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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
Have yet to get it to work in a very interference-ridden area 20 miles west of NYC. Will try it elsewhere.
Like everyone else I was sick of paying high prices for cable that I didn't even watch that much. After some research, antenna web said I needed a medium to large directional antenna. I visited my local RS, where the salesman assured me this antenna would fit my needs, despite what antenna web said... he was right. I live in suburban Northern Virginia, 30 miles west of Washington and using this antenna (with the included pre-amp), I can pick up all of the local stations with 90+% signal strength. My ultimate plan was to put this in the attic of a 3 story town home, but at this point I could just leave it in the upstairs bedroom it is now in as the reception in perfect.
from Columbia City, IN on 10/24/2008
this thing is the best, way better than local cable, picks up stations from miles around. gives a crystal clear picture. not even noticed mounted in the eave of my house.
from Richland, WA on 10/20/2008
I knew I had to buy an antenna before next February but I did not want to buy one that was huge, ugly and looked like a clothes hanger. This one is the size of your hand and as soon as I hooked it up I got all channels crystal clear. It is amazing that this works as well as my friends expensive, huge, ugly antenna.
The antenna worked great and was easy to orient with respect to the transmitter. Signal strength was more than adequate for stable digital reception. We mounted it out of sight in the garage.
from Redding CA on 10/9/2008
I purchased this antenna after having a Dish satellite installed, and found out I couldn't get my local networks in HD. This works like a charm and attaching it to my Dish DVR box I can also record my locals in HD!
Bought this for my HD tv and had tried several other indoor antennas. The other antennas drove my wife and I mad because the station would go in and out and made tv unwatchable. I picked up this one at RS just to give it a try. First, I tried to install it inside, but that was not any good. Then, I decide to try it in the attic. Viola! Now, we enjoy our local channels in crisp, clear HD and only get the occasional hiccup (usually because of bad weather). So, if you buy this, install it in your attic or high on your roof!
My TV worked better with rabbit ears that with this antenna. Cannot wait to return it to the store.
I ran a line to my attic that my rabbit ears were connected to and replaced them with this item which comes with a amplifier. I tried every combination with and without amplifier with new antenna and with my rabbit ears. It came down that using my rabbit ears without this antenna and amplifier gave me 10 to 80 percent more reception. This item is a joke. Please don't waste you time.
from NW Illinois on 9/30/2008
Went from 9 channels with my rabbit ears to 19. Mounted it to the side of my house.
Only 30 miles,Only as good as Bunny ears ..
J.M.gs Tx.
[...]
I, like many other people I know are tiring of the high price of cable and satellite television. In today's economy of high gas prices and high prices on everything else, the solution is a device like this one. We (my family and I) were paying around [$]per month and that wasn't even for the "best" package. Anyway, we cancelled our cable tv and found we could only get a snowy picture on our 32" hdtv. That's where this product comes in.A word of warning, don't expect to install this antenna at ground level directly to your television and get all kinds of stations. I read the reviews of others and followed their advice. You have to get this antenna as high as possible. The higher you get it, the better chance of more channels received. Ideally outside, I think, but that is not necessary (ours is in the attic of our house).We live in Sheboygan, WI. I found that as I kept getting higher in the house I was getting more and more stations coming in. Main floor, 0 channels. Second floor 10 digital and 4 analog channels. Attic, 26 digital 17 analog. Let me clarify, buy this antenna for the digital stations. The analog stations are terrible. Don't buy this antenna for the analog stations, buy it for your hdtv and do what I did, unplug the cable company! Analog is going away soon anyway, right?Good Luck And GO PACK GO,The Lemke Family
Don't buy it. It was worse than using our old rabbit ears.
The antenna looks great and can go anywhere easily. Beware though that it is very directional, a little twist will make a big difference to reception. If you don't get good signals on some channels twist the unit a few degrees and they will probably get better. This was very surprising to me. Otherwise it is a good deal.
