Winegard FlatWave Amplified Indoor HD TV Antenna Review
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- Опубликовано: 23 май 2022
- In this video I review the following antenna: "Winegard FL5500A FlatWave Amped Digital HD Indoor Amplified TV Antenna (4K Ready / ATSC 3.0 Ready / High-VHF / UHF), 60 Mile Long Range." It costs about $60 on Amazon, has a built in amplifier, and claims a 60 mile range. How well does it work compared to other flat antennas?
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Thanks to Stremium for sponsoring this video. Click the affiliate link below to learn more about their awesome app!
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Affiliate Link to the antenna on Amazon 👉 amzn.to/3lDd3aL
RUclips just served me up two of your videos in a row, and you're holding up the same antenna in each. They have different names and boxes, but it's probably the same bad idea. You're doing a public service here, explaining to people why these can't work as advertised. When I was a boy, 35 miles outside of Manhattan, people used to spend hours putting 5 foot long Yagi antennas on their rooftop to bring in the half dozen channels that were available then. Otherwise, no TV.
Eh, just one part of the video I skipped (along with other parts that weren't the review).
This antenna is great. My wife accidentally burned a hole in ours by laying it on a lamp, and..it STILL picks up way better than that 4 Leaf crap at Walmart. 👍
If someone is limited to using an indoor flat antenna, a stand of some kind can make an indoor flat antenna more adjustable or amiable, rather than being limited to hanging it on a wall or in a window. Makes it possible to adjust it to any angle instead of just in intervals of 90 degrees.📡
Thank You for all you do. It is much appreciated!! Thank You especially for your indoor antennae reviews. It's what many of us can afford.
i have had one of these for years and it works great . I have it in the window.
I own this and it's great but I just installed a clearview 2 and it's better, but it's installed outside. I'll be posting a video on it tonight but I definitely will be giving a shout out to Antenna Man for his expert advice!
This is cool knowing that it's an American company.
I had one like this from Costco a few years back it worked pretty good
Nicely done Antenna Man. The information given was very informative. I like the outdoor antenna you have shown in this video.
I bought this antenna from your link. I appreciate the content and the knowledge. Thanks
Bought it and I really like it so far.
I cut the cord earlier this year because my total cable bill was $230 a month and growing. It was a "triple" play as the company called it. TV, phone and internet. Was getting too expensive for the amount of TV that my household watched.
Dropped the TV and phone and kept the internet. The cable company provided a "free" steaming box because my internet selection (based on # of devices in household). Purchased an indoor antenna for the 2nd floor TV.
Works decent enough for what I need. Unfortunately I live in a rural location with many trees surrounding my home so signals vary station to station.
This is a very good channel to follow for anyone wishing to cut the cord.
Thanks
I just got an antenna a month or so ago but haven't had cable in years. When high-speed Internet came to our area, my father gave me a choice: stick with dial-up and keep cable or get high-speed and cancel cable (I chose high-speed).
Any smart tv comes with Pluto and tons of free streaming. I have a flatty too.
I ended up buying this Antenna last week and so far, I can attest that it does work very well. Definitely use the amp if you decide to go with this one, even if you live near a tower. Without it, reception was so-so and we do live VERY close even after adjusting and putting it by the window. While I did not pickup any additional channels (I've used 3 different indoors and have always gotten the same 22), the strength is too good not to recommend
I bought this antenna some years ago at Home Depot and it works fine. I'm in a rural area and it brings in lots of channels and sub-channels. Punches above its weight. Even brings in "fair" channels. Just make sure the amp is plugged into a usb wall socket adapter. The TV usb doesn't output enough voltage.
> Just make sure the amp is plugged into a usb wall socket adapter. The TV usb doesn't output enough voltage.
Really? I have a different brand antenna and can't tell the difference between being plugged in into AC or using the USB adapter. I originally had it plugged into AC, because the USB cord wouldn't fit into the HDMI ports, but I finally found a USB port, and figure it takes less power to only be on when the TV is rather than always getting power from AC.
@@ghenulo It depends on the TV. When I had it plugged into the USB ports of a cheap 40 inch Samsung set it was fine. When I switched sets (49 inch Samsung QLED) it wasn't getting enough power, so I used the AC adapter and all is well.
Surprised a flat antenna would pick up VHF channels... interesting. Informative video as always Antenna Man!
I would expect good results from Winegard. This one looks ok.
This antenna is often sold at Costco too usually for $35-$40. I’ve mentioned this particular antenna in the comments of your earlier videos.
