Remember my first TV antenna and the six channels it captured? ABC’s channel 6 was missing. I wanted ABC. Specifically, I wanted Rachael Ray.

So I got a bigger antenna! Surely this 70 mile range device would bring in more channels.

The wonderful team at WhyFly, my local Internet provider, installed the antenna on my roof and ran the coaxial cable down to the TV. They even fished the cable behind my wall, through existing openings, so I kept my clean, no visible wires setup.

I went from six channels to over 30 – but still no ABC! How could this be?

Channel ABC is broadcast over VHF and my antenna is UHF

Turns out, ABC is broadcast over a different frequency than most other channels. It remains on the older, longer radio wave band called VHF (very high frequency), whereas everyone else is broadcast over the shorter wave UHF (ultra high frequency).

The longer VHF signal is best captured by a wider “rabbit ears” type antenna, and a circle or “bow tie” type antenna is needed to pickup the shorter UHF waves.

Some antennas are good for both signals – but not the one I bought.

Unfortunately, even the manufacturer’s product description doesn’t reveal this distinction. The listing on Amazon says “Receive free TV from networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS…” but doesn’t say anything about VHF/UHF. I had to find this little tidbit deep in the customer reviews section!

There are two things I could do now:

• Add a VHF amplifier to my current setup, if such a compatible gadget exists;
• Buy a new VHF/UHF antenna and replace the one I have

I’m leaning towards option one as I’ve already tossed the antenna box and can’t return it to BJ’s. Back to the research drawing board.

Thanks to WhyFly, though, at least the hard work of running cables is done. Thanks guys!

Good to Know

• Avoid electricians for antenna installation projects; you’ll pay a premium that isn’t really required by the job. One electrician quoted me $500 for what I ultimately paid much less for.
• Rooftop antenna installs will vary widely in price as it depends how much fishing and hole drilling is required to get cable from the roof to your TV.
• “Directional” antennas pull signals from one direction – best for homes near urban centers with radio signals all coming from the same direction. “Multi-directional” antennas pull from all directions – recommended for more rural areas.

Stay tuned as I continue my quest to get channel 6 and the Rachael Ray show via the FREE, OVER THE AIR signal.