-Needed an HD antenna to use indoors for apartment
- ZIP code 90069
- Easy Set Up
- Getting all HD local channels after first scan
- Slight adjustment of antenna placement provided better signal
- TV has built in HD Tuner
- Channels clear and crisp
easy to install..... easy to tune.....
THis is the fourth antenna I've tried and it was the ONLY one which I plugged in, did a channel search on my digital converter box and found EVERY major channel I had under the analogue system (analogue with a cheap rabbit ears). This antenna was A HUGE improvement as none of the other 3 antennas I tried with my converter box could pick up even the best of regular analogue receptive channels- even ABC. My first antenna was my original rabbit ears that worked just fine for analogue tv, but for digital could only receive about 1/2 my regular channels-including 1/2 the major networks, while picking up many minor digital channels of no interest. Next, I tried a supposedly *strong* set of rabit ears from a RadioShck cmpetitor which the sales guy highly rec'd -it fared as well as my old pair, no good. Then I went out & bought 2 from RadioSchack (RS). The RS Indoor Tv Antenna (vhf/uhf/hd/fm), similar to the *strong* rabit ears still eliminated nearly 1/2 major channels, but was slightly better than the other 2 I had tried. Rabbit ears made me feel as if I had some control over the reception, I could move the antenna parts to pick up more or less, but it was frustrating ineffective, much of the time, in whether I could pick up all channels, and nothing like the way they work with analogue. This antenna does not have a lot of detailed "fine tuning" options, but it does have a long cord meaning you can simply move it around if you need to try for better reception. Luckily that was not an issue for me, no need for more fine tuning was necessary. The fourth try was a charm in my case. Buy this one first, save the headache.
Bought this antenna after returning an indoor amplified antenna(Model 15-1878) that picked up NO digital signals. I live in Portland,ME and could always pick up all analog channels with rabbit ears-though reception on some wasn't the best. I am using this antenna for a small supplemental TV-Set up was very easy-did not even need to put it on outside or in attic--and now pick up all local digital broadcasts-13 channels.
I have had this in a camper for over a year and don`t get reception anywhere we have been. We have amplified rabbit ears on our home TV and it is far superior to this.
[...] I live about 35 miles west of Chicago. I mounted this about 10 ft off the ground and signal was ok, once I plugged in the little amplifier I have awesome signals on all channels except CBS (which is known to be weak here until the Feb '09 switch).This product is what it is, do you take a corvette offroading?
I live at the base of hill and can get no analog tv. In desperation to watch the olympics, I purchased this antenna. On the ground floor, nothing. Out the second floor window, bingo lots of stations. I get the ladder out and mount it on the roof pointing @ 225' (towards DC, I'm in Baltimore, got the compass heading from antennaweb) and I'm pulling in nbc channel 4, 28 miles away (among other DC and Balt. stations). My 20 year old Sony never looked so good. Olympics, here we come!
save your money, and buy a better unit
It was either buy this product for [$], or buy the "fishbone" metal antenna for $130, so I thought I'd be cheap and see what happened. After spending half an hour in the hot attic, and another half an hour tapped into the cable outside, I could only get 3 out of 7 local stations to come up. This was so frustrating, because I just got a new HDTV and was excited about watching crystal clear broadcasts. Now I am forced to resort to the bedroom tv and an old set of bunny ears (which, by the way, give a heck of a lot better reception than this product!) Taking this piece of junk back to the store as soon as I can. Don't waste your money (on gas), cause you'll be taking it back as well!
the thing doesn't work. That's all there is to it.
I installed 3 of these with digital tv's and it workes well. When compaired to other indoor antenna on analog tv was not superior at all. So I would not suggest with digital tv only.
Terrible product - only if you live really near the broadcast tower. At least it's easy to setup and can be portable - if you've got portable equipment this might be OK. Otherwise, don't waste your money. Buy something that works.
