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This is why I love people and life. We all have interests and they can be widely different. Here is a man who loves antennas and antennae accessories and is exploring this passion to its fullest. Keep up the great work and passion, Antenna Man!👍
This clear, no B.S. description, demonstration, and information makes this a TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL video. Thanks Man! Great Video! Keep up the Great Work!
Hey antenna man, love your videos. As a ham radio operator, i have been experimenting with antennas for over 50 years since my CB days. I have installed 1/2 wave CB antennas on abandoned forest ranger towers, and parked my car in the focal point of a cable tv antenna array as well as made wifi antennas in the pre-security days to check my emails while camping using a found signal. Your site is very helpful and interesting...you really know your subject...great work!
I built a Log Periodic TV -FM band antenna as a teenager and I use to pick up FM signals from as far as 310 miles away from where I live .I recorded the musical programs and the quality was so good that I could replay the Cassettes at parties .I live in Guyana and the FM Stations were in Trinidad about five of them.The antenna height was around twenty feet above my Galvanized roof.
I agree totally! Wife bought one of these. I put it up. Our RCA antenna picks up about 20-25 channels at about 50 miles. This picked up about 2-3 channels at the same distance, even though it was about 15 feet higher. Don't waste your money.
Thanks for your, to the point, review & demonstration. I got rid of cable TV, 15 years ago. I bought the biggest roof top antenna that Radio Shack offered. The guy that installed it is gone now and I wondered what I'd do if I needed antenna service or replacement. Seeing your article is reassuring that I'll be able to get a good antenna when the time comes.
Growing up in Brooklyn NY, LINE OF SIGHT FOR A ROOF ATTENNA was key. My antenna was on a 40 foot pole to get over the buildings. This guy knows what he is talking about, take it to heart.
Great video. I'm lucky, I have one of those old rotary antenna's on my roof, I did have to replace it but that was it's twenty years ago. Since then its been through wind and snow and ice. I'm a believer in those old antennas
I’ve had the same antenna on my roof for over three years now and it works great. It cost $25 and that included an amplifier. I get about 80 Atlanta stations from about 40 miles away.
I got mine at Walmart had mine 3+ years now works great. Pick up Huntsville AL and Nashville TN stations. Sometimes I have picked up Jackson TN 100 miles away and Birmingham AL 150 miles away. Dam good for 35 bucks! Up stairs bedroom about 16 feet from ground inside.
jeddito cornplanter Brand does not matter they’re probably all made in the same place. Look at the one being shown and purchase the version that does not have plastic and you will be surprised. I paid $70 for the newer Better built version with no plastic it works 50% better. And I thought the old one worked great.
Great video. I only wish I would have seen this 3 years ago. I’ve gone through so many antennas and spent so much on them before I tried 2 of the ones you have recommended on amazon. For my antennas I bought my own separate pre-amp from Channel Master. I never have a single issue getting all 13 English stations in my area now.
You know your stuff! As a broadcast engineer, I've been telling people the same thing about tv antennas - no such thing as a digital tv antenna. Great vid!
Bob H yes, an aerial is an aerial! As I found out a few years back when our aerial needed replacing on the top of our roof, it was only receiving about 15 channels, and was rusted up, and wasn’t a high gain. We bought a new high gain aerial and put it in the same place as the old one, got 135 stations now, including radio. Happy days! But there’s no difference between the old and new, apart from it’s a high gain and it’s not rusty 😂
@@jimbritttn your saying out of 135 channels, only 3/4 channels are HD? If that’s what you’re saying then you’re completely wrong, I don’t know exactly how many HD channels they are on freeview, but it’s a lot more than 3/4. And the picture quality depends on the tv, cheaper sets look worse on SD than a more expensive one for example. Mine is not cheap, nor is it really expensive, but the SD channels are perfectly watchable, from a reasonable distance away from the tv.
@@jonnygti I can get 18 channels and only one is 1080, 3 are 720 (semi-HD) and the rest are 480. I have some of these local channels on DirecTV and they are twice as bright and clear there than off the antenna.
My grandparents had a Channel Master aerial, amp and rotator for all of my life. I don't remember them ever having a single issue with it in over 30 years. Always buy quality.
I've had this antenna installed in the attic of my house for 6 years now and haven't experienced a single problem with it. I get just as strong of a single with it as I did when I first installed it.
It's been 7+ years now and it's 70+ channels and I have 2 of them in two different directions. Great outstanding antenna from Walmart. I bought better cable though.
Yep they are quality built but they dont pull in even half the channels that small antenna he's showing does but it has to be outside not in like hes got it
I had this antenna when we first tried OTA and it did okay. We are about 55 miles from Portland OR so the signals are pretty strong. The antenna worked for about 3 years but then on rainy days we started noticing a loss of signal which would get better when things dried out. I went up on the roof and checked my connections and cables and all seemed fine. I took down the antenna and opened up the case to see what the issue might be; the problem turned out to be moss growing IN the antenna. When it rained, the moss would get soaked and shorted out the metal components. After the rain stopped it would dry out and the signal returned. I replaced the antenna with a Mohu Air 60 which is weather- proof and to this date all has been great.
I have an old radio shack U/V LPD antenna. It is almost 30 years old. the channels in our area have moved to the UHF band due to the digital conversion, so the LPD portion does not do much good. We have lost the upper part of the UHF Yagi and and it still gets all the locals and sometimes the stations about 65 miles away. You are right that the HG designation is just a marketing gimmick. Keep up the great videos.
I have had one for 7 months now, live in hilly western pa and I have it on a mast 33 feet high and it works very good- In the early morning hours I can get stations from Penn state,west virginia and ohio- so the range for me is about 120 miles radius with hills and trees. Not bad !
Lol.... I picked this up about Feb 2022. Set it up indoors, scanned for channels. Got 7 "stations" from not more than 15 miles away, nothing further. Boston is
Thanks for being such a no nonsense straight shooter of facts and information. I can see your frustration with the garbage manufacturers but keep in mind that this is the career path that you've chosen and without the consumers being mislead, you may not have the customer base that you do. The marketing departments of these companies are very good at convincing the general public to buy their products and you're not quite the global sensation necessary to stop them. My particular area has no cell service and virtually no broadcast service, but I still enjoy watching your videos and support what you do. I personally hate commercials so I don't mind streaming what I need to although I wouldn't mind sports being available because the streaming rates for that are outrageous. Good luck, remain calm and thanks again for all you do.
Not really. Those old-fashion antennas were designed back in the 50's when there was no digital signal, only analog. TV antenna design has evolved a lot since then.
I've still got my big Radio Shack outdoor antenna up in my attic pointing SE from the North Hills of Pittsburgh that I bought back in the '90s when I cut the cable. I get 42 stations. WTAE is the hardest to get because of the hilly terrain between my house and its transmitter.Before HD it was grainy but watchable. In HD it's perfect.
I've seen that "antenna" before! That's the thing that the soldiers of Ming The Merciless used to fire at Flash Gordon when he went to the planet Mongo. It didn't have a 150 miles range then, either.
Since we can't afford cable TV, my sister sent me one of those antennas that are supposed to give a person reception from nearby signals. Thus, here I am on You Tube.
