![]() ![]() And while you're at it, you may want to pick up a new stereo head unit and set of speakers to make the best of your increased range and reception. The Jensen JAN139 and UXCell Universal are notable because they feature internal coils and are rotatable upon installation so they'll fit on nearly any car, truck, or semi truck cab. On the very low end of the spectrum you'll find the AntennaMastsRus Shark Fin, which is exceptionally compact, and the Votex A010 and Keyo1e AP-24PC which are each only about 6 inches long. The Dorman Help! 76866 and WMPHE 7-Inch (also available in 16 inches) cut that length considerably thanks to internal coils.Īnd they do get even smaller. The Bingfu Universal is one of the simplest such increases in technology thanks to its corkscrew design that increases the functional length without actually reaching a full 31 inches. Traditionally, they're about 31 inches long, similar to the Dorman Help! 76861 and Jensen HS519L, but advances in design and materials lets you get away with using a smaller module without sacrificing reception. If you're okay with getting your hands dirty, though, the Shark Fin remains a great choice.ĪM/FM antennas are relatively simple devices, but that doesn't mean they're all the same. The only real change made to the wiki this time was the elevation of the Keyo1e AP-23PC, because while it's not quite as aerodynamic as the AntennaMastsRus Shark Fin, the Keyo1e comes in a huge selection of specialized models that promise to fit perfectly on a wide variety of vehicles. ![]() Again, I could have accomplished the same thing doing channel scans with the TVs, but that would have taken hours rather than three or four minutes.We're happy to report that all our previous selections remain very good choices for most consumers. So the meter and the app definitely produced an improvement in every situation. In our Oceanside, California, test spot, the channel count rose from 18 to 21 channels when I optimized the position. In my other room, where the five-step LED meter of the RCA ANT3ME1 proved to be no help, the detailed data in the Connected app allowed me to go from 82 channels in my original testing position to 110 channels (three more than the app promised). In my living room, the Flatwave Amped Pro pulled in 57 stations from the aesthetically convenient position where I also tested all the other antennas using the meter, I quickly found a position where I could get 112 channels (exactly what the app promised). It provides a count of strong, moderate, and weak stations that it updates every six seconds. Using the meter requires downloading the Winegard Connected app for iOS or Android and pairing your mobile device through Bluetooth. If you already have a strong TV signal in the room where you’re placing the antenna, the meter likely won’t offer an advantage. However, in that room, no matter where I moved the antenna, I couldn’t get the fifth LED to light, so the signal-level meter was of no help. ![]() In a different room, the ANT3ME1 pulled in 142 channels versus 130 with the ClearStream Flex and only 73 with the original ANT3ME. Moving the antenna to an adjacent wall caused an extra LED to illuminate and bumped the channel count up to 115, tying the Antennas Direct ClearStream Flex and improving on the 92 channels I got with the previous model. When I mounted the ANT3ME1 in the same aesthetically convenient place I used for the other antennas, three LEDs illuminated on the meter and the antenna picked up 51 channels out of 144, 11 more than the older model achieved in the same position a few minutes earlier. In my living room, where TV signals are fairly weak, getting even one extra LED to light up on the meter made a huge difference. Most indoor antennas today-and most of the ones we looked at-are flat. Unobtrusive design: You may need to put your antenna in a visible location for the best reception, so it shouldn’t be ugly.(If you need a longer cable, an extension cable with the necessary coupler is available for about $10.) At least a 10-foot cable: Because location is the key to good reception, a 10-foot cable gives you more flexibility.Easy to mount and move: You should be able to hang the antenna on a wall without needing tools or causing major damage to your wall, and the antenna should be easy to move for better reception.Simple to assemble and install: You shouldn’t need tools to put together an indoor antenna.However, recent broadcast-transmission changes have made VHF reception more important. For many years, an indoor antenna’s ability to pull in VHF signals was less important because most digital TV channels reside in the UHF range. Both UHF and VHF: All the antennas on our final list were rated for both UHF (channels 14 and above) and at least high-VHF (channels 7 to 13) reception. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |