PBD WA-2608 Amplified Outdoor TV Antenna – Long Range with UHF/VHF, 360° Motorized Rotation, Remote Control, Mounting Pole, and 40FT RG6 Cable – Supports 4K, 1080P, Smart and Older TVs (2 Outputs)

I'm very impressed with this antenna. There's a lot of good to say about it, & some things to consider that I want to share about it. So I'll start by summing up that I am absolutely astounded at the signal quality this provides, but I am concerned about whether it's rugged enough, and the rotation feature could be improved.First, the auto-rotation is a nice feature, but it's totally random. Meaning if you push the button it will rotate in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction at random. So if you're trying to rotate a smidge indoors, then go outside to check the direction, it won't necessarily keep going the direction it did the time before. So you really need someone inside working the button while someone else has eyes on the antenna. I guess if you live an a place where the signal drops out if you're not right inline, you may be able to set it from inside. Since this unit picks up our signals work in a wide range of where it’s pointed, I wanted to set it in the middle of that range. So plan on having a helper for that. That isn’t a big deal for us because our signals don’t come from all directions & I don’t expect to redirect the antenna again. If your signals come from different directions, this might become an annoyance. That said, the other antennas I was considering didn’t have powered rotation at all.The second thing is that this antenna is plastic & aluminum. It’s really, lightweight, & even says in the instructions not to use tools to install the cables because you’ll probably break the connector off. So fingers crossed that the materials are quality enough to survive our rural conditions.Now for the totally great: We live 25-50 miles from the broadcasting stations in our area. About a week after I installed it, we had a few severe thunderstorm systems come through- including one with tornado warnings throughout the night. Our previous antenna would get noisy and glitchy during any rain or strong winds. With the PBD antenna, our daughter was able to watch PBS-Kids with rock-solid reception the whole time. Our previous antenna was a Winegard, which worked fine indoors in the city, but not out here. Our home has a 30' antenna tower by the house, so I mounted the Winegard outside as far up as it would reach & it worked fairly well. I don't think it's really made to be strapped to an antenna tower though, and it only lasted about a year before the connection broke where the cable attaches to the antenna. It's a pretty flimsy connection.I've done a fair amount of antenna shopping since then, and there are several manufacturers that I feel would be good choices for rural needs. After reading reviews of this antenna on Amazon and reading about Ping Bing Ding on a few "cut the cable" blogs and sites, I added it to the list of contenders. Here's why I decided to go with PBD: Cost and reputation.1st, every review I read outside of Amazon (& many on here) said the company is extremely customer-service oriented, and seems to be working hard to establish itself in the American market. I have been in contact with the customer service team a few times, and I can say that's 100% accurate from my experience.My initial reason for contacting them brings me to something worth mentioning- this antenna is available in several configurations. The antenna is the same, but some have a mounting pole, some have grounding blocks, some have longer cable included, etc. So don't just buy the one that comes up in your search or link from a given review. Look at the different kits to make sure you're getting what you need & not stuff you don't (the prices vary depending on what's in the box). In my case, I ordered the kit with the mounting pole, which I didn't really need & actually had no way of connecting to my antenna mast. The kit I should have bought comes with a grounding block and is several dollars less than this one. If you need the mounting pole, this kit is a good value because the pole is very sturdy, & I think it's about $10 less vs. buying separately.I contacted customer service & they were quick to get me set up with what I needed - an external splitter and a surge protector/ground block. I don't know if the LTE filter on the ground block I got improves our signal, because the picture was amazing to begin with, & the LTE is really weak out here. Regardless, I am happy to have the surge protection & ground because just the antenna itself is lightening-protected, the attached components are not.Next thought is that the Amazon listing and several reviews point out that, while the antenna supports 2 TVs, both the outputs are on the control box. You can't split the signal between the box & antenna with a traditional splitter, because the TV box sends A/C up to