Thanks, for the video! I think you're spot on with all of your comments. What I would add, though, is that height is king. An entry level antenna at 50 feet above the ground is going to outperform the best antenna you can buy at 20ft above the ground.
Thank's for doing this video, because I've been trying to tell my grandparents that they don't need a new antenna to receive HD video but they won't listen to me so I show them your channel's video and they finally believe me. You sir have earned a new subscriber and I really appreciate you doing what you do because it really helps out a whole lot of people because you're telling the truth. So please keep up the AWESOME work and I'll keep coming back for more and sharing your video's with as many people as I possibly can. 👍💯👍
Did you show them this video? It proves there's no such thing as an HD antenna since I use a paperclip to pick up a local TV channel. ua-cam.com/video/3sQhXqKVwUw/v-deo.html
Vhf transmission of tv signals finally ended in the UK around 1985, with most people being on Uhf for many years before that. However you can still see a few Vhf aerials (antennas) firmly in place even now. Some must have been up since the 1950's or maybe even before. Just shows you that things were made to last in those days and the riggers really knew their job in installing them so well as they have managed to withstand decades of heat and cold plus, snow, rain, and gale force winds.
I really appreciated getting your advice on this antenna and other modern television antennas. I now consider you the gold standard of all online experts in this field. Last summer, I upgraded to one of the antennas you recommend below. I also purchased a second antenna which I connected to the first using two same length coax cables. Then I ran them into a TV Antenna Amplifier below: "ClearStream 2V Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Mount - 60 Mile Range" "Mediasonic HOMEWORX HDTV Outdoor Antenna - 80 Miles Range Support UHF / VHF (HW-27UV)" "Channel Master CM-7777HD TV Antenna Amplifier with Adjustable Gain" The result of this combination was about 40 crystal clear TV channels. Incidentally, I purchased everything from Amazon.
I am glad I found your channel. I have been looking for someone like you for over a year and you seem to be the first person knowledgeable about how these things work. Just subscribed.
That was an excellent, basic explanation. The real physics explaining antennas can be quite complex, but it all boils down to your very excellent explanation, and I love how you cut to the chase...there is no such thing as an HD antenna and TV signals are limited by line of site. It is all pretty basic and easy to understand with a little common sense. We need more people like you that cut to the chase and make people use a little reasoning on their own and not expect to be spoon fed facts,otherwise they buy not only overpriced antennas, but also they buy into the crap that politicians try to sell them. Folks, boil things down to the basics, use a little common sense before you buy or vote.
I have a giant old antenna from 1997 inside my attic. Picks up local stations really well. Originally installed it for locals when I had Direct TV. That was before they carried local channels.
@M Detlef not that I remember There tower was on top of a mountain and the signal was able to go down the river It was the only one from Plattsburgh that I could get but I could get it regularly it was strange because so many other stations locally were impossible to get because of the terrain The contrast between the Northeast and the southeastwe're down in South Carolina and Florida you can pick up stations hundreds of miles away with no problem because the land is flat one of the ham radio operators was able to pick up low-power transmissions in the five watt and less range over an area 300 miles in diameter in Florida using a 50-foot mast In Upstate New YorkI could not pick up stations that were three miles away because there were 700 foot mountains in between me and the station
@@ocsrc those antennas work ok in the attic where the antenna is covered from severe weather. You cannot have a metal roof though. 40 or 50 miles it's ok. I still have a few channels that show good bars but no picture or sound. Buyer beware no 150 miles unless you live on a mountain top. Then a coat hanger will also work.
Cool channel! I don’t own a tv, no cable, no satellite but like this UA-cam channel. I like learning new things. It’s smart and well done. Mark in Milwaukee
I use an antenna for my TV. I get around 38 channels and and am very pleased. no cable or satellite bills. And I grew up in the day when there were only 3 or 4 channels to choose from.
Have 40 year old radio shack antenna works fine and better then some newer ones. Made them in 1970s Airtex of Ohio/ S&A electronics! Height and transmission lines around your house are key along with signal from tv station
Mine too it a dam nice antenna for the money the onn for 35 bucks walmart. This guy is a installer. I have tested to the channel master 100 with the 777 amp and the onn does dam good. Both inside at 16 feet. The onn easy and small. The 100 big and big. Both pick up same channels
Unless you are 74 years old, on a fixed income, and have to pay someone else to climb on the roof to install another one for you. Then the economics = ripoff.
Like with a lot of less expensive products quality control is a big issue. You may get one that last for years. Or maybe one that only last for several months. With the cost of cable if it lasts only a year it has more than paid for itself.
I bought a house and the antenna that I use to watch TV works fine. And it's from the 80's. I knew before you mentioned , that any antenna works. Great video ! Liked and subscribed!
I bought similar one off amazon 3 yrs ago, installed it on a pole in my garage attic and has been working great, get over 60 channels here in Hartford Ct
35 years ago I had a setup like that and was picking a T.V. station 200 miles away. most of it was flat open land and back then there was a lot less interference. If I toggled the channel between 77 and 78 I would pick up analog cell phone calls from a tower a mile away
Got a basic 75 mile yagi antenna. Put it up on a securely grounded mast, and, pointed it properly. It helps if your "line of sight" to the tv transmitter is not obstructed by trees or other objects.
I bought an old thrift store Yagi antenna for over the air television. My nosey neighbours told me it would not work. I do not know how they figure that out. The digital signal is within the band of the old analogue signal. There is no such thing as a, "digital antenna," regardless of what the nice salesperson said at the electronics store. I pointed the antenna to where the most stations are and scanned. I got 41 beautiful channels for free. They paid for a stupid looking small, "digital HD antenna," and they only get 28 to 30 channels. I paid almost nothing for my thrift store yagi. They paid enough to fill up a large sedan with petrol and it is inferior.
I did try this type of antenna in my novice days of antenna experimentation. As you said - it's junk. I finally went with a deep fringe antenna from solid signal(HD8200) and an HDB91 both coupled with separate CM 7777 pre amps. I live 82 plus miles from the town where the signals originate. I live in Tennessee in the hills. Fortunately I live on top of a small mountain so I have an advantage. Nothing beats a traditional yagi deep fringe antenna securely and safely mounted on a tall mast. I currently pull in about 40 Channels( including sub channels). I may soon upgrade to a CM5020 and see how it goes. Thanks for the video.
@@allpeoplefreepeople I'm amazed too. However, I do live up high and my antennas are on a 30 foot tower. I thought of going higher but this works. Thanks for the response.😁
Found information on your channel to be hugely helpful. Once I better understood “line of sight” and how to use the web site we went from 16 channels to 47 channels 😳. Moved the antenna to the attic and pointed it properly. Thank you for your work.
Regarding line-of-sight TV signals: I live in Vero Beach, Florida, and I can remember when my family moved here in the mid-1980s. Back then it was analog TV, and before my folks got cable we were able to get free-wave TV from Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Those distances were about 130 miles for Miami, about 90 miles for West Palm Beach, and about 90 miles for Orlando. We were able to get those stations with just rabbit ears and a UHF hoop on our TV. My dad (r.i.p.) knew all there was to know about television in those days, and he once explained why we were able to get Channel 44 in Tampa (135 miles) in the Channel 17 slot (I don't remember what he said, though). Channel 44 came in snowy, as they used to say, but we got it. I'm not up to snuff on the science and technology behind all this, but what I've seen seems to be a little at odds with what's been said here.
