[Jake Holloway]

I keep seeing people say indoor antennas need a window, but my living room setup is kind of in the middle of the apartment. Is the WaveMax going to be a waste of money if I can’t put it near one? I’m just trying to pick up local channels without paying for cable again.

[Lopeza]

It kind of depends on what you mean by “middle of the apartment.” I ran mine on a bookshelf that was definitely not near any exterior wall and still got the major networks fine. It’s not like the antenna needs to be glued to the glass. The channel scan is what really matters, so just try it and see what comes in before you assume it won’t work.

[S4r4 Hernández]

I think the window thing gets overblown a little. I had mine sitting on top of a tall bookshelf in a hallway with no windows nearby and it pulled in a decent amount of local channels. Not every single one, but enough that I stopped feeling like I needed cable for the local news and sports.

[Pete Sterling]

The window thing helps, but it is not the whole story. I had mine in a spot with no direct line to outside and still pulled in the major networks fine. The real test is just running the channel scan and seeing what comes through.

[Pete Tilbrook]

Honestly the window thing gets treated like some hard rule and it really isn’t. My place has the TV on an interior wall, no window within maybe fifteen feet, and I still get the major networks fine. The antenna is just sitting on the media stand behind the TV, not even in a great spot.

I think the bigger issue is what direction the broadcast towers are from your building. If they happen to be on the other side of your apartment, a window won’t save you anyway. And if you’re in a spot where the signal bounces around the building, being more central can actually work out okay.

The real test is just plugging it in and running the channel scan. Takes five minutes. If it doesn’t pick stuff up, move it a foot or two and scan again. I had to do that a couple times before I found the sweet spot. Definitely not a waste as long as you’re willing to fiddle with placement a bit.

[Chris Reed]

I’d say try it anyway. My TV is on an interior wall with no window nearby and I still get most of the major locals. It took some fiddling with placement before the channels came in clear, but once I got it up high it was fine.

[Jordan Hayes]

If you can do a channel scan from wherever you set it up, id say go for it.

[Ella Riddle]

I’m in the same boat, my TV is basically against an interior wall with no window anywhere close. I picked one up anyway and got the major networks fine after messing with placement for a bit. It’s finicky but not useless. If you can return it easily, I’d say just try it and see what your scan picks up.

[Khan]

It’s probably worth a shot. I ran mine in a spot that was basically surrounded by interior walls, not even close to an outside wall, and it still grabbed a decent amount of channels. The window might help, but it’s not like the antenna refuses to work without one.

[Devvit]

I would not write it off just because of the window situation. These things are basically a game of trial and error anyway. My setup is far from ideal and I still got the channels I actually watch, so it is not like you need perfect conditions for it to be useful.

[Lily___]

I’d say don’t let the window thing decide for you. The antenna doesn’t care where it sits as much as what’s around it. I’d just grab one and run a channel scan in a couple of spots before you give up on it.

[Mike Jensen]

I think the whole window thing gets way too much weight honestly. My place is a basement unit and I have my WaveMax sitting on a bookshelf that is definitely not near any window. The shelf is basically in the center of the room with walls on three sides of it. I still get all the local networks without any real issues. CBS comes in a little weaker than the others but it’s watchable.

People act like these things need a perfect line of sight or something. That’s not how it worked for me at all. I just plugged it in, ran the channel scan, and it found what it found. Took maybe five minutes total. I moved it around a bit to see if it mattered and honestly the difference was pretty small. If you’re in an apartment complex with a lot of concrete around you that might be a different story, but just being away from a window shouldn’t stop you from trying it.

[Chris Writes]

The window thing gets treated like some hard rule, but honestly the bigger factor is just what direction your local towers are sitting in relation to your building. I have mine set up on a low entertainment center that’s basically in the middle of my place, and the only thing near it is a fish tank. Still pulled in a decent handful of channels after a scan, including the main networks which is all I really wanted.

The thing that helped me more than anything was just re-scanning at different times of day. Morning scan gave me one set, evening scan gave me a couple extra channels that came in clearer. It’s a bit of fiddling but it’s a one time thing.

For the price it’s not like you’re gambling a ton of money. If it doesn’t work you’re out less than a pizza. But I would not assume it’s dead on arrival just because you’re not near glass.

[Mike38]

The window thing gets treated like a hard rule, but it really depends on your building and where the towers are. I had mine in a spot with zero natural light nearby, basically buried behind a couch, and it still pulled in the local networks fine. The main thing I’d say is just make sure you run a channel scan and mess with the placement a bit. If it doesn’t work, you can always return it, but I wouldn’t skip trying it just because of the window situation.

[Linda Morris]

The window thing is overblown. I had mine tucked behind a couch in a room with no exterior walls and still got the main locals fine. Worst case you move it around a few times and rescan, but I wouldnt call it a waste of money just because you arent near glass.

[AnnaK]

Mine works fine tucked behind my TV stand, so the window thing is not a dealbreaker.

[Alex_28]

I was in the same boat when I got mine. My apartment has one window in the kitchen and the TV is on the opposite side of the living room, so I figured I’d be doing a lot of trial and error. Honestly I just plugged it in, ran the channel scan, and got everything I needed without moving it an inch. The window thing seems to matter more if you’re in a really rural area or have a lot of buildings around you.

What changed my mind about it was having a friend who lives in a high rise with floor to ceiling windows and they get fewer channels than I do. So it’s not like the window guarantees anything either. I think people just say that because it’s the easiest advice to give, but the real answer is just try it where you want it first before you start rearranging furniture. You can always move it later.

My only gripe is that I spent way too long obsessing over placement when I could have just done a channel scan and been done with it. If you’re already set on the WaveMax, I’d say grab it and test it in the spot you actually want it. If it doesn’t work, then you can start messing with positions. No point stressing over the window before you even try.

[coffeeandscreens]

Mine sits on a shelf in a hallway and honestly it does fine for most channels, so I wouldnt stress the window thing too much.

[Tessa Lane]

I’ll be the odd one out here. I don’t think the window thing is the main issue. I’ve used mine in a room with a window and it still picked up maybe half the channels I expected. Placement mattered way less than the fact that my building is surrounded by taller ones on all sides. If you live somewhere with clear sightlines to the towers, a window probably helps. If you don’t, it won’t save you.

Honestly, I’d rather have a cable cord running across the floor to the one spot that works than rearrange my whole living room around an antenna. That’s just me though. I’m not moving my couch for free TV.

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