Location: Irvine, CA (Orange County) pointing towards Mt. Wilson, Los Angeles (~45 miles), mounted in attic of a 2-story home.
I decided to cut the cord from Cox Communications earlier this year. My initial plan was to use Winegard Flatwave Antenna 50+ miles, it was poor in the first story, and only acceptable in the second story. When I first received this RCA Yagi Antenna, I tested it by connecting it to my family room TV in the first floor, and without aiming it anywhere, I was able to pick up 130+ channels! Works better than an active flat antenna already!
As previously mentioned, I installed this in my attic, running a 100 ft RG-6 coax to my distribution box, where it splits into 4 outlets. I checked the signal strength on my Samsung TV and showed full strength on all channels.No additional boosters needed, completely passive! It survived the 110+ degree F weather we just had this summer season, and there was no signal drop during the winter rain/wind.
If you found this helpful, please give it a Helpful, it motivates me to write more reviews. Thanks!
OK gang here's the story:
Tried a few antennas before settling on the RCA.
Background: 40+ years Broadcast Engineer. Radio, TV, Ham, Radar.
Havana FL Terrain: Hilly in a slight valley and trees surrounding the property.
The Story.
Cut the cord a few years ago with DirecTV.
Prices constantly rising every month. You know, nickle and dime stuff until the bill was close to $100.00.
Bye, Bye satellite.
I then went exclusively with Amazon Prime, been an Amazon customer some 15 years now, also went with Netflix.
These 2 gave me the best bang for my buck. Movies and TV shows streamed via my DSL and my DVD collection helped.
Recently I decided to try a converter box on my TV, it's an oldie but goodie HD 1080i DLP. ( I keep stuff forever).
I purchased a View-TV AT-163 ATSC box with a 50 mile antenna, well so they say.
You know the antenna I'm talking about, the one that looks like a mouse pad.
I used my old satellite RG6 cable and hooked the antenna to it and laid it on the patio rail. Sort of aimed it to see what I'd get. 7 channels - not bad for where I am. 30+ miles from the antennas in a valley with trees all around and yes the signal was breaking up - I expected that.
Decided to see if I could do better so......
Antenna number 1 was a Winegard Omni-directional 40 mile MS 2002 and a Winegard DS3000 J-Pole mount for side of the house. This antenna was 30' AGL. Reception was terrible and this antenna was supposed to be amplified also. The same 7 channels with break up. Back it went.
Antenna number 2 was a 1byOne 60 mile Amplified Omni-directional. Up the pole it went - 30' AGL. 8 channels some usable the others constantly breaking up. Back it went.
Antenna number 3 was the RCA Yagi Directional ANT751R antenna UHF/VHF. It boasts about a 40 mile range.
I also decided to pick up a Windgard XT LNA-200 Boost preamp since this antenna is not amplified at all.
The RCA comes with everything you need for mounting on the side of the house. (now I have an extra pole, thanks RCA, love ya's)
Up the pole it went. 30' AGL. I placed the LNA on the pole right under the antenna, hooked everything up and aimed the Yagi to 94 degrees magnetic. Had the converter box re-scan for channels and got 12 channels with almost constant signal strengths of 57 to 75%.
Terrific. I now have view-able television.
This RCA ANT751R is a keeper.
Construction is of high quality aluminum, stainless, and plastic/nylon parts and I have no doubt it will last for years to come.
Networks received - ABC CBS NBC FOX and a few piggyback stations that transmit from the networks including a channel that plays old B&W movies, love 'em, and a local weather channel so I can tune into MY area for up to date weather feeds.
All of these networks are approximately 27 to 30 miles from me as the crow flies as calculated by TVFOOL.com.
All the other antennas I tried only got signal strengths fluctuating of around 49 - 55% amplified - that was unacceptable to this engineer.
The RCA ANT751R and the Wingard LNA Preamp are a perfect combo if you live in an area like mine.
There are other stations to the South of me as well and I see another RCA Yagi in my future.
