What’s the best antenna signal meter?

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We all know that person who likes to play the game of “if money were no object…” Hey maybe you’re that person. I’m not judging. I myself like to think what I could do if I had the ability to work with only the best tools. Whether you’re that person or it’s someone else, maybe they’ve asked you the question above. Maybe they said, “if you didn’t have to worry about the money, what antenna meter would you get.” (Perhaps that my friends say things like that says more about me than you really want to know.)

So what’s the answer?

Trust me you really don’t want to know. If you want a top-notch measuring device you’ll pay for it. The spectrum analyzer you see above, which can measure all aspects of a signal, runs about a grand and we have ones that cost ten times as much. Do you really need something like that?

Probably not, unless you’re a serious professional. But if you’re interested in measuring signal, you’ll need something. While some TVs do have some sort of signal measurement, it’s usually clear what’s being measured. Raw signal power isn’t as important with digital signals. Signal-to-noise ratio is. Your TV might be showing you that number, but it might not.

The thing is, the right meter for you is the one that tells you everything you need. Something like this King signal meter is perfect if all you’re trying to do is get good signal when you know roughly where to put the antenna. That may be all you need. Just know, that meter just gives you the most basic measurement of signal power. That’s it.

If you’re looking to get real, honest signal levels there are some better meters for your antenna like our SignalScout meter. It will tell you what the strength is on any particular channel, plus give you some basic information about the signal like the amount of noise and the errors in the digital signal. That’s enough for almost every single antenna enthusiast out there. It’s the meter I use when I don’t feel like hauling out my $10,000 spectrum analyzer. (and yes, the fact that I have a $10,000 spectrum analyzer probably says more about me than you wanted to know.)

Why would you need more data than that?

Only a real RF engineer would. If you’re in charge of broadcasts of some sort, you need something that can truly analyze every aspect of a signal and determine what it’s about. Folks like that worry about interference, about how clean the broadcast signal is at the tower, and about what effect the broadcast is having on other broadcasts. That’s the sort of thing that you really need a high-end meter to check.

Whether you need something simple and inexpensive, or some sort of dream device, you’ll find all the measuring equipment you need when you shop at Solid Signal. We have everything from quick meters to the most intense measurement devices anyone could ever want. Not sure what’s best? Call the honest, helpful folks in our Novi Michigan tech center. We’re here during East Coast business hours at 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below! We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.