I installed it in a corner of my dining room and I purposely curved about a third of onto another wall. That allowed me to pick up a third PBS station from about 35-40 miles away. I’ve been using this antenna for about 6 or 7 years now and I get all of my locals.
Some heroes don't wear capes. Thank you, Antenna Man.
great review and honest, thanks
Antenna man Thanks for the helpful video's!😊😊👍👍👍👍👍
Crappy coaxial nullifies many advantages of a good antenna. Amazed by the difference I got when I hook up a good rg6 coax cable compared to the cheap 5 footer I was using....
That Winegard antenna is the best indoor antenna ever.
Great video Tyler. I personally avoid indoor antennas for two reasons.
1. Bad reception, in my country DTV channels are only on UHF band so in most cases an attic or outdoor antennas work. The indoor antennas don't perform very well.
2. Thin cable, 3C2V or RG59 the worse type of cable and can't be replaced compare to the outdoor antennas which allows you to use a quad shield RG6 cable. Not to mention UHF Band and thin coax cable is a match made in hell.
An attic or outdoor antenna is always a better option if it's available. I'm mainly reviewing indoor antennas for apartment dwellers or seniors on fixed income that may not be able to afford an outdoor antenna.
@@AntennaMan Personally I consider an excellent ideea that you make reviews on indoor antennas. I recommend indoor antennas for people who live up to 10 km from the broadcasting tower. Sometimes even up to 20 km you can receive channels with an indoor antennas especially the strong ones. And for those who can't install outdoor antennas, unfortunately indoor antennas are the only option.
Impressive, most impressive.
If Tyler doesn't drop a flat Antenna in a video, it has to be good.
I have flat the Mohu ranger which is a little bigger at 24" X 13". I then placed it on a high window and about pulled about 40 useful channels. Even compared it with the Clearstream 2 Max on a J pole outside about 15' up with the same pre amp and ended up with the same strength and number of stations.
Be careful, strength on your tv can be fudged. Unless you can get the rssi value or have a separate tuner like tyler then take what your tv tells you with a grain of salt. Essentially strength and quality are not the same
I had a "Cantena" I built few yrs ago for wifi, was too far away tho for free wefee. Plugged it in my vhf-uhf splitter other day and Shazam! Got all the knlc channels in st louis back and few more at 1st floor height.
Good Stuff! 😆 THANKS!
In Delmarva UHF is the only mode of Broadcast channels I have ordered this and I will be trying this since being in Ocean City MD I am 37 miles away from the broadcast towers
I see we're getting more VHF-capable flat antennas. Now let's see how the cheap companies try to pull it off (and fail).
I used this antenna before moving up to the highly rated Range Xperts. While the signal strength is very very good and it picked up a surprising number of stations, the problem is robustness. As soon as the wind moves the trees or other inclement weather changes conditions, you will see huge dips and will likely see cut-outs or frequent digital static. This is likely a weakness of any flat antenna
I have a several year old Mohu Sky antenna that works pretty well. I can’t find where you’ve tested this particular model
I use one of these. For me, it's the best indoor antennae I have found. I get all the local stations, but ABC, Fox and PBS are basically unwatchable due to stuttering. I have tried to replace it with some of the better antennas you recommend, but I haven't found one that out-performs this simple antenna.
Ge pro is like 30 bucks. All you do is point it in the tower direction. It blows all these out of the water. Better than 100$clear view 5
@@dmo848 Yes, but I can't put that in my living room.
Try moving it around. One day our local NBC affiliate wasn't coming in. Moved it a bit, and it's okay now.
I wish you would have compared this antenna with the Mohu 60 antenna side by side to see which is the best
Thanks for the link to Rabbit Ears....got my answer......need a roof antenna & cannot put one up or a dish...so I am stuck with Spectrum cable .........BOO!!!
I see Flat Antenna and my eye's roll
I have one like that now picks up 50 miles got a few channels on it about 39 not bad at all and it's atsc 3.0 ready don't know what that means if I'll get more channels with out a converter box on my Vizio smart tv
Very similar to the one I have which also has a amp and wimpy coax cable, LOL. It doesn't get many channels because I'm 40 miles from the towers and there are hills and trees between here and there but I expected that from your warning videos before I bought it. I will eventually replace it with a outdoor antenna but until then it brings in MeTV which is 90% of what I watched even when I was still on cable. Cozi also comes in as long as there is no wind blowing the local trees. 🤣
My sis gave me one of those.
