Review on 📡 Antennas Direct DB8e: High-Performance 8-Element Bowtie TV Antenna - 70 Mile Range, Multi-directional, Indoor/Outdoor Use, All-Weather Mounting Hardware, Adjustable Mast Clamp - Silver by Badpuppy Warton

If you want a quick and easy version see the Pros/Neutrals/Cons list below. Please give a thumbs up if you find this review helpful. I'm an amateur radio operator and have built my own antennas over the years and have had good luck with most of them. Decided to try something popular and see how it works. After repackaging the FCC I decided to use this antenna for UHF only. It only worked for one day, but so far it's looking good. A few notes on ATSC (Dig TV) for those who don't know. 1.) The digital beams are narrower and very accurate the farther you are from the towers. So make sure you're capturing the signal from the tower and NOT the reflection (from the building) so the signal doesn't disappear during a storm. etc. 2.) Although most TV stations have switched to UHF I have a few on VHF (I have 1 in Charlotte) but I still get 1 VHF perfectly (less than 10 miles away) with this UHF only antenna. align the antenna. I have several stations that are only a few degrees apart, but make sure you are on the main signal and not a reflection. 4.) If you are in a weak signal area, get a preamp. I have a $25 ONN from Wally-World and it works with many other major brands (it's the black box at the bottom of the mast). 5.) If you are near cell phone towers, you might want to get a 4G cell phone filter. as some operators are very close to UHF TV frequencies these days. Although they are low in power, this can make it difficult to receive stations that are in a direct path from a cell tower. I had a HORRIBLE time with reflections as there are very tall trees all around me, planes flying overhead and many of the towers are only 30 miles away, but I'm 150 feet in elevation from where I'm getting them from must (in the valley). The sides of the reflectors (rear mesh) are curved to focus the signal onto the receiving elements and reduce reflections. Pros: - Good construction and design to minimize reflections - Assembly instructions are quite simple and all the hardware was there :-) - You can split the directional wells to receive signals in opposite directions. Neutral: -- It has some weight and decent wind load. The shaft is mounted on 10 foot, 1-1/4 inch diameter steel pipe with chimney ties. I have a strong wind and I lower it to keep it stable in the wind. Cons: - They should include washers and lock washers for the wing nuts that attach the antenna assembly to the mast (see my photos when I added them) - - A second U-bolt should be used on the combiner body, not straight bolts . The plastic should become brittle in the sun (see picture) and the U-bolt gives the plastic more stability. even the ones I built myself. - more expensive than most. Bottom line: If you have any of the following: tall buildings, tall trees, or a nearby valley, this can help you a lot, but I'd also recommend the previously mentioned booster. If you're near train stations and have a good view of the towers, you can buy something smaller or even "stack" a pair of antennas for $25, a splitter ($5.00 as a combiner), and a preamp add for $25 and have a great setup for $55 and a lot less than this antenna. Time will tell how she holds up and will upgrade to 5 if she survives the storm and time. to soften my rating a bit. I used to make my own single bay version of the UHF antenna I had in the garage from scraps and my version seems to be more stable than this one with two separate antennas. To be honest, if you need to receive signals from 180° opposite, this could be the antenna for you. If you need additional amplification of signals on the same antenna, this antenna is NOT for you. It might be better to buy a fixed 8 bay antenna so they point in the same direction, or buy a 4 bay antenna and use a good quality preamp. better with an antenna shaft. I find it's very expensive given the performance I'm experiencing. If it didn't cost more than $100 I'd say it's worth it, but nothing makes it more valuable than any other antenna (that's just my opinion). Sorry Antennas Direct, I've had more efficient antennas for a quarter of what I paid for these.