HD antenna help!!

[Nicktx27]

Ok so I have a Samsung LNS3241DX/XAA 32 inch LCD HDTV with built in ASTC tuner. I just bought a HD antenna from radio shack. Now maybe I'm an idiot but I can't get a signal and i don't mean just HD signal i mean i can't even get a fuzzy picture like when i used to use bunny ears with my old SD tv. Can someone help me? Please instruct me on the proper way to program my tv before i empty a bunch of 45 rounds into it. I have all the cords connected correctly and i can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. HHHEEEELLPPPP!!!!

[Anthony]

First off, not all the antennas are created equal, especially at Radio Shack. Some of their antennas are made by Terk, which can be a **** shoot in terms of what is quality engineering and what is overpriced marketing.

Let's assume you got a good one (should get UHF signals on analog TV). Other reasons to not get HDTV signals properly:

Multipath: are you near tall buildings or the outskirts of an urban/semi-urban environment? Multipath is tough to handle. When I first got HDTV I had a radio shack double bowtie (they discontinued it, but that was 7 years ago, so it might be back). I also lived right outside D.C. and got terrible multipath from the nearby buildings in Arlington. I had to position the antenna PERFECTLY to get a signal. There were little tape X's on my TV for the different channels (not all were on the same antenna then). Frustrating to say the least.

Signal Strength: if your TV has a signal strength meter for the digital channels, give us some numbers. It should be under setup or troubleshooting, or antenna info. It will be a number between 1 and 100. You'll need steady over 60 to get anything. 80's and 90's are the best. If small changes in the antenna result in big swings in signal strength, it's most likely multipath. Otherwise, small changes should show it going up or down until you get it to a peak.

I've gotta run now, so hopefully this will get you started. Also check out antennaweb.org -- they have an antenna finder tool that will let you know where the transmitters are in your area relative to your address and what antenna types are best. Post the results here and people can cue you in on installation tips and whether you have the correct antenna for your application.

Good luck!
--A

[Nicktx27]

Thanks for the response. Yeah thats the other thing i have a signal strength meter however it doesn't even register it stays greyed out so i was thinking maybe i had to set something to make it receive HD signals but i don't know. I just feel like an idiot. I live in a small town and the stations are said to only be about 20 miles away 50 at the most. Not really in a rural area I'm like 5 min from downtown.

[salvasol]

Nicktx27 wrote:

... thats the other thing i have a signal strength meter however it doesn't even register it stays greyed out so i was thinking maybe i had to set something to make it receive HD signals but i don't know. I just feel like an idiot. I live in a small town and the stations are said to only be about 20 miles away 50 at the most. Not really in a rural area I'm like 5 min from downtown.

Are you sure you're pointing the antenna in the right direction and with the correct side??? .... when I was installing my old antenna (I got it at Radio Shack too, 7-8 years ago) I was pointing the narrow side to the TV towers, image was not good ... then I found online the manual and it said that I have to point the wider side to the towers ... I did, and image has been great since.

Double check or triple check all connections in the antenna, TV, spliters, etc. ... maybe is just a loose connection.

Like Antonny said, go to www.antennaweb.org and see what they recommend for your area ... if you have an old antenna, you can try that one too, you don't really need a new antenna to get HD ...

[bhorstkotte]

Late reply, but just in case - some TVs have a switch that determines whether the antenna input is being used for a cable TV input or an OTA antenna - make sure you have it in the right position.