Digital converter box not picking up any channels?

I bought a Apex - Digital-to-Analog Converter for Analog TVs and a RCA Indoor Antenna. I tested at my friend house, and it founded about 70 channels. He lives in a condo, kinda like hotels. I was surprised that he received so many channels without cable. The thing is, I bought the converter box and antenna for me, but when I tried testing at my house, it founded no channels. Nada. I'm sure I have it set up correctly just like at my friend house. Is it my location? I live in an apartment, and all my neighbors doesn't have cable. I tested the antenna without the converter box, and it founded only 3 channels by KTLA. Is it my location? I'm broke, and I can't afford cable monthly. I paid 83 bucks for these unit, and now I'm going to return it back. But before I do, did I do anything wrong? My friend has an old tv, and I have an HD TV Plasma. Any help is appreciated.Digital converter box not picking up any channels?
-Location can make all the difference.

-And with an indoor antenna the materials used to construct the building it's in can make all the difference

-With an indoor antenna, sometimes even moving the antenna a few inches can make a lot of difference.

First go to the first two links below and find out exactly how far %26amp; in what direction your local TV transmitters are in.

Was the Apex set up in an nearby area that would receive the same transmitters?

Important question, are you receiving KTLA from it's main transmitter or through a translator station? (See third link.)

The KTLA main transmitter is located near a bunch of similar transmitters for other stations, so if that's the one that you are picking up, it's odd you didn't find others.

Until a digital tuner finds a station by "scaning", it can't detect it. So it can be helpful to temporarily put the antenna outside in the direction of the transmitters and do a scan. That makes finding a reception "sweet spot" indoors a lot easier.

Besides knowing which direction the signals are coming from (What do the signals have to go through to get to the antenna?), the next best tool is to get a length of coax cable and experiment with different antenna locations to see where the best reception is..

%26gt;a plasma TV will have a digital tuner,

Some older plasma TVs do not have digital tuners. But since you picked up 3 KALA channels I assume your TV is new enough to have one.

%26gt;Apex - Digital-to-Analog Converter for Analog TVs and a RCA Indoor Antenna. I tested at my friend house, and it founded about 70 channels

If it was set up in the same area and hasen't been wiped, it should be handy in locating antenna sweet spots in your apartment.Digital converter box not picking up any channels?
First of all, you don't need a converter box, a plasma TV will have a digital tuner, Converter boxes convert digital broadcasts into an analog signal for older TVs. Not only is it unnecessary, it will NOT give you a HD picture.

In regard to your signal problems, its like real estate: location, location, location. Your friend may be closer to the broadcast towers, or you may have a tall building or hill between you and the towers. In reality, very few people get satisfactory performance with an indoor antenna.

Go to http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx for more information on exactly what kind of antenna you will need.
.......................................鈥?br>Re: Your additional details- If you find an antenna or antenna location that works, you will actually get a better picture from broadcast than cable or satellite. OTA broadcasts are (usually) not compressed as much as cable/satellite.

Re: Grampa's answer- Combining multiple antennas is tricky. If not done correctly, it can actually make things worse. See these links:
http://www.kyes.com/antenna/stacking.htm鈥?/a>
http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/two-an鈥?/a>Digital converter box not picking up any channels?
I get most of the channels with 3 indoor antennas connected together, but I have a fairly clear shot at the antennas on a mountain about 15 miles away.

If U are on the 'wrong side' of a apartment building so that the antennas are on the other side, that could be causing your problem.

As already mentioned, U don't need a converter box with a TV that has a digital tuner.



Some apartment buildings have an antenna on the top of the apartment building that is available for the tenets. If U have a cable outlet in your apartment, the cable may need to be disconnected from the cable box somewhere in the apartment building and reconnected to the antenna on the roof.

There are also phase array antennas that work with a matched tuner that should make the antenna work better, but they didn't help me. A matched tuner would not do U much good, as the ones that I have seen are used to converter digital to analog.

If U have a balcony that has line of sight view of the antennas, U might be able to set up an antenna out there and put a cable going into your apartment.