How to receive free digital TV over the air?

All TVs and antennas made since 2010 were/are digital ready. 

However, you may still have an older television or antenna which was not digital ready. In which case, you may have to update the antenna and use a set-top box with your older television. Stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart usually stock both antennas and set-top boxes.

It's important to note that you not use the old style flat two conductor antenna wire. You will need to use coaxial cable. If your antenna has a two screw connection, use a 75OHM to Coax converter at the the antenna connection.

Digital TV signals are just that--digital (ones and zeroes). This means that they either work or don't work. Analog signals of the past may have given you a slightly fuzzy signal, but you could still see or hear the program. Digital signals carry a much higher quality (higher resolution and higher quality sound), but when you lose the signal, it is lost--there is no in-between.

Set Top Converter Boxes - Setup and Use - Tips
If you purchase a set top box for use with a television that does not have a digital [ATSC] tuner, there are a few pointers.

1. DTV converter boxes tune digital signals and pass them to your TV. Similarly to your VHS recorder, they pass the signal on channel 3 or 4. You would use channel 3 if the box is switchable. Then, just as you set your TV to channel 3 to watch video tape or DVD's, do that to view signals from the DTV converter aka "set top box". [Note: A newer TV may have a menu item to set the tuner to "Air" or "Antenna" instead of "Cable". If you are using a digital TV instead of a set top box, be sure this menu item is set to "Air". Believe it or not, the actual frequency is different for, say, channel 5 for air reception and cable!]
   
   
2. To get the box working, after turning it on and setting the TV to channel 3, press the menu button on the remote for the box. You should see the menu appear on screen. Look for a menu item like "Scan for signals". Activate that and let it go through that routine until it is done. Then, press channel 9. You may see a rough signal or none at all. Then press the "Channel UP" button. If the box "sees" NBC, it will appear on 9.1 after the button press. Look for CBS digital on our 12, though you'll probably "see" it as 8.1 and 8.2. Same with ABC; we're broadcasting it as 14.1 and 14.2 but your box will probably say it is 23.2 or 23.2, the channel of the parent station, KMTF in Missoula.
3. Many of these boxes have a menu item indicating whether it will shut off automatically. Some let you select after 2 hours, 4 hours or whatever; maybe it's a conservation thing. This may throw you the first time if you expected it to remain on indefinitely. Some boxes let you defeat this feature in the menu.
4. Finally, if you have long runs of coax or are using a splitter, remember that the signal degrades with distance. If you are having issues, you may need a line amplifier or splitter/amplifier.
   

​NOTE: Our all volunteer board strives to deliver the best service possible with our limited budget and resources. The board will answer what questions it can, but it is not a technical support group. If you need help with installation of an antenna, set-top box, or configuration of your television, we recommend you call a service like Geek Squad who works in conjunction with various retailers like Best Buy.

Basic TV Antenna Installation

You may choose to directly ground the Antenna using a grounding spike similar to the ones used on your power service. Make sure to use a Coax Grounding block which will protect your TV as well.

What area does Swan Hill TV Cover?

The maps shown here show the rough area served by Swan Hill TV. The map showing the tower location depicts the direction your antenna should be facing to receive the best signal. 

For areas along Flathead Lake, Blacktail TV District has other towers that service that area.

Note: It is possible to receive the same station from two sites, so if you re-scan and see two stations, you may want choose the stronger signal and turn off the second channel.

You may also use the Antenna.org website, enter your address and see what channels you may receive. This service may not list all of the channels available to you. (Enter your address like: "123 Anystreet, Bigfork, MT, 59911").

The FCC has a similar service available by clicking here.

For information on the federally mandated transition from analog to digital, you can read more on Wikipedia by clicking here.

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When will ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) be available?

May 2020. While ATSC 3.0 is on the horizon, it is still some time away. First of all, there are no receivers commercially available yet (this means you current TV probably does not support ATSC 3.0); some of the manufacturers have said the newest 8K TVs will be the first to come out with ATSC 3.0 compatible receivers in 2020. Second, the full power stations will be the first to move to ATSC 3.0. Finally, the cost will be a factor. ATSC 1.0 uses what is called 8VSB modulation to deliver the signals but 3.0 uses a scheme called OFDM. This will require new equipment. While many vendors are delivering products that they say can be upgraded to 3.0, there is no equipment available for 3.0 TV Translators at this time. There is also no FCC mandate for any translator or broadcaster to support ATSC 3.0, so there is no guarantee that it will be rolled out by those broadcasters that support our area. Realistically, we think we are looking at 3 to 5 years before 3.0 comes to the Flathead Valley.  

Click here for an external website that discusses the reality of when things may be available.