Over the Air [OTA] television has gotten quite good in most US cities. Here in Kansas City I pick up Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, all in 720, or 1080p resolution. Additionally I get about 30 other stations, including movie, kids, and Spanish channels. I do not have to pay a cable provider $40 a month to watch my Chiefs or Royals lose. OTA television is definitely not what it used to be and you should know how to get on the cord-cutting bandwagon. You can see what OTA channels you can get here.
A search on Amazon shows many antenna options and it is really shocking that a piece of coaxial cable, plastic, and Chinesium alloy can cost as much as $60. Even some cable providers are offering expensive installations of an antenna...to get free TV! I made my antennas out of spare coaxial cable. Most people have a few feet of this around their house and I am going to tell you how to put it to use.
What you do is cut the cable to about 6 feet. Using scissors, strip 10 inches of shielding/casing off one end to expose the copper wire. Screw the side you did not cut into your TV's coax input jack and scan in the TV menu for new antenna stations. My TVs hang on walls and I wrapped the cable around the TV's mounting bracket so it is out of sight. Just make sure the copper wire is not touching anything metal. If you live away from broadcast stations, or in rural areas, I cannot guarantee what you will pick up, but it is worth a shot.
I have used a $40 'AC powered' before and channel rescans have actually brought up fewer channels than my free antenna. There are other creative articles on how to boost your DIY antenna's power with tin foil, but I have never felt the need to try those. Keep in mind that wind, rain, and distance will still be factors in your signal! But I will never spend a dime on an antenna again.
