GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — As more Americans "cut the cord" with pay TV services, those of you living in central Minnesota and western Wisconsin can still watch all of your favorite NBC and KARE 11 programs for free by using an antenna connected to your television.
KARE 11 broadcasts on over-the-air television using an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) signal from our tower in Shoreview in the northeast metro. If you connect an antenna to your television and scan for channels, KARE 11 will appear as channel 11.1.
If you previously received KARE 11 with an antenna but are having trouble receiving our signal, rescanning your television can sometimes help solve the problem.
HOW DO I SCAN MY TV?
CLICK HERE to download and print TV scanning instructions.
It sounds complicated, but it’s just a few quick and easy steps to scan or rescan your TV.
- Press the MENU button on your television or converter box remote.
- Go to SETUP or SETTINGS.
- Go to INSTALLATION or SYSTEM or CHANNELS.
- Go to AUTOPROGRAM, AUTOSCAN, AUTOTUNING, PROGRAM CHANNELS, or SCAN CHANNELS.
- Press ENTER, OK, or SELECT to start the scan.
- Some televisions may warn you that starting a scan will reprogram your channels. That's OK! Reprogramming your tuner is exactly what you want to do to access the upgrades and new channels.
- Once the scan starts, it can take just a few minutes or 15 – 30 minutes to complete. DON’T stop the process once it starts.
- At this point, your scan should be done. Many televisions quit the process on their own, while with others, you may need to select OK or EXIT on your remote.
NOTE: Some manufacturers have you use the LEFT/RIGHT arrow to access menu functions. Sometimes they throw you a curve ball and make the CHANNEL UP/DOWN and VOLUME UP/DOWN double as menu navigation. It can be a bit tricky, but if you're familiar with your television remote, you already know this stuff.
RESCANNING A ROKU TV
If you watch antenna channels using a Roku TV (a television with the Roku platform built-in, not the separate stick or box), the rescan process is similar:
- Press the Home button in the upper right of the Roku remote
- Scroll down to Settings on your screen and hit OK on the remote
- Scroll down to TV inputs on your screen and hit OK on the remote
- Scroll down to Live TV on your screen and hit OK on the remote
- Choose "Scan for channels"
- Choose "Start finding channels"
- Step 1 screen: Choose Yes or No if channels 3 & 4 are needed (this typically used for connecting an older analog VCR, DVD player or video game system)
- Step 2 screen: Let the scan complete – don’t choose anything
- Step 3 screen: The TV will scan for cable channels; if you're only using an antenna, you can safely select "Skip this Step"
- In the last step, your TV will ask to set up Live TV Pause, which is optional
I STILL CAN'T SEE KARE 11
- You must use a flat or roof-mounted UHF antenna. Rabbit ears won’t work to receive the NEW UHF signal. Here is a link to a site with great antenna recommendations based on where you live.
- Have you tried a “double rescan”? Sometimes the TV receiver or converter box will save incorrect channel information and will require a "double rescan" to restore the correct channel info. To do this, remove the antenna cable, then scan the channels. After the scan is complete, reconnect the antenna and re-scan the channel
- Try to move your antenna around a bit. Just a little different placement can help. This website will help you experiment with tuning in over the air:
- If you are near the main antenna site in Shoreview: we suggest not using a powered antenna because the signal will actually be too strong.
- If your signal comes from a translator rather than directly from the main tower: our engineers are having to “retune” them each one at a time – try rescanning every few days to see if your translator has been updated.
Below, check out a unique bird's eye view of workers high above the ground at the KARE 11 transmitter site in Shoreview:
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANTENNAS?
The type of antenna makes a big difference.
An old fashioned, large pole mounted antenna usually works best outdoors. They can also be mounted in the attic, but the reception is not as strong.
Unfortunately, “rabbit ear” antennas are probably the least effective way to receive a digital signal, however in some situations they may be a viewer’s only option. If a rabbit ear antenna is the only option, those with a built-in RF amplifier to boost the DTV signal would be preferable.
WHICH DIRECTION SHOULD MY ANTENNA FACE?
The direction your antenna points will impact your signal quality. Antennas should be pointed toward our transmitter, which is in Shoreview near I-694 and I-35W.
- Re-aim the antenna. A slight antenna alignment can do wonders for improving digital reception.
- If you are using a directional antenna, aim towards the broadcast towers in Shoreview Minnesota.
- Re-locate the antenna. Like cell phones, digital signals have hot spots and cold spots. Moving the antenna as little as a foot from a current location can make a BIG difference in reception.
- Reorient the antenna by changing its shape or physical position (such as lying flat or standing vertical).
- Interference can be caused by a number of sources in your home environment, including appliances or motors. Another common cause of interference is signal reflections in your home. Moving the antenna near a window or away from reflective objects can help eliminate interference issues and improve reception.
DOES THE CONDITION OF MY EQUIPMENT MATTER?
Yes! There are a few things to check if you think your equipment might be in poor condition.
If the coaxial cable is in bad shape, moisture may have created a weak spot in the cable from the antenna into the house, lowering the signal strength.
The connectors at the end of the coax can be problematic as well. If you have an outside antenna, it is a good idea to check and make certain the coax cable from the antenna is in good shape and protected from the elements (extreme sun, rain, etc.).
Is your wiring “split?” That is important because how many times the signal is split before reaching the TV/receiver may also result in low signal strength.
Multiple splitters or anything more than a two-way split may cause issues. We recommend installing a signal amplifier splitter from the antenna before branching to other splitters, receivers, or a TV. This should boost the signal evenly to the devices.
OTHER HELP AND RESOURCES
To help solve an issue you are having viewing KARE 11, please refer to our troubleshooting tips here, or you can email us at antennahelp@kare11.com.
If you're still experiencing trouble getting KARE 11 on your over-the-air antenna, you can also send us a message using the form below: