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OTA Antenna Chart/Tableau des Meilleures Antennes OTA - 17/05/2014

315K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  stampeder 
#1 · (Edited)
Antenna Chart Version 9.1 (17/05/ 2014) is now available for download. S’il vous plaît voir le tableau ci-dessous. :)
 
#4 ·
The antennas on the chart are the best ones in each category, including for Indoors.

If you want to waste your time with other products then I can't stop you, but I've already made the choice as simple as possible for you and everyone to get the best antenna for your needs. :)
 
#5 ·
its not that i don't trust or appreciate the PDF of all the antennas but without reviewing the few available from monoprice, i think its a bit presumptuous that they are inferior to the CM4220 or zenith, especially for the price.

or were they reviewed? like i said, my second choice is the zenith -- its just a matter of getting a hold of one. the CM4220 is too big for me.
 
#6 · (Edited)
The Philosophy Behind the Antenna Chart

spacey, I'll tell you what I've been telling everyone for several years: if you want to buy an antenna that is known to be excellent in its category then there is no reason to bother with anything that is not on the Antenna Chart. I also tell people that no matter which antenna you decide to buy, if you are satisfied with the performance then I am delighted for you. Its simple. If you are determined to buy and try antennas that are not on my chart then that is purely up to you and I wish you luck.

BTW, over the years I have indeed tested or integrated testing results into it. I'm not happy when someone calls that into question. If several direct comparisons by different people in different locations between a ZSS or CM4220 with a Monoprice model show that the Monoprice is better, I'll change the chart.

:)
 
#8 · (Edited)
Antenna Chart Version 9 update info

Over the past few months I've been talking with installers in various places and reading quite a bit on the 4-bay UHF antennas out there in order to update the Antenna Chart. It seems that we have reached a point at which the marketplace for commercial 4-bay UHF antennas is now offering some relatively equal performers at the highest level :) but unfortunately as always with a lot of junk out there too. :mad:

My standard advice to Canadians is to check through the Reception thread for your area to see which Antenna Chart option works best for others nearby. Many of our veteran members will help steer you in the right direction. The DB4e seems to work really well in the Greater Toronto Area and many other areas, while the CM4221HD continues to do well there and in many other areas too. I am comfortable recommending either of them as the "best in class" for commercial antennas, although our DIY models can outperform both of them.

The other significant change to the chart is in respect to the fact that we are now well past the Digital OTA Transition, with the accompanying change in available real-frequency channels in most areas. Thus, Page 1 is now for General Purpose antennas that will do well in their recommended situations, while Page 2 focuses on Special Use antennas for specific real-frequency reception uses and for solving certain local problems.

cheers
 
#9 ·
Version 9.1 Ready For Download

Antenna Chart Version 9.1 (May 17, 2014) is now available for download by our registered members.

I've revised many of the Best DIY Antenna recommendations to add the Stealth Hawk SH258 and SH289 versions. I've been meaning to do that for a very long time but unfortunately didn't get to it in Version 9.

Click on the following attachment:
 

Attachments

#11 ·
DB8ing from the script

ppauper, over several months installers have been telling me that the DB8e is routinely performing excellently, as are the alternative 8-bays on the Antenna Chart, but that the DB8e seems to do best. Regarding computer modeling, it is great to see that data too whenever it presents itself. As always, I tell people to choose which of those alternatives works best in their own local situations based on the reports of those in the Reception thread for their area.

Regarding shootouts, they tell a story of a particular location at a particular time, so in my experience they can be a bit misleading for all around, general performance. A true shootout would need to be a traveling road show with stops in a wide variety of places and conditions. As I've said in the past, if someone can lend me a big RV and pay for all the costs I'd do the world's best antenna shootout! :D
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Best DIY Antennas Update

Stampeder,
Ok I read on your latest Antennas update (May 2014) and am glad to see the DB8e is doing so well.

