New Indoor Antennas from Antennas Direct

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Antennas Direct has added two new indoor TV antennas to its "Micron" product line. The ClearStream Micron R (MSRP $79.99) adds a "tuned signal magnifying reflector" to boost the maximum antenna gain to 8.4 dBi. VSWR is specified as 2.5:1 typical, 4:1 maximum. It has a 70 degree beamwidth. Based on my experience with another manufacturer's indoor antenna, the reflector significantly improves reception, not only by increasing signal strength but by shielding the antenna from reflections people moving around in the room.

The ClearStream Micron XG adds a variable gain low noise amplifier adjustable from +5 to +20 dB gain. While I would have expected the VSWR to improve with the addition of the amplifier, the specification is the same as for the unamplified Micron R. MSRP on this device is $99.00.

More details on the Micron antennas are available at www.antennasdirect.com. The new ClearStream Micron antennas will be competing with the established Winegard SS-3000 antenna and the new "paper thin" Leaf Antenna from Mohu.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.