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Is this thing any good? Does anyone here have one?

For some reason I can't find a sub-forum on the Radio-Discussions site about TV DX. There have been some posts here recently, though, that talked about TV. And well, this corner of R-D *is* mastheaded 'DX and Reception;, so ............

This thing has popped up on a few pages as an ad the past few days. 60 bucks.,


Not being a TV DXer of any stature (though I've idly gotten a few goodies) I could very well be behind the times. Was just curious as to what this thing does. I discount any of those 'reviews' and instead would like to hear from hobbyists.
 
The thing about tropospheric and E-skip reception is that you don’t really need a fancy antenna. In the analog days I received VHF stations over 1,000 miles away with rabbit ears, and UHF stations 350 miles away with a hoop antenna. With such enhanced conditions the signal pretty much comes to you…without having to dig for it.

In the analog era under normal conditions a large yagi antenna atop a tall mast might bring in viewable reception from 125-150 miles away, assuming relatively flat terrain, proper aim of the antenna as well as an absence of co-channel interference. Claims of 500 miles (without any sort of atmospheric enhancement) are advertising hyperbole.
 
Thanks, cats and kittens.

Good stuff there, Mediafrog+, rosecitymedia and tvnut. It's nice, knowing that I wasn't THAT far behind the times and the march of progress.

As I mentioned, I've caught a few E-skip and trope catches, but they were casual, not planned or even logged on a list. The last aerial I bought was a $50 contraption, a genuine Radio Shack Job that hawked '90 miles' I wanted the three Wilkes-Barre/Scranton network UHFs -- the closest TV stations to me.
With the gizmo aimed northeast at stations 50 miles away, the reception was fuzzy. In fact, off the rig's backside, channels 3, 6, 10 and 12 from Philly (100 miles southeast as the cow flies) were 'present', but flimsy no matter WHERE I spun the thing. The clearest station was from straight south, downhill, and that was Channel 15 from Lebanon.

Enough to make you hammer a wooden stake through the TV.

Thanks again!
 
All my TV e-skip was with rabbit ears. Including the magic five seconds in 1977 when I got a WCBS-TV audio ID over a local WBBM picture on 2, a clear ID from somewhere west that I would have to look up, and a perfect color ID from KOA-4 Denver (which might have blocked WNBC). Bang-bang-bang. Who says TV is a vast wasteland?
 
For some reason I can't find a sub-forum on the Radio-Discussions site about TV DX. There have been some posts here recently, though, that talked about TV. And well, this corner of R-D *is* mastheaded 'DX and Reception;, so ............

This thing has popped up on a few pages as an ad the past few days. 60 bucks.,


Not being a TV DXer of any stature (though I've idly gotten a few goodies) I could very well be behind the times. Was just curious as to what this thing does. I discount any of those 'reviews' and instead would like to hear from hobbyists.
I am not a TV DXer either, but the mileage claim on that antenna alone is a red flag. Like @radiofan2023, I recommend Antenna Man on YouTube. It's a great channel for antenna reviews, cord cutting, and TV related content.
 
That Mr. Antenna video was terrific. Thx, RadioFan.

And MediaFrog: That mention of not needing a super/handy-andy/dual carb antenna or a Fisher FM radio to to experience trope or E-skip is very much tthe approach here.

There aren't many masts in these semi-mountains. There are dishes seemingly every available porch roof, all looking up in worship to the southwest sky. Linda and I had one put in. A fabulous cornucopia of three channels came in. I refused to pay any of their bills, and told them if they didn't take the (expletive) thing off the wall, I would, to sell as scrap. It's still on the former house.

Heck -- with the tsunami of commercials (all for unpronounceable pills and potions), 2025 TV seems to be of progressive use mainly to DXers, anyway. 2025 AM radio likewise. And as you might deduce, those testimonials on that ad made me ask you informed people in the first place.

Best, and thanks again. Good DX to you!
 
Please pardon this consumer alert ..... all I can say to be topical is that some cars have pretty decent radios for DX.

Keeping pace with what seems to be the going-out-of-business tirade of 'super' TV antenna backloads (concurrent with the aluminum tariffs) is the scurrying for your auto insurance enlistment. Perhaps the cookies and profiling have led marketers to my laptop to try and convince me that my money is better off in their pocket than in mine. Perhaps I haven't been profiled as a 'mark'.
In either case: I've been through three different car insurance outfits in the past three months alone. And as soon as 4 or 5 'business days' pass, pure clockwork, an eMail arrives saying that they need more information or else the rates go up. Of course, the request is always for documentation of some sort that isn't readily available by the 'deadline' that's given to you.
So far I've told all three companies, via increasing vehemence, that I don't go for this ex post facto scam (stuff) and their representation of me is unacceptable. One supervisor played back my phone call -- you know: the ones recorded for training and security. He offered a quick but half-hearted apology and sent out a rebate sum to my bank. It's the second such sum. I expect a third on Monday.

Apologies, Barry, Lance, David, for going O/T. But my sap had risen already with the communications failures (advertent?) between product, customer service and billing departments. Those TV antenna ads for impossible reception set me off. I hope you understand.
 
Please pardon this consumer alert ..... all I can say to be topical is that some cars have pretty decent radios for DX.

Keeping pace with what seems to be the going-out-of-business tirade of 'super' TV antenna backloads (concurrent with the aluminum tariffs) is the scurrying for your auto insurance enlistment. Perhaps the cookies and profiling have led marketers to my laptop to try and convince me that my money is better off in their pocket than in mine. Perhaps I haven't been profiled as a 'mark'.
In either case: I've been through three different car insurance outfits in the past three months alone. And as soon as 4 or 5 'business days' pass, pure clockwork, an eMail arrives saying that they need more information or else the rates go up. Of course, the request is always for documentation of some sort that isn't readily available by the 'deadline' that's given to you.
So far I've told all three companies, via increasing vehemence, that I don't go for this ex post facto scam (stuff) and their representation of me is unacceptable. One supervisor played back my phone call -- you know: the ones recorded for training and security. He offered a quick but half-hearted apology and sent out a rebate sum to my bank. It's the second such sum. I expect a third on Monday.

Apologies, Barry, Lance, David, for going O/T. But my sap had risen already with the communications failures (advertent?) between product, customer service and billing departments. Those TV antenna ads for impossible reception set me off. I hope you understand.
This is advice that applies to everyone reading this post:

Stop using Facebook, that site is filled with garbage ads. Go to an insurance agency in person. Stop believing every claim you see in an ad on the Internet.
 


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