But there are several DYI designs that beat the Stealthhawk as the top small DYI~

Hollands Hourglass here: has better performance.
With a reflector there is no comparison I think?
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops/uhfhourglassloop

I have built it and can attest to its wonderful strong and wide reception (Oshawa location- gets Buffalo and Toronto)

Even better, Hollands Trapezoid antenna is even better, gain up to 12.5 DB with reflector. Stealth Hawk is far behind...
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops/uhfquadtrapezoidloop2xbars
I have built this one and given it to my sister in Rochester, she is delighted with pulling in 30 stations, no preamp!

Finally Hollands FF4 located here
Has gain from 14.5 to 17 DB, which really is amazing.
http://imageevent.com/holl_ands/loops/uhfquadtrapezoidloop2xbars

I built all 3 of these antennas, and while I realize the FF4 is larger and more complex than the Stealth Hawk, the other 2 are simple and beat it easily.

Just trying to give Hollands designs the recognition they deserve!
Sincerely,
schoolbus
 
#14 ·
Newcomers Having Trouble DL'ing Chart

Occasionally I get PMs from new members who cannot download the Antenna Chart. In almost every case the cause was that the new member had not clicked the emailed authentication link sent to them. So, if that is the case for you, log out of this site, check for the email sent from this site containing the special link, click on that link, and you will be able to download the Antenna Chart and get all the proper benefits of membership here. :)
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just placed an order on the CM4221HD and will do the mods as soon as she arrives. I bought it to see if it can get a better signal gain for my local channels than the ANT751 I currently have (which works pretty darn good).

Also, while Googling for additional info on the CM4221HD, I came across this page which references the OP's findings. Unfortunately, without giving due credit:

http://www.biline.ca/atsc.htm

Hmm...

Note that the blogger also uses Stampeder's antennas list on their website. A member of these forums, no doubt.

http://www.biline.ca/atsc.htm
 
#18 ·
BOUVAL said:
That guy knows nothing about antennas
After he came here and used info from this site he didn't bother to read the OTA FAQ and other threads that would have shown how idiotic it is to mount a North American-market antenna sideways like that! :mad:
ChannelSeeker said:
Note that the blogger also uses Stampeder's antennas list on their website
Thank you for tipping me off. My Antenna Chart is copyrighted, and I do not make it available for public availability except to registered members of this site. I notice he says the following at the bottom of his blog:
All of the pictures and information contained within the www.biline.ca website are the property of Jeff Mathurin please do NOT use any of the contents of this website without consent.
How ironic. I'll be contacting Jeff Mathurin promptly to see if he recognizes the ethical jam he's gotten himself into. ;) I'm sure he'll be nice about it.

BTW thank you ChannelSeeker, Jorgek, and BOUVAL - it is nice to know that we have each other's backs where due credit is concerned.
 
#20 ·
I've exchanged emails with him and he confirms that he'll take down those old versions of my Antenna Chart PDFs. I've asked him to please replace them with live links to the Antenna Chart so that people will come here and join to be able to download the latest, greatest version. I've also invited him to come and join here. So, this can end well for all of us. :)
 
#22 ·
Well, we try to be friendly but it has been more than 5 days since the email exchange and still no change in that blog. Perhaps someone else could cordially ask him to change the links so that they point to this thread, and also ask him to join up here?
 
#23 ·
Well, we try to be friendly but it has been more than 5 days since the email exchange and still no change in that blog.
The PDF links now point to a note that says you asked him to remove them.
He still has the text from ota_canuck's 4221 hacks post without attribution.

Here's the note I just sent him -
Message: Mr. Mathurin
I see that you have fixed the links to the copyrighted antenna chart posted on the OTA forum at DigitalHome.ca. All of us there appreciate that. Would you also be good enough to attribute the information regarding the CM4221HD antenna hacks that were copied from that forum also? The contributor in that case was the forum user with the handle 'ota_canuck'.
Thanks RK
 
#27 ·
Regarding the indoor recommendation "Silver Sensor-style with VHF elements" aren't we talking about the Terk Amplified Indoor HDTV antenna? "Silver Sensor-style with VHF elements" isn't something you can find on the internet.

I think the Winegard sharp shooter is also out of production, replaced with something that looks quite inferior.

Indoor antenna's seem to be regressing, but maybe that's just me.

FYI I've bought the Terk for family & it's blown the competition out of the water.
 
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