After reading numerous positive reviews of this antenna, and hearing the enthusiastic endorsement of the Radio Shack clerk, I was astounded to find that reception with this antenna is absolutely identical to reception with NO antenna at all hooked up!
We live only 20 miles from the Sear's Tower. Analog reception with a large attic mounted antenna has always been fine. With Radio Shack's digital converter box half the stations are unwatchable. I hoped this amplified antenna would save me from having to shell out a fortune for cable or satellite. But an identical experience could be gained by not even hooking up an antenna, and flushing your fifty-five bucks down the sewer.
I had this piece of junk for a very short time and had to take it back and get my money back. It had very poor reception. The best it could do was a very poor picture whereas the antenna that I designed and assembled myself with no amplifier does a better job. I live in the suburbs so we are fairly close to the TV stations. Don?t waste your time on this one.
I had this piece of junk for a very short time and had to take it back and get my money back. It had very poor reception. The best it could do was a very poor picture whereas the antenna that I designed and assembled myself with no amplifier does a better job. I live in the suburbs so we are fairly close to the TV stations. Don?t waste your time on this one.Also used it on dtv box and got dB output.
from Galloway, OH on 7/5/2008
We are using the antenna on a camper in the hills of south eastern Ohio. We were getting one station with our camper antenna with poor reception. I bought this antenna along with a digital converter box. I attached the antenna to a piece of 1 inch diameter pvc pipe and attached the pipe to our original antenna using panduits. We are now getting 18 crystal clear channels in the middle of no where including all the major networks plus many PBS stations. I did find that the amplifier has to be used in line with the incoming coax cable and the amplifier has to be plugged in to get any decent signal. When plugged in, the signal is amazing. We were the only camper in the campground getting good over the air television signals until we told others about this product and they have bought the same antenna.
I tried a few indoor antennas and had problems with digital reception. We would get the channel, but interference would cause the picture to break up way too often. I bought this antenna just to try it. First, I hooked it up inside (no better than the other ones). Then, I hooked it up in the attic. Boy, what a difference! The set up was really easy and the rotation arm allowed me to position it the way I wanted it. Very easy to work with!
from tucson az on 6/28/2008
all these reviews are fake this thing dont work my rabbit ears brought in a better signal save your money and buy those and save yourself alot of aggravtion
Works very well I live 60 miles from the antenna sights and get very good reception with this antenna I live on the 3rd floor on an apartment and face minneapolis but the other antenna I had could not pick up anything
from Oklahoma City on 6/15/2008
This is the best indoor solution, and a quality replacement for those "rabbit ears" efforts.
This did the job without the intrusive look of rabbit ears. It outpreformed all other indoor models, even those with amplfication.
I used it on an HDTV tuner with excellent results. It brought all my local stations in perfectly, and the decor is excellent.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
I set this antenna up in my south facing master bedroom expecting the worst. I was quite impressed with a good signal and have great picture and sound on all channels. Two (2) a little weak...but will do. Easy set-up, however wall screws need to be longer. DTV will be taken out and money used for more important things.....LIKE GAS! Have fun.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
At first, I thought that this would be another one of those weak, flimsy antennas that you can get at any retailer, use it for about one hour and then return it. But then I got all of the HD channels in the Wash. DC area (4,5,7,9,14,20,26,50,62), as well as channels from the Baltimore area (2,11,13,22,45,54,67) and some from the Northern Virginia area (30,57). Including the HD subchannels, I got about 40 channels!
