What is a Television Antenna?
A television antenna is a type of communication device or transducer that is specifically designed to receive picture and audio electromagnetic waves to allow television owners to pick up on channels that are still available without satellite dishes and cables, such as FOX channel.
This type of antenna is also known as a uhf antenna, but is only useful when used with old televisions that have a uhf button that allows watchers to find various channels that are being transmitted in that format. In the UK, such antennas are still widely in use, unlike North America where cable has been predominantly in use for many decades. The antenna is usually placed on a rooftop or even inside an attic or loft and positioned in a direction that picks up local channels like BBC 1 and 2, Channel 4 and ITV. In places in North America it is still possible to receive such channels, though antennas are built on top of the old television and even some enthusiastic television viewers have gone as far as making their own from wire coat hangers and duct tape.
Television antennas generally work over a short distance only, unlike their equivalent counterparts for radio, satellite and cell phone communications, which can cover much larger distances. The disadvantage to television antennas is that the reception is not always guaranteed to be consistent. In fact, in places where there are mountains, reception may be impossible or even very intermittent. They are also greatly affected by weather conditions, especially during thunderstorms when the electrical charges in the atmosphere can interfere with the movement and direction of electromagnetic waves.