the antenna for the rotation motor. So if you use a traditional (passive) splitter between the antenna and the TV box, you'll send A/C to the 2nd TV's antenna input.If your current set up uses a splitter outside between the antenna & TVs, you can order one from PBD that allows that. In the back of the antenna manual is a list of accessories you can get from PBD via Amazon, and each item says to email customer service for help and to get promotional codes. These accessories include the 2-way splitter you CAN use between the antenna and the control box, the LTE filter/surge protector/ground block, a passive grounding block, lengths of coax cable, and the antenna pole like the one that came in my kit.So far, I highly recommend this antenna and the PingBingDing company. My concern about the antenna's lightweight construction is because the wind gets quite severe out here. We're surrounded by pastureland, & it's 30' in the air. Also, our summers routinely hold above 100-degress for weeks or months on end.Of the antennas I found that have the specifications we need out here, this one was around $50, the next around $150, and the last was $200. The more expensive units were just for the antennas, no signal booster, no cable, no rotation motor, etc. So for $50, PBD delivered everything we needed for absolutely flawless reception and more channels than ever before. I can't speak to the quality of the competitors, I would hope at those price points they're built the way stuff used to be before cable domination.The PBD antenna comes with a 1-year warranty, but if you send your order# to customer service, they extend that another year. So life expectancy should be at least 2 years. The problem is, I had to rent a lift to get the antenna installed. Although I reconfigured the extension pole on my mast so I can unpin it and lower the antenna to the top of the mast, that's still 22' in the air. So if this little guy dies young, I'll probably have to rent the lift again. If that happens, well, then there's no savings, providing the expensive units are built to last significantly longer. Part of my reasoning to take the risk on PBD is that I've got some tree trimming that will need to happen in the next season or two, so if this doesn't last, renting the lift won't be just for the antenna. Mostly though is that they really seem to want respect in the antenna market, and they’re not going to get that if the units don’t last. So here’s hoping!I installed my antenna on May 1st 2020. If it fails, I'll update this review (or re-post about my experience if that’s not possible). But for now, we couldn’t be more pleased with this purchase, & we recommend this antenna unconditionally.

If you're looking for an affordable OTA antenna, then you've probably seen A LOT of them over the course of your research. I went back & forth on a few, but finally pulled the trigger & went with this unit. And I'm glad I did! After using for almost one month, it has exceeded my expectations.The unit came well packed from the vendor with all of the parts needed for the installation. You will need a few tools for the mounting portion of your install, but these will be determined by where you mount (indoors or outdoors). The manual will explain further. The documentation is OK (not great), but you will be able to complete the project from what is provided.This kit ships with a mounting pole, 40' RG6 coax, a rotor control (to remotely turn the antenna), a pre-amp, the antenna & mounting hardware. Some light assembly is required, but it's very straightforward.**There is a model of this antenna that is cheaper, but DOES NOT SHIP with a mounting pole. So make sure you select the correct version for your application.**Also, some OTA antennas DO NOT included coax, a mounting pole or a pre-amp. These will be additional expenses on top of the purchase of your antenna. So make sure you read the details on any antenna that you consider purchasing. This model includes all of these items.Of course, for the price, you're not receiving a top of the line pre-amp, or for that matter high quality RG6, but for most applications it should suffice just fine. Especially if you install indoors (mine was an attic install) where it will be protected from the elements.And for anyone wondering, the pre-amp IS powered by the rotor control box (not by the coax feed). So if you opt not to use the rotor (to turn the antenna on demand) then you will not be able to use the pre-amp.So if you need the pre-amp, you will have to connect up the rotor control even if it won't be used. However, if neither are needed, then they can be bypassed entirely.Also, you can run this antenna directly into a signal booster (drop amplifier) like a PCT (PCT-VC-9U). These can be found on Amazon for around $50.00 - $100.00 depending on size & features you need. So if you already have coax jacks in your house that are in place from previous cable or satellite