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This past Friday night, my curiosity got the best of me, and I picked up a Channel Master CM-4228HD at a local electronics store. Near my main TV in the living room, I opened my west-facing front door, and aimed the antenna toward Rockford, which is 54 miles WNW. Surprisingly, WTVO 17.1 (RF16) locked in clear as a bell. I say "surprisingly" because my TV Fool report lists the noise margin at -2.0 dB at a 30-foot elevation, when I was indoors at ground level, with my garage blocking the line of sight.
On Saturday afternoon, I did a retest with another capture of WTVO. On both occasions, I could not quite pick up WQRF 39 (RF 42), listed at -1.3 dB NM. My LG TV was registering a 28% signal strength, with about 30% needed to lock in a station. I have a feeling that a mounting at 25-30 feet will produce a better result.
The CM-4228HD could not quite capture WBBM 2.1 (RF12, 29 miles away) on the ground floor. However, it improved the signal strength of my UHF stations and yielded one new low-power station (RF30).
Now I'm thinking of having the CM-4228HD mounted outside to feed my main living room TV and using my ClearStream 2MAX for a secondary TV upstairs. I already know the 2MAX can pick up RF12 indoors on the second floor.
These results seem to suggest that the 2MAX is a great antenna that can compete with the "big boys" in a challenging, indoor environment. It would be a good option for customers who don't have access to an attic or a rooftop.
Now I need to find an experienced installer who can run cable.
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