Antennacraft® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

This antenna is not for valleys in the 909 951 area codes. I am returning mine in the morning.

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

First off, it needs to be said that proper TV reception often requires a bit of trial and error, especially since the DTV transition. Just because a particular antenna might work fine for someone else doesn't automatically mean that it will work for you, even under similar conditions. Likewise, just because something might not work for someone else doesn't automatically mean it won't work for you. The best you can do is weigh the various pros and cons as they are presented, make an informed decision, and just try what you've decided. Thus, I am posting this review to help you decide your course of action.

I live within 20 miles of all of the local broadcast towers, which is the advertised range for this antenna. Aside from the occasional glitch in the picture or audio (About 2-3 per hour), this antenna works quite well for me. I've found that this antenna seems to work best when laying down flat as opposed to standing upright. I currently have it sitting on top of an 8-foot tall bookshelf. I definitely would recommend that you at the very least try this antenna if you do live within 20 miles of the towers (But not too close, read further down).

With that said, I would not recommend this antenna if you live more than 20 miles away from the towers. Admittedly, the "20 mile range" stated in the description is more of a general guideline than a hard-set range limit, and it is conceivably possible that you could receive signals from further away (Or, conversely, not receive low-power signals from close by). But, the small size almost certainly would make it increasingly difficult to achieve proper reception once you do pass approximately 20 miles from the broadcast towers. Also, I imagine the design and small size of this antenna may cause some difficulty with reception on VHF channels, particularly VHF-Low (Channels 2-6), even if you are within 20 miles of the towers. Thus, if you live someplace that has a high number of VHF channels, this may not be the right antenna for you.

Another thing that needs to be said: since this antenna has a built-in amplifier (Which cannot be adjusted, something I will admit I do dislike), I would not recommend it for anyone who lives very close to the towers (I'd estimate 5 miles or less), or anyplace where the TV signals are otherwise already very strong. This is because it is possible to amplify a TV signal too much. Amplifying an already-strong signal adds additional noise and distortion to the signal, which makes it difficult or even impossible for the receiver to properly decode the signal. This can make it appear as if the signal is too weak when in fact it's actually too strong. Thus, using this amplified antenna in a location where the signals are already strong may be counterproductive. If you absolutely wish to purchase this antenna anyway (For asthetic or other reasons), try using it with the amplifier turned off (Connect the antenna directly to the TV without using the power injector).

As I said at the beginning, just because this antenna worked for me is no guarantee it'll work for you. Conversely, just because it didn't work for others is no guarantee that it won't work for you. Don't decide based solely on my review or any other single review. Read them all, and don't forget to research the types of TV signals available in your area. No matter which antenna you purchase, be it this one or a different one, remember...there likely will be some trial and error involved before you find a setup that works. Be patient!

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

Good reception, but i couldn't get CH 4.

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

THIS IS A FINE UNIT. PAID MORE FOR LESS CAPABLE UNIT. SPOTTY RECEPTION IN MY AREA NOT IT'S FAULT! I DO RECCOMEND THIS UNIT. AS I SAID THIS UNIT OUTPERFORMED ANOTHER UNIT AT TWICE IT'S PRICE. IF ANYTHING, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT INCREASE IT'S AMPLIFICATION NUMBERS FROM 20DB TO AT LEAST 24DB.

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

so i plugged it in and the power button turned red... I plugged the coaxial cables in and the power turned off..? so i never did get it to work... gonna go refund it for something else

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

The first antenna I bought was a large outdoor type that I put on my roof. All I could get was 7 digital channels and 4 were in Spanish. I returned the entire purchase and picked up this antenna for a third of the cost! I hooked it up and immediately was able to receive over 30 channels! Needless to say I am totally pleased!

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

It worked about the same as rabbit ears I had. Maybe just a little better. Was trying to move it around to see where I would get the best signal. It seem to get hotter and hotter in one corner. It was over 120 F so I dont know about leaving that just plugged in all the time. Back to the store it seems.

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

We lost the CBS channel because of the dispute with Cox Cable. Bought this antenna. Out of the box it took less than 5 minutes to set up, Turned on the tv and ran a scan for the channels. We have our CBS back and all the local channels. This antenna is excellent and the easiest ever!

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

Works great, I live in the suburbs (14mi from the tower) and I receive 45 channels upstairs and 36 channels downstairs. Easy to setup.

Comments about RadioShack® Amplified Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna:

I purchased this yesterday and wasnt happy with the reception. It was choppy and around 70%

I put it on top of a box and the signal immediately went to 100% and the HD signal looks better than my Uverse HD in the front room.

Great product. Just play with the placement a little bit and you should be happy.

Also note that this is rated from 0-20 miles. So if you live outside that range you might consider an outdoor directional antenna.

Overall I am happy with this antenna and give it 5 stars.