Review on 📺 RCA ANT111E Non-Amplified Indoor Digital TV Antenna, Black - 40-Mile Range by Andres Callahan

This is a traditional antenna combining a VHF dipole and a UHF loop. The telescopic dipole elements are threaded at their lower ends and screwed into hinge pins at the base. The hinges allow a range of motion from vertical to 45°. The loop is pressed into the base. Inside the base is a 75 ohm UHF-UHF unifying transformer connected to a 6-foot cord. RG-179/U type cable with F-type threaded connector. Most of the assembly is of acceptable quality. However, be careful when handling telescopic elements as they are made of thin metal and can easily bend. The base is heavy enough to keep the antenna stable. The cable, while thin, is of high quality; it has both a foil wrap and a braided wire shield surrounding an internal dielectric. However, the performance of the antenna is terrible. I have found this antenna to be no better than a quarter wave cable plugged into the jack on my TV for any given channel. In contrast, a simple pair of VHF "bunny ears" from an old TV combined with a 300-75 ohm matching transformer far outperformed the new RCA antenna with the same geometry and orientation. This was true even for UHF channels, which aren't even within the target range of rabbit ears. should be the weak link. I have a couple of 300 ohm backplanes left over from the TV tuner era, so I transplanted the innards of one of them into the base of the RCA antenna. The results are fantastic; Now the antenna receives strong signals in all ranges. In general, I advise against buying this antenna. Its only value is in the antenna elements and base, which can be reused if you can supply a better transformer for combining bands. Note. This antenna was tested in Redwood City, California approximately 24 miles from the transmitting antenna.