Android: Any TV antenna-positioning apps?

[Ai Haibara]

I'm not sure if this question should be posted here, but...

Mostly out of curiosity, are there any (recommended, non-spyware/malware, etc.) Android apps that'll use your GPS location and data from sources like antennaweb (if that's still around; I didn't check before posting ) to help you determine the best directions to point your TV antenna?

[usually_quiet]

I never considered that such a thing existed but sure enough, they do. I just tried "Antenna Point". It's from a well-known retail operation, Antennas Direct but no ads so far. I like the way it works. When I have the opportunity to do so, I'm going to see if my indoor antennas are pointed as predicted by the app.

[Ai Haibara]

Thanks, usually_quiet. I did give it a try.

Now, for anyone else reading this, your mileage may vary, so by all means don't let my experience necessarily turn you away from trying it.

It does have a slightly lower score in the Play Store, so read through the reviews and take note of the issues people mention, just in case. They didn't seem to affect me when I tried the app.

The app suggested pointing my antenna about... ~40 degrees off to the left of where I currently have it pointed? I tried that, but ended up losing a small handful of stations. And, as some of the reviews mentioned a possible issue with miscalibration/getting directions reversed, I did try pointing the antenna in the completely opposite direction. That didn't help.

In all, I guess I can recommend it, but don't necessarily use its recommendations as the final word on where you should point your antenna.

[usually_quiet]

In my case, the app did locate the towers with the strongest TV signals I receive and correctly indicated their general direction on its map. However, I found that I couldn't truly check the accuracy of the app's recommendation against how my antennas are now pointed. The tiny compass in the app is hard for me to use and I don't have a separate compass or GPS to accurately locate north.

As a side note, I originally used the TV Fool website to predict the OTA networks that I could reasonably expect to receive but it isn't being maintained and has not been updated to reflect the frequency reassignments in my area that took place in the past year. antennaweb.org is a better bet for an accurate prediction now.

[Ai Haibara]

In my case, the app did locate the towers with the strongest TV signals I receive and correctly indicated their general direction on its map. However, I found that I couldn't truly check the accuracy of the app's recommendation against how my antennas are now pointed. The tiny compass in the app is hard for me to use and I don't have a separate compass or GPS to accurately locate north.

Yeah, that's why I ended up with more of a general direction as opposed to having a more precise direction in which to point the antenna. Then again, I've never tried the compass feature on any of my Android phones, so I don't know how accurate they are, anyway. I need to dig the old compass out of my nightstand.

As a side note, I originally used the TV Fool website to predict the OTA networks that I could reasonably expect to receive but it isn't being maintained and has not been updated to reflect the frequency reassignments in my area that took place in the past year. antennaweb.org is a better bet for an accurate prediction now.

I think I only used TV Fool once or twice, and antennaweb more often, but that was a while back.

[the_man_one]

usually_quiet you can use the old satellite trick, sun up in the east, point left hand there down in the west, right hand there. head straight and you are looking south. gets you a starting point.

[usually_quiet]

usually_quiet you can use the old satellite trick, sun up in the east, point left hand there down in the west, right hand there. head straight and you are looking south. gets you a starting point.

Even better, I know how to find Polaris, the North Star, using the Big Dipper. However, none of those tricks are useful indoors where my antennas are located.