Getting no TV channels when scanning
 

I am helping a friend install a new TV and she does not have Wi-Fi, (she can’t afford it so that is not an option). She purchased a digital antenna which I hooked up via the antenna/cable input and plugged into USB port for power. Set it in front of a window and scanned for channels but get back zero channels. I have moved it to other places in the house but still no luck. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

? What type of digital antenna is it the flat flag type if so it is not what you need. Antenna required would be minimum 60 mile range or higher. Consider line of sight to TV station transmission tower the higher in home the better try attic.

OP, as well as a MINIMUM 60 mile rated antenna, there are some places in TV that have a hard time getting over the air signals. I cannot reliably get signals out of orlando (80 mile rated dB4e antenna) but can some signals out of ocala and Gainsville direction. The antenna MUST be aimed in the correct direction from my house Orlando television towers are around 117 as I recall, I do not remember the angle for Ocala.
There have been several threads about this in the past which you should be able to find using the search feature.

You need to spend at least $200 to $350 for a large attic antenna to get channels. I bought a cheap one for $15 at Best Buy, and could not receive any channels.

Definitely the wrong antenna. Like above said, will need at least a 60 mile rated one. You can use this website to see where TV towers are located. TV Fool

Look for the channels desired and then look in the at the distance and direction (azimuth). You should have a compass on your smartphone that will display magnetic north in order to determine the direction needed to point the antenna. While the channels desired may be way less than 60 miles, I'd still recommend one for that distance. The 60 mile antenna will either need to be mounted in the attic or outside as it will be somewhat large.

Attic mounted DB4E pulls in about 50 channels from Orlando. I am between 466a and 44.

I also have a DB4 in the attic. Works pretty good except for channel 9 disappearing for a week.

In the digital age, channel numbers on the set are virtual numbers. RF channels are re-mapped in most all cases now.

Every six months or so, certain channels disappear and I have to tell my set to RE SCAN.

Cheap WiFi
 

I don't know where she lives but I have quantum fiber optic for only $30 a month for 200mbps. Best deal in the villages. Check to see if it is available

Not sure that an inside antenna would get you anything this far from Orlando, where the towers are located. To have a chance at all you would need to face the antenna towards Orlando, put it as high as you possibly can, and preferably have an unobstructed view towards Orlando (a window would be best). I live in Fenny, and Orlando for me is 113 degrees on a compass (Southeast). If you have an iPhone they have a compass app included.

To have the best chance of receiving over the air signals, you need to have the antenna outside, mounted as high as possible, and pointing towards the direction of the towers. For me that is Orlando, but if you are further north and have a better view to Ocala, you can try that. I don't, so I've never tried it. That's about 330 degrees Northwest.

I have a large directional UHF antenna in my attic connected to a pre amp booster, and when I scan, I come back with 70 to 80 channels. One time I got 90! I've posted the specifics in other threads, just search on the word "antenna" in the forum search. Others have posted their thoughts as well in those forums, so good info.

Good luck, and bless you for trying to help your friend!

Make sure the TV is set to "Antenna" instead of "Cable" before scanning. I have a free RCA channel finder app that will figure where the stations are that you should be pull in and then directs you in the proper azimuth to point your antenna.

I have an iPhone also, and I can open my Compass app, but how do you know that Orlando is 113°.

Put antenna outside on the house. If she has Internet live stream.

I was able to build my set up for about $120. Large (8 ft) directional Yagi antenna in the attic with a pre-amp located where the coax cable comes out of my attic. I used the existing coax in my house to direct the signal to the desired outlet.

You can do it cheaper with one of those "all in one" antennas, but you won't have the signal reliability of what I built. Also, because the pre-amp is in the antenna, if it's in the attic it may fry come summer. I think that is what happened to mine when I went that route initially. Thus, the separate pre-amp located in the garage, not the garage attic. Hopefully that will improve it's longevity.

For me it is, it might vary slightly for you.

Go to a signal-finding website like "Antennaweb.org". There are others as well. You can put in her address and it will tell you the direction to point the antenna. If you don't want to put in her full address, or it returns no results, using the zip code will pretty much get you the same thing. Run it with the "antenna will be mounted 30 feet or higher" even if it won't be. That will give you the most results so you can pick the best direction to try.

If you want to go the "all in one" route for an antenna that can be mounted outside or in your attic, this is the first one I tried and got pretty good results. You can find it on Amazon: McDuory Digital HDTV Outdoor Amplified Antenna - 150 Miles Range - Mounting Pole & 40 feet RG6 Coaxial Cable Included.

However, the pre-amp is in the antenna, so if it is in the attic, it might fry it come summer.

I'm not sure some of the dollar figures mentioned for antennas still apply, I took a quick look on Amazon & saw a multidirectional 200 mile range attic antenna for $70. There are also the indoor digital box type that say 480 mile range for $60. I don't know if any of these work & if cash is tight they may be too expensive as a trial. Unless Amazon was used with the idea to return right away if they don't perform. Best of luck!

I was looking into the same thing and happened to bump into some guy in the antenna section of a store that seemed to know his stuff. You need a really strong antenna, more $$$, and you’ll be drilling holes to the outside of your home. It’s not going to be a piece of cake.

Digital channel reception
 

I have exactly the same...mounted in attic and use amplifier because I have nearly 90 foot run from antenna to TV. Receiving 60 channels, give or take a few.