It has proven itself completely reliable - Oh! By the way, I put this antenna up under very cloudy skies with intermittent rain.
Signals should increase slightly when the weather clears.
Enjoy.
-v-
Update on OTA TV Box, 02-10-2016:
Was using a View-TV AT-163 ATSC box.
Box has since failed and I went to a Mediasonic HW-150PVR HomeWorx ATSC Digital TV Converter Box.
I've reviewed this box and find it to be superior to the View-TV and iView boxes that I've tried.
-v-
Update: 04-04-2017
The antenna reviewed above with it's Wineguard Preamp are still functioning perfectly.
Absolutely no adjustments have been needed as of this date.
Very happy with this combination and recommend both.
-v-
Update: 08-30-2017
Tweaked the antenna a bit and signal strength is 75 to 95%
-v-
Update 01-01-2019
Still standing even after Hurricane Michael came through.
-v-
I can’t say enough about this antenna. A true 5-stars.
I’ve spent the last 10 years trying to find a good OTA antenna. For 2 years we lived in an apartment next to a busy road. I tried 2 different set top antennas with digital amplifiers during those 2 years. No luck with a good signal. One of them even cut out every time a car drove by the apartment.
For the last 8 years in our current house, I’ve tried a set top antenna in a vaulted living room. It has rabbit ears, a digital amplifier, and an fine tune adjustment knob. The antenna works okay on specific channels when the fine tune adjustment knob is perfect, but it never provisdes a 100% signal. Lower channels need the adjustment knob different than the higher channels. The signal always cut in and out, especially during a show we’d be watching.
During the World Series, I got fed up with the signal cutting in and out. I researched antennas for quite a while before pulling the trigger on this RCA Yagi antenna.
The antenna shipped in its own box (no amazon box). There was zero padding inside the box, but didn’t really need to be. The antenna is built rugged. Preparation was simple. Rotate all of the pieces outwards until they click. The anenna did have some type of oil on it for shipping, but wiped off easily. The transformer leads attached fine, and the included mounting hardware and mast were robust.
I ended up installing the antenna on a plant shelf in our bedroom where it would be out of sight when guests come over. I aimed it towards the mountainside where all the broadcast towers are (I’m about 25 miles away). The bedroom is next to the Living Room and on the same wall that the tv is on. I ran the coax cable (not included) down the wall into the crawl space, and then back through the floor behind the entertainment center. I hooked the coax up to the tv, and ran the auto channel scan. It found 54 digital channels. I don’t recall how many I had before. NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX are the ones we primarily watch.
I was amazed at the outcome. 100% signal on almost every single channel (tv has a signal meter). The only channels below 100% were the high (30-1 through 51-1) channels, that I don’t watch anyways. Mind you, I was NOT using an amplifier with this antenna.
Since the installation, the channels we’ve watched have been 100% signal 100% of the time we’ve been watching. I’m disappointed that I didn’t buy this antenna sooner.
FYI The antenna does not come with a coax cable. I was fine with this, most cables included with antennas are horrible quality. I purchased a high quality Made in USA coax cable. Also, he antenna was coated in some kind of oil. A quick wipe cleaned it off.
For anyone wanting to cut the cord, this antenna is the answer. Don’t waste time on less expensive antennas.
I wanted TV channels, but I DID NOT want a cable bill - opted for installing this fantastic little antenna and getting entirely too familiar with my attic space. I worked without a spotter, so I made a lot of trips up and down those stairs (putting my calf muscles, thigh muscles and sweat glands to the test). This latest DIY project only cost me a few well-spent dollars and a good bit of patience and it was well worth it. Once i got the antenna installed and correctly oriented, I went from 0 to 48 digital and analog channels! I'm also getting 9 radio stations.
Since I connected the antenna to two TVs (in family room and master bedroom), I decided to add a preamp. It proved to be very unnecessary so I returned it. Both TVs have incredibly clear video and audio - I'm very pleased.
This has a stronger signal than a ClearStream 4V in the application I'm using it for.