[0 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from Greenville, SC on 6/10/2008
My rabbit ears work better than this thing does
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Elgin, IL on 6/4/2008
I was very skeptical of this small antenna as my friend has one of those larger multi eared outdoor antenna and was "only" 35 miles from chicago. i bought this and was amazed that when i set it up it pulled in EVERY HD station from chicago wgn, 2, 5, 7, 26, 11 32 . I am 44 miles from chicago according to antennaweb. this complements my dtv dvr great as it integrated seamlessly with the on screen guide. i simple place this antenna on the corner of my house so the antenna has a direct sight towrads the city on the second floor trim board. this antenna is roughly the size of a paperback book so it is very unobtrussive and has held but very well now for almost 1 year since i got it in july 2007
[0 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
I just live too far from the tv station to get good reception. The old stations I have watched for years, I can no longer receive.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Keizer, OR on 5/28/2008
I have to say after trying to use a set of set of 32dB amplified rabbit ears, even with the lower 20dB amplification of this antenna it is a superior antenna. I have it attached to a indoor pole lamp between the threads. It requires some rotation to tune to weaker channels but as oppose to the 20 minutes I spent tuning in each individual channels with the rabbit ears this setup is much better.
I don't use the long cord that comes with it I get a stronger signal with a shorter cord I had lying around. The long cord may work alright for out door use haven't tried it.
I strongly recommend paying out the extra cash for this and skipping the rabbit ears.
from miami,fla on 5/27/2008
i can"t believe the reception iam getting with this antenna,25 analog and hd channels,maybe Iam dreaming please, wake me up
from miami,fla on 5/24/2008
incredible reception,am guetting 25 hd channels over the air,i installed this antenna indoor and pick ups signals very well
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
This antenna is great. We just got the DTV converter boxes and with our old rabbit ear antenna we got weak signal on every channel. The majority of then wouldn't come in. We went and blew $30 on an antenna that did nothing. We went back to radio shack and bought another model that was similar to the one we bought the night before and it was worse. When we took it back we bought this one. FABULOUS! As soon as we plugged it in and did a scan we got EVERY channel in great quality and it really boosted the signal strength for the channels we got with the horrible antennas. Right now it is just sitting on the patio table outside. Going to mount it this weekend. If you are having trouble, buy this antenna. It was stop you from cursing the converter box.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from New York, NY on 5/23/2008
I LOVE this product! RadioShack has always made the best antennas - my family has used their bunny ears for much of my life. The quality has always been superior to other brands.
I recently bought this antenna in preparation for the HD revolution, and I am amazed. The picture quality is consistent and looks just like cable! And the product design is small and unassuming. Although it can be installed outdoors, I have mine set up on my entertainment center just above my TV.
The design could be modified to allow easier use inside, but I don't mind so much.
The only downside is interference when airplanes fly over (taking off and landing - not at cruising altitude *smile*). But it is a minor inconvenience for an AMAZING product! Quite an upgrade from my old bunny ears!
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
At [$] it is reasonable to expect that it would be more durable. It is afterall only a wire encased in plastic with a coax connector.I live within 15 miles and in clear sight of the transmitting towers and it did offer some improvement while indoors.When I attempted to connect it outside, the cheap connection broke.Sorry to say, I couldn't expect it to stand the test of time while being exposed to the elements, so I took it back for a refund.Let me know when you spend $1.10/unit in improving the design, workmanship and structure of the antenna. I'll try it again.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
I have no cable TV connection in my kitchen. It is not possible to bring a cable TV wire to the kitchen TV. I tried the old fashioned rabbit ears, but the reception was poor. The rabbit ears were also very awkward. I needed an antenna that was small, discrete, easy to install, and produced a high quality picture. I researched the Radio Shack HDTV Antenna. I talked to a Radio Shack sales associate and decided to purchase this antenna. I located the antenna in my kitchen attaching it to the side of an oak cabinet. It was very easy to install. It is very attractive, you barely notice it. It yields super picture quality. I am very pleased with this HDTV antenna.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from West Virginia on 5/14/2008
I hadn't messed with an indoor antenna since the early 70s. I thought this would be junk. It isn't. It's amazing. I catch 7 digital signals, including one HD signal, in a fairly media-poor area. The HD is dazzling.I don't know what some users fuss about. Go to [@] first to see what signals are available to you and where they come from. If you have available signals, this will catch them all other things being equal.It is NOT a freestanding antenna. If you want that, you will have to cut a piece of 2X4 and screw the mount to the wood near the edge, as I did. This way the antenna cable does not bind and tip the antenna over. It is best attached to a suitable pipe, or fixed to a wall where the cable, descending from the bottom, has freedom of movement.