Can you recommend an indoor directional antenna? All my channels are UHF but one is a little bit flaky. I'm looking for a little bit of gain that I could point at the weak station.
Compare to channel master flatenna amplified how does it compare?
Do you have to have a SMART TV with this Wineguard Antenna?
I can't wait until Tyler try's out the Mohu Leaf.
I’ve had this antenna since late 2013, got it from Costco for somewhere between $30-$40 USD. I still use it to this day even after having tried others, including the ClearStream Eclipse Amplified. They were good but no better. I currently have it above the curtain rods about 8 feet off the floor, and get over 60 channels (metro Detroit).
Several years ago when I lived in a condo a few miles further east, I was able to find just the right spot in my kitchen to place this, with a long cable leading to the living room, and was able to get CBC Windsor, which was great for watching hockey.
My house had a satellite dish mounted on the roof with a cable leading inside; I connected that to my TV and got pretty much the same result as with the Winegard.
How does this Winegard model compare to the Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro?
Do you put the white side out or against the wall?
I typed in Winegard TH3000 and this video comes up.. but this is for the FL5500A.. any reviews on the MORE expensive TH3000 (currently $97 on Amzn)? Thanks..
I live about 55 miles from broadcast stations and hills around me. What indoor antenna would work for me?
The reason this antenna worked better than other flat antennas is because of the coax cable being slightly thicker. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have picked up that repeater station.
Great video thank you, Antennas work pretty well in my area, how long is the cable on this one?, my problem is that the the cable is made way to short & I am having to compromise on best spot because it won't reach. is there a better longer cable antenna available?
According to the Amazon link, it's about 18.5 Ft.
I have this antenna, it works well, but won't pickup hi-vhf cbs in Chicago.
One question what causes digital tv Antenna, video breakup into quakes?? At times??
I have one ...37 channels roll in nicely ..if I "NEED" more than than, I have way to much time on my hands ...
The problem with me is i live in a half-basement, i can't put the antenna high enough because i have to put it on a windowsill on the front, which is only a few feet above the ground. i have an amplified antenna, and the amplifier sure help getting a better signal for me, if i unplug the power for the amplifier, the signal is really bad. So i would most likely need an antenna with very long rabbit ears. There are not many trees where i'm located, there's a park nearby with a lot of trees for i don't think they get in the way of the signals. Which one would you recommend me?
I set up a Televes Dinova Boss for a friend who lives in a basement apartment. It was a huge improvement over his cheap antenna. I first tried a Clearstream 2Max that did okay so then I tried the Dinova Boss, which was able to pick up 90% of the DC and Baltimore stations.
VHF aren't really being "Starved" for power, they simply don't need anywhere near the power to reach the same distances a UHF station does. The far lower frequencies require less power to generate the frequency, so you can get more amplitude, whereas that drops as the frequency goes up.
For example, WBZ 4 in Boston (back in the analog days) came in better than channel 68 by a lot. 4 looked nearly perfect at only 30KW of power, while 68 was snowy, and decent color at over 5MW.
Lower frequency stations have to be lower as they will interfere with other stations near/at the same frequency. They had to lower WBZ's AM radio to 50KW because it interfered with stations in the midwest. Hell, at the low 50KW, you can get it in Canada, as far as Pennsylvania, or more.
Exactly, all frequencies aren't created equal.
What about low VHF (cough, cough 6abc)?
The older non “p” model Zinwell ZAT-970A tuner is better because it has both signal strength and, more importantly, signal quality indications.
Q. Can you use a splitter to combine 2 antennas? I have Mohu leaf antennas which work well. However, neither picks up a very low VHF station in Las Vegas, ch. 21. You highlighted a RCA antenna which works well for low VHF signals. Hence, can I use a splitter to combine the 2 and hopefully bring in ch. 21?
Yes, but you should use the combiner below:
amzn.to/3HEsCto
If you order the RCA antenna, make sure it's plugged in with the amplifier set to off. I found that turning it on usually makes reception worse.
I have ditched cable TV and besides cutting the cable with tv from them, I've also cut the cable, and fiber, for my internet sources too. Besides using OTA for tv now, I also rely on 5g home internet for streaming, so, how about some reviews of a few 5g mimo 2 and mimo 4 antennas, such as Waveform's, for 5g home internet gateways like verizon, at&t, and T-Mobile. The latest T-Mobile gateway (the Arcadian "Darth Vader") has 6 antenna ports, so I guess it could make use of a mimo 6 antenna array also.
