This site just confirmed why I have cable. Nearest stations to me are 28
miles, most are 40, but the ones in my state that I prefer to watch are
all over 50 miles.

I have a "special circumsance" in that the Potomac River sort of acts like a
"wave guide" but I get VERY good reception of Washington DC stations and
"pretty good" reception of Baltimore stations with a roof top antenna from
our home in King George, VA. The distances are 40 miles or a bit longer.

I have a "rotator" but with a swing of 30 degress it doesn't make much
difference to we just set it up and leave it alone.

The basic set up is a "tripod" on top of the roof with a 6' mast holding the
rotator which holds up a second 6' mast with the antenna. The antenna has
something on the order of 20 elements. Generaly speaking, you want the
antenna as high as you can get it. My "rig" survived Isabel. That storm
knocked out power for most of the county for almost a week. Other storms
have knocked down trees on our property but the antenna still has all its
little rods, etc.

During the early morning we sometimes pick up stations in Pennsylvania.