EV's Recommended & Top Rated DTV Indoor UHF/VHF Set Top Antenna Review Round-Up Guide - Page 8

Ordered the Philips PHDTV1 Silver Sensor, Terk HDTVa, Terk TV-5, Terk TV-1, RCA ANT1020, today. Should be here within a week.

For you more savvy folks out there.....

Question: Will a SENCORE SLM 1453I Analog+Digital Signal Analyzer Meter be what I need to do instrument testing of signal levels? And is it easy to use? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

That makes sense dattier. Its claim is that it is optimized for DTV which is UHF 480-800Mhz or so and VHF Hi. VHF high Ch. 7-13 is at 175Mhz to 215Mhz, and Ch. 2-6 is even lower at 55-72 and 77-88 MHz.

I wouldnt expect this thing to beat rabbit ears on the VHF Hi, but it does offer some gain on VHF Hi. And forget VHF Lo.

Nice review with the Terk HDTVi at Big Picture Big Sound.

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/te...nna-1206.shtml

Pic of DB2 on roof with its new oak tree decorations.

Added comments to Philips MANT940 on Front Page.

Surprise!

Performance rankings.....based on EV's observations....Rough Guide

DB2 with Channel Master 7777 amp
RS 1880
RCA ANT1500 amped
RS DA-5200
DB2 unamped
Classic Single Bow Tie
Winegard SS-3000
Philips MANT940
My First Attempt at the Coat Hanger Antenna, Youtube Video Specifications.... amped
RCA ANT1500
Philips MANT 510
RS 1868 Delta
My First Attempt at the Coat Hanger Antenna, Youtube Video Specifications
Jensen TV-931
RS 1870

I put the Single Classic Bowtie in the corner window that faces North towards the Charleston tower cluster at 45 miles, on the ledge between the upper and lower panes. Picked up all my digitals solid except my 2 weakest channels from Charleston which were acknowledged but no images, including my alternate PBS station on the backside at 23 miles without moving it. Sweet! I knew this was gonna be a pretty good performer, but didnt expect this from it. This Single Bowtie is 13" long and 3" wide at the ends. Curiously, when I amped it, it did significantly poorer.

Seatac, I moved the DA-5200 from one window to the other in the pics to point them in the direction of the Charleston towers and also my secondary PBS at 23 miles. It was a quickie test of the 3 units, and I cant remember exactly how that unit behaved as far as directionality is concerned. But I can check for you.

Im gonna do a mega test once all the units get here, hopefully with a Sencore Analyzer, all at the same time(to eliminate atmospheric variations as much as possible) and with copious notes.

Im gonna try a 2nd build on the Coat Hanger Antenna, and I bet it will be much better, Rick, with better materials and different specifications from the How To Build a UHF Antenna thread. I may have just gotten something wrong.

Yeah the Jensen was a dissapointment. Im holding it on the bench, till I test at a second location. I think Im going to do it at my brothers house which is within reach of several broadcast markets and closer towers, for variety. This second location test wont be with the Sencore, Im gonna do that here, since I know the airwaves here better.

Edited comments on the Classic Single Bow Tie on Front Page.

Im gonna have to get out my Winegard SS-3000 to refresh my memory on that one, but I think its about right.

I would recommend looking at the Winegard SS-3000 and the RS 1892 UFO, too, given your concerns.

Thanks TalkingRat. Ive been reading the How to Make a UHF Antenna thread here on the AVSforum and it seems to me that both the reflector and the larger spacing between bow ties are improvements to the design.

Ill add a couple of those style units, allargon and dattier. The Terk TV-55, Philips MANT950, and one of the RCAs. There seem to be 3 of them, the ANT706, ANT711, and ANT806. Anybody know which one is more commonly available, which ones have been discontinued, etc? I think I saw one at WM, but cant remember the model number.

Allargon, maybe you could use teh 4220 inside its box in the closet.

Channel Master 4220 came in today.

Channel Master CM4220 came in today. It comes fully pre assembled, all you have to do is attach the balun with wing nuts, and it has brass plated steel mounting hardware, u-bolts and pole braces, nuts etc. Galvanized steel makes up most of the unit, plus some plastic, and the reflector is powder coated. The whiskers and feedlines are 8" galvanized steel, which are longer but thinner than the DB2's 6 3/4" aluminum 4mm whiskers.

