What is the best TV Antenna for Free To Air TV in Adelaide?
A quick answer to this complicated question is that there isn’t a specific antenna that is considered the ideal solution. The TV antenna which will give you the best results will ultimately depend on which Free To Air transmission towers are close to your property.
If you live in Adelaide, keep reading to find out more about which TV antenna is best for your area.
Picking the Best Antenna for Your Area
For Adelaide the main transmission Free to Air towers are Mount Lofty, Adelaide CBD and Craigmore. However, there are several other broadcast towers around fringe areas such as Lyndoch, Mannum and Victor Harbour.
If you live in the Northern Suburbs of Adelaide you should be using either the Mount Lofty or Craigmore tower.
If you live in the Eastern Suburbs of Adelaide you should be using either Mount Lofty or Adelaide CBD tower.
If you live in the Western or Southern Suburbs of Adelaide you should be using Mount Lofty.
The best tower to point your antenna to will also depend on the specific location of your residence and whether there is a clear line of site to the tower.
Additional Equipment & Considerations
In low signal areas higher roof mounted masts, higher gain antennas and/or signal amplifiers may be required. Such equipment is generally needed for fringe or hilly areas that are without a good line of sight to a transmission tower. These are all common solutions to improving signal strength in poor signal locations such as Athelstone and Bedford Park.
In high signal areas, signal attenuators may be required to reduce the signal to an acceptable level. This is often an issue in the Western suburbs of Adelaide. If signal strength is too high it can cause pixilation or burn out your TV’s tuner. Typically a good signal strength is between 60-65dBuv.
Adelaide’s main transmission tower for Free to Air TV is on Mount Lofty, overlooking most of the city, so signal levels across the Adelaide Metro area are generally pretty good (not too high or not too low).
However, many homes in Adelaide face the standard issue of pests such as birds and mice. A quick fix is installing bird-spikes on your antenna and ensuring that your installer uses thick-walled conduit where RG6 Quad shield cabling is exposed.
Being a sea-side city, many Adelaide antennas also face the issue of corrosion caused by the salty air. If living by the sea you should consider investing in an aluminium or stainless steel antenna and avoid those that are made of iron. Another option is investing in a hot-dipped galvanised antenna, which has been dipped in a bath of molten zinc to create resistance to rusting.
Recommended Brands
When choosing an antenna, no matter where you are, we always recommend going for an Australian made product as they have been designed specifically for our weather conditions.
At Jim’s Antennas South Australia our installers typically prefer to use antennas designed and made locally made by either Bitek or Matchmaster.
Not only are these antennas made to withstand harsh conditions, but they also offer better warranty periods than their overseas counterparts.
What is the best TV antenna for free-to-air TV? Well there isn’t one specific antenna. It’s entirely dependent on which transmission tower you are receiving your free-to-air TV signal from and the distance your home is from that transmitter (and whether there are any obstructions blocking the line of site).
For any more questions about which TV antenna is best for your area, reception issues, or if you require assistance installing a new TV antenna, don’t hesitate to give your local Adelaide Jim’s Antennas expert a call on 131 546 or book a free onsite no obligation quote.