How about the quadraphonic add ons to stereo systems. The only true quad sound was 4 tracks from my reel to reel tape recorder and a 4 channel amplifier. I only got to hear the tape one time in true quad. My headphones tore up and I gave two speakers to my nephew. And kept two for my stereo. You have to have a room set up for quad enjoyment.
I bought a thrift store 1989 Archer 75 roof top antenna that was marketed by Radio Shack in the 1980s. I pointed the antenna to where the most stations are and scanned. I got 41 channels in liquid smooth, beautiful resolution. There is no such thing as a, "digital antenna," regardless of what the nice salesperson told you at the electronics store. The digital signal is within the band of the old analogue signal. Everyone that was told to buy a, "digital antenna," for the new signal was lied to and taken advantage of. My 1989 antenna picks up way more channels than the new antennas. Nothing beats the old yagi antennas for television.
@@rocistone6570 People will just say, "You attached it to a new antenna and have the old antenna on the roof for looks." I have had my boss call me a liar because I told her the old antenna works better than the new scam antennas. I do not like her anyway. But she keeps my cheques coming in.
TV stations can be picked up for many miles beyond line of sight under certain weather circumstances like tropospheric ducting. I've picked up stations over 100 miles under those conditions but it's not an everyday thing
Helped a friend leading into football season get his antenna up and running at his new house. He's about 45 miles out and in a low area, lots of foliage to contend with so not an ideal setup. This was on the roof, traced out the cabling and corrected some issues and dialed in the antenna point. Hooked up and Picked up some UHF, but all very low and lots of pixelation, so I looked into this antenna and your honest review gave us confidence that replacing with a more formidable channelmaster would do the trick. And it DID, picked up the VHF (FOX) that has his preferred football team, the Packers and also grabs channels from 60 miles away at basically a perpendicular point from another market, additionally his signal strength is several bars up using that antenna over this one.
About 4 years ago I almost bought that antenna. It looked kind of crazy, but the built in amp and rotor almost sold me. Didn't do it, and bought a Winegard small antenna, amp, and coax cable. I did try the flat thing you "simply" hang over the TV for great reception. Not me, as I walked around the room, stations would go in and out. What I have with the Winegard is a perfect antenna for me.
I use about 20 feet of wire strung across my room and get all HD over the air stations. The great thing about the digital signal is there are no phase issues that the old analog signal had to contend with so picture always looks the same no matter how the antenna is oriented. So as log as you get a decent strength all the bits will get cached up and will produce a picture and sound just fine. However, any variation might cause sound to go out or tiling. So yeah, a string of wire or the old rabbit ears antennae will work just fine.
Very helpful and informative video. Thank you for posting. I wondered about that antenna. I currently am using the Clearstream max 2 and wondered if this antenna was more powerful. I am glad to know they are about the same in reception. my Clearstream is 4 years old and working awesome.
I have a 10 yo made in USA it’s been up the roof since no issues. Tried a made in China with rotator installed in my attic and the plastic parts were brittle in 6 months just in the attic. Don’t waste money and time on made in china they’re junk.
On 'Black Friday' I purchased one of these $30 antenna from Amazon as a test to see if I could receive local stations. I knew 150-mile range was out of the question and would have rather have know dB gain of the antenna. I also had the same concerns before I purchased as you wondering if it would last. I remember using Channel Master TV antennae 40+ years ago and they were good. Figure $30 was worth the cost as an experiment to see what I can pickup. It is mounted in the rafters inside the roof and I pickup 62-channels without rotating the antenna. I consider this a success as the purpose was to see what I can receive and not just what the web tells me I can receive. I figured that the cheap antenna would not last so will purchase a quality product when it dies.
I made my own antennas by doing mod's on older Pacific Monolithics microwave antennas.They are featured on my UA-cam background.They work better then all of the antennas on the market.The Channel Master 4251 that I modified has a shortwave array for ham radio and still serves VHF and UHF.The ClearStream was the best store bought antenna but still not as good as my PM conversion.
Drew V the most important thing really is height and location. When I lived in Tempe I was on the 2nd floor & my bedroom window faced South Mountain, where all Phoenix TV transmitters are. I simply hung one of those outside the window and ran coax around the room to a splitter by my bedroom TV and across the ceiling into my living room and got great reception. Located near either TV the antenna was nearly worthless.
those fold out panels make great sails. Expect to constantly be readjusting the cheap weak power rotor on windy days to keep it pointed in the same direction.
Back in the 1980's I used 100 foot speaker wire for my antenna. I split the wire down the middle & ran 1half clockwise around the room & take the other half & ran it counterclockwise. ...
I installed a GE Pro Outdoor Antenna 70 mile range and perfect reception. I ran the cable to the inside to connect with existing cable connections and it worked on all existing cable plug ins. Had to readjust it once due to a bad wind storm. People think I have cable because the picture is so good on a 55 inch TV. I don't pay cable lol!
I heard you mention WNEP and had to do a double take to make sure it was the same one I grew up with. Was planning to install a new antenna for my parents in Pike county while we are there for Thanksgiving. I'm happy I found your channel. Someone who knows what they are talking about right in the same area I'm planning an antenna in. Cheers!
I do service the area so if you are interested please email me on my website at antennamanpa.com. the reception is not the best in your area and it's rare that mounting antenna in a random spot is going to get you all the stations
I've tried all the antennas you show in this video and others you didn't show. The " Yagi" style was the best for us. Tower is about 45miles from us and Only the Onn 150 got our channels clear. Because we only have ONE tower available, it never needs the "rotor" option. Super good signal and I'd not recommend the clear stream after several tries here I was unable to get anything within range. I hold a Ham Radio license and so, yeah...I'm aware of what we tried here. Just amazing signal with the Onn 150mile antenna, but Yagi styles need to be fairly accurate when setting it up. Good video !
I'm in the Fox 29 range too in southern NJ. When I was a kid my dad put an antenna on our chimney which had the antenna somewhere around 100-110 feet in the air. We moved out of there in 2002, but the other day I drove past that house and the antenna is still there and looks complete. It was some Radio Shack one that he spent a small fortune on lol
LoL, there are 10 types of people on Earth. Those who know the definition of political and those that don't. Tho some say that that's merely *opinion* 🤣
All preamps amplify both the signal and the noise. The amplifier cannot tell the difference. It also injects its own noise into the signal/noise that it's amplifying. It's all about getting the best signal to noise ratio.
As I remember, FM is "Line of Sight" signal while AM follows the curvature of the earth. And you are correct, an antenna is nothing but a "Radio Wave Catcher" Good presentation.
Over 50 years ago my grandparents had a fixed antenna on their roof and got Detroit and Windsor Canada which were about 60 miles away. They were usually pretty clear depending on weather. My question is: Are the new digital signals harder to get in clear? I have a new police scanner and it's not as clear as my first one from 25 years ago. A radio station that I used to have no problem pulling in from 50 miles away hasn't been clear since they "upgraded" their transmitter. Thanks for your honest reviews.
