Antenna Comparison Tool
COMPARE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF EACH MODEL:
Note: Before looking at the comparison grid below, it's helpful to be aware of a few things:
Important Tip 1. Quoted ranges: There is no such thing as 150, 250, or 990 mile antennas. Most of the overseas sellers are using exaggerated gain and range claims just to sell an antenna.. Actually, often today the "highest quoted range and gains" have the lower actual ranges! It's important to look at the antenna size and how many UHF and VHF elements it actually has (this is what truely creates antenna range and gain. You'll never see an antenna reach beyond 100 miles (most cap out under 60 miles) but an antenna with a good deal of tuned elements will have more range than a smaller one.
Important Tip 2: A higher gainangenna doesn't necessarily always mean the best antennna for a given area or the most channels. For example, in some areas in the NE instead of the stations being in clusters, they're all heavily spread out if wind directionns apart. In this case, if fotating the antenna or adding a second directional antenna isn't desirable, a widely spread out , lower gain antenna may be preferable. Below is a helfpul comparison of our popular models.
Range Term Definitions Used in the Comparison Chart Below:
Range Off "Sides" of Antenna - This refers to the maximum range of each model (in a best case scenario) when pointed off-axis (in the wrong direction) toward the stations. Meaning, the comparison shows which antenna has more range (least directional) , when pointed in the wrong direction. Stronger antennas will actually have lower range at their sides, as increaing antenna gain is accomplished by focusing the pattern into one direction. So a higher gain antenna, should have lower range at its sides. Note: some models such as the XPS-1500 however, are actually designed to be adjustable in this regard, (the end user can increase or reduce its directionality) for their area, by not installing the first boom section, so you will see two numbers for this model.
Max Range (UHF) - This shows the maximum (up to) range (in a best case scenario) for Line of SIght distances (LOS) and Skywave enhanced ranges (Tropo) on the UHF TV Band under an ideal scenario (i.e true line of sight, with antenna mounted outside above neighboring roof heights and without hills, homes, walls, trees in the way and max Tropo range refers to when tropo skywave conditions are highly exceptional (rare times during late summer nights), antenna is properly mounted outside, above roof height, and the TV station isn't a low power station, etc).
Max Range (VHF) - This shows the maximum (up to) range (in a best case scenario) for Line of SIght distances (LOS) and Skywave enhanced ranges (Tropo) on the VHF TV Band. under an ideal scenario (i.e true line of sight, with antenna mounted outside above neighboring roof heights and without hills, homes, walls, trees in the way and max Tropo range refers to when tropo skywave conditions are highly exceptional (rare times during late summer nights), antenna is properly mounted outside, above roof height, and the TV station isn't a low power station, etc).
What is LOS Range: Max" line of sight" range possible, (assumes line of sight without terrain or man made obstructions) in a best case scenario (this range can be reduced if there are terrain and/or man-made obstructions, the TV station isn't a full power station, etc for example).
What Does TROPO Range Mean?: This is only a rare occurence when the TV stations sometimes experience an increase of their normal ranges, due to atmopheric enhancement (can be rare, but riding and bouncing off the atmosphere tends to happen moreso during very late summer nights and sometimes early mornings). The signals at times can basically ride / channel through and/or bounce off the lower atmosphere (the Troposphere layer), under these skywave enhancement conditions, ranges can extend their normal ranges from 10% to up to 250% (in an exceptional csse) farther than their normal distances. This may explain why some late evenings you may experience stations far away, but not normally.
*Note: the XPS-1500 (insane gain heavy duty model) also has an optional VHF Kit option, which is why you'll see it listed twice in the chart with two different VHF ranges.
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Model Number: |
Range Off "Sides" of Antenna: |
MAX RANGE (UHF): |
MAX RANGE (VHF-Hi): |
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BEST: Due to being a mono element Omni Style, when pointed in the wrong direction, its off-axis range is nearly as great as its aimed direction. |
Up to 60 Mile LOS |
Up to 60 Mile LOS |
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Medium Directionality (less directional than Yagi style directional antennas) with Wide 60 degree beamwidth with up to 45 Miles at its sides |
Up to 65 Mile LOS |
Up to 20 Mile |
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INSANE GAIN XPS-1000 UHF Only (Standard Duty)
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Highly Directional - Up to 35 Mile UHF (best case scenario) Max Range at Sides. (note its range at its sides is only about 1/3rd of it's pointed max range position).
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TIED BEST: Up to 100 Mile LOS (line of sight) |
Up to 30 Mile |
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INSANE GAIN XPS-1500 (Heavy Duty UHF Only Vers)
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UHF Side / Rear ADJUSTABLE - From Medium to Highly Directional (by not assembling all booms section with this model), with an up to 35 miles LOS (best case scenario) max at its sides, if all elements are installed (up to 45 miles if set in low gain mode) side/rear range, depending on setting). |
TIED BEST: Up to 100 Mile LOS. *Note: Don't be mislead by tiny, cheap antennas that claim 150, 250, and 990 Mile (not possible for LOS) . |
Up to 35 Mile |
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INSANE GAIN XPS-1500 VHF/UHF Vers:
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ADJUSTABLE - From Medium to Highly Directional (up to 35 LOS (best case scenario) to 45 miles LOS side/rear range, depending on antenna's assembled setting (meaning its range at its sides can be increased if not all parts are assembled). |
TIED BEST: Up to 100 Mile LOS, *Note: Don't be mislead by tiny, cheap antennas that claim 150, 250, and 990 Mile (not possible for LOS). |
BEST: Up to 80 Mile LOS. |
