[Conserv]

It was this... Trek Trinity Amplified. Cost me all of $43 at WM. Course, I did have to play with it for about 2 hours until I found the sweet spot, and luckily I have a bay window in my TV room. And, I tried to shrink the image, but wasn't able to do it.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Amplified antennas are okay if you are in a weak signal area. HDTV uses the old UHF channels, some of which have been reallocated to cell phone usage, hence the repacking. The old UHF channels can accommodate up to four HDTV channels. The FCC (and international standards) leave it up to the licensee to decide how many channels to stuff into a six-megahertz slot.

On-mount amplifiers (amplified antennas) compensate for cable loss between the antenna terminals and the TV receiver. The trade off is in dynamic range and intermodulation products, basically interference from nearby frequencies. The front end of TV receivers and amplifiers is “wide open” and susceptible to interference. The old frequencies that HDTV are vacating are being occupied by cell towers. A rural or suburban user who was doing nicely with an amplified antenna suddenly loses reception when his faint TV signal - which may have changed frequency - has to compete with a nearby cell tower that is booming in comparison. An on-mount amplifier is not the last resort, but the third. To improve reception try these steps in this order:

1.) Higher is generally better. Place your antenna as high up as possible. (In rare cases of location on a high hill this may not be true, when you are in a multipath null.)
2.) If your problem is interference, directivity beats amplification. Flat antennas are have a null - an insensitive direction - in the direction of the plane of the antenna. Point the edge of the antenna in direction of interference. Since you probably don’t know the direction of interference, try rotating the antenna horizontally until reception improves. Not guaranteed but might work.
3.) If the problem is lack of signal, try #1 first, if possible. If that does not work, or is not possible, get an amplified antenna, or add an amplifier.
4.) Combine these techniques.
5.) Whatever works for you. I’d love to hear from you.

[Ponyexpress9790]

A couple of years ago I made a DIY digital antenna that I saw on YouTube. Was sceptical at first, less than $10 in hardware and wire coat hangers. Fun little project tho. Had 7 channels with small store bought antenna, got 11 with my antenna. A year later I made one twice as big (about four feet long), got 23 channels routinely, 27 on clear nights. Like I said, fun DIY project, the most difficult part was finding the sweet spot on the roof.