Or simply use it indoors in a window. It's obviously not the sort of antenna that you want to put outside, but if it's not exposed to the elements it should last longer.
Lisa N you are so right. This is the best advice that one could give. I tried to talk a man out of buying this piece of junk. He was infatuated by the 150 mile range it said on the box.
@@JohnDavis-yz9nq My dad had one of those huge yagi antennas on his roof and it had a rotor. The trees grew and the kids turned the rotor and of course tore the antenna up. We tried the Walmart rotating antenna and it worked pretty good for about a year. It pulled in 65+ miles at night. But of course, then went out. What a surprise.
I got a similar one from Roses for $20 from some no-name. Half the weight of the ones from the (19)80s, so feels fragile, but has been working great for a year. Had twice the length of coax than the Onn at Walmart. Also has a coax male for a second tv. A killer deal!
You will never get 150 mile range. EVER. the way to do this is with a rare atmospheric phenomena known as tunneling. It happens a few times a year in some areas lasting only few hours at a time.
So antennae man, please address the issue of LOS vs Multipath. IF you have significant land based obstacles in the path of these antennas, like buildings, hills and mountains, is there any predictable results or received signal from the broadcast point of emanation?
This is great review. I just started looking for better TV options as my cable bill is OUTRAGEOUS . I appreciate your honesty. Usually when I am looking at videos I can tell pretty quick if it's BS. Yours are TOP SHELF. I will look at your other videos for sure. Keep UP The GOOD WORK my friend!
Yeah, I have an indoor flat antenna that claims a 120 mile range. It works well as long as i position it high in the house, but I'd say 60-70 miles is more accurate. For $20 it works well enough.
Thanks for the info, I live in So. Ab. and have been looking for an antenna for this area, I was happy to see our local stations pop up. I will be checking out more of your videos to help me so that I can get a decent one that will work.
I'll confirm that it's junk, The rotor control is a remote with two buttons. Presumably it will rotate clockwise with one button and counterclockwise with the other. Sometimes it does but most of the time it will pick a random direction to rotate. This makes it hard to peak a signal since it may just continue rotating in the same direction with the other button. There is no indication of the direction it is pointed so mount it where you can see it. I agree it doesn't look like it would hold up outside but can't confirm that yet. I got it at Wall-Mart and it's no wonder they didn't have a display model, just had to go by the picture on the box.
The reception may be better in the VHF band off of the back side of that antenna. It is a symmetrical antenna with no directors or reflectors. Those UHF loops on the front of the antenna may actually interfere with reception in that direction. Look up : backlobe radiation , dipole www.industrial-electronics.com/DAQ/images/24-11.jpg
@@richardkittle2346 UHF is mostly LOS yeah. If you get a sporadic E or tropo ducting you can get farther but that's kinda rare. As for me, i can only hit 70cm amateur radio repeaters ~35-40mi away on a 5w HT with an NA-771 or abbree 42.5 inch antenna
I love my Onn "150 Mile Range" Outdoor TV Antenna so far. I`m getting up to 60 air miles in hilly terrain.im getting all the local channels up to 60+ miles. my only draw backs are coax rotted after 6 years. and the inside got wet dew to rain. so I cleaned it out and sealed all the places where it joins together with flex seal or you an use any other silicone sealer made for outdoors. saying that when I get rich and famous I will get a better antenna that coast $150 to $200. So until then I have all the channels I can watch with my $40 antenna with new coax.
I miss Radio shack. Most had great customer service. Best buy sells you a $150 item then tell you you have to join Greek squad for help at rate of $200 a yr.
👇Click below for a list of recommended antennas📡
www.amazon.com/shop/antennaman/list/2LH365VAPDKLC?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d
🤔 Not sure what antenna to order? Consider an antenna recommendation from me below 📡
👉 www.antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html
This is why I love people and life. We all have interests and they can be widely different. Here is a man who loves antennas and antennae accessories and is exploring this passion to its fullest. Keep up the great work and passion, Antenna Man!👍
I think he does it for a living.
Just like this one guy that loves to sell propane and propane accessories. Has his own show too.;-)
@@jimmybravo3916 Glad you got the reference! My sentiment is genuine.
I had to reply and like. It was 66 likes with 6 replies. Not good.
@KickingAssDaily Being passionate about something doesn't mean you have Aspergers.
This clear, no B.S. description, demonstration, and information makes this a TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL video. Thanks Man!
Great Video! Keep up the Great Work!
It's good to see someone who actually understands telecom.
Hey antenna man, love your videos. As a ham radio operator, i have been experimenting with antennas for over 50 years since my CB days. I have installed 1/2 wave CB antennas on abandoned forest ranger towers, and parked my car in the focal point of a cable tv antenna array as well as made wifi antennas in the pre-security days to check my emails while camping using a found signal. Your site is very helpful and interesting...you really know your subject...great work!
I built a Log Periodic TV -FM band antenna as a teenager and I use to pick up FM signals from as far as 310 miles away from where I live .I recorded the musical programs and the quality was so good that I could replay the Cassettes at parties .I live in Guyana and the FM Stations were in Trinidad about five of them.The antenna height was around twenty feet above my Galvanized roof.
Isn't Guyana where the Jim Jones cult was?
@@susiearviso3032yeah
Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The Ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.
I agree totally! Wife bought one of these. I put it up. Our RCA antenna picks up about 20-25 channels at about 50 miles. This picked up about 2-3 channels at the same distance, even though it was about 15 feet higher. Don't waste your money.
Thanks for your, to the point, review & demonstration. I got rid of cable TV, 15 years ago. I bought the biggest roof top antenna that Radio Shack offered. The guy that installed it is
gone now and I wondered what I'd do if I needed antenna service or replacement. Seeing your article is reassuring that I'll be able to get a good antenna when the time comes.
Growing up in Brooklyn NY, LINE OF SIGHT FOR A ROOF ATTENNA was key. My antenna was on a 40 foot pole to get over the buildings. This guy knows what he is talking about, take it to heart.
Great video. I'm lucky, I have one of those old rotary antenna's on my roof, I did have to replace it but that was it's twenty years ago. Since then its been through wind and snow and ice. I'm a believer in those old antennas
I’ve had the same antenna on my roof for over three years now and it works great. It cost $25 and that included an amplifier. I get about 80 Atlanta stations from about 40 miles away.
Where did you get your antenna and what brand?
I got mine at Walmart had mine 3+ years now works great. Pick up Huntsville AL and Nashville TN stations. Sometimes I have picked up Jackson TN 100 miles away and Birmingham AL 150 miles away. Dam good for 35 bucks! Up stairs bedroom about 16 feet from ground inside.
jeddito cornplanter Brand does not matter they’re probably all made in the same place. Look at the one being shown and purchase the version that does not have plastic and you will be surprised. I paid $70 for the newer Better built version with no plastic it works 50% better. And I thought the old one worked great.
Great video. I only wish I would have seen this 3 years ago. I’ve gone through so many antennas and spent so much on them before I tried 2 of the ones you have recommended on amazon. For my antennas I bought my own separate pre-amp from Channel Master. I never have a single issue getting all 13 English stations in my area now.
