Omnidirectional antennas are kind of neat. They take in signal from all directions at once and never need aiming. They do this by using four antennas, each pointed in a separate direction, inside one casing that looks kind of like a UFO. They’re a great choice for people in cities or suburbs who want a simple, no-brainer antenna experience. But can you use one if you’re 70 miles from the broadcast towers?
The simple answer is no.
An omnidirectional antenna uses smaller antenna elements than you would need to receive signal from 70 miles away consistently. In order to receive signal from that distance, you’d need something like this Televes DAT BOSS Mix LR antenna:
This antenna is pretty big. The manufacturer says it’s 84″ from front to back and that sounds about right to me. It’s much bigger than any omnidirectional antenna you’d get.
Can’t you just add an amplifier to a small antenna?
As I’ve said in this article, that’s really not an option at a certain point. Television broadcasting in the US is all digital. Digital signals respond differently to amplification than analog ones. With digital signals, once the signal itself is weaker than the noise around it, it’s lost. Small antennas are less sensitive to signals than large ones, and that means they pull in less signal to begin with. With a weaker signal, that means it’s already closer to being lost in the noise around it.
Bottom line, an omni antenna at 70 miles won’t pull in enough signal to amplify.
Couldn’t someone just make a really big omni antenna?
Could someone make an omni antenna that pulls in signals from 70 miles away reliably? Sure. It would probably be about the size of a beach umbrella. I’m not sure how much of a market there would be for such an antenna, but it would at the very least be physically possible.
Rather than looking for an omni antenna that reaches that far, why not get a recommendation on the right antenna? The team at Solid Signal are here to help you choose the antenna you really need. Chances are if you’re out 70 miles or more you might not need an omni antenna. You might be able to use something like our HDB8X antenna which can point in two different directions. It’s rated for 65 mile UHF reception and that may work for you.
How can you know which antenna is right for you?
It’s not always easy to choose the right antenna with so many options. There are so many manufacturers now. Some of the best ones are brands you have never heard of, but some of the worst ones are also brands you’ve never heard of. And, some of the brands you’ve heard of have been bought by overseas companies and aren’t as good as you remember. It can be very confusing.
Why not get the antenna that’s right for your situation? Call the antenna experts at 888-233-7563 and we’ll get you a free estimate. We’re here during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