A redundant antenna array should be called a R-ANT-tenna. lol
I have the Channel Master SMARTenna version and was surprised at the quality of performance.
I've considered replacing the "piece of junk" (to quote Tyler) antenna I got with a Channel Master Flatenna (which has a positive review from Tyler and is listed as the best indoor antenna for 2022 by CNET), but its 50-mile range is a bit discouraging; my favorite channels I can pick up with my existing antenna are over 50 miles away (the furthest is 61.5 miles away). CNET tested two locations, both within ten miles of transmitters; yeah, if I lived within ten miles of transmitters, I'm sure I could pull in those channels too (the closest station to me is 15.9 miles away and comes in perfectly, even without the amplifier).
Best indoor antenna for Bethlehem
You won't get many channels in Bethlehem with an indoor antenna. You'll need an outdoor model if you want Philly channels. Consider an antenna recommendation from me at the link below. This can prevent you from spending hundreds of dollars and time wasted on setting up the wrong antenna for your area. antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html
I have an odd question. Do any of you all think that an antenna like this one would work well if I were to mount it flat against a skylight in the roof? It is a large enough skylight that it wouldn't block all the light.
If you used something such as a adhesive hook so that it could hang possibly, but if you put it flat against the skylight it may not work as well.
if the skylight angle isnt too horizontal
it's better for these antennas to be vertical
Should work fine. I've used mine on a sliding glass door and taped to the wall.
Pop that shirt collar antenna man. Would be an excellent look for you.
Would you recommend this antenna for tailgating? Set it on the roof of my car in a huge parking lot? If not, I'd greatly appreciate a recommendation on a good one for this purpose. Thanks in advance!
The antenna below would probably work better if it's set on the roof of your car. It also won't blow away in the wind. amzn.to/2WMQjfr
@@AntennaMan Thanks very much!
Would I be able to use my smart phone to use the website you suggest for signal strength
No, the tuner has to be connected to a TV set. See video below for your other options including a 7" TV: ruclips.net/video/1_Cy08x5qeY/видео.html
Seriously you had to ask this? it's a website. this is like asking can my phone make a phone call. 🤦♂️
@@CommodoreFan64 not everyone is as versed as you,ok
@@AntennaMan thank you for the link
Hey Antenna Man! How about doing some tests on stand alone TV receivers? I’d like to find one that is more sensitive than the one in my current TV (Sony Bravia). Thanks. KM
I have a video on this topic below. Sony TVs are usually bad. ruclips.net/video/FhZ7H-cwFCk/видео.html
@@AntennaMan Yeah, I’ve seen it, but think it might be worth while to do something similar to your antenna testing, but with stand alone tuners. Thanks. KM
@@km-bo3zx Unfortunately it wouldn't be feasible. I'd have to spend thousands of dollars on different TV models. I did mention which brands trust and which brands to stay away from - that's all the info anyone should need.
my two LG's internal tuners are awesome
a 24" an a 60"
the absolute worst ever I experienced was some "Westinghouse" TV (Chinese Kmart crap) it would conistently show a picture and motion only the first couple of seconds after tuning to a chnnel, then say no signal. Even on sub-channls. Even on megawatt flame-throwers just 6 miles away. Absolute garbage tuner. It was better as just a monitor.
Someone said Sony's have weak tuners. Samsung's have excellent tuners
What if you live in a high wind area? Many of your videos mention trees and building materials of your house that effect signal strength but what about wind. Do you think this antenna is better than the Channel Master flat antenna?
Wind might impact reception depending on how weak the signals are or if there are a lot of trees around. The best way to mitigate the issue is with an outdoor antenna. This Winegard antenna works about the same as the Channel Master FLATenna. It's a very basic flat indoor antenna.
@@AntennaMan so an outdoor antenna can work better in windy areas than an indoor antenna?
@@James-qo7uz Yes because it has more gain to keep the signals stable in changing conditions.
Can a thicker antenna cable replace the one used by Winegard?
Unfortunately you can't remove the cable - it's built into the antenna. I wish you could.
@@AntennaMan Doggone proprietary thinking. I may have to give it a try though. Thanks for all of your very thoughtful and proper information(and Videos!)
No but you could patch one inbetween using RG6 couplers. Might enhance it some.
