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My first question is: with the antenna I've purchased, how high should I get that above my roof to get a good signal? I'm going to get out there and wave it around for a bit first to see how the signal is, but can I mount it a bit below the roofline if the direction is correct?


Buildings and geographical features, such as trees and hills, will affect your reception. Waving the antenna around like you are proposing is certainly a good starting point.

You should take a stroll around the block and look for clues to other people using the same service and see what lengths their aerial installers went to and where they point.

Knowing where your transmitter is in relation to your dwelling is well worth finding out. Over here in central UK we have an overlapping coverage of UHF transmissions and some folks fall into the trap of aligning/tuning into a fringe transmitter rather than their main one and get a crap signal. Having said that, obstacles in the transmitter's line of sight may make fringe transmitters a better proposition.

I can't find the link any longer but the BBC's reception advice page used to explain that raising your antenna by 3' could double your signal strength.