In Spanish Springs, with a window facing Orlando, I can pick-up some stations with a flat antenna. Get one with an amplifier.
You should be able to pick one up on Amazon for under $30. It's likely that you will not get ABC but I get NBC and CBS with mine.
Mount the antenna in the window as high as possible. If the window is facing a building you may not get any signal.
The attic is a possibility if it is not lined with foil as a radiant barrier. If the attic is lined with foil your only option is an outside antenna.

You know when we lived in TV for the first year I used a antenna but I put it in our attic & got 43 channels but the bad thing was about half the channels were Spanish speaking, but I always found something to watch. I pointed the antenna toward Orlando. Some people think antennas have to put antenna where there is no walls & have to be put in a window or on top off the house. Wrong!

You should place the antenna as high as you can, maybe in the attic? In The Villages, you should have an amplified directional antenna, mounted 20 to 30 feet above ground level. In Village of Springdale my home is 65 miles from the Orlando antenna farm at Bithlo Florida. A suitable antenna and mount can be found on Amazon for less than $50. Do your scan at night for best results. I get 70 or more channels, with few pixelization issues except for channel 24, PBS Orlando.

I had a similar experience with digital antennas. Against a window facing East I got several Spanish channels. Against a west facing window I got no channels. From the center of the house, none. From the attic, none. I gave up and eventually threw away the antenna. I was living in Tierra del Sol South, near 466 and Morse. Verizon is advertising 5G packages with unlimited bandwidth for about $35 a month, as I recall. Not yet available in the village where I now live, but 5G can work really well, and it can be connected somehow to a tv. Of course, it might be necessary to purchase a streaming package from some provider, like Apple or YouTube.

On a limited budget, libraries have lots of books that can be borrowed for free. They even have DVDs and unabridged books on CD people can borrow.

I bought an antenna for $30 something dollars at Amazon. I get 40 to 50 Orlando channels...... It sits about 12 feet off the ground, point towards Orlando. Coax from it to TV. TV input on TV, not cable, not HDMI. Run the channel search, dump the religious and Spanish stations.... lots left.

Amazon.com

The Villages is too far away from Orlando for signal you will have to go with a radio

You cannot get TV channels with an antenna unless its maybe 50 ft. high, and then it still might not work. Stations are to far away.

I have a $25 (now $50) antenna in my attic and get about 50 channels or so. It is pointed towards Orlando. Hooked the coax to a splitter to the coax going to all of the rooms in the house. Works great!

You have to set your TV to the right settings. Most of the comments are not incorrect but you will get some stations even with a cheap indoor Indiana so check your TV for the right settings to receive antenna

No at 20 ft not visible over peak of home I receive Orlando, Pennycamp area

Maybe if you are in Spanish Springs. I am in the south area and have one in my garage attic, which would be no more than 10 - 12 feet high. I scan and get 70 channels.

Still, as the saying goes "your mileage may vary". TV signals are funny things, and the house a couple away from you might get something, but you get nothing.

If you drive around your area and see a house with a TV antenna, knock on their door and ask them how it works. For the most part, people with antennas around The Villages have worked through a number of issues and would be eager to tell their story. Some really eager. Make sure you have some time to spend.

If you like soccer, the Spanish channels are great! If you like English, not so much.

Ever since this country forced the digital TV on the airwaves on us, signal and coverage was about half of what it was with analog.
If you live in a city, you are fine. Rural, needs a higher off the ground antenna placement.

We tried an antenna with a booster when we first moved in and had zero channels as well. We went with Comcast for cable and internet. At the end of this season we are turning in our equipment and will revisit internet only next year. The stations are along way away.

Go to the link below and type in your friends address. The site will tell you what channels may be possible to receive at that address. From there you can decide whether an antenna is even a possibility. When we first moved to the Villages we used an antenna. We where only able to get two stations with very poor reception. Our neighbor across the street had an antenna installed in his attic. He said it works quite well for them.

AntennaWeb - Antenna Signal Prediction

Good Luck

Many houses have wall insulation with a foil backing. That blocks signals.
Many windows also have a coating that blocks signals.
So you need to have the antenna outside, or possibly in the attic. For a quick test, open the window and put the antenna you have outside and re-scan to see if you get anything.

You know when we moved in TV they told us, NO antennas on the outside of your house, we’ll that rule did last long because I’ve seen several antennas on houses & yes they’re TV antennas!

They can say that, but cannot enforce it. There is federal law that says anyone can install a TV antenna where it needs to be (outdoors, roof, mast, tower) to pick up signals you want to watch. "Antennas are not allowed" restrictions are void in deed restrictions. No debate about that fact.

Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule | Federal Communications Commission

That being said, I believe homeowners in TV have a responsibility to make sure their antennas aren't an eyesore. That is why mine is in the attic, which works just fine. There is one on someone's house on the third or fourth hole of the Marsh Bend golf course that looks like it was put up by someone who was half in the bag. Belongs on a double-wide.

An association, landlord or local government may impose certain restrictions when safety is a concern or where a historic site is involved. An example of a permissible safety restriction would be requiring that an antenna is securely fastened down so that it will not be blown loose. Safety restrictions must be narrowly written so that they are no more burdensome than necessary to address a legitimate safety purpose.

If there is a conflict about a restriction's validity, the association, landlord or local government trying to enforce the restriction must prove it is valid. This means that no matter who questions the validity of the restriction, the person or entity trying to enforce the restriction must prove that the rule is legitimate.