I used a 12db amp and adjustable 2-24 db amp
 

Yes, and oddly enough they actually made the signal worse. When talking to a transition support person at the local PBS affiliate, he said that was to be expected because the amp would increase the noise in the signal too and unlike analog (where you could squint through the snow if you have a bad signal), with digital too much noise interferes with the reception and once you hit the threshold...no signal...

I have a friend who lives in an apartment building about 40-50 miles from Minneapolis. Even before the analog broadcast shutdown, her only option was cable.

Yeah that's the caveat with digital. When they finally converted all the Live ENG trucks at the CBS affiliate I used to work for that was the first thing they pointed out. The dish on the truck didn't always have to be perfectly aligned with the tower to establish a signal, but if for any reason we were to tweak it during a live shot we had to be careful, or simply avoid doing it and go with what we had, since there wouldn't be no "warnings" like there were with analog.

I live around the same range from the towers in my area too. Although, I was able to pull in some channels with an indoor antenna with a 55db amp. But eventually I installed an aerial antenna and even then I still have to install an amp to receive a pretty consistent signal.

Wow........
 

Sounds like I should up stakes and spend some time in the States, make my fortune!

Was (incarnation #15) a "Cable Guy" who's speciality was getting an analogue signal where no analogue signal could be got!

The digital services worldwide have presented an interesting challenge in this respect.

Here in NZ, Australia and back in the UK, they have got around this terrestrial delivery problem by taking it "off world".

A consortium of the "big" channels (networks) club together and shoot their combined feeds to a satelite (funnily enough, here in NZ, the same one as Sky) and beam it back for reception via dish (free delivery, you have to pay for the purchase of dish and box).

Still a bugger if you can't erect an outside aerial tho'.

It's spawned mushrooms of grey dishes the length and breadth of all three countries.

Still waaaay behind India tho', they've been relying on sats for the last 25 years for rural TV delivery!


CS

My friend living 40-50 miles out from Minneapolis is stuck with cable, because the management company simply won't allow anything else. They aren't even letting the cable company re-wire the building (which is needed).