This antenna is a good value for the price, so long as you are within about 10 miles of the digital TV stations you are trying to receive. Great for apartments with a balcony! I had mine on a third floor balcony and got fantastic reception regardless of weather. The multi-directional feature allows you to pick up stations from any direction, but can be problematic if you have a source of interference nearby. Also, the performance dropped significantly when I moved to a house about 20 miles away from the same stations. To solve both of those problems, I upgraded to model 15-2187. Give that one a try if you live a bit more distant or have a source of interference (such as an airport) nearby but outside of the signal path. [...]
I havent paid a cable television bill in 2 years. I receive about 15 channels from an indoor amplified antenna that I mounted in my attic. I bought this in anticipation of receiving HDTV through a converter box. I was under the understanding that there was actually a diference in an HDTV antenna. I expected a degrade in VHF signal and enhanced UHF channels. My reception was worse across the board after connecting. I tried an extra amplifier and then even tried carrying it around my yard. Nope ... its going back tomorrow.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Reno, NV on 5/3/2008
I was ready to purchase a 80" boom antenna when I came across this antenna and after reading the reviews decided to buy it as the size and ease of setup was very appealing compared to installing a large boom antenna on top of my two story home in Reno, NV. I was hoping to get the three major networks in digital which are broadcast in VHF from the same tower location. I had a UHF omni directional UHF antenna on order through Amazon. Antennaweb suggested a small omni directional UHF antenna and a medium directional VHF antenna to get most of the over the air digital broadcast stations in my area. When I went to buy this antenna I was surprised at the size of the box and had my doubts or how it would perform. I brought it home and in less than 10 minutes I temporarily had it set up pointing out my first floor living room window and was amazed at how many channels my channel search picked up. I grabbed a ladder and took the antenna outside and mounted it on the house just above my old 'dish' and in less than five minutes I was scanning for stations again. The scan resulted in 30 stations! This antenna is picking up almost all stations listed on antenaweb and then some. I have a 42" Hitachi Plasma with a built in tuner. Ther towers that the stations I am receiving are coming from are located in 4 different locations 4 -16 miles away. The signal strength is in the 90s for most stations, some as high as 98 even from towers it is not pointimg towards.The picture qualty on the digital channels is unbelievable, better thn my HD cable signal. The analog stations vary in quality with the lowest channels (2 and 4) being the worst with ghosting, although most of my analog stations are also broadcast in digital already and all will by next year. I am going to send the UHF antenna back when it arrives and probably cancel my cable. If you live in a location similar to mine, buy this antenna, you will be very impressed. I have not hooked up to multiple TVs yet so I can not report on that but if it does not work well with multiple TVs I will buy more of these great priced antennas.
from Southern California on 5/2/2008
There is one digital channel, which has four sub-channels that no antenna I had was able to pick up with any consistency but with this antenna I am able to strongly receive those channels all the time. My only problem with this antenna is that if you decide not to mount it to a wall it is not really ideal because it can't really stand up on its own without falling over. Plus it needs to be placed somewhere high up. I have one antenna on a tall unplugged lamp and another on top a shelf. Ideally if you can mount it to a wall that would be best.
Set up was easy. I was concerned at first when trying to find the best signal for an analog station. BUT, when I had the TV tune in any digital stations I was quite surprised to get 12 stations and the fartherest away was ~70 miles. The pictures are flawless!
