Review on 📺 GE Outdoor TV Antenna 33685, Long Range Yagi Style Design, Supports 4K 1080P VHF UHF, Weather Resistant, HD Digital OTA Antenna, J-Mount Included, Multiple TV Support by Andrew Krishna

Spoiler alert if you decide to read the novel below; I needed an antenna, two 50 foot coax cables, a distribution amplifier, two 10 foot coax cables (1 for the antenna and 1 to power the amplifier), patience and some money for a curse can. This antenna works like a champ; However, I would like to discuss a few things to help others who decide to install. I would have been discouraged early on if I hadn't followed the advice I read on a "line cutting" website. I chose an attic antenna because the flat antenna I bought didn't pick up the lower VHF signals well and one of my wife's "must have channels" was within range. My configuration is an antenna with a splitter for two TVs (2 50ft cables going to the TVs). Find directions to local TV towers first (antennasdirect.com worked well). Second, assemble and test this antenna. Reception over a relatively short cable (25 feet or less). I did this by simply pointing the antenna in the general direction of the towers and plugging the cable directly into the TV. I did an automatic channel search on the TV and immediately got more channels than with a flat antenna. This may not be everyone's first time, but it's important to note that the antenna works with a short cable for post-installation troubleshooting. Third, install an antenna (pointing at the TV towers) in the attic and run the cables. to your televisions. This part is easier said than done and requires some trial and error, meaning you can place the antenna in multiple locations depending on reception. I placed my antenna away from metal and in an accessible location for two 50-foot cables that I ran to the TVs. This step is the least weird and can have you berating everything: the home builder, the fiberglass insulation, your slippery fitness regimen, and the cable company that got you to the top in the first place. cable costs. Fourth, first connect ONE cable to the antenna and do a channel scan on the TV (be patient while I explain). I fully expected to get all the channels I had from my first test and was very disappointed when nothing worked. I had to move the antenna several places to finally get a signal; However, the high-resolution image was not nearly as good as my test with the shorter cable. After I connected the splitter it got significantly worse. This brings me to a decision and brief discussion about amplifiers. In short, I'm not going to talk about "noise" or radio theory; However, there are a few "rules" you must follow to avoid chasing your tail. 1 - Don't use an amplifier unless you need it. 2 - Use the right amplifier as soon as you determine the need. In my case I needed a distribution amplifier to boost the signal to TVs. The splitter and long cables (50 feet each) attenuated the signal so much that it distorted picture quality. In the second step, if I get a bad picture with a short cable, it may mean that I need a preamplifier to boost the received signal (probably due to the fact that the TV towers are far from me, e.g. 50 Miles ). Fifth, I connected a short cable to the antenna, a 4-port cable TV/HDTV/digital amplifier, and finally two 50-foot cables to the amplifier. I then did another channel scan on both TVs - voila, perfect picture on both! And just like beer, TV is more fun when it's free. With a savings of less than $100 on a month-long cable subscription, I can now watch local HD TV for free.