Newegg has the Rosewill RMS-DA5600 Amplified Digital TV Antenna for $20 - $5 off with coupon code EMCNDJA85 [Exp 6/25] + $0 shipping = $15 shipped. Can be used either indoors or outdoors and features a built-in FM trap filter.
Amplified antennas are a mixed bag. Poor signal has low SNR so you'll be amplifying the noise too which is often just as bad with today's sensitive tuners.
Where amplified is best is when you mount the antenna in a more ideal place so it picks up better but in doing so you make the antenna cable longer so amplification cuts down on cable losses.
I have an OLD and massive antenna in my attic/crawlspace. Is that now too outdated to be worth trying to tap into?
No, so long as it was decent at picking up UHF station signals, it should do fine. Just make sure the connectors and cable is in good shape, not old weathered rusted oxidized coated in jet fuel or acid rain eroded, etc.
However I vaguely recall some of the old ones where riveted together. If the rivets have oxidized too they may not conduct and you'll have fewer viable elements - but it may not matter.
#6, go to antennaweb.org to see if there's HD broadcasts in your area. HD is broadcast on the old TV frequencies, but in digital, so an old antenna works great. If the signals are clean, but weak, aka distant, used a good amp at the antenna like the $35 Winegard at Amazon.
If the transmitter is within say ~25 miles, this Rosewill device works great. I have one on my sailboat mast and RV.
Some areas can get 40 or more channels in HD digital. If that's not enough for you, try getting free satellite channels with an old dish and an a FTA receiver like Sonicview.
does it work?
Antennas are not magic. If a signal is available they can receive it and an amplifier can make the signal stronger.
If you read the reviews, their seem to be the common problem with qualify control issues for a percentage of purchaser.
Newegg customers give 18 One EGG (37%)
vs 14 Five EGG (29%) for this product.
Not so good
Amplified antennas are a mixed bag. Poor signal has low SNR so you'll be amplifying the noise too which is often just as bad with today's sensitive tuners.
Where amplified is best is when you mount the antenna in a more ideal place so it picks up better but in doing so you make the antenna cable longer so amplification cuts down on cable losses.
This will work great as long as you're resigned to moving it quite a bit for different stations and most likely having to place it outdoors.
I have an OLD and massive antenna in my attic/crawlspace. Is that now too outdated to be worth trying to tap into?
No, so long as it was decent at picking up UHF station signals, it should do fine. Just make sure the connectors and cable is in good shape, not old weathered rusted oxidized coated in jet fuel or acid rain eroded, etc.
However I vaguely recall some of the old ones where riveted together. If the rivets have oxidized too they may not conduct and you'll have fewer viable elements - but it may not matter.
#6, go to antennaweb.org to see if there's HD broadcasts in your area. HD is broadcast on the old TV frequencies, but in digital, so an old antenna works great. If the signals are clean, but weak, aka distant, used a good amp at the antenna like the $35 Winegard at Amazon.
If the transmitter is within say ~25 miles, this Rosewill device works great. I have one on my sailboat mast and RV.
Some areas can get 40 or more channels in HD digital. If that's not enough for you, try getting free satellite channels with an old dish and an a FTA receiver like Sonicview.
^ I can get 40+ channels but most of those are just repeats of the same network channels on other frequencies.