You know your stuff! As a broadcast engineer, I've been telling people the same thing about tv antennas - no such thing as a digital tv antenna. Great vid!
Bob H yes, an aerial is an aerial! As I found out a few years back when our aerial needed replacing on the top of our roof, it was only receiving about 15 channels, and was rusted up, and wasn’t a high gain. We bought a new high gain aerial and put it in the same place as the old one, got 135 stations now, including radio. Happy days!
But there’s no difference between the old and new, apart from it’s a high gain and it’s not rusty 😂
@@jonnygti 135 channels...yeah, right (and all but 3 or 4 are SD (480) which is HORRIBLE looking on big-screen HD TV)
@@jimbritttn your saying out of 135 channels, only 3/4 channels are HD? If that’s what you’re saying then you’re completely wrong, I don’t know exactly how many HD channels they are on freeview, but it’s a lot more than 3/4. And the picture quality depends on the tv, cheaper sets look worse on SD than a more expensive one for example. Mine is not cheap, nor is it really expensive, but the SD channels are perfectly watchable, from a reasonable distance away from the tv.
@@jonnygti I can get 18 channels and only one is 1080, 3 are 720 (semi-HD) and the rest are 480. I have some of these local channels on DirecTV and they are twice as bright and clear there than off the antenna.
Are you kidding me not only are you spitting straight facts, you explain side stuff that is relevant and also helpful
Thanks for the kind words
My grandparents had a Channel Master aerial, amp and rotator for all of my life. I don't remember them ever having a single issue with it in over 30 years. Always buy quality.
Heinzkitz Velvet how many channels they get
An estimate
Great video! You are Very Straightforward and Honest. You explain everything very plain and easy to understand. Thanks.
I've had this antenna installed in the attic of my house for 6 years now and haven't experienced a single problem with it. I get just as strong of a single with it as I did when I first installed it.
If it is in your attic then it is not outside dealing with the elements of weather and sun.
So sure it will last longer.
Mine works great 3+ years now picks up channels 65 miles away
@@jeffreyland8004 It still has to deal with the elements of heat and humidity in attic
It's been 7+ years now and it's 70+ channels and I have 2 of them in two different directions. Great outstanding antenna from Walmart. I bought better cable though.
For decades both Channel Master and Winegard have been the best quality antenna makers ever! Yes they cost more and that's because they are that good!
Yep they are quality built but they dont pull in even half the channels that small antenna he's showing does but it has to be outside not in like hes got it
I had this antenna when we first tried OTA and it did okay. We are about 55 miles from Portland OR so the signals are pretty strong. The antenna worked for about 3 years but then on rainy days we started noticing a loss of signal which would get better when things dried out. I went up on the roof and checked my connections and cables and all seemed fine. I took down the antenna and opened up the case to see what the issue might be; the problem turned out to be moss growing IN the antenna. When it rained, the moss would get soaked and shorted out the metal components. After the rain stopped it would dry out and the signal returned. I replaced the antenna with a Mohu Air 60 which is weather- proof and to this date all has been great.
I have an old radio shack U/V LPD antenna. It is almost 30 years old. the channels in our area have moved to the UHF band due to the digital conversion, so the LPD portion does not do much good. We have lost the upper part of the UHF Yagi and and it still gets all the locals and sometimes the stations about 65 miles away. You are right that the HG designation is just a marketing gimmick. Keep up the great videos.
Your gestures while explaining "over the horizon" are perfect! :)
I have had one for 7 months now, live in hilly western pa and I have it on a mast 33 feet high and it works very good- In the early morning hours I can get stations from Penn state,west virginia and ohio- so the range for me is about 120 miles radius with hills and trees. Not bad !
Outrageous storm coming through and still a clear signal!!!
Good job, Tyler!!!
Lol.... I picked this up about Feb 2022. Set it up indoors, scanned for channels. Got 7 "stations" from not more than 15 miles away, nothing further. Boston is
Thanks for being such a no nonsense straight shooter of facts and information. I can see your frustration with the garbage manufacturers but keep in mind that this is the career path that you've chosen and without the consumers being mislead, you may not have the customer base that you do. The marketing departments of these companies are very good at convincing the general public to buy their products and you're not quite the global sensation necessary to stop them. My particular area has no cell service and virtually no broadcast service, but I still enjoy watching your videos and support what you do. I personally hate commercials so I don't mind streaming what I need to although I wouldn't mind sports being available because the streaming rates for that are outrageous. Good luck, remain calm and thanks again for all you do.
A good old fashion antenna is still your best bet for quality TV reception!
I've converted an old VHF analogue antenna that's designed for tall towers to digital, worked a treat for UHF even though it wasn't meant for digital
Not really. Those old-fashion antennas were designed back in the 50's when there was no digital signal, only analog. TV antenna design has evolved a lot since then.
@@robertogalvez3865 Sorry
The signal is not digital. Its still analog. Only the modulation is digital. Old antennas work fine.
Junk
I've still got my big Radio Shack outdoor antenna up in my attic pointing SE from the North Hills of Pittsburgh that I bought back in the '90s when I cut the cable. I get 42 stations. WTAE is the hardest to get because of the hilly terrain between my house and its transmitter.Before HD it was grainy but watchable. In HD it's perfect.
I've seen that "antenna" before! That's the thing that the soldiers of Ming The Merciless used to fire at Flash Gordon when he went to the planet Mongo. It didn't have a 150 miles range then, either.
Since we can't afford cable TV, my sister sent me one of those antennas that are supposed to give a person reception from nearby signals. Thus, here I am on You Tube.
Thanks, for the video! I think you're spot on with all of your comments. What I would add, though, is that height is king. An entry level antenna at 50 feet above the ground is going to outperform the best antenna you can buy at 20ft above the ground.
Thank's for doing this video, because I've been trying to tell my grandparents that they don't need a new antenna to receive HD video but they won't listen to me so I show them your channel's video and they finally believe me. You sir have earned a new subscriber and I really appreciate you doing what you do because it really helps out a whole lot of people because you're telling the truth. So please keep up the AWESOME work and I'll keep coming back for more and sharing your video's with as many people as I possibly can. 👍💯👍
Did you show them this video? It proves there's no such thing as an HD antenna since I use a paperclip to pick up a local TV channel. ua-cam.com/video/3sQhXqKVwUw/v-deo.html
Vhf transmission of tv signals finally ended in the UK around 1985, with most people being on Uhf for many years before that. However you can still see a few Vhf aerials (antennas) firmly in place even now. Some must have been up since the 1950's or maybe even before. Just shows you that things were made to last in those days and the riggers really knew their job in installing them so well as they have managed to withstand decades of heat and cold plus, snow, rain, and gale force winds.
I really appreciated getting your advice on this antenna and other modern television antennas. I now consider you the gold standard of all online experts in this field. Last summer, I upgraded to one of the antennas you recommend below. I also purchased a second antenna which I connected to the first using two same length coax cables. Then I ran them into a TV Antenna Amplifier below:
"ClearStream 2V Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna with Mount - 60 Mile Range"
"Mediasonic HOMEWORX HDTV Outdoor Antenna - 80 Miles Range Support UHF / VHF (HW-27UV)"
"Channel Master CM-7777HD TV Antenna Amplifier with Adjustable Gain"
The result of this combination was about 40 crystal clear TV channels. Incidentally, I purchased everything from Amazon.
