The wavelengths of TV signals for the standard VHF (very high frequency) Channels 2 through 13 range from.....

Question

about 5.6 down to about 1.4 meters. New high definition TV signals are in the UHF (ultra high frequency) band, with wavelengths considerable less than 1 meter. Will this shorter wavelength increase or decrease reception in "shadow areas" (assuming no cable)?

Answer 1

There are propagation differences between the VHF and UHF frequency ranges, but that's just one small part of the big picture. Analog television is a very inefficient use for RF spectrum. The longer distance range of VHF does more harm than good. Few channels are available to meet local needs because you need to be much farther away from other stations which could interfere. No single antenna can efficiently cover the entire VHF/UHF range. VHF requires a much larger antenna for effectiveness. Redundancy in the digital encoding helps isolate the viewer from minor variations in signal quality. We have much better uses for the VHF spectrum than offering a slight improvement to television signal quality.

Answer 2

It probably does not matter but the antenna for longer wavelength (low frequency) is simple and may be less sensitive to direction; but larger in size. The lower frequency has longer wavelength and penetrate buildings better but at VHF it may not be noticeable like it is for microwave cell phones. All radio waves travel in direct lines since they are photons. It would help to know what modulation is used since some modulation methods limit the amount of data that can be sent. If this is for TV I would use the highest frequency but I would not rate my advice too highly.

Answer 3

Typically, the higher frequencies suffer more from reflections & absorption so they will have a shorter range for the same power.

Answer 4

Shorter wavelength has higher energy so it would provide stronger signal and the reception will increase.