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One of the most in-demand antennas on the market happens to be 1byone’s Amplified Outdoor Digital antenna, and for good reason.
This small, sturdy piece of hardware has a nominal range of 85 miles and receives both UHF and VHF signals.
It’s relatively easy to set up and get going — you unfold the VHF elements and then fix the antenna to the included J mount, before attaching the cable.
The company takes pride in its cutting-edge brands and advanced signal reception technology.
But one of the biggest draws to this antenna is its affordability and what you get (such as built-in preamp, broad frequency range, etc.).
Read on to find out why I like this antenna so much and believe you should have a closer look.
What’s Included?
Easy Assembly
This antenna is one of the few that comes with a J-mount pole, which means you don’t need to buy a separate antenna mast.
The J mount is rugged and adjustable: once mounted to the top or the side of a house, it can accommodate a variety of different angles.
The J mount is coated in black for better weatherproofing.
The small size and ease of assembly of the antenna makes it easier to set up and change its location around the house to get a better signal.
Amplification
The antenna also includes a high-gain, low-noise preamplifier.
This is good news if you need to capture long-range signals or are installing it in the attic.
On the other hand, if you live in or just outside a city that’s relatively close to transmission towers (i.e., less than 10 miles away), you might test reception by initially not plugging in the antenna (thereby not using the preamplifier) to see whether you get good reception.
If your antenna coaxial is longer than 50 feet, the preamplifier will probably compensate for signal loss along the cable.
Coaxial Cable
Speaking of coaxial cables, the antenna doesn’t come with one and I recommend purchasing MediaBridge Ultra Series, an RG6 tri-shielded cable.
RG6 cables are more modern than RG59 types (which you’ll sometimes find in legacy satellite TV or cable installations), and feature better shielding from interference, along with a larger conductor to up your signal quality.
Keep in mind you’ll probably end up using multiple segments of coaxials when you ground your antenna via grounding block or lightning arrestor, or when using a splitter to hook up several televisions.
Channel and Frequency Types
This antenna receives UHF and high and low VHF channels — basically, all RF channels for TV in North America (2 through 36).
Radio frequency channels are also known as “real broadcast channels,” and are actually allocations of spectrum used by TV stations for broadcasting.
The channels you see on your TV are otherwise known as virtual channels; they’re the ones you see on your TV.
To know which RF channels your TV stations are using, you can get a free signal report from RabbitEars.info.
Reception Range
The antenna box states a reception range of 85 miles.
This value is optimistic however for the majority of households, as the curvature of the earth limits TV signal propagation to 60-80 miles maximum.
The range you’ll get is also greatly dependent on your surrounding geography, as well as interference factors such as multipath distortion (e.g., signal reflections off of buildings), and others.
Reception from Different Towers
The antenna is unidirectional and line of sight so you’ll need to point it in the direction of the closest transmission tower to get channels.
In many instances, towers are built together in a group so they can be received via a single unidirectional antenna like this one.
Other times, the towers may be located in geographically different areas, and thus separated by more than 90 degrees from each other with respect to your location.
In any case the antenna comes with a handy rotator that’s easy to use and allows you to get channels from any direction.
Connecting to Several TVs
Since the antenna’s built-in preamplifier boosts signal along the coaxial, it’s probably sufficient to support signal loss entailed by adding a splitter for multiple TVs.
In this instance, you can do a comparison between the two cases: first, by connecting to one TV (and observing the signal), and then by attaching the splitter and connecting the other televisions.
If it seems you’re getting less channels with the splitter attached, you might consider additionally adding a distribution amplifier.
Pros
- Antenna comes preassembled and is small and lightweight (4.4 lbs)
- Durable and simple design to withstand harsh weather conditions
- Long-range television reception (85 miles)
- Built-in preamplifier to overcome signal attenuation along coaxial cable to TV
- 360-degree rotator for capturing TV signals in any direction
Cons
- Coaxial cable not included
The Verdict
The 1byone Amplified HDTV antenna is one of the firm’s flagship products.
1byone is known not only for its reliable products and technology; it has a reputation for offering great support and an extended warranty period longer than industry averages.
You should consider this antenna if you want to watch a variety of UHF and VHF channels in uncompressed HD, from TV stations that are within an arc of less than 90 degrees with respect to your location.
Its simple design and preassembly both contribute to minimal time for set up and installation. It offers amplification, which can be useful especially if you’re installing this in indoor spaces, like in the attic.
1byone Amplified Antenna Manual
If you want to see additional technical information about this antenna, have a look at its installation manual.
Specs
Design
|
Direction |
Unidirectional |
|
Coaxial cable length (feet) |  |
|
Dimensions in inches (H x W x L) |
20.7 x 3.3 x 13 |
|
Preamplifier |  |
|
Our rating | 4.5 / 5 |
Reception
|
Antenna range (miles) |
85 |
|
Channels |
3D, Full HD (1080p), Ultra HD 4K |
|
Frequencies |
UHF/VHF |
Help & Support
|
Warranty |
2 years |
|
Email support | |
|
Phone support |  |
