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1. Is the antennacraft hbu55 a good antenna for my purposes, aside from being fairly large? As I mentioned, I found one for $60, though I have not bought it yet.
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The specs seem suitable (VHF-high gain 9.3 dB) for your location. If the antenna is in good condition and the trees aren't too thick, it should work.
http://www.antennacraft.net/pdfs/HBU55_.pdf
http://www.antennacraft.net/Manuals/HBU_web_manual.pdf
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2. Putting size aside, Is the ClearStream 5 as good or better for reception of high VHF than the Wineguard or Channelmaster units you mentioned? (or the or HBU55 ). The ClearStream 5 certainly looks solid and its size would make it much easier to install.
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The CS5 should work, with the same concern about trees. It has a little less gain than the HBU55, the Winegard 7694, and the 7697.
https://www.antennasdirect.com/cmss_...with%20uhf.pdf
http://www.skywalker.com/catalog/Manuals/WIN1051.pdf
http://www.winegard.com/kbase/uploads/HD7697P.pdf
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3. Are the Stellar Labs units solidly built or flimsy, and how well do they work? A piece of junk is no bargain.
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I wouldn't call it flimsy, more like adequate, almost as good as Antennacraft build quality. If the same antenna was made here it would cost a lot more because overseas labor is cheaper and their government gives financial breaks for export.
The user reports are few because the product is new here, but the reports are satisfactory when the antenna has been assembled correctly. I assume your son could figure it out, and do better than this:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/25-hdt...l#post39697130
Keep in mind that your tvfool report is only a computer simulation, it doesn't take into consideration trees, and is known to be less accurate for 2Edge signals. If your reception is marginal because the report is too optimistic, a preamp might help.