Why predicting reception with indoor antennas is impossible

[tigerbangs]

There are so many variables when using indoor antennas in any home that predicting success is all but impossible. Differences in construction methods, HVAC ducting, foliage, position of the antenna inside the house, and reflected signal (multipath) all conspire against getting reliable TV reception using any indoor antenna. You MAY get lucky, but most people are dissatisfied with their indoor antennas.

Which indoor antenna to choose? Most indoor antennas are about equal in their abilities. There is almost no advantage in using amplified antennas, especially in strong-signal areas, and there are disadvantages in using amplified antennas in that some may overload on very strong local signals. I have had some limited success in using the Terk HDTVa, mostly because it has a good UHF section, similar to the Zenith Silver Sensor indoor UHF antenna, and also had fully extendable VHF poles, which are useful if you have local digital stations that operate on channels 7-13. I would NOT want to oversell that antenna, however, since it is at the mercy of where and how it is used, and it is not a substitute for an outdoor antenna of any kind.

Please do NOT ask for advice about which indoor antenna to use: you are completely on your own on this issue, and you are subject to whatever limitations that your indoor antenna imposes.