I gave this antenna the worst possible situation:
- There is not a hill, but literally a mountain in between my house and the broadcast towers.
- The towers are 22 miles away, but with a mountain in between, even the ClearStream 4V would have signal issues sometimes, and it cost 3 times as much as this.
- My location gets exactly 0 channels with ANY indoor antenna I've tried.
- My HOA rules require any antennas to not be visible, so it's not on my roof. I was about to cite the FCC's rules and fight it, but tried this first.
- The antenna is about 4 feet from the ground and surrounded by walls, and there are a lot of large trees in the area too. See the photo.
- I have not amplified the antenna or done any modifications. I'm using random Coax cables I had lying around, no idea how the shielding is.
Here is how it performed:
- Every local channel has a signal strength above 70% and is clear with no glitches.
- This performs very well on UHF and VHF. NBC is difficult to get in the Phoenix metropolitan area with any antenna I've owned. With this, it's my strongest channel.
- Somehow, I'm getting a signal strength of 45% on Tucson's channels, 112 miles away. Again, this is mounted 4 feet from the ground and surrounded by walls!
- The Tucson channels are perfectly watchable with no glitches or interruptions. A storm might affect the signal.
- When the ClearStream 4V was mounted in the same place, I had a 40% signal strength on NBC from 22 miles away. This antenna is 1/3rd of the price and gets a better signal strength with channels 112 miles away!
I had my doubts. I saw all these people mounting it on their roofs, living close to the broadcast towers, raving about the antenna. Short of putting this thing inside of a solid steel bank vault and trying to watch TV, I couldn't have given this antenna a worse situation, and it performed. You should buy it.
Feature Product
- Enjoy top-rated HDTV network programming and your favorite shows for Free with no monthly fee or subscription
- Use the brand new RCA Signal Finder App to find broadcast towers in your area and the best placement for your antenna!
- Supports 1080i HDTV broadcasts for high-quality picture and sound with a 150 mile total range, or up to 70+ miles from the broadcast towers
- Withstands tough outdoor conditions with durable construction and materials. Superior reception outdoors or even when mounted in the attic.
- Simplifies installation with pre-assembled design, easy-lock fold-out UHF reflector and snap-lock elements - Includes mast, locking mast clamp, mounting hardware and 75-ohm matching transformer
Description
Get superior reception without the whole neighborhood noticing. This compact outdoor antenna is designed to maximize signal reception and integrate seamlessly into any home environment, indoors or out. Receive all available local HD digital broadcasts channels for free, including digital formats via UHF and VHF frequencies.
This antenna is a f#$%ing animal! The engineers who designed this product should win some sort of award. There is a reason this is the highest rated and best selling outdoor HDTV antenna on amazon. I live in southern California, 29 miles away from Mount Wilson (broadcast transmission tower location) and installed this on the fascia board (not at the highest point on the roof) of our one story house. At the height I mounted it there is no direct line of site to the broadcast towers. I was very skeptical that this would work since so small. Get this: 186 channels! No amplifier! About 50 feet of cable including grounding block connection. We get the main channels that we wanted including nbc, abc, cbs, fox and pbs. We cut the cord and got rid of cable. Be sure to cable tie the matching transformer to the antenna to avoid stress on the 300 ohm wires. I also only hand tightened the nuts attaching the transformer to the antenna bolts.
*** NOT A PAID REVIEW ***
Bottom Line: Great Antenna for the Price
First, let me say I was skeptical I would pick up any channels because I’m so far away from a tower (45+ miles) and there are a lot of obstructions in between (mountains, roof tops, etc.). Anyhow, the antenna came nicely packaged (see pic) and relatively quickly from the date of purchase. The item looked new (as expected) and not a return item or repacked. All of the required parts were included (except proper lag screws to mount the footing). The antenna is quite small and extremely light weight...which makes it easy to install by yourself. I originally planned on installing this in my attic but I realized that the radiant barrier plywood in the attic would make the antenna useless. So my installation plan went from really easy (10 mins) to a little more complicated (60 mins)...keep that in mind with your own installation. After about an hour of prep work, the antenna was installed and pointed toward the nearest tower (45+ miles away). I went inside, crossed my fingers and programed the tv to see if all that work was worth it. Needless to say, I pleasantly surprised. This little antenna was able to pick up 37 channels (see pic) with ease which is more than I really need. I honestly was just hoping for the main channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) so it was a nice surprise. Without this antenna, I get zero channels. It’s hard to tell from my picture attached but I get HD quality channel (depending on broadcast). All that said, for a one time cost of $50 I will have free tv for a long while. Your milage will vary from my own but, if you can’t get this thing to work, then you probably did something wrong. I highly recommend this item.
In the Box: (Lag Screws NOT included)
- x1 Antenna
- x1 Mounting Pipe and Footing (1 foot in height)
- x1 Hardware Bag (U-bolt, Mast Clamp Insert, Plastic Plugs, Matching Transformer, Washers, Hex nuts, Bolts, Screws)
Cons:
- list of what was “in the box” NOT noted in the actual ad
- can be difficult for some to install
Pros:
- decent price ($50)
- works as expected
About 3 months ago I canceled my satellite to save some money. So far I haven't regretted the decision at all.
It was very easy to install. I used the cabling that DirecTV left, so I didn't have the mess with running cables. The mount was easy to use and they give you several different ones for mounting on different surfaces. I have a small section off roof that's about 10ft off the ground where I installed it. I didn't want to mess around with getting a 20ft ladder to get to my actually roof. I was concerned if at that height that I would have interference. But I've had no issues. I get around 40 channels all very clear. I'm 20-50 miles away from most of the stations and this antenna has no problem picking them up.
*Note on installation. Make sure you point it in the proper direction. You can google the locations of your local stations what degree they face from your house. Then download a compass app to your phone and point your antenna to the correct heading. This will ensure a much stronger single.
Overall I am very pleased with this antenna. I have it hooked up to a TiVo Roamio OTA so I can record my families favorite TV shows. The set up is just about as good as DirecTV but rather than paying $75 a month (which they wouldn't budge when I called) I'm paying $0 a month. Well worth it. If you are looking for an antenna this is one of the best ones out there.
With all the TV providers at there, the price of cable in relation to the channels that are of interest and watchable, make cable very unattractive. The price always goes up, basic packages are garbage and the entertainment value is trash. I refuse to give any company any money for what should be made free and available to all with a simple antenna.
Shopping for a reasonably good antenna is easy; assessing your particular location and needs is difficult. But the reviews for this antenna speaks for itself. Over 5K people, 70% were pleased with its performance. That's impressive.
My location: great townhouse complex, but we are down in a bowl on the north side of Spokane. After the complex...…pure country. Its beautiful, with wildlife, quiet peaceful but poor reception.
Out of the box, run the cable, channel search...…..23 crystal clear important local stations, including my favorite PBS.
My favorite saying.....do yourself a favor...…..cut the cable cord. Besides your location may be better than mine, but the bottom line is, I'm grateful to have the important stations for news, weather, sports and PBS. It's FREE.
I work as an engineer in broadcast and know this is the type of antenna pros use. This is called a yagi type antenna and by design directional so if you have TV broadcasting on all sides of you don't buy this one.
I live in an old apartment building which used to have analog TV antennas on the roof but they removed them leaving all the wires behind. A guy figured out how to hook up an antenna and send them to several apartments in the building. His antenna wasn't great. I think it was omni-directional and didn't get many stations very well. All the stations we want are within a few degrees of each other so I recommended we try this directional antenna. With this antenna pointed in the right direction we now get way more than we ever expected including a far away station I never was able to get before. Using active splitters we could give all apartments HD TV.
FWIW don't pay any attention to how many miles an antenna is rated. The ability to pull in any given station depends 99% on the terrain. If there are big hills in the way or it is not on the roof, or if using a directional antenna pointed in the wrong direction you won't get a station 5 miles away with an antenna rated at 70 miles.
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