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I don't use cable TV. It turns out about the same.not much significent improvements on my UHF signals that I can tell. I use rooftop antennas to get my OTA TV signals which I think is a better uncompressed HD source than the regular cable TV.besides, it is free.I already have antennas that I can get very good VHF HD signals, but my UHF HD signals are still weak during bad weather conditions. So, I bought this antenna hoping to improve my UHF TV signals in addition to my existing antennas. Actually, this antenna does about the same just by itself (without my other existing ones).it will pick up all the channels in my areas (by itself) just about the same (both UHF & VHF) as my other antennas do. ***Conclusion: It is a decent antenna by itself for the price, but it does not improve my UHF as I was hoping for.
I was fed up with signals breaking up even with the strongest local stations, and the need to re-orient the antennas for each station.We live in the North East part Chicago IL, in Rogers Park, about 4 blocks S of Evanston). Don't worry that this antenna is UHF only, because virtually all of the previously low VHF stations now actually broadcast in the high VHF or UHF bands (e.g. Our Samsung HDTV has a Signal Strength meter that you find under MENU / SETUP / CHANNEL which shows the strength of the signal with bars -the more bars the better. With the Eagle, we still a tiny momentary, twitch no more than 1 time in 2 hours. The higher we lifted the antenna the better the reception (our TV is on the 1st floor). Since the Eagle is a uni-directional antenna you do not have to re-orient it for each station. This Eagle Aspen antenna is far better than any of the Terk, RCA, or other small Xmas tree type indoor antennas (including amplified versions) I have ever used. Before using this antenna we used to get dropouts, digital pixellated distortions, even with the strongest stations, as much as 2-3 times in 20 minutes on PBS channel 11 for example.
Of course not everyone wants a somewhat large and ugly looking "thing" looming in their living room, but it is possible to make it less conspicuous by putting it behind a tall bookshelf or some other tall object. Channel 2). Or, hang a painting from the ceiling so the painting blocks the antenna from view.In any case I highly recommend this Eagle antenna. For most of the local TV stations (Channel 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 20, 32, 50) the signal strength showed maximum or close to maximum). After mounting the Eagle Aspen to on a microphone stand (a Radio Shack model) reception improved by a factor of at least 5. My speculation is that this is caused by wind moving trees, or some other obstruction of the signal path.FYI: The Eagle Aspen, like many outdoor antennas, come with a large U-bolt type of clamp, that attaches very easily to a any kind of pole or tube (it does not even have to be circular).
It's really important to have some sort of signal strength information, otherwise it is very difficult to properly orient and adjust the antenna for the best reception. In addition we picked up some distant stations as well. A microphone stand is relatively cheap, takes up little space, and allows you to easily adjust the height, and angle of the antenna.This outdoor antenna works beautifully indoors at a price well under poorly performing indoor antennas and of course only a fraction of the price of many highly touted outdoor antennas -for our location. It's GREAT.
I am 40 miles from the transmitters and I receive ABC, NBC, CBS, 3 PBS, the CW, THIS and ION. I use this antenna on my sailboat. It is hauled up the mast by rope when in use. I get some pixelating when it is windy. i attribute that to the antenna swinging in the wind since it is not on a ridged mount.
(Usually you can only record 2 programs at the same time).Before I bought this antenna, I talked to Best Buy and Radio Shack. I'm guesstimating, but I believe the closest stations are less than 20 miles away, while the farthest is in 45 to 60 mile range. I love the multiple pbs and network feeds, which provide a much better picture than the compressed, 1 channel HD feeds from my satellite tv provider. Being a newb to digital antennas, I found the site confusing so I called my local network television station and asked to speak to a station engineer.
The reception signal ranges from 68% to 100%, the lowest being the farthest, out-of-state channels, which very occasionally break up for less than a second (similar to a mildly bad weather satellite feed). This antenna is great. Both tried to sell me more expensive antennas, but in all fairness, directed me to the [.]. I even said, are you sure an antenna this cheap is any good. Btw, I installed it just under my satellite dishes on the gable end of my house facing the general direction of the broadcast.
site, which I did check out. He told me not to be snookered, this antenna will do the job. This antenna is pulling in 3 pbs stations from 3 states, as well as all 4 networks with a couple of duplicates from other states. He asked me a few questions, clearly explained everything about digital broadcast in our state and recommended THIS antenna. I live in a mountainous state and apparently have a good sight line to the mountaintop transmitters for the in-state channels.Another thing I like about this antenna is feeding the signal into my dvr--with a special connection provided by the satellite company, I'm able to watch and record the off-air channels just as if they were coming from satellite fed.
There's an added bonus: I can record 2 satellite feeds and off-air feeds SIMULTANEOUSLY. I was surprised. He was right.
I was unable to get a single channel with a typical indoor antenna so I figured I needed a little more antenna. I saw reviews of the DB2 antenna design that this one appears to be based on and decided to give it a try. When the antenna arrived I immediately hooked it up (inside the house) and sat it on top of the box it came in and boom, 7 channels from Boston, 4 of them in 1080i HD with normal to good signal strength. The DB2 design has good gain across the UHF frequency and this should be similar. I live 60 miles from Boston in quite hilly country. I couldn't be happier. Remember, it's best to have your antenna away from your TV and any wireless/electronic equipment (Wifi, wireless phone base, microwave, etc).
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