Favorite digital TV antenna

[Filliam H. Muffman]

The MANT-510 has lots of 1 star reviews at Amazon. *http://www.summitsource.com/philips-type-amplified-indoor-hdtv-antenna-vhfuhffm-20-25-db-gain-amplified-digital-aerial-with-builtin-high-gain-and-low-noise-head-amplifier-with-power-supply-for-local-high-definition-tv-reception-20-db-vhf-and-25-db-uhf-part-lava-a200-p-9149.html has another Phillips antenna for $20. I would expect the Monoprice models to be similar and might not be good on the lower VHF channels.

The small amplified antennas are not very good for a wide range of stations. They typically are good for a couple of stations in each band. I expect you are going to need to fuss with the orientation and memorize it for each channel, or a group of channels:2-4, 5-6, FM, 7-9, 10-13, 14-25, 26-36, 37-50.

*I have no experience with SummitSource. I get the impression they push low price over service and support.

The reliable old style solution is a mid price roof-top Log-Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA). They can be put in an attic if there are no wires around and there is a line of sight to the local group of broadcast antennas.
http://www.summitsource.com/winegard-out...-6178.html
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7694P
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=HD7080P

[kap]

We cannot get CBS at all. We thought it was because of our $25 desktop antenna.

[DP]

What goes around comes around... Back to antennas on housetops?
We are having issues with our digital HD TV in the kitchen. We had a nine inch that we would watch OTA shows like the news, etc., while cooking and had no problems with rabbit ears. Now, we have to put the antenna right in the window to get a signal and some stations still break up. I thought the digital signal would solve all of this... We have tried three different antennas and they all do the same. Very disappointed. I was thinking of running a cable from the dish to it but that signal is not HD so it defeats the purpose anyway.

[Bill in NC]

Yep, we're back to rooftop antennas for best digital reception.

[Black]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
The MANT-510 has lots of 1 star reviews at Amazon. *http://www.summitsource.com/philips-type-amplified-indoor-hdtv-antenna-vhfuhffm-20-25-db-gain-amplified-digital-aerial-with-builtin-high-gain-and-low-noise-head-amplifier-with-power-supply-for-local-high-definition-tv-reception-20-db-vhf-and-25-db-uhf-part-lava-a200-p-9149.html has another Phillips antenna for $20. I would expect the Monoprice models to be similar and might not be good on the lower VHF channels.

The small amplified antennas are not very good for a wide range of stations. They typically are good for a couple of stations in each band. I expect you are going to need to fuss with the orientation and memorize it for each channel, or a group of channels:2-4, 5-6, FM, 7-9, 10-13, 14-25, 26-36, 37-50.

*I have no experience with SummitSource. I get the impression they push low price over service and support.

The reliable old style solution is a mid price roof-top Log-Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA). They can be put in an attic if there are no wires around and there is a line of sight to the local group of broadcast antennas.
http://www.summitsource.com/winegard-out...-6178.html
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7694P
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=HD7080P

If I find myself with one star reception I'll return it.

[JEBB]

I have a relatively small rooftop antenna with a rotor that was quite adequate in the days of analog TV but with the conversion to digital not so good. I bought an indoor antenna that came with a signal amplifier but it was worse. I then tried the rooftop again but this time I used the amplifier that came with the indoor antenna and now I have an adequate signal again so long as I use the rotor to point the antenna in the proper direction for each station.

[anonymouse1]

For indoor use, I tried one of the fancy grid antennas, and it was not better than the rabbit ears.

[OWC Jamie]

Been too long since I played with an indoor antenna, but VHF used to receive better with rabbit ears and UHF better with a loop antenna.

[Doc]

Where did you place your antenna?

I had to place mine in a window (with 50-feet of coax) to receive all of the local networks.

I secured the antenna in place with double-sided tape. Moving it just an inch or even changing the angle of a mast just a nudge costs me a half-dozen channels.

(I have a Philips amplified antenna.)

[Yoyodyne ArtWorks]

We've got this "Enterprise" model from Radio Shack and it's worked quite well for us (note that we live fairly close to the local transmitters). It has a motor inside to remotely change the direction of the antenna element, a nice touch:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index....Id=2131034