Choosing the Correct TV Antenna in Perth

A question that is often asked is “which antenna do I need for my area in Perth?”.

There is no one size fits all solution as coverage and reception will vary from area to area. Our suburbs stretch over 100+km’s along the coast, inland and across all sorts of terrain. Coverage for example in Currambine, will not be as good as North Perth.  Consequently, an antenna that works perfectly in one area, may fail to perform in another locality and give reception issues long after the salesman packs up shop.

When selecting the correct antenna for your area, we consider various factors such as the number of outlets in your house, elevation, the distance between outlets, mounting location for best reception and aesthetics, resulting in an antenna installation that gives you the clearest picture possible.

Fraccaro LPDA antenna – for strong signal areas

A log periodic dipole (LPDA) design is one of the most commonly used types in prime reception areas.  A broad spectrum is covered offering reception of all stations broadcast in Perth.  This design is offered by various manufacturers.

A common misconception is that bigger is better.  While this may apply in some situations, the design of the antenna has an important role in how strong each channel can be received.  The size of the elements determines which channel ranges the antenna can receive, while the number of elements is an indicator of how sensitive the antenna is.  With the switchover to digital, many larger Analogue antennas which may appear to look superior, will not outperform smaller digital antennas.

Analog Antenna

Digital Antenna

Digital channels run on higher frequencies than analog channels, which often require more smaller elements.  Only 3 of the elements on the antenna on the left pick up digital TV, whereas all the smaller digital antenna on the right has double the amount of shorter elements required for reception of digital TV.

Another type of antenna is a high gain Antenna.  The term is often loosely used to describe any antenna considered suitable, however high gain antennas are identified by their long boom, often 1.5 meters and longer in length, and large amount of elements.  Typical uses are in suburbs very far from the CBD and rural areas, offering increased performance over standard antennas.

Matchmaster high gain antenna