I am glad I found your channel. I have been looking for someone like you for over a year and you seem to be the first person knowledgeable about how these things work. Just subscribed.
That was an excellent, basic explanation. The real physics explaining antennas can be quite complex, but it all boils down to your very excellent explanation, and I love how you cut to the chase...there is no such thing as an HD antenna and TV signals are limited by line of site. It is all pretty basic and easy to understand with a little common sense. We need more people like you that cut to the chase and make people use a little reasoning on their own and not expect to be spoon fed facts,otherwise they buy not only overpriced antennas, but also they buy into the crap that politicians try to sell them. Folks, boil things down to the basics, use a little common sense before you buy or vote.
I have a giant old antenna from 1997 inside my attic. Picks up local stations really well. Originally installed it for locals when I had Direct TV. That was before they carried local channels.
Excellent, unbiased review. You should run for Congress. It would be a breath of fresh air and honesty.
I was able to get a Plattsburgh station from Saratoga once using this antenna on a 25 foot pole.
@M Detlef not that I remember
There tower was on top of a mountain and the signal was able to go down the river
It was the only one from Plattsburgh that I could get but I could get it regularly
it was strange because so many other stations locally were impossible to get because of the terrain
The contrast between the Northeast and the southeastwe're down in South Carolina and Florida you can pick up stations hundreds of miles away with no problem because the land is flat
one of the ham radio operators was able to pick up low-power transmissions in the five watt and less range over an area 300 miles in diameter in Florida using a 50-foot mast
In Upstate New YorkI could not pick up stations that were three miles away because there were 700 foot mountains in between me and the station
@@ocsrc those antennas work ok in the attic where the antenna is covered from severe weather. You cannot have a metal roof though.
40 or 50 miles it's ok. I still have a few channels that show good bars but no picture or sound. Buyer beware no 150 miles unless you live on a mountain top. Then a coat hanger will also work.
These antennas were designed to "Sell".
Not designed to "perform".
Thousands, maybe millions of these have been sold.
Mission accomplished !
Mission accomplished is right. This is the top selling "HD antenna" on Amazon.
Yes, and sell they do. Why? Stupid people !
Just like fishing lures are designed to catch fishermen, not fish.
@@jerrygrimes8813 Bingo
@@jerrygrimes8813 Hey, That's a good one.
I have an outdoor antenna on my roof since 1977 works great and didn't need too change too a digital. antenna picks up 53 channels.
As many of us keep saying , there are no digital Tv antennas , there are no hdtv antennas , and etc..
Only UHF/VHF antennas.
Yup those digital antennas are just a good gimmick.
Digital antennas usually mean UHF only
Cool channel! I don’t own a tv, no cable, no satellite but like this UA-cam channel. I like learning new things. It’s smart and well done. Mark in Milwaukee
I use an antenna for my TV. I get around 38 channels and and am very pleased. no cable or satellite bills. And I grew up in the day when there were only 3 or 4 channels to choose from.
Have 40 year old radio shack antenna works fine and better then some newer ones. Made them in 1970s Airtex of Ohio/ S&A electronics! Height and transmission lines around your house are key along with signal from tv station
Same here. Those old antennas can get stations that small ones can't.
Mine has lasted eight years and still going strong.
What about the ClearTV one they push on TV all the time
Mine too it a dam nice antenna for the money the onn for 35 bucks walmart. This guy is a installer. I have tested to the channel master 100 with the 777 amp and the onn does dam good. Both inside at 16 feet. The onn easy and small. The 100 big and big. Both pick up same channels
I bought this 3 years ago, still works and for $25 I would buy another. I know it is cheap, mostly plastic but the economics make it work
Unless you are 74 years old, on a fixed income, and have to pay someone else to climb on the roof to install another one for you. Then the economics = ripoff.
Like with a lot of less expensive products quality control is a big issue. You may get one that last for years. Or maybe one that only last for several months. With the cost of cable if it lasts only a year it has more than paid for itself.
I bought a house and the antenna that I use to watch TV works fine. And it's from the 80's. I knew before you mentioned , that any antenna works. Great video ! Liked and subscribed!
I bought similar one off amazon 3 yrs ago, installed it on a pole in my garage attic and has been working great, get over 60 channels here in Hartford Ct
You just can't beat an old school long boom yagi antenna up high on a mast or tower.
Rich B. We used to wrap antenna on tv top with foil; it worked!
Don't forget a good low-noise masthead preamplifier.
35 years ago I had a setup like that and was picking a T.V. station 200 miles away. most of it was flat open land and back then there was a lot less interference. If I toggled the channel between 77 and 78 I would pick up analog cell phone calls from a tower a mile away
Got a basic 75 mile yagi antenna. Put it up on a securely grounded mast, and, pointed it properly. It helps if your "line of sight" to the tv transmitter is not obstructed by trees or other objects.
I bought an old thrift store Yagi antenna for over the air television. My nosey neighbours told me it would not work. I do not know how they figure that out. The digital signal is within the band of the old analogue signal. There is no such thing as a, "digital antenna," regardless of what the nice salesperson said at the electronics store. I pointed the antenna to where the most stations are and scanned. I got 41 beautiful channels for free. They paid for a stupid looking small, "digital HD antenna," and they only get 28 to 30 channels. I paid almost nothing for my thrift store yagi. They paid enough to fill up a large sedan with petrol and it is inferior.
the antenna man is the man
I did try this type of antenna in my novice days of antenna experimentation. As you said - it's junk. I finally went with a deep fringe antenna from solid signal(HD8200) and an HDB91 both coupled with separate CM 7777 pre amps. I live 82 plus miles from the town where the signals originate. I live in Tennessee in the hills. Fortunately I live on top of a small mountain so I have an advantage. Nothing beats a traditional yagi deep fringe antenna securely and safely mounted on a tall mast. I currently pull in about 40 Channels( including sub channels). I may soon upgrade to a CM5020 and see how it goes.
Thanks for the video.
There's 4,482 feet of curvature in between you and the town where you get your signal... i'm amazed that you are getting line of sight...
@@allpeoplefreepeople I'm amazed too. However, I do live up high and my antennas are on a 30 foot tower. I thought of going higher but this works. Thanks for the response.😁
Found information on your channel to be hugely helpful. Once I better understood “line of sight” and how to use the web site we went from 16 channels to 47 channels 😳. Moved the antenna to the attic and pointed it properly. Thank you for your work.
Regarding line-of-sight TV signals: I live in Vero Beach, Florida, and I can remember when my family moved here in the mid-1980s. Back then it was analog TV, and before my folks got cable we were able to get free-wave TV from Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Those distances were about 130 miles for Miami, about 90 miles for West Palm Beach, and about 90 miles for Orlando. We were able to get those stations with just rabbit ears and a UHF hoop on our TV. My dad (r.i.p.) knew all there was to know about television in those days, and he once explained why we were able to get Channel 44 in Tampa (135 miles) in the Channel 17 slot (I don't remember what he said, though). Channel 44 came in snowy, as they used to say, but we got it. I'm not up to snuff on the science and technology behind all this, but what I've seen seems to be a little at odds with what's been said here.
