OTA antenna recommendation

[0pusX]

I live about 30 or so miles from my closest TV stations. Im looking for an indoor antenna to get my local HD's. Do any of the $50 range ones work worth a darn?

[harsh]

Unless you can see the lights flashing on the towers from where the antenna will sit, you're probably not going to like the result.

[0pusX]

thats what i figured. thanks anyways.

[scooper]

Go HERE - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=453241 - and find your local thread. I'd suggest doing some reading before just "posting"

use www.tvfool.com and/or www.antennaweb.org to get your self a preliminery idea of what outside antenna you need.

[Stewart Vernon]

I live about 30 or so miles from my closest TV stations. Im looking for an indoor antenna to get my local HD's. Do any of the $50 range ones work worth a darn?

It's always worth a try. I get pretty solid reception with using my Dish remote antenna connected to the antenna port! I added a little height and diplexed in a Terk directional and get everything I need locally.

What I always recommend when trying antennas is that you purchase from somewhere like Radio Shack that has a very liberal return policy. This will allow you to try multiple antenna types, even try diplexing more than one, and try amplified vs non-amplified and see if anything works for you. As long as you can return anything that doesn't give satisfactory results, all you will be out is a little time and some gas money.

[yoyo1010]

I live about 30 or so miles from my closest TV stations. Im looking for an indoor antenna to get my local HD's. Do any of the $50 range ones work worth a darn?

If you are really serious about getting strong signal strenths with fewer drop outs, then the only real way to go is an out door antenna with a pre-amp on a pole or tower at least 20 in thr air. As far as what antenna, the best (opinion) would be a channel master CM4228 and pramp with a rotator on a 30' tower. Hard to beat

[southofi-10]

I found this info very helpfull.
As far as uhf antennas,you can't bet 4 bays wether they are channel master,winegard,or antennacraft.(in my opinion)Antennacraft makes some very nice uhf antennas.

[southofi-10]

And "scooper" ---- Thanks for the links

[scooper]

A "more appropriate" forum for these type questions.

[DJ Lon]

...purchase from somewhere like Radio Shack that has a very liberal return policy. This will allow you to try multiple antenna types, even try diplexing more than one, and try amplified vs non-amplified and see if anything works for you...

That's what I ended up doing with indoor ones and none were satisfactory. I decided to put back my outdoor one and the U-75R for $30 works perfectly. I even have it split between the Dish receiver and the DTV converter hooked up to my VCR and still get good signal even without an amplifier.

[airops2]

This is my first post, I've built the best HDTV ant. :) (cost $5.00) that I have ever tried even better than any store bought ant. I stacked two side by side thus creating a perfect replica of a DB-8. Signal strength of 100% on all of my local OTA HDTV stations in my area, tower farm is approximately 40 miles away. I've attached a PDF with the specs so that you guys can build one. It really works great......I have it mounted against the wall approximatly 8' off the ground.