I just picked up a cheap $8 OTA antenna so I can pick up a few HD channels (CBS and FOX) that my Direct TV doesnt carry and I am having a hard time getting a signal for them. The antenna is plugged into the sat. reciever and I have sucessfully scanned for channels and have added them to my channel list but their is no singal from these channels when I tune to them. I have tried for 2 days moving the antenna around and I get pretty much nothing. The thing is workng because I did manage to get a very scrambled and blocky channel last night (FOX) but it just went in and out. I live in the country 20 miles from the stations. The only obstructions are the house itself but this IS an indoor antenna. Did I just buy a cheap antenna or is something else going on here. The weather here today is very windy but with sunny skies.

What's your zip code? What kind of antenna did you buy?

zip is 02790. I bought a Philips antenna model SDV2210/17

zip is 02790. I bought a Philips antenna model SDV2210/17
It is the $8 indoor antenna with a small UHF squarish loop. You are looking to get the Providence stations, correct? The antennaweb results for your zip code and adding 200' for antenna height to get a more complete list shows the following digital stations:

* yellow - uhf WJAR-DT 10.1 NBC PROVIDENCE RI 344° 20.4 51
* yellow - uhf WNAC-DT 64.1 FOX PROVIDENCE RI 343° 21.0 54
* yellow - uhf WPXQ-DT 69.1 ION PROVIDENCE RI 279° 28.5 17
* yellow - uhf WLWC-DT 28.1 CW NEW BEDFORD MA 49° 14.0 22
* yellow - uhf WWDP-DT 52.1 SAH NORWELL MA 13° 27.7 52
* green - uhf WBZ-DT 4.1 CBS BOSTON MA 5° 48.9 30
* green - uhf WCVB-DT 5.1 ABC BOSTON MA 5° 48.9 20
* lt green - uhf WLVI-DT 56.1 CW CAMBRIDGE MA 6° 48.3 41
* lt green - uhf WSBK-DT 38.1 IND BOSTON MA 5° 48.9 39
* lt green - uhf WDPX-DT 58.1 ION VINEYARD HAVEN MA 96° 38.4 40
* red - uhf WSBE-DT 21.1 PBS PROVIDENCE RI 344° 20.4 21
* red - uhf WLNE-DT 6.1 ABC NEW BEDFORD MA 344° 20.4 49
* red - vhf WPRI-DT 12.1 CBS PROVIDENCE RI 345° 21.0 13
* red - uhf WGBH-DT 2.1 PBS BOSTON MA 5° 48.9 19
* red - uhf WGBX-DT 44.1 PBS BOSTON MA 5° 48.9 43
* red - uhf WHDH-DT 7.1 NBC BOSTON MA 7° 48.8 42
* blue - uhf WFXT-DT 25.1 FOX BOSTON MA 6° 48.3 31
* blue - uhf WBPX-DT 68.1 ION BOSTON MA 6° 48.6 32
* blue - uhf WMFP-DT 18.1 SAH LAWRENCE MA TBD 6° 48.6 18

A attic or rooftop antenna should get you the Providence and Boston stations if you wanted to go that route. But for the Providence stations, WPRI-DT CBS 12 is on VHF 13, the rest are currently on UHF. You need a better antenna for UHF which can also pick up upper VHF. If you want to try another indoor antenna, a Silver Sensor UHF antenna with rabbit ears for VHF might work. But at 21 miles, you need to think about an attic or outdoor antenna for reliable reception. The Channel Master 4221 4 Bay would work for now. WHDH-DT NBC 7 in Boston will switch from UHF 42 to VHF 7 after the analog shutdown; the CM 4221 won't get that at 49 miles. Another option is the get the CM 4220 2 bay and hang it outside on the side of the house near the satellite dish.

the only stations I care aobut getting are 12-1 and 64-1. The rest I either get already throuigh my sat provider or I do not wish to get them. I have no problem getting and installing a roof top antenna. Now these ones you mentioned, can they be bought off the shelf at a local store or what? Basically I want something I can setup and forget about it.

20 miles through country is really pushing it for an indoor antenna, clear winter days are good days for reception, wind doesn't affect signal strength unless you're on the border and it's blowing a tree periodically in the way then your signal will cut in and out. What kills signal is water, it reflects nearly 100% of the signal, metal does as well and that's the reason I'm not a fan of an attic antenna. On rainy days when your roof is covered with water, or when snow covers your roof for extended amounts of time they have trouble getting signal and, those are the days I enjoy it most. However they're easier to install, usually are good for 30 miles give or take, good for drier climates, and you don't have to take lightning protecting measures. You might want to remove the screens from your windows in the room with your indoor antenna, see how it does. If you get signal now, you may not when spring comes and the trees get leaves.

I'd only do an outdoor antenna where you live, and you don't need a really big one for 20 miles but they're not simple. Wind blowing over them causes static electricity to build up in them which attracts lightning or it can discharge through the coax cable into your box top. Can't stress enough the importance of grounding the antenna & coax to protect your equipment and yourself (and required by code). With it grounded, any static electricity buildup harmlessly flows away, and almost all but elminates the chance it will be chosen to be struck by lightning. Grounding it to a pipe today is usually not allowed (sections of the pipe can be plastic, or sections repaired with plastic making it no longer grounded). You can read about what's necessary for grounding an outdoor antenna at http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/basics.html (scroll down). It can be expensive particularly if on the long side away from your breaker panel, I was surprised to pay nearly $100 to ground mine (#6 wire ain't cheap and I needed 75 ft of it to reach the breaker panel, plus clamps, plus grounding rod, plus #8 wire). Attic antenna, since they don't have wind blowing over them don't need grounding. But afterward I got 50 stations where my indoor antenna I got around 5 (and intermittently). The extra costs with grounding, snow on your roof not being the time to set one up, and driving a ground rod in winter may steer you away from an outdoor but they're not as affected by weather like others, have better reception so when spring comes and the trees get leaves and the rains come (you live in a rainy area) an outdoor may be the difference between you getting the stations when you want them or not.