local over the air tv channels?

Submitted by beowolf66 t3_10kynry in Connecticut

Dropping cable TV soon. Recently purchased an HD antenna but was surprised the local channels (3, 30, 8 and 61 ) do not come in. I checked the FCC website and entered my address and they are supposed to. Has anyone had any luck receiving these over the air? Do they not broadcast in digital so I have the wrong antenna? Any suggestions? Thanks.

Edit 1). Thanks for all the feedback. I live on the east side of a hill so seem to be out of luck with the antenna idea.

Has anyone found a way to stream the local channels either with or without paying? I saw someone mention Tubi but I just looked and didn't see them. You'd think they would just be available online. I did see that haystack news at least has channel 8 news.

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Independent_Source97 t1_j5tjntp wrote

The antenna has nothing to do with the signal being digital or analog; "digital" or "high definition" antennas are just marketing slogans. Reception quality would be based on antenna location (inside or outside), height above ground, distance to the station, any obstructions (building or hills) between the antenna and station and several other factors.

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TreeEleben t1_j5tjssa wrote

Lots of hills here. Blocks the signal. Get the antenna up high as possible. I use OTA TV at a summer cottage and had to get the antenna up above the roofline and have it able to rotate to get a decent amount of channels. The local stations still don't come in often. Usually 30 and 61 work but others are rarely come in.

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dasuberdog11 t1_j5tmnqm wrote

https://www.antennaweb.org/ is a good resource. Every broadcast channel is digital. Like others have said there are lots of variables. Your location, your antenna, where it's placed, how good your TV 's tuner is.

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monty684 t1_j5to78r wrote

If you go to channel 3, hit the channel up button. I had the same problem with my antenna. Then I figured out that they’re digital channels and I had to go to channel 3-1, 30-1, and 61-1 to get it to work. Hope this helps.

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zgrizz t1_j5tilks wrote

So much depends on where you are.

Where I am, on the side of a ridge, I have zero OTA service available to me. Calculations say I'd need a 60 foot tower to start getting enough signal strength to view.

If you are in a flatter location, but a weak signal area, you may need to aim that antenna more precisely. There are websites that can give you the exact compass heading for each station.

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chunkydrunkymonkey t1_j5tjh58 wrote

What’s the range of your antenna? Where are you setting it up in your house?

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MommyDreams t1_j5tuc5r wrote

Just helped my in laws with this… have you told your tv to scan for channels for the antenna? It doesn’t automatically happen without the scan. (Unlike your cable box which works automatically) The other thing we ran into is the type of antenna. WTNH Channel 8 operates on a different band and we couldn’t get it with the type of antenna they were using. They’ll need one with VHF to get channel 8.

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Vivian326619 t1_j5tkwws wrote

Depends on where you live. I've been told if you live on the shoreline you can't get the local channels with an antenna. I live near Hartford and I get all the local channels on my antenna. Maybe get one with bigger range 🤔

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steveyp2013 t1_j5uybi3 wrote

Never thought about the attic! I have one we just keep on top of a book shelf and we get most of the stuff we want (also right near Hartford) but interference from time to time.

The attic seems like a good in between, since I don't really want to drill a hole in the roof

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smkmn13 t1_j5tson6 wrote

I've found directionality makes a big difference. We're east of Hartford, and point our (external) antenna southeast - we get a pretty decent number of stations from both Hartford and New Haven area, although ABC is always pretty hit-or-miss. This was suggested elsewhere in the thread, but https://www.antennaweb.org/ is great to visualize where signals originate.

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NeOxXt t1_j5tu6wc wrote

All about line of sight. More hills, more problems. Height and pointed direction will have a lot of influence over what you get. Digital is digital - basically, it will either "come in" or it won't. No fuzzies like back in the day.

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comish4lif t1_j5u1597 wrote

In Southington, I get all of the networks and a lot more.

I have a roof mounted, Clear stream 2V, multi-directional antenna.

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G3Saint t1_j5u4hmk wrote

What side of southington?

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comish4lif t1_j5uphor wrote

East side, near Memorial Park and DePaolo Middle School.

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thesbaine t1_j5u1mm9 wrote

When I lived in a town with a Radio Shack, their number one same day returned item was antennas. Between trees, hills, buildings, and other obstacles it was nearly impossible to get a station.

Antennas aren't magic. If you're looking for local stations get a fire stick and watch through Tubi.

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Jets237 t1_j5uo879 wrote

it depends what town you are in. In Stamford I have pretty good luck with most basic channels but need to play around with where I put the antenna and which way its facing.

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danhm t1_j5uvhxp wrote

Did you have your TV scan for channels or did you just try punching in the channel numbers?

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beowolf66 OP t1_j5v58lf wrote

I scanned. Got 14 garbage channels like HSN and QVC etc..

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TheSecretAgenda t1_j5vcihs wrote

I used to be able to get channel 8 over the air. When they switched to digital, I couldn't get it anymore.

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Brando439 t1_j64mc5w wrote

You can get 61 on Tubi but only when the local news is on. You can get 8 on their website, but again only when the local news is on.

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