In the United States, there is an estimated number of over 120 million homes with TVs in them. That’s a lot of screens!
But some of them may not be working correctly because owners don’t know how good or bad their TV reception might be. How does one figure that out?
It’s not as complicated as it may seem. In fact, with this simple guide, you can learn how to test your TV signal strength and make the right decisions about the next steps for your TV.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
The Materials
First of all, you need a TV to test. Then, you need a coax cable and some kind of antenna.
To find these items you can do a quick home search because often the coax cable is plugged into your TV. If your TV doesn’t have an antenna, you can even make a fake antenna out of materials at home.
You can make your own antenna out of things like power extension cords, lamp extension cords, or coat hangers. But if you use a coat hanger, make sure that you scrape off any coating so that it can make good contact with the coax cable.
The Test
When it comes to the testing time, you’ll first need to plug the cable into the TV. There should be a cable or antenna option to plug into, and that’s what you’ll want.
Then make sure your TV is in antenna mode from your TV remote. Once it’s there, you’ll want to let your TV scan for channels in its menu options.
After, you’ll want to touch the end of the coax cable to another metal that is not plugged in (like the ends of a power cord). Again, make sure it’s not plugged in to avoid some dangerous electrocution.
The Results
So, if all is right, your TV should find some channels in the channel scan. This is good news because it means that your TV reception strength is strong and capable.
But, if you don’t find any channels, it doesn’t always mean you need a new TV or cable provider. In some cases, you might need an antenna amplifier to help you out.
If not, you can always go with the buying option, as long as you’re sure it’s the right step to be taking. If you’ve been wanting a new TV or to switch services, then no channels coming up is also good news!
Test Your TV Reception Strength Today
And just like that, you’ve got a quick and easy guide on how to test your TV reception strength. Did you know that finding your TV signal strength would be that easy?
So whether it’s to find an excuse to buy a new TV or to figure out how much juice your current one still has, now you know how to tell whether it’s working well or not.
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