I tested it down in the TV Room unamped, then took down the DB2 from the roof and mounted the CM 4220 there. I had the Single Classic Bow Tie handy down in the TV Room, so I A/B'ed it with that, and they performed about the same, with it being a dead heat, both unamped.

Early impression are its stronger than the DB2. Windy conditions caused dropouts on the DB2 up on the roof, especially afternoon offshore breezes, while watching BBC World News on Ch. 7 PBS Charleston at 45 miles NE and Ch. 16 alternate PBS at 23 miles SW. Ill check tonight, a breeze is picking up.

Here is a pic of it mounted on the roof attached to a Channel Master 7777 amp and 50 ft of Quad Shield Copper on Steel RG6. We'll see how it goes. Im pretty positive about it being a step up in performance.

Radio Shack Double Bow Tie on the way.

Will do. Ill take side by side photos with the DB2 up close. I think the Channel Master uses tougher materials, but I like the design of the DB2 better, and its no slouch. Plus I like that the DB2 uses more aluminum and is lighter, although its reflector is coated steel. I like DB2's mount better as well. The CM 4220 attaches to its free floating reflector, the DB2 to a backside aluminum post. Youll be able to see it in the pics, when I post.

Did you get the RS DA-5200 yet?

Here is a pic of the xg91 that I took down. I already disassembled it and its ready to ship. Gonna put it up on ebay. Been up for 8 months or so, excellent shape. Its a great deep fringe antenna. Its just too directional for my situation.

Im giving the nudge to the Single Bow Tie. I just got an RCA ANT108, and Im impressed with it. It seems to be fairly well built, nice and tight. And it did pretty well for me but not as well as the single bowtie, but it has rabbit ears for VHF Hi integrated that the Single Bow doesnt, so plus one there. I think your issues with multipath and interence made the RCA's lessor gain an advantage in your situation(not to mention it has rabbit ears for VHF Hi. The MANT510 has a more directional array I think, and even if its not, one side is permanently downwards oriented. I think that is helping you.

I like the 1868 too, even though it doesnt look that way from the list. It the MANT510 and the RCA ANT1500 are tightly packed and I like them all better than the Philips MANT940 and the amped Youtube antenna. Im still working on things, atmospherics are almost certainly skewing my So Far Performance list. I used the Single Bow Tie today, and it didnt do as well, but still pretty good.

Oh, the RCA ANT108, I like it.

Surprise #2!

Performance rankings.....based on EV's observations....Rough Guide

DB2 with Channel Master 7777 amp
RS 1880
RCA ANT1500 amped
RS DA-5200
DB2 unamped
Classic Single Bow Tie
Winegard SS-3000
RCA ANT108 (very similar to the RCA ANT110 and the Philips MANT110 and others)
Philips MANT940
My First Attempt at the Coat Hanger Antenna, Youtube Video Specifications.... amped
RCA ANT1500
Philips MANT 510
RS 1868 Delta
My First Attempt at the Coat Hanger Antenna, Youtube Video Specifications
Jensen TV-931
RS 1870

As to making the Single Bow Tie better for you, cut out some cardboard from a box wherever you can find one and wrap it in aluminum foil. You can experiment with the dimensions, but Id start out with say 17" x 9". You just made a reflector, which can make your omni or bi directional antenna more directional. Just use it hand held behind the bowtie also hand held, and move it around experiment with it. Id say hold it about 3" to 4" back will be best and parrallel. Aslo, you can use your new reflector with all your other antennas, the RCA ANT110 and the Philips MANT510, etc. Put it between your antenna and the airport(or other source of interference) maybe?

Let us know if you try this and your thoughts and observations.

BTW, I did just that with mine, to check it out today, with one side of the corner reflector off of the xg91. It worked, I got more gain out of the Single Bow Tie and it picked up a couple of channels it was struggling with today.

PS - The RS Single Bow has a Rabbit Ear size plastic clip for mounting, and a smaller one on the other side for mounting to a small wire. Ill mention that in the front page guide.

PPS - Im interested in your experiences too. You have different concerns than me. I dont have much interference out in the boondocks.

PPPS - Im thinking of moving the RS 1868 Delta up above the Philips MANT510 and RCA ANT1500. But maybe Ill just leave it there, till the instruments get broken out.

Added comments to Classic Single Bow Tie. Added Philips MANT950 and RCA 806 to The Dugout. Added pics instead of attachments.

And Ive got my camera involved.