World Famous Comics: Eagle Aspen Dtv2Buhf Directv 2-Bay Uhf Antenna
Eagle Aspen Dtv2Buhf Directv 2-Bay Uhf Antenna
From: Pro Brand International, Inc. Average Rating: Binding: Electronics Label: Pro Brand International, Inc. Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product. Model: DTV2BUHF
Product Description: EAGLE ASPEN DTV2BUHF DIRECTV(R) 2-Bay UHF Antenna HDTV-compatible; UHF TV antenna for digital and analog reception; Receives all UHF channels, 14-69;For HDTV in Metropolitan areas; Easy assembly and installation; Includes outdoor Balun DIRECTV(R) 2-Bay UHF Antenna
The Dingus Works! (You know, for kids...) This antenna works much better than the rabbit ears or the old UHF loop. I get strong signals from the major network stations. I am in the middle of a metropolitan area, 3.8 & 2.5 miles away from the 2 major broadcasting towers, so the antenna works just as well indoors as it does outside. If I lived in the outlying suburbs, I would buy the DB4 or DB8 and mount it outdoors on a mast. The plastic bracket which holds the balun (adapter that connects the 75 ohm coaxial cable to the twisted-pair wire) is a bit fragile. I downloaded & studied plans for a Do-It-Yourself version of this antenna and decided that it's cheaper and easier to buy one of these than to build one.
does its job Just received this antenna (7/24) and took about 10 minutes to read instructions and assemble (basically inserting two long bolts with spacers, washers and nuts, then connecting to a coax cable and then to the antenna input of TV or DVD/VCR recorder that connects to TV. Right away, parts of a rubber or plastic coax adapter holder on the back of the antenna broke off. All I did was pull the adapter off to connect the coax antenna cable. Anyway, like a few other people who have reviewed this or the similar and highly-rated DB2 antenna, I found that I was able to receive VHF as well as UHF even though it is advertised as a UHF antenna. I used the antenna straight out of the box and without any amplification. I did a channel scan on an HDTV and found that I did not receive any more stations than the antenna I had been using (a Radio Shack amplified UHF/VHF dipole with loop). However, the images on the screen appeared cleaner, the audio generally stronger, and switching among channels was faster (I thought it was the TV that took an extra half-second or so to detect the channel, but a strong signal apparently does make a difference). I live about 15 miles from most of the broadcast antennae in my city, with another major antenna about 5 miles away and about 120 degrees in another direction. I'm still missing the HD signal of a couple of major stations, including the PBS station, which I was able to receive on an erratic basis with the Radio Shack antenna. On the other hand, I got strong signals from smaller stations that from the RS antenna received only weak signals. I guess I will have to do more repositioning and scanning to see if I can pick up the stations I am missing. I am basically using the Eagle Aspen antenna indoors propped upright on a small phone book on the top of an entertainment center and above the TV. The front grill of the antenna is about 12" by 20" and the double bowtie attachment on the back extends about 5" back, with the bowties going out to the sides. Without the phone book, the antenna would be resting at a backward angle on the bottom arms of the lower bowtie and the bottom of the front grill. This antenna probably won't win any awards for aesthetics, but I'm guessing one could probably put non-metallic decorations on it to disguise it somewhat, if there's nothing it could be hidden behind. I am basing my rating on this atenna's ability to receive signals well, which it does seem able to do, in comparison with its price. Up to now I have been using dipole antennae, including plain old $7 rabbit ears, in various forms (with the UHF loop, amplified, etc.), and have gotten very decent analog and digital signals on different TV sets in different locations around the house. I have also bought and returned a number of currently-marketed dipoles advertising themselves as "HDTV" antennae because they have not received any more or any better signals than the dipoles I have been using, esp. the Radio Shack model, which serves as my "reference" antenna. So far, the Eagle Aspen does NOT appear to be a "dud."
Good for local area This antenna seems well constructed and easy to assemble. It's very compact and will easily fit in an attic and works well this way if the stations are in the same direction and not too distant. I'm having no problem receiving my local stations which are about 12 miles away.
good antenna I have received this antenna last week and been using it for a few days. So far, so good. The reception of all HD UHF channels is great, as long as it is pointed in the general direction of the broadcast antennas (tvfool.com gives you the azimuth for antenna positioning). I am using it inside of the apartment and still get full signal strength. Antenna is priced right.
Great urban/suburban antenna, even for VHF This is an amazing antenna. I live in the suburbs, very close to all the local TV broadcast towers. It seems like I'd get good reception, but I don't. I'd tried a number of other indoor and outdoor antennas, with and without amplifiers, all of which cost substantially more than this one. All of them gave terrible reception.
I was about to give up on over-the-air TV when I read good things about the Antennas Direct DB2, then I discovered this much cheaper but identical clone of the DB2. When I got it and hooked it up, I couldn't believe how great my reception was. The digital channels never drop out, and the analog channels are so clear they almost look digital. This is supposed to be for UHF only, but even the local VHF analog channels, which were the worst with the previous antennas I'd tried (even supposedly VHF antennas), come in clear as a bell now. I'd expected to mount it outside, but the reception was so good I just rigged up a little stand and left it on the shelf where it was.
I have no idea how this antenna would perform in any other location than mine, but I couldn't be happier with it. It's the best thirty dollars I ever spent. I see that the price has gone down a lot since I bought mine, but I still got a bargain.
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