Author Topic: Best choice for a powered antenna?  (Read 3053 times)

hybrid

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Best choice for a powered antenna?
« on: July 15, 2013, 08:23:10 AM »
The missus and I are getting ready to say b-bye to Verizon FiOS TV.  But we need two antennas for our televisions, and I have discovered that a basic white-square-flat antenna isn't sufficient to pull in all our local stations, so I am looking at amplified antennas.  The missus has read very good reviews for this model, but at $80 I am less than convinced this is the best value out there.  Any folks out there had success with powered antennas that are more reasonably priced?  On the plus side, this model draws its power from USB ports on the TV, so at least it is not on when the TV is off.  But that's a looooong time to make a chunk of change back.

https://store.gomohu.com/the-leaf-ultimate-hdtv-antenna.html   

DoubleDown

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Re: Best choice for a powered antenna?
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2013, 09:59:31 AM »
Hey Hybrid,

I found tons of useful information in this earlier thread a while back:

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/how-to-make-a-cheap-%27n%27-easy-hdtv-antenna/msg49793/#msg49793

I built one of the antennas mentioned in the thread (not the first one, a different one just because it looked a little simpler to construct). I had also tried a powered antenna like you are considering, and in my case, I found the inexpensive DIY antenna (unpowered) worked just as well or better than the powered antenna I had previously purchased. It cost me about $8 in materials and took about 20 minutes. I also have lots of leftover materials from that $8 to make more antennas if needed.

Good luck!

BlueMR2

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Re: Best choice for a powered antenna?
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2013, 10:11:18 AM »
I highly recommend not getting a cheaper powered antenna.  If at all possible stay unpowered (a bigger antenna, higher up will work much better than a small one low down).  If you must go powered, don't go cheap.  My experience with cheap powered antennas is that they have broadband (unfiltered) amplifiers.  This can lead to a lot of interference if you've got any transmitters nearby (FRS, CB, Amateur Radio, etc).  The better ones have filters to prevent that problem.

StarryC

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Re: Best choice for a powered antenna?
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2013, 11:10:52 AM »
I think whether amplification will help depends highly on what is causing your signal problems.

For me, I get a lot of channels, but with lots of cut outs/ digital artifacts.  I'm under the impression that this is caused by interference.  I've found that amplification does nothing to help me.  We're making it work, even in an apartment on the "garden level" near a major roadway, but it does get frustrating sometimes.

If you know the channels are there, and you aren't getting anything, then amplification might help.  This is more likely if you are far from the signal in a suburban or rural area than if you are in an urban area. 

To check, maybe go to radio shack/ best buy and buy an amplified antennae and try it out.  And keep the receipt and be prepared to return it if it doesn't help.

This is just from my experience, so if someone who actually understands the technical side has suggestions, I'd be happy to try them as long if they can be done without mounting something outside.