Micro TV antennas have finally made it...They're that good!

[Mike500]

I've always had a large multi-element TV antenna on the roof with of my own house with a powered amplifier. And, I've always recommended and installed them for my customers.

I've seen them in WalMart and RadioShack. Over the past 45 years, I've NEVER found them to be that good or even JUST adequate. I've wasted my money on them time and time again over the years, hoping that I would find a good one.

On a whim, I purchased this Philips MANT940 off of Amazon.com.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Philips-MANT940-Digital-Outdoor-Antenna/dp/B000VL1QF6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1277605391&sr=8-3"]Amazon.com: Philips MANT940 UHF Digital and Analog Indoor/Outdoor Antenna: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21O71DuACOL.@@AMEPARAM@@21O71DuACOL[/ame]

I hooked it up, when I got it in August 2009. It worked OK inside the second floor bonus room. But, I was not really impressed. So, I put it on the shelf.

A couple of days, ago, I had to take the big antenna off of the roof, because the roofers were coming next week to replace it due to hail damage covered by my homeowner's insurance.

So, I decided to set up the Philips antenna in the attic for temporary use.

I kwe that the signal was going to be degraded inside the attic. On that account I looked and found the octogonal gable vent on the side of the attic facing the direction of the majority of my signals. So, I fastened a 1x2 crossbar to the vertical 2x4 that always runs vertical everywhere these vents are installed. Using two long wire ties, the antenna is now permanently attached. Since the screen is fiberglass and the vents are made of thin vacuumformed vinyl sheeting, I kwew that the material was transparent to TV signals.

To my amazement, this little gem received every channel I got with the big amplified behemouth that was outside on the roof and two more from Charlotte, NC, some 60 miles or more away. I even got a very strong good signal on my local CBS affiliate which went back to its original Channel 7 VHF actual frequency. This is supposed to be a UHF only antenna.

Now, I am impressed. In the attic, I'll not have to install masts, grounding wires or worry about weather damage. Customers would be thrilled with these, since they work almost as good as the outdoor ones.

Today, I spent a couple of hours taking down the ground wire and other remnants of the outside install. I'm sold on these NEW "Micro" amplified antennas.

Maybe it's not for multidirectional locations, but this appears to be an easy to install inexpensive option.

Walmart and Amazon sell the renamed model; SDV2940-27.

As does Amazon.com;

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SDV2940-27-Digital-Outdoor/dp/B001K7ID60/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1277605391&sr=8-3"]Amazon.com: Philips SDV2940/27 UHF Digital and Analog Indoor/Outdoor TV Antenna: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31JJd1xP1hL.@@AMEPARAM@@31JJd1xP1hL[/ame]

They're on the shelves of most Walmarts that I have visited. I believe I saw it there, today, for $38.22.

If it doesn't work for your situation, you can always take it back.

Radio Shack sells and equivalent;

HDTV Outdoor/Indoor Antenna : Outdoor Antennas | RadioShack.com

And,so does monoprice.com

For only $19.94 each when QTY 50+ purchased - HDTV Indoor / Outdoor Antenna | Outdoor HD Antennas

I was skeptical of the reviews and was amazed with my experience.

These vents have been used in most newer houses with vinyl siding throughout the US for the past 15 years or more.

 

[TheKrell]

Surprised it works at all since TV signals are horizontally polarized. I would have thought that mounting the antenna on it's side as shown in your picture would place whatever loops or elements inside on a signal null.

 

[Jim5506]

One anecdotal incident does not proof make, the physics of antenna reception is still the same as it was 100 years ago.

 

[boba]

You are showing links to 3 different products and indicating they are all the same. Have you tried all 3 and are they identical products? You are basing your glowing report on a model number that is discontinued, and stating it is the same as a new model # is this really a valid evaluation of current products?

 

[Larobpra]

And you may have just happened to hook it up on a good tropo day.

 

[Mr Tony]

I tried one of those Phillips ones......

did it work? yeah
did it work as good as my "regular" outdoor antenna? not really...

oh and the Phillips was about 2 feet higher than the regular antenna was. ALso noticed that it worked better horizontal than vertical (as shown in the OP)

I'm about 30 miles from the towers

 

[yumagah]

I actually found this antenna in a resale shop for $10. It looked like an open box return that was donated, in like-new condition just missing a few mounting bolts or so. The box says SDV2940, it looks exactly like the MANT940.
I have a tv in a room that lacks a jack to my rooftop antenna. I have tried 4 indoor antennas in the window of this room: first a dipole on a t-stick, then a Philips MANT510, then an RCA panel that looks like a hotplate, finally this antenna. I can say that this one works much better than any of the others. The reception is comparable to the rooftop antenna, with less problems with multipath. This is definitely the way to go for indoor antennas.

 

[Stargazer]

I have seen these work pretty decent in some places but usually a good outdoor antenna works a bit better. Depends on your location.

 

[truckracer]

glad it works for you. In my area there is no way that antenna would have a sniff of a signal.
those antennas are good for city settings where you are close to the transmitter or the transmitter is very strong.

You cannot defy the laws of physics needing a large antenna with all the reflectors and directors to gather the weak signals while rejecting unwanted signals and noise from other directions.

my neighbor tried one of those similiar antennas with a built in amp and it would only get one DTV channel. The winegard 9095P got all the channels.

 

[Auric]

I bought one for my dad, & it worked so well I bought one for me. I have been shocked at what I have been able to pull in with this Edge 1 & 2 on a regular basis. In fact it's rare not to be able to pull them in.

Tropospheric over 300 miles away is my best. Many Tropo's at 150 miles plus.

Would I buy another? You bet.

 

[Jim5506]

Tropospheric reception is less dependent on your antenna than it is on atmospheric conditions.

 

[Auric]

Tropospheric reception is less dependent on your antenna than it is on atmospheric conditions.

That's true & they are fun to get when you can, but I never got any Trops, or even edge 1 with the old antenna