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Troy, IL on 4/27/2008
This is the first antenna I tried based on the mostly glowing reviews. I cancelled my cable and just went with the digital HDTV signal in my area. I first went to the cable TV splitter in my crawl space and hooked this antenna up to the cable going to my HDTV jack. My HDTV immediately started picking up digital stations on this antenna in the crawl space. Amazing! Then I took it outside and hooked it up to where the cable TV used to enter my home on the side of my house. I bolted it to the old cable TV box and pointed it in the correct direction according to antenna web which is 30 miles from my house. I put the line amplifier where the cable TV input line used to go into the splitter. Then I hooked the other end up to the line going to my HDTV jack. This is a 25 foot run from the outside to where the splitter was and another 15 feet to where the HDTV jack is located. This antenna is mounted only 5 feet off the ground on the old cable TV box on the side of my house, but it has a clear line of sight in the direction of the television transmitters. Whoa, let me tell you this small lightweight antenna picks up every digital television station crystal clear! Height does not matter as long as you have a clear line of sight. The 40 foot length of RG-59 didn't affect the signal strength in the least bit. This is the final configuration I left it in. It looks great on the side of my house, very small and unassuming. The line amplifier resides in my crawl space in an unassuming place. It picks up every digital station in the St Louis area VHF 2,4,5,8,9,11 and UHF 24,30 crystal clear from 30 miles away. It picked up the analog signals but they were terrible. This is not an analog antenna. It seems to be designed specifically for digital signals and it does the job superbly. This is the antenna to get. My local Radio Shack sales rep told me this antenna would not work from 30 miles away and recommended a roof antenna. I sure am glad I didn't listen to him!
from Colorado Springs on 4/24/2008
I had two of these. Both units had the same problem. When unscrewing the cable, the entire connector rotates, breaking it off of the circuit board inside. luckily i have a soldering iron. But geez. after it happened to the 2nd one, i was just like 'oh come on'. very cheap construction, not worth what radio shack charges.
Difficult device. Bought to better my signal for my digital converter box. Worked poorly, didn't improve my signal what so ever.
[1 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
WE TRYED SETTING IT UP IN OUR LIVING ROOM AND NOTHING AT ALL. SO I TOOK IT OUT SIDE AND HELD IT ALL AROUND OUR BACK YARD AND NOTHING. I EVEN PUT IT UP ON THE TOP OF OUR OLD ANTENNA TOWER AND NOTHING. IT WAS VERY EASY TO HOOK UP. IT WOULD OF BEEN GREAT IF IT WOULD OF PICKED UP AT LEAST OUR NASCAR CHANNEL BUT NOTHING AT ALL. SO ITS GOING BACK FIRST THING THIS MORNING. I WOULD OF TAKEN IT BACK LAST NIGHT BUT WE KEPT TRYING TO GET IT TO WORK. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR GAS MONEY.
from Houston, TX on 4/9/2008
I have this set-up indoors (was going to put it in the attic, but ended-up working fine indoors). For my situation, it would not work at all without the ac-powered amplification.... but it does work very well with it. Interestingly, the best positioning of the antenna ended-up face-down behind the flat screen. Not pointed, not elevated, just lying face down behind the television. Go figure.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
I have tried many antennas and by far this one is the best! Simply awesome!! I put it in my attic and can pick up all channels within 50 miles. My guess is the people who didn't rate this one 5 stars were way too deep in their house or didn't know where their local towers were. They probably didn't experiment with it's placement enough either. To check it's strength, I first placed it on my front porch and picked up stations about 50 miles away at about 40 percent. Then I took it in my attic and BAM!! 80-90 percent on almost all channels. It took me about 20 minutes to get the farthest station in its range perfectly dialed in. What I did was look on antenna.org and choose one the channels the farthest away from you, then I went up the list to find one that I could receive. Once you get that one dialed in, the rest are great. Very easy!
