The Physics of Antenna Distance

If you're a cord cutter, or thinking of becoming one, an option you should consider is getting a TV antenna. Most people in the USA live close enough to at least one broadcast tower and could pick up TV signals over the air. That's free. A long time ago, that was the only way to watch TV. We had an antenna pointed toward the TV towers in Savannah, and we'd watch the stations from that city. It was the closest place that had TV signals.

The increase in streaming services has put a huge dent in cable, and is partly responsible for people remembering, or finding out for the first time, about over the air TV. What was an old market was resurrected and became a hot new market again. And what happens when a new market emerges? Someone wants to take advantage of it. A lot of TV antennae that you see in stores make some really outrageous claims. I've seen antennae claiming 200 mile range.

Let me tell you a secret. They're lying. Here's why I can tell you they are lying: the earth is round. Go to the ocean and stand on the beach; the horizon is a little over five miles away. If you're on top of a building, you can see farther. If there's a TV tower, those are higher, and you can see them even farther. But how far? Maybe as far as 70 miles. Maybe not quite that far.

Electronic Ground Clutter

There are other factors to consider as well. Ground clutter -- the natural or man-made obstructions between you and the tower -- can negatively affect the signal. However, in 2026, the clutter isn't just physical; it's electronic. High-power 5G mobile signals now operate on frequencies immediately adjacent to the upper UHF television channels. In my area, a station like WGCB-LD on RF 36 is a perfect example of this. Even though the tower is relatively close, the massive power from nearby 5G cell towers can "swamp" a digital tuner. The cell tower is effectively shouting so loud that your tuner cannot hear the relatively quiet TV signal. You may find yourself in a similar situation where a station that should be reachable is being drowned out by cellular noise.

The Shift from VHF to UHF

All antennae are not created equal, and all TV signals are not created equal. TV stations that broadcast on channels 2-6 are VHF low, channels 7-13 are VHF high, and 14 up are UHF. Not every TV station actually broadcasts on the channel you think. The actual channel may be different than the virtual channel. In Savannah, WTOC identifies as Channel 11, but it has moved its physical broadcast to RF 23. In Jacksonville, WJXT Channel 4 actually broadcasts on RF 18, and WJXX Channel 25 is on RF 10.

This move from the VHF band to the UHF band has a direct impact on the distance a signal can travel. VHF signals have a longer wavelength that can slightly "bend" over the horizon. UHF signals are shorter and function almost strictly on a line-of-sight basis. If you are 45 miles away in southeast Georgia, the curvature of the earth and obstacles like dense pine trees are now much bigger hurdles for WTOC on RF 23 than they were when it lived on a lower VHF frequency.

Signal Encryption and DRM

Beyond the physics of the signal, there is now a legal hurdle. Many broadcasters have begun encrypting their over-the-air signals using Digital Rights Management (DRM). Even if your antenna captures a perfect signal, you may see a blank screen if your equipment cannot "handshake" with a server via the internet to unlock the content. Requiring an internet connection to unlock a free, over-the-air signal is a violation of the public interest mandate these stations were granted with their licenses. If your internet is down during a storm, you should not be locked out of local news because of a digital padlock on a public resource.

Regardless of the fruit basket turnover involving virtual channels, physical frequencies, or digital locks, you still need to be close enough to a tower to pick up the station. There is no such thing as a 200 mile antenna. If you take nothing else away from this, take that. Marketing hype is a fancy term for lying. Don't believe the hype. Do some research, or reach out to an expert. One is Tyler the Antenna Man, but there are others. You can also verify your local signal strength and tower locations at RabbitEars.info.

If you can, find a good antenna. Use the resources available to get the local channels, if you live close enough. My Streaming Life depends on a clear, unencumbered signal, and knowing the physics of your location is the only way to get it.