What is the most powerful indoor antenna I can use in a rural area where the signal is week?
Answer:
The best you could do would be to get a good beam type antenna OUTSIDE. Indoor antennas are not suitable for rural areas. You can buy amplified antennas and spend a hundred dollars on something fancy but you most likely will still not be happy with the result. If you can place an outdoor TV antenna, beam type at least in your attic, it will be cheaper than the amplified indoor antenna gimmicks and will work 10 times better. The higher you get the antenna and the less obstructions around it, the better it will work. You keep it in the house then it is susceptible to interference from everything in it like your fridge, the microwave, your computer especially, the washer and dryer, any electrical especially motorized appliances will mess with your signal and amplifiers just amplify the noise as well. Signals bounce around indoors and will create shadows and multipath interference.
Still you should check with your local cable company for basic lifeline service. Here it's $8/mo and gets you the same stuff you'd get with an antenna except it all comes in good, plus you get a few extra channels like the FCC must carry stuff i.e. C-SPAN and your local cable access channels.
There are also channels on satellite which you don't have to pay for called FTA or Free To Air. You use a 30" dish or larger to pick them up and you can generally get most of the major networks and some other channels. It's not cable or Dish Network, but it's free and comes in as clear as day. The equipment would run you about $150 or so, though.
You can try this link to help you choose an antenna. I'd really not recommend an indoor antenna if the stations in your area are beyond the light green signal strength area:
http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.asp...
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