Remember "Digital Ready" stereo speakers from the 80's? 😄
Oh yeah. They sold tons of them with that spiel.
How about the quadraphonic add ons to stereo systems. The only true quad sound was 4 tracks from my reel to reel tape recorder and a 4 channel amplifier. I only got to hear the tape one time in true quad. My headphones tore up and I gave two speakers to my nephew. And kept two for my stereo. You have to have a room set up for quad enjoyment.
I bought a thrift store 1989 Archer 75 roof top antenna that was marketed by Radio Shack in the 1980s. I pointed the antenna to where the most stations are and scanned. I got 41 channels in liquid smooth, beautiful resolution. There is no such thing as a, "digital antenna," regardless of what the nice salesperson told you at the electronics store. The digital signal is within the band of the old analogue signal. Everyone that was told to buy a, "digital antenna," for the new signal was lied to and taken advantage of. My 1989 antenna picks up way more channels than the new antennas. Nothing beats the old yagi antennas for television.
You should do a video on that. Let people see that the older model works better.
@@rocistone6570 People will just say, "You attached it to a new antenna and have the old antenna on the roof for looks." I have had my boss call me a liar because I told her the old antenna works better than the new scam antennas. I do not like her anyway. But she keeps my cheques coming in.
TV stations can be picked up for many miles beyond line of sight under certain weather circumstances like tropospheric ducting. I've picked up stations over 100 miles under those conditions but it's not an everyday thing
Hey! What antenna did you do that with? A big Yagi?
That's a lie
I’m running a channel master cm3020 with a channel master cm7777 amplifier up around 25 feet
Helped a friend leading into football season get his antenna up and running at his new house. He's about 45 miles out and in a low area, lots of foliage to contend with so not an ideal setup. This was on the roof, traced out the cabling and corrected some issues and dialed in the antenna point. Hooked up and Picked up some UHF, but all very low and lots of pixelation, so I looked into this antenna and your honest review gave us confidence that replacing with a more formidable channelmaster would do the trick. And it DID, picked up the VHF (FOX) that has his preferred football team, the Packers and also grabs channels from 60 miles away at basically a perpendicular point from another market, additionally his signal strength is several bars up using that antenna over this one.
About 4 years ago I almost bought that antenna. It looked kind of crazy, but the built in amp and rotor almost sold me. Didn't do it, and bought a Winegard small antenna, amp, and coax cable. I did try the flat thing you "simply" hang over the TV for great reception. Not me, as I walked around the room, stations would go in and out. What I have with the Winegard is a perfect antenna for me.
I use about 20 feet of wire strung across my room and get all HD over the air stations. The great thing about the digital signal is there are no phase issues that the old analog signal had to contend with so picture always looks the same no matter how the antenna is oriented. So as log as you get a decent strength all the bits will get cached up and will produce a picture and sound just fine. However, any variation might cause sound to go out or tiling. So yeah, a string of wire or the old rabbit ears antennae will work just fine.
Very helpful and informative video. Thank you for posting.
I wondered about that antenna. I currently am using the Clearstream max 2 and wondered if this antenna was more powerful. I am glad to know they are about the same in reception. my Clearstream is 4 years old and working awesome.
I have an old school antenna, works great , these new ones are junk
I have one from over 20 yrs get 8 or more
@@donnarachiele1226 I get 53 channels on my old antenna. That's minus ten religion channels. Lol
I have a 10 yo made in USA it’s been up the roof since no issues. Tried a made in China with rotator installed in my attic and the plastic parts were brittle in 6 months just in the attic. Don’t waste money and time on made in china they’re junk.
@@davidk1579 And how many channels are in English? LOL!
On 'Black Friday' I purchased one of these $30 antenna from Amazon as a test to see if I could receive local stations. I knew 150-mile range was out of the question and would have rather have know dB gain of the antenna. I also had the same concerns before I purchased as you wondering if it would last. I remember using Channel Master TV antennae 40+ years ago and they were good. Figure $30 was worth the cost as an experiment to see what I can pickup. It is mounted in the rafters inside the roof and I pickup 62-channels without rotating the antenna. I consider this a success as the purpose was to see what I can receive and not just what the web tells me I can receive. I figured that the cheap antenna would not last so will purchase a quality product when it dies.
I made my own antennas by doing mod's on older Pacific Monolithics microwave antennas.They are featured on my UA-cam background.They work better then all of the antennas on the market.The Channel Master 4251 that I modified has a shortwave array for ham radio and still serves VHF and UHF.The ClearStream was the best store bought antenna but still not as good as my PM conversion.
Bro i took an indoor RCA black square antenna an put it outside with a couple bags over it an stuck it on a 15 foot pole. Best antenna ever lol
Drew V the most important thing really is height and location. When I lived in Tempe I was on the 2nd floor & my bedroom window faced South Mountain, where all Phoenix TV transmitters are. I simply hung one of those outside the window and ran coax around the room to a splitter by my bedroom TV and across the ceiling into my living room and got great reception. Located near either TV the antenna was nearly worthless.
those fold out panels make great sails. Expect to constantly be readjusting the cheap weak power rotor on windy days to keep it pointed in the same direction.
Finally! Someone who actually knows what he is talking about!
When talking antennas theres simply no replacement for size...a great big roof mounted Winegard has always been the best choice.
Size rules. U must have HEIGHT and line of sight. There's nothing more to it. .. .
I remember many years ago we used a metal coat hanger and it worked.
Back in the 1980's I used 100 foot speaker wire for my antenna. I split the wire down the middle & ran 1half clockwise around the room & take the other half & ran it counterclockwise. ...
Tinfoil and rabbit ears..lol I remember being the antenna boy during the big games..lol
Mom had a nice tv that used a metal pen as an antenna. Of course, she was about 1.5 miles line of sight from the empire state building.......
I got an antenna just like that it picks up stations at a hundred miles away but of course I got it 58 feet in the air.
I installed a GE Pro Outdoor Antenna 70 mile range and perfect reception. I ran the cable to the inside to connect with existing cable connections and it worked on all existing cable plug ins. Had to readjust it once due to a bad wind storm. People think I have cable because the picture is so good on a 55 inch TV. I don't pay cable lol!
I heard you mention WNEP and had to do a double take to make sure it was the same one I grew up with. Was planning to install a new antenna for my parents in Pike county while we are there for Thanksgiving. I'm happy I found your channel. Someone who knows what they are talking about right in the same area I'm planning an antenna in. Cheers!
I do service the area so if you are interested please email me on my website at antennamanpa.com. the reception is not the best in your area and it's rare that mounting antenna in a random spot is going to get you all the stations
Appreciate your honest reviews!
Lol mind blown when I saw all my local networks. Hello from Clarks summit.
I remember here in Australia the old ones were made from aluminium. They lasted many years.
I've tried all the antennas you show in this video and others you didn't show. The " Yagi" style was the best for us. Tower is about 45miles from us and Only the Onn 150 got our channels clear. Because we only have ONE tower available, it never needs the "rotor" option. Super good signal and I'd not recommend the clear stream after several tries here I was unable to get anything within range. I hold a Ham Radio license and so, yeah...I'm aware of what we tried here. Just amazing signal with the Onn 150mile antenna, but Yagi styles need to be fairly accurate when setting it up. Good video !