Currently this antenna is on top of my roof and attached to my drain vent pipe. I get 10 digital stations total which is great since I live in an area where the signals are hard to get being in a valley. I have tried every indoor antenna possible and have only been able to pick up 2 digital channels. This antenna is great since it is very small and unnoticeable on your roof. It pulls an amazingly strong and very stable signal. If you are considering an outdoor antenna try this first. I also tried the Philips MANT940 which was good but not as good as this, also the RadioShack DA-5200 is smaller. I'm currently pulling a steady signal from 43 miles away! The only thing that would make this product better is a bigger U clamp mount so you can conveniently attach this antenna to a drain vent pipe easily. I had to attach a narrower poll to my vent pipe first in order to mount this. Otherwise a great buy!
from L. A. (San Pedro, 25th & Gaffey) on 4/4/2008
It completely fills my needs, clearly receiving local digital channels 2.1, 4.1*, 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, 11.1, & 13.1 from one fixed position indoors. A bonus is that it looks relatively good while doing so!*according to [...] I'm 37.1 - 37.4 miles from the transmitters, & 4.1 is a harder-to-receive "green" station, which matches my own personal experience, but more on this below.I'm on a hill, on the top floor, but there's a building of very nearly equal height blocking my view of the transmitter. Using rabbit ears with a UHF loop I had to re-position it AND re-tune its dial knob for different channels (analog OR digital) & even then sometimes the picture was poor*, even after I discovered that hanging the antenna from the ceiling (by the UHF loop) made a HUGE improvement.*Often the analog channel was clearer than it's digital version, & 13.1 wouldn't come in at all. antennaweb doesn't show 13.1, but it shows 13 as "green".I wasted considerably more than what this antenna cost on a big, ugly Terk TV55, which didn't even work as well as the rabbit ears, for analog OR digital. In fact it worked better when I disconnected it (just the coax cable attached to the TV!)I connected this Radio Shack antenna to the nice long coax that was included*, put it face down on the adjacent couch, connected it to the TV, & even before I plugged in the antenna's power cord I got better reception than the rabbit ears.*I thought this was nice, in case I had to position it far from the TV, but I moved it around all over the place, & I get the best signal with it screwed to the back of the top corner of my flat-panel TV: I removed one of the TV's trim screws, & attached the RadioShack mount with a longer screw.For ME* it's best on a vertical plane (as expected) but for some strange reason it "likes" to be "sideways" (so the graphics read normal when you're lying down!).* "Your mileage may vary", as each location & its surroundings is unique.
I tried two different antennas, and this is clearly the better antenna for reception strength. I live between 25-40 miles from two different sets of towers in slightly different directions. With this antenna I can comfortably get HD signals from both directions without having to adjust the antenna. I have it mounted indoors on the side of a bookshelf. It is one of the more attractive antennas in my opinion, and with a white shelf, you barely notice it. Very discreet size. Note: I am primarily interested in the UHF frequency, so I don't know how this performs for VHF.
Installation took 15 minutes, and that included having to go out to the garage for the screwdriver and mounting the antenna.
I now get every yellow grade station in my area according to antennaweb.
at first, i connected the antenna with the power adapter connected. my TV scanned and found only one channel. after disconnecting the power adapter, the TV found about 20 channels, including all the major networks. my apartment is close to some radio towers, so perhaps the signals are strong enough that the power amplification is not needed. nevertheless, try both with and without the power adapter connected.
Wasn't sure if these antennas really worked. After hooking up this is the best [$] I have ever spent!!
I moved into a new place in Atlanta recently and have not set up cable yet with my TV. Figured I'd try this out for a while in lieu of paying [$]+ a month to the cable TV cartel for the few hours of TV (read: advertisements) I watch every week. This antenna is so simple to test: plug it in, turn on TV, run a channel search. I came up with a total of 35 OTA channels in SD digital, HD, and analog. All of my familiar network stations and PBS came in crystal-clear HD with no ghosting or other artifacts typical of OTA reception. I ended up mounting it on my balcony on a broomstick and am completely satisfied with the purchase. My only minor gripe is that the OTA analog reception is worthless for being located less than 5-10 miles from the transmitters, but it will be gone all together in less than a year anyway, so good riddance.