After a long and tiring day at work, most of us choose to relax in our living rooms while watching our favorite TV shows or movies. But, there is nothing worse when you sit down, turn on the television, and receive the “no signal” message. This is especially annoying if it happens frequently and usually without any reason.
People living in rural areas often experience problems with their TV reception, and if you are in this situation, do not worry, this article can actually help you! The text below is going to feature a list of things – and tips – that you can choose to do in order to improve your signal. Let’s look at the list:
Check All of The Cables And Wire In And Outside Your House
The easiest thing and the first one that you can do is checking whether or not the cables and wires are damaged, both inside and outside of your home. There are various things that might have damaged it, including weather conditions, pets, as well as pests. Start from the outside of your home.
You should also check the cables located inside, especially since you might have plugged it out while vacuuming and cleaning, or your pet might have chewed on it. If some are damaged, you should replace them. Additionally, you can also choose to protect the outdoor cables by insulating it, which will prolong their life and protect them from the elements.
You Dish Needs to Be Pointed in The Right Direction
The satellite dish that is installed on your chimney or side of the house needs to be pointed in the right direction. More specifically, it needs to be pointed at the broadcasting towers that are closest to your rural town. Hence, do some digging about where the towers are located and re-position your antenna.
You Might Need to Relocate The Antenna
Another thing that might have hindered your signal is the obstacles between your house and the broadcasting towers. Things such as buildings, mountains, trees, hills, and other objects can easily block the signal from reaching your satellite dish. If this is the case, you’ll need to relocate the antenna.
This is something that can be difficult, especially if you do not have any experience with climbing a roof and setting up the antenna by yourself. Now, you might not be comfortable with getting up on your roof or you might be scared of heights, and if so, you can always read more about the professional services you can opt for.
Re-Tune Your TV
Re-tuning the device you have is another option that you can try. It is relatively easy to do it and it might last for a couple of minutes, depending on the television model and set-top box you have. Go to the settings tab and find the re-tuning option. Once you do, click on it and wait for the TV to finish. This helps with cleaning out the cache that might have gathered in the set-top box, and when cleared, it might improve the reception you are receiving.
The Higher The Better
Besides positioning it and directing properly, you should also keep in mind that the higher you place your antenna, the better reception you’ll get. This also helps with avoiding the obstacles that might prevent the signal from reaching your house. Again, if you do not feel comfortable with doing this by yourself, opt for an expert.
Purchase a Signal Amplifier
Now, before we say anything else, you should know that the amplifier you purchase will not make the satellite dish work better. Instead, it can amplify and improve the results, but, the antenna performance stays the same. What this device does is basically boost the reception the dish is producing in order to compensate for the signals loss.
When searching for one, there are two things that you should pay attention to and look for, including the amount of amplification created by the device. This is important because more does not necessarily mean better. Also, the level of “noise” that is added to the signal while the device is boosting it. If it has lower levels of noise, you’ll receive a better signal.
Never Run One Splitter to The Next One
One of the most important things that you can keep in mind is that you should never connect one signal splitter to another one. For the best possible results, you should have 1 signal distribution device where all of the wires will mean and connect to one signal splitter.
In rural areas, the TV reception will be better if the satellite dish is installed above the roofline, on the chimney, or high up on a wall. You definitely won’t receive a good image if you choose to place it next to your window, especially since lower ground always means worse reception.
Metal Objects Should Be Removed if Close to The Satellite Dish
Metal objects that are located close to your satellite dish can easily cause interference with the signal you are receiving, in some cases, they can block it entirely! For instance, if it is placed close to a window but there are metal bars or screens on them, this could cause some problems for you.
Additionally, if your roof features a structure made from metal, installing the antenna in the middle of it won’t be wise. Hence, if there are any metal objects that can be removed, remove them. Additionally, if you choose to re-position the antenna, make sure that it is at a distance from larger, metal objects.
Conclusion
There you have it, these are all the things that you can try in order to improve the TV reception in your rural home. Of course, some of these might not be suitable for you because of the satellite dish you have, but, you can always try some of the other tips mentioned above.
So, now that you know what you can do, you should not waste any more of your time. Instead, go back to the beginning of the article, and start working on the very first tip that you can do alone, which is checking all of the cables outside your house, as well as the ones inside.