TV, then you can repurpose those jacks for your new antenna. This way you can distribute your antenna signal to all (or most) of the TV's in your house!Please note that your location, proximity to your broadcast towers, potential points of interference (trees, building, mountains, etc..) & height of your mount are a HUGE DEAL when using ANY OTA antenna.I'm located in FL, so it's pretty flat. However, most of the broadcast towers are 30-45 miles away. As well, the antenna was mounted indoors & at the most 15' to 16' in the air. So it is fairly low. However, even with an indoor installation (and not using the pre-amp) , this antenna easily picked up 57 OTA channels!So while some people blame the antenna when they can only pick up a few stations, there are many other moving parts involved to get this all to work.If this is your first time installing an OTA antenna, then PLEASE use a free site like "tvfool" or "antennaweb" (Google these) to determine what direction your broadcast towers are in relation to where you will be mounting your antenna. These services will also tell you what channels are going to be achievable with the antenna of your choosing. All you do is plug in your address & the site will serve up all of the info that you need. Do this BEFORE you buy any antenna to make sure it's even worth your time.One last thing, be sure to re-scan your channels on your TV every now & again. Channels get repacked (put under different channel assignments) & new channels get added. So if a channel that was coming in suddenly disappears, it may not be your antenna, but the broadcast signal itself.Overall, this antenna was easy to install. Since I mounted indoors, I used two 2" wood screws with washers right into a truss to mount the mast. The antenna goes on with 2 bolts (ratchet & socket do well here) & you're done. I can't personally speak to an outdoor installation, but would have to assume that it would be a bit more involved.I shortened the included RG6 cable (only dual shield not quad shield) to around 15' as my equipment panel was directly below the antenna in the laundry room. If you decide to do this, then you will need to crimp on a new compression connector on one end of the cable. However, you can purchase an entire kit on Amazon (with F connectors, coax stripper & the crimp tool) for under $20.00 (Bestar #3189 (Blue-F) ). It's VERY easy. You can do it!As well, having a shorter run can only help your signal performance. So if you have excess cable after your install, consider shortening it to the exact length that you need.The hardest part of the install is dialing in the perfect sweet spot for your broadcast towers. The best thing you can do is use the websites noted above to get the direction of the towers BEFORE you do your install. Then bring a compass (yes, a real compass) or use a compass on your smartphone (this is what I did & it worked perfectly) to help point your antenna in the correct direction. If you have a helper, then have them scan the channels once you lock on to your desired direction. It may take a few attempts, but it's worth it (especially if you don't use the rotor function). Cell phones or walkie talkies do nicely here :-)And if you ever need it, their support was great. It's only email based, but they responded within 24 hrs. Very willing to help & get any questions answered.If things change, I will update this review. However, after almost a month of use, I've been very happy with this kit. It feels great not paying the cable company to provide stations that are otherwise floating around us for free -in uncompressed HD!

We've largely been a streaming household for over a decade; but rely on local over the air digital channels for news and a few programs. Rabbit ear setups were always pretty weak, no matter how 'amplified' they claimed to be. We could only pick up two channels with those antenna inside the house. After having a new steel roof installed, no signals were reaching us. Enter the PBD antenna (#WA-2608). I used the mounting kit coupled with a 12' section of black iron pipe to get the mast above my roofline. While the antenna was made up of light weight metals and plastics, it has held up tremendously through several storms over the past few years with winds up to 70mph not even spinning the antenna on the mast. My reasons for a four star review are the slight hassle of antenna alignment; which is due to having a button for movement which cycles the antenna head until it hits it's limit then turns back the other way. So if you go past your aim point a bit, you have to cycle all the way to the end and back to that spot hoping to stop right on time. I also have some station that I know broadcast within the 150 miles this antenna claims to pickup that do not come in but once in a blue moon. So ultimately we went from two channels with rabbit ears, to five solid channels and two or three more that have come in on rare occasion.