I'm in the Fox 29 range too in southern NJ. When I was a kid my dad put an antenna on our chimney which had the antenna somewhere around 100-110 feet in the air. We moved out of there in 2002, but the other day I drove past that house and the antenna is still there and looks complete. It was some Radio Shack one that he spent a small fortune on lol
I guess the 150 mile range antennas are for Flat Earthers, since they're immune to the curvature of the earth.
@Greenberg the Almighty Politics? This ladies and gentlemen, is why you stay in school.
@Greenberg the Almighty
Talking about yourself I see.
LoL, there are 10 types of people on Earth.
Those who know the definition of political and those that don't.
Tho some say that that's merely *opinion* 🤣
Flat earth morons. Can't tell the difference between facts and politics.
@@sirjames8779 AND SPINNING BALL BELIEVERS ARE THE GULLIBLE AND TOO LAZY AND TOO STUPID TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
Congratulations on reaching 1 million views
All preamps amplify both the signal and the noise. The amplifier cannot tell the difference. It also injects its own noise into the signal/noise that it's amplifying. It's all about getting the best signal to noise ratio.
As I remember, FM is "Line of Sight" signal while AM follows the curvature of the earth. And you are correct, an antenna is nothing but a "Radio Wave Catcher" Good presentation.
Over 50 years ago my grandparents had a fixed antenna on their roof and got Detroit and Windsor Canada which were about 60 miles away. They were usually pretty clear depending on weather. My question is: Are the new digital signals harder to get in clear? I have a new police scanner and it's not as clear as my first one from 25 years ago. A radio station that I used to have no problem pulling in from 50 miles away hasn't been clear since they "upgraded" their transmitter.
Thanks for your honest reviews.
If it's poor quality, just mount it in an attic. (that won't help rotor and amp problems though).
Or simply use it indoors in a window. It's obviously not the sort of antenna that you want to put outside, but if it's not exposed to the elements it should last longer.
It wont pick up signals very well up there. Just get a good antenna for the roof and leave this junk at Walmart.
Lisa N you are so right. This is the best advice that one could give. I tried to talk a man out of buying this piece of junk. He was infatuated by the 150 mile range it said on the box.
@@JohnDavis-yz9nq My dad had one of those huge yagi antennas on his roof and it had a rotor. The trees grew and the kids turned the rotor and of course tore the antenna up. We tried the Walmart rotating antenna and it worked pretty good for about a year. It pulled in 65+ miles at night. But of course, then went out. What a surprise.
@@writerpatrick will it work well inside?
Was looking at this just a day ago. Confirmed my first impression.
Same
Just got mine and it works very well .. worth the price I now get 60 Channels !
Wilkes Barre, PA? Nice! These vids are good, ever consider building your own antenna?
I got a similar one from Roses for $20 from some no-name. Half the weight of the ones from the (19)80s, so feels fragile, but has been working great for a year. Had twice the length of coax than the Onn at Walmart. Also has a coax male for a second tv. A killer deal!
Great video! Do any tv antennas increase/improve internet/WiFi signal?
I had a similar one. Antenna worked great. Rotator died after 3 months. You get what you pay for.
You will never get 150 mile range. EVER. the way to do this is with a rare atmospheric phenomena known as tunneling. It happens a few times a year in some areas lasting only few hours at a time.
I have gotta say that antenna is absolutely HIDEOUS! looking, are you familiar with the 1byone antcloud?
What RCA antenna do you recommend that lasts 10+ years?
So antennae man, please address the issue of LOS vs Multipath. IF you have significant land based obstacles in the path of these antennas, like buildings, hills and mountains, is there any predictable results or received signal from the broadcast point of emanation?
This is great review. I just started looking for better TV options as my cable bill is OUTRAGEOUS . I appreciate your honesty. Usually when I am looking at videos I can tell pretty quick if it's BS. Yours are TOP SHELF. I will look at your other videos for sure. Keep UP The GOOD WORK my friend!
I had that antenna once worked good for a while but then I the gears in the motor striped out because the gears are plastic
Thanks for an honest review.
Still kicking myself for having the Antenna taken down off the roof 18 years ago. (Although it was attached to the chimney which isn't a good idea.)
Why is attaching it to the chimney a bad idea?
@@andrewalexander9492 I was told that it can put a strain on the chimney when you have severe weather.
@@andrewalexander9492 Soot coating the metal.
@@Brewskii2117 It is true only when you have a heavy antenna with a long mast like those huge HF antenna for ham radios.
Yeah, I have an indoor flat antenna that claims a 120 mile range. It works well as long as i position it high in the house, but I'd say 60-70 miles is more accurate. For $20 it works well enough.
Thanks for the info, I live in So. Ab. and have been looking for an antenna for this area, I was happy to see our local stations pop up. I will be checking out more of your videos to help me so that I can get a decent one that will work.
I'll confirm that it's junk, The rotor control is a remote with two buttons. Presumably it will rotate clockwise with one button and counterclockwise with the other. Sometimes it does but most of the time it will pick a random direction to rotate. This makes it hard to peak a signal since it may just continue rotating in the same direction with the other button. There is no indication of the direction it is pointed so mount it where you can see it. I agree it doesn't look like it would hold up outside but can't confirm that yet. I got it at Wall-Mart and it's no wonder they didn't have a display model, just had to go by the picture on the box.
the "150 mile range" is from 180 degrees. as the man said "70, 80, 90 miles" (0:50 ish)
Isn’t it line of sight, a big tree Oakland a small rise of land disrupts the signal?
The reception may be better in the VHF band off of the back side of that antenna. It is a symmetrical antenna with no directors or reflectors. Those UHF loops on the front of the antenna may actually interfere with reception in that direction.
Look up : backlobe radiation , dipole
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Clearstream outdoor ant
@@richardkittle2346 UHF is mostly LOS yeah. If you get a sporadic E or tropo ducting you can get farther but that's kinda rare. As for me, i can only hit 70cm amateur radio repeaters ~35-40mi away on a 5w HT with an NA-771 or abbree 42.5 inch antenna
I love my Onn "150 Mile Range" Outdoor TV Antenna so far. I`m getting up to 60 air miles in hilly terrain.im getting all the local channels up to 60+ miles. my only draw backs are coax rotted after 6 years. and the inside got wet dew to rain. so I cleaned it out and sealed all the places where it joins together with flex seal or you an use any other silicone sealer made for outdoors. saying that when I get rich and famous I will get a better antenna that coast $150 to $200. So until then I have all the channels I can watch with my $40 antenna with new coax.
This antenna is currently on my garage, on a 15ft pole, in Minnesota.. it is in year 4 and working good.
I bought a big old Winegard HD8200U antenna in 2012 and it is still going strong. It went through hurricane sandy without breaking.
The best antenna I ever had was RaidoShack 2foot in circumference disk,, I installed it in the attic👌
I miss Radio shack. Most had great customer service. Best buy sells you a $150 item then tell you you have to join Greek squad for help at rate of $200 a yr.