@@pastelskies8466 Thanks for the encouragement but I had to go with another antenna which helped me beat the problem I had in trying to be very specific in pointing to the right direction. One specific location pointing in the right direction as needed for different channels. BUT, I did find another purpose for the Winegard - it makes one perfect Mouse Pad. Although expensive for a mouse pad, the material is perfect. Of course, it will never ever be an antenna again due to custom re-purposing. And to be fair, if I lived in a different location in town, it was probably going to be a very good antenna.
What is the purpose of the usb? My tv doesn’t have one but says it is a hdtv
The USB provides power to the preamplifier.
You can plug it into a wall socket adapter
Even setting the height to 30ft I get one good and all the rest poor. I think I would need to mount it on a cell tower to watch TV with an Antenna
I guess I should be happy YT is only 65 a month otherwise comcast would still be ripping me off.
How much do you know about apartments because I can't get an antenna to work in my apartment
The trick is to purchase a good indoor antenna use a signal meter as a guide to find the best location for it. See video below: ruclips.net/video/1_Cy08x5qeY/видео.html
So long as it's got HD then it's good enough for me!
Antennas don't get HD the television does
You can stick a piece of thin metal coat hanger wire into your Coax socket, and long as you are close enough to a tower it will pick up the ATSC signal at whatever resolution it is, it's up the TV to display it in HD if the signal is in HD, and highest with ATSC 1.0 right now is 1080i, but most stations still broadcast in either 480, or 720, at least in my area.
TYLER
I LIVE IN A BORDOR CITY
DETFOIT MICHIGAN WELL A SUBBURB ROSEVILLE MICHIGAN
I BOUGHT the Winegard flat wave 5000 a antenna for 59 dollars on Amazon to get Canadian tv
I have it aimed to Dettoit so I can pick up Canada I am 25 miles a way do u think I can get Canada or should I just buy the rca yagi for the same price
Update I hooked it up
Ran a scan for channels and there it is CANADA
THISE CHEAP ANTENBAS EONT GET CANADA BUT WINEGARD GETS CANADA
Is it my imagination or did this antenna outperform the Clearstream Max-V. Max-V couldn't pull in a low-power repeater station. The Flatwave could. But then the Clearstream1 Max seemed to outperform the Max-V, which is odd.
@4:15 _"I always recommend trying an indoor antenna both with/without the amplifier connected."_
It looked to me like the amplifier wasn't removable? (from the mediocre cable, which itself isn't replaceable?).
I'm surprised this got such a good review. It's practically as junky as any other. Your only claim to this antenna's goodness is its signal. But, you're testing with an amplifier. Comparing to one without. And, you didn't mention how this amplifier can't be removed if (as you noted) it makes things worse.
I want my old Tyler back!
The amplifier has powerless pass thru so it can be tested both with and without the amplifier. This actually got better results without it which is what I showed. I work hard on this channel and test all antennas fairly. If you think otherwise feel free to unfollow my channel.
Also both of the antennas I compared this to also had amplifiers built in so I was comparing apples to apples.
@@AntennaMan Sorry.
Are you from Canada Tyler? You pronounce it Anne-Tenna. Here we say En-Tenna. lol
I'm from Southern Illinois
I say ann-Ten-uh.
You offer comparisons to "the last two antennas I tested" without actually saying WHAT those two antenna models are. You also say it performs better than "nearly" every other flat antenna tested but don't say WHICH one was better. Could we please know which antennas were used for the comparison. Also, can you tell us how this antenna compares to the most popular Mohu Leaf antennas? It seems it would be more useful for buyers to know how an antenna performs compared to other recommended or popular buying options than whatever random antennas happened to be recently tested. Thanks!
I compared it with the last two flat antennas I tested out - the Mata1 and Gesobyte models.
@@AntennaManThanks, Antenna Man! It would be interesting to see a comparison between this antenna and a Mohu Leaf, which is probably the leading flat antenna nowadays. While it may be interesting to see how something compares to "average" or "random" alternatives, most buyers probably want to know how something compares to the best alternatives. A video comparing this antenna's performance to a Mohu Leaf, and the Clearstream 2Max (top indoor antenna choices) would be super useful! Thanks for listening! Love your channel!
I'm surprised this was not complete junk like most other flat antennas.
Me too. Likely better engineering from a company that actually puts an effort into their products.
We tried one but had to return it.
Nobody:
Tyler: What is VHF and UHF?
If you write your question in the RUclips search box you can find out.
Doesn't work period
Did you run Find Channels scan from your tv's remote?
Att man. You bum me out on the fee not free crap. You’re losing credibility with me.