that attenuate the OTA signal.

I use a 15 db gain broadband amplifier to strengthen the signal coming out of the antenna before distribution to four TVs located throughout my house.  This is not because the received signal is weak, but because the signal has to run through several splitters (minimum of 3.5 db loss for each splitter) and about 100 feet of inside wiring on the way to  my TVs.

Under the ATSC digital protocols, the advertised channel number usually has no correlation to the actual transmitter frequency.  For example, channel 25 actually broadcasts on the frequency previously assigned to channel 10. Channel 12 broadcasts on channel 13, and 7 broadcasts on 7.  

All of these are in the VHF high-band and would be expected to have poor reception on a UHF-only antenna. Regardless of whether you choose an indoor or outdoor antenna, you'll want to make sure it receives both VHF and UHF signals.  

Outdoors, that usually means a combination of a larger log-periodic antenna (looks like a yagi antenna) for VHF and a smaller log-periodic or bow-tie for UHF.

If you install an outdoor antenna, keep in mind that it also works fairly well as a lightning rod, and the 75-ohm cable down-lead works well to distribute lightning to all your attached indoor electronics! Be sure to include a lightning arrestor connected to a ground rod before you bring the signal indoors.

If you previously had cable, the lightning arrestor, ground rod, splitters, distribution amplifier and indoor wiring may already be provided.  Look for a gray plastic box located at the service entrance of your cable down-lead to find all these goodies.

Unless you plan to use a rotor on an outdoor antenna, you'll probably want to aim your antenna towards the azimuth that offers you the most channels.  Orient the longest elements (reflectors) away from the source.  You can fine-tune your antenna azimuth using the signal strength indicator of your digital TV or converter box.  This is sometimes buried in a menu.

Channel 21 in Brunswick is kind of interesting. It actually has 23 sub-channels.  21-12 thru 21-23 are apparently encrypted so that only paid subscribers can see the video signals of pay-TV channels (like STARZ, SHOWTIME and FLIX) but the audio still comes through in the clear.

One thing not available from OTA channels without extra equipment is on-demand service.  I managed to find a DVR with a ham-friendly price of $30 (refurbished) which allows me to record shows in 1080p HD to a USB memory stick or external drive.   The DVR is actually built into a digital converter box. 

See http://JaxRadio.net for updates.

FCC LEGALITIES

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allows any resident without cable service to erect an outdoor television antenna capable of capturing a sufficient signal for adequate reception.  

At first, only satellite dish antennas, one meter or less in diameter, were guaranteed.  But in 2001, FCC extended protection to antennas designed to receive local over-the-air (OTA) television signals. 

According to 47 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 1.4000, a television antenna "that is designed to receive local television broadcast signals" is guaranteed regardless of any local laws or private land use restrictions.

47 CFR 1.4000 states "in addition, antennas covered by the rule may be mounted on 'masts' to reach the height needed to receive... an acceptable quality signal (e.g. maintain line-of-sight contact with the transmitter or view the satellite).

Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements for safety purposes."

FCC OTARD web page

JaxRadio.net

TV CHANNELS IN JACKSONVILLE AREA

(As of March 2021)

4-1  WJXT main channel

4-2  BABL

4-3  START

7-1  WJCT PBS main channel

7-2  WJCT Create channel

7-3  WJCT World channel

7-4  WJCT Encore/Florida

12-1 WTLV main channel (NBC)

12-2 Antenna TV

12-3 Crime

12-4  Court TV

17-1 WCWJ main channel (CW)

17-2 Bounce TV

17-3  Movies

18-1 WUXJ LD1

18-2 WUXJ LD2

18-3 WUXJ LD3

18-4 WUXJ LD4 Daystar

20-1 WKBJ

20-2  WKBJ

20-3  WKBJ

20-4  WKBJ

20-5  WKBJ

20-6  WKBJ

20-7  WKBJ

21-1 Ion

21-2 Qubo

21-3 Ion X

21-4 Shop TV

21-5 QVC

21-6  HSN

25-1 WJXX main channel (ABC)

25-2 First Coast Weather

25-3  Quest

25-4  Mystery

30-1 WFOX main channel (Fox)

30-2 Me TV

30-3 Heroes & Icons

33-1 Daystar

39-1  HSN

39-2  QVC

39-3  HSN2

39-4  QVC2

39-5  QVC3

39-6  DABL

47-1  WJAX main channel (CBS)

47-2  Get TV

47-3  Decades

59-1 Trinity BC Network

59-2 Hillsong

59-3 Smile

59-4 Enlace

These channels were received in NW Jacksonville near I-295 and US1.

There are other channels available depending on where you live and the quality of your outdoor antenna.

With an outdoor antenna in Duval county, most of these 50+ channels should be received.

Digital television receivers include a "search" function to automatically locate stations with adequate signals.

To receive more channels, rotate your antenna either using a rotor or by using the "Armstrong" method...standing next to the mast and twisting the pole around while someone inside watches for the best picture.