The DB-2 from antennasdirect.com and the Winegard Square Shooter are outdoor antennas, but they are small enough to be reasonable as indoor antennas. If it can be put on top of the TV then there are renters who will consider it.
In the indoor UHF antenna category, the DB-2 is the clear performance winner, although the Silver Sensor is much better looking. Presently the DB-2 lacks a stand, and if you buy one you will have to invent something to hold it up. Its dimensions are 19" wide, 13" high, 5" deep. It can be seen at http://www.antennasdirect.com/db2_bowtie_antenna.htm .
If I were a renter in a poor-signal neighborhood, I would get a Channel Master 7777 amplifier, connect a DB-2 to its UHF input, and connect rabbit ears to the VHF input.
Ken,
Is there anything about the DB-2 that would make it better than the Silver Sensor in an environment of wind generated signal loss from motion of trees? The signal strength is not a problem on calm days.
Switching to a higher gain antenna will reduce the number of dropouts that are the result of wind in trees. But this will not likely eliminate all such dropouts. A roof antenna is probably necessary for that. -Ken
Thanks, Ken. What about the SR8 Yagi offered by the same folks? They describe it as being applicable where multipath, not signal strength, is an issue.
The SR8 is a true Yagi. A Yagi is a narrow-band antenna. A UHF Yagi will perform well for only about 15 TV channels. Adding a corner-reflector will turn a true Yagi into a much broader-band device, possibly covering all the UHF channels. But the SR8 lacks that. I don
Although I am no great fan of the Silver Sensor, or any indoor antenna, for that matter, I have to disagree with the suggestion that the DB-2 is a better indoor UHF antenna. While it may have more gain, it is a function of it's greater size. and NOT because of it's directionality. I contend that gain is of secondary importance to directionality when indoor antennas are compared. The DB-2 has a very wide beamwidth, like most bow and reflector antennas. It also has multiple gain lobes in it's forward reception pattern which makes it a poor choice in areas where multipath is a problem. Unfortunately, multipath is a far more serious issue to people who have to live with an indoor antenna, especially in urban areas and close in to transmitters, where most indoor antennas will be used. If you need more gain when using an indoor antenna, it is better to use a highly directional antenna like a Silver Sensor with a low-noise amplifier than it is to use a multiple-lobe antenna like a DB-2.
You have ignored one of the most basic truths of antenna design: Gain and directionality are tightly linked and are usually exactly proportional to each other. The 3 dB beam width of the DB2 is between 40 and 60 degrees, depending on the channel. The Silver Sensor is 60 to 70 degrees. The DB2 has no minor lobes stronger than -12 dB, which is discrimination enough to allow digital reception in nearly all cases. Thus the DB2 is better at rejecting signals from the wrong directions. If you can stand the sight of it, the DB2 is always a better choice. For pattern diagrams see the following references.
Make a base and stand for it and you have a really cheap directional indoor antenna. yes, it's larger than the above antennas, but you can't beat the price. For that matter, you can skip the reflector and use it as a bi-directional two bat bow tie antenna.
The coolest thing to come along for indoor applications is Smart Antennas but so far we only know
of DTV converter boxes being designed to use them and even then the
list of compatible products and Smart Antennas is small. I would love to see
some outdoor antennas and full featured DTV receivers
using this technology...
