Zenith Silver Sensor (& Clones) OTA Antennas

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by laoloup

Unfortunately could never find a combiner to incorporate the VHF though there are plenty of splitters.

You can use a VHF/UHF splitter as a combiner by connecting it up backwards.

[moneybeets]

I recently purchased the PHDTV3 SS, and although much better for UHF than my old MANT310, the VHF isn't as clear as the MANT310 was. The dipoles seem rather flimsy in comparison, and for some channels the only way to get them perfectly clear is to physically touch one of the dipoles. The second I take my hand off, it gets a bit fuzzy. Any suggestions to combat this?

[roger1818]

moneybeets. That is strange. My best guess is that the amplifier in the PHDTV3 isn't as good as the one in the MANT310. In general I don't like the idea of having an amplifier in an indoor antenna so my preference is always with unamplified antennas. Personally I would go with the PHDTV1 combined with a set of rabit ears for VHF.

[pkufellow]

I read this thread and the only downtown reseller I found is Active Surplus on Queen St. I just called them but the guy told me they have no antenna at all. So I wonder if there is any ZSS or its clone reseller in downtown?

[octapuss]

just got the terk hd from sayal for $35. the reception has improved and im getting the buffallo stations....

i havent found the sweet spot yet....but im going to keep playing....

[dieselgg]

In this thread, I read an old post that someone living in Toronto was pulling in stations from Buffalo and Toronto using the Philips Silver Sensor.

But Toronto to Buffalo is about 130+km geographically away. So how can this indoor antenna pull in VHF and UHF from so far away? Is it because Toronto is in a basin and the signals are amplified somehow? This what I read in another website.

[Eug]

Hmm... A user review at Amazon says the Philips MANT510 is better than the Philips PHDTV1.

It says the MANT510 isn't as good when unpowered, but is much better when powered.

However, people here seem to dislike the MANT510. So, is he the only one to prefers the MANT510 over the PHDTV1?

P.S. Can I use analogue cable and an HDTV antenna at the same time? I'm thinking of moving my Rogers HD box to another room.

[OTAfan]

Eug, after reading the exact same review I got the Philips PHDTV1, MANT510, and the thesourcecc 1501880. but surprisingly the unpowered PHDTV1 gets me the most stations stutter free and I paid the least for it. The Monster cable made a big difference.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by Eug

So, is he the only one to prefers the MANT510 over the PHDTV1?

Forget those kind of extremely limited user reviews, folks! In the case of that fellow's review, I would only recommend it to someone living in the exact same apartment as him. I get really irritated by such simplistic comparisons.

All the info you need is right here at DHC's OTA Forum, which is here to give you the results and opinions of people who have been trying/using all these antennas over time.

[roger1818]

Eug, UHF loop antennas (as used in the RCA ANT111 and Philips MANT510) are pretty much omni-directional, which means you don't need to adjust them for stations in different directions, but it makes them much more susceptible to multi-path interference.

SS clones (as used in the Philips PHDTV1 and Terk HDTVa) are much more directional and thus provide a higher gain and are less susceptible to multi-path interference, but is more likely to need to be adjusted to point to different towers.

In the US, each station tends to have its own tower and having to adjust the antenna can be really annoying. Here in Canada, many cities have one or two towers that are shared by multiple stations and you won't have to adjust the antenna as frequently.

An option that is frequently overlooked for indoor use is a 2 bay bowtie. It isn’t as directional as the SS and provides better gain. Although not specifically designed for indoor use, it is small enough to be quite useable indoors. You will need to design some type of stand for it though.

As for using an amplifier, I tend not to recommend them for indoor antennas, as they are likely to cause more problems than they fix.

[obiwan777]

Hi I've read through most of this forum looking for recent information on where to get a ZSS or clone in the Vancouver area. Sorry if I missed this somewhere. But, the last advice I saw was London Drugs which do not seem to carry them anymore. Any suggestions?

[stampeder]

If online is an option, you can get them at sensuz dot com and I think dell dot com still has them.

[obiwan777]

Thanks Stampeder! Online is definitely possible. I like to explore local options first whenever I can though. I found the TERK HDTV1 on sensuz and dell dot com. Nothing on canadian retailer sites though. ps. Keep up the great work on this site. Its an amazing resource. I'll post my results with the Terk in the GVA reception results forum. cheers.

[stampeder]

Actually sensuz is in Markham, Ontario.

[obiwan777]

Yup. Good point. I should have spotted the the "Proud to be Canadian" logo on Sensuz. They have the TERK HDTV1 for 38.99 + 17.77 shipping + tax ($60.17 total). Does that seem pricey? The Philips PHDTV3 is available for $38.39 total on Dell dot ca (it seems that Dell dot com does not ship to Canada). But, my impression was that I should avoid the amplified antennas. What do you think? cheaper amplified PHDTV3 or more expensive TERK HDTV1. Any other suggestions?