Mohu Leaf Antenna

Tom N wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:

Tom N wrote:
Same antenna from Winegard. $69.99

http://www.winegard.com/get-free-tv/hdtv-antenna/flatwave-amped/

A week ago I bought 2 - Winegard FlatWave Amped antennas for $22 each from 1saleaday.com.

Those "flat" designs do nothing more than a piece of coat hanger would do..

You can build your own similar antenna for PENNIES and it will easily out perform the design above.

HERE is the instructions to make a PROPER "stacked" bowtie antenna. The Wingard design and I would suspect any "flat" antenna design is not a proper "stacked" design. They look more like a RANDOM wire design.

Save your money, send them back and get a refund, not worth the price which is charged for them.

Heck, you used to get a simple UHF Bow antenna for FREE when you bought a portable TV, I would bet they work just as well as that $70 antenna...

I know I can build one from a coat hanger. I have an amateur radio license. But how do you build the amplifier that comes with the flat panel bowtie??

Tom, W3TLN

Amplifying GARBAGE = GARBAGE OUT.

That antenna is nothing more than a "dipole", dipoles by their very nature net you ZERO DB of gain. Strike one.

RF amps not only amplify the desired incoming signal they also amplify ALL the RF "noise" that is present around your antenna. Then RF amps ADD their own RF "noise" on top of that.

In most cases the local noise plus the RF noise generated by the amplifier will tend to swamp out the desired signal netting you LESS stations... Strike TWO

those flat antennas use rather small diameter high LOSS coax. Strike THREE.

Build the stacked array and buy a RF preamp for TV (Hard to believe but Radio Shack DOES have some decent preamps with 25DB of gain).

The one you are looking for is a "split" amp it has a piece which mounts to the antenna (that is the preamp) and uses a power inserter on the coax. $40-$50 for that amp, and if that amp is hooked to a GOOD antenna it will pull in many more stations than that Winegard ever will..

With digital OTA, bigger antennas, high gain low noise preamps and RG6 coax is a must.

Those piddly little flat antennas will net you in the best case 20 miles of distance and I would have to say that is stretching it.

A REAL antenna with some "gain" plus preamp will get you 50 miles or more...

Since you are a "Ham" you should have some understanding of the basics needed for good reception of Ham bands, the same idea applies to TV. Start with a high gain antenna, place it as high as possible and use good coax keeping distance as short as possible...

For digital OTA, omni directional = bad, Bidirectional (dipole) = slightly better, DIRECTIONAL (stacked antenna array or even highly directional Yagi) = BEST...

My Home setup I use a 15+ ft antenna with a RS split preamp mounted on a 20ft pole. Gives me about 24 digital OTA stations with the closest tower at 60 miles from my house.

I used to get 40+ analog stations with the same setup..