Overview

The NoCable 50-mile amplified HDTV indoor flat antenna is designed to provide users with high quality TV reception in their homes. It has been built to overcome a range of signal obstructions. The antenna provides free access to local over the air channels such as Fox, ABC, PBS, The CW and NBC over a range of 30 to 50 miles. The benefit of receiving OTA channels on your TV is that, while cable companies will compress their signals to cut down on costs, often resulting in 720p quality, OTA channels usually provide a 1080p HD picture. Here’s everything you need to know about the device, from appearance to set up. 

Appearance

As far as the initial appearance of the NoCable 50-mile amplified HDTV indoor flat antenna goes, it’s fairly standard when compared to other devices on the market. In terms of shape, it’s a flat square with rounded-off corners. At the point where the antenna connects to the coaxial cable, it’s slightly thicker. The color is black on one side and white on the other, so you can choose which side you’d rather have facing upwards. It’s a sturdy build, and it’s clear that the materials are less thin and flexible than you’d find with other antennas. In the box, you get the antenna itself, a coaxial cable, a USB cable, a USB power adapter, an amplifier and tools to hang the device up – namely, adhesive and push pins. 

Features

  • Capable of receiving programs from major local broadcast networks such as ABC, NBC, Fox and PBS
  • Will often pick up additional networks such as MyTV, Univision, CW, Qubo and more
  • Reversible design so you can have either the light or dark side facing outwards
  • Tested in rural locations such as the uneven and wooded areas in Pennsylvania and beyond
  • Powerful and detachable antenna which can pull in TV broadcast signals from up to 50 miles away
  • Slim design which has been manufactured to the smallest size possible
  • Easily hidden while still capable of picking up high quality reception
  • Durable design with tough and sturdy material
  • Soft and lightweight antennas which can be laid flat or placed high up
  • Antenna design resists damage from moisture and direct sunshine
  • Multiple attachment options; pushpins to make it easy to attach the device to your wall, or removable double-sided tape for placement in harder to reach areas or windows

How to set up the NoCable 50-mile amplified HDTV indoor flat antenna

  1. Attach the antenna to your preferred location. This can be on a surface, high up, on a wall, or any other service which isn’t metallic. Use the thumbtacks or double-sided tape provided in the box
  2. Make sure the antenna isn’t obstructed – in other words, that it isn’t behind anything. Once you have confirmed that the antenna is working, you can take additional steps to conceal it if you so desire
  3. Ensure the antenna is generally pointing in the direction provided by the report on NoCable.org. This step is completed by entering your address on the site and making a note on the results which show up about channel availability and how to maximise performance
  4. Connect one end of the coaxial cable to the bottom of the antenna
  5. Get the other end of the coaxial cable and attach it to the connector, which is located on the amplifier
  6. Connect the coaxial cable which is attached to the amplifier to the ANT/IN port. You’ll find this on the back of your TV
  7. Connect the amplifier to a power source. This could be the USB port on your TV, or the power outlet provided in the antenna packaging, which can be plugged into any standard wall outlet. Note that the light on the amplifier will be red if it’s working the way it should be
  8. Scan for channels. This is done by navigating to your TV’s setup menu and selecting the signal type to Broadcast, Antenna or Air. The Cable signal type should not be selected. Then set the TV to scan or program for channels. For more detailed instructions or if you encounter any difficulties, there should be an instruction manual available online if you don’t have the physical version to hand
  9. If the channel scan doesn’t come back with the results you were hoping for, adjust the antenna by trying various heights, directions and positions to gain better reception. Every time you’ve performed an adjustment, carry out a fresh channel rescan

OTA TV signal report for NoCable 50-mile amplified HDTV indoor flat antenna

You can look up the TV signal for your local area by navigating to the NoCable website. This step is best completed before purchasing an antenna, but can also be done if you want to see which channels your device should be picking up. There are a few options to enter your location using the search function. You can use the search bar and type in your home address, then click on Search for Signals to see the report results. Alternatively, you could click on guess my location for your web browser to detect where you’re based and compile results based off this information. Finally, if this second method doesn’t work, you can use a map of the US to select your state, followed by a more specific location. Once you’ve got the results page up, there will be several tabs at your disposal – OTA TV channels, TV guide, Internet providers, Local sports and Cable TV providers. On the OTA TV channels page, there will be a map of your current location, with lines pointing out to various broadcast towers. If it’s color coded green, you’re likely to receive signal from this tower. Yellow means you have a 50/50 chance of receiving signal. Red means it’ll be challenging to receive signal, and grey means you shouldn’t even try. There is a warning underneath this map informing users that the results shown are just an estimate as each home is different when it comes to terrain, obstacles and so on. Underneath this warning is a grid with a list of TV stations, color coded in the same way. You will also see which network it’s on, which OTA channel you can find it on, its location, number of miles away, direction and signal. For example, you may be able to access the KTXL TV station on the Fox network. This may be accessible on OTA channel 40, and is located in Sacramento, California. If it’s fairly close to you, it will be color coded green. If the direction is south west, you will know to point your antenna this way. Finally, the signal could be listed as something like 638 Mhz UHF. The final section on this page lists a TV antenna comparison guide. These will be color coded in an identical fashion, and if you are living in a populated area near the KTXL TV station, for example, you may see that the best option for you is an indoor antenna and it will be marked green. The indoor amp’d antenna option may be marked yellow, the outdoor amp’d antenna could be red and the outdoor rotational antenna could well be grey. 

Summary

The NoCable 50-mile amplified HDTV indoor flat antenna is an ideal antenna for those living in densely populated, metropolitan areas. It’s easy to install, as no tools are required and thumb tacks are included for quick and easy wall hanging. Furthermore, if you haven’t looked up your TV reception report using the above information before purchasing the antenna, and find that your location isn’t good for picking up OTA TV due to factors such as terrain and obstacles, you will be able to gain a refund with no hassle involved. Overall, this antenna is well worth checking out.

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