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Product Specifications
Brand NameAntennas Direct
Specification MetEnergy Star Certified
Technical Details
- Range of up to 25 miles
- Beamwidth (horizontal plane): 470 to 700 MHz, 70 degrees
- Typical 2:1 or better VSWR, Max 3:1, typical less than 2:1 from 470 MHz to 700 MHz
- Typical 15 dB front to back ratio
- Directivity: Standard setup (no reflector) - typical 4.5 dBi
Product Details
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Product Description
technical information--application/usage--television::technical information--antenna range--30 mile outdoor maximum::technical information--frequency--470 mhz to 700 mhz::technical information--gain--8.3 dbi - 700 mhz::general information--manufacturer--antennas direct::general information--manufacturer part number--csm-1::general information--manufacturer website address--antennasdirect::general information--brand name--antennas direct::general information--product line--clearstream::general information--product model--csm-1::general information--product name--clearstream csm-1 tv antenna::general information--product type--television antenna::technical information--application/usage--television::technical information--antenna range--30 mile outdoor maximum::technical information--frequency--470 mhz to 700 mhz::technical information--gain--8.3 dbi - 700 mhz::
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 47 people found the following review helpful
I am an engineer working in the DTV and PCTV area, so I am always on a look out for a good antenna. Unfortunately, the antenna's performance is ho-hum at best. I've used several industry standard signal meters to assess sensitivity and receiption pattern of this antenna using signals from 3 major TV transmitter towers in the SF Bay area, i.e., Sutro Tower, Mt. San Bruno, and Mt. Allison. I also paired it with a few very popular ATSC demods (typically found in most TVs) for a consumer-type experiment and got similar luke warm results. This antenna did not receive signals any bettr than the dozen or so cheaper products in the market, and it's significantly worse than the reference antenna (the fish bone looking one) used in the industry for terrestrial UHF reception testing.
The only thing it's got is the slim and black housing, which will fit well with typical living room entertainment decor but you will probably have to place it in some funky angle to receive a few stations, so it may not be any better off for the decor. Ironically, the rabbit ear type antenna sold for less than $10 worked better than this antenna, albeit not as attractive.
The only thing it's got is the slim and black housing, which will fit well with typical living room entertainment decor but you will probably have to place it in some funky angle to receive a few stations, so it may not be any better off for the decor. Ironically, the rabbit ear type antenna sold for less than $10 worked better than this antenna, albeit not as attractive.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Antennas Direct broke onto the scene with a unique and stylish Picture Frame antenna (the PF7), that hides a UHF/DTV antenna into a standard 8x10 wooden picture frame. Other than the fat coax cable coming out the back of it, the PF7 was a discreet, creative and tasteful solution to the problem of how to receive Digital TV broadcasts inside without an ugly set of rabbit ears. Their designs have gotten more advanced over the past few years, but the look -- the style factor -- has remained important. They know an ugly antenna won't get purchased (or used) no matter what the performance, if it has to sit in the middle of our living room.
The Clearstream Micron is the latest evolution of their passive indoor antenna line, and its slim profile and sleek rounded edges make it a nice visual fit for even the cleanest, simplest decor. And the performance is actually pretty decent, at least in the UHF band where most DTV signal are broadcast. The true gain is 4.5 dBi (the optional "reflector" still seems to be unavailable), and the front/back ratio is about 15 dB, which means it's fairly directional and would classify as a medium gain/medium range antenna. It can pull in stations from a wider area (thought not as distant) when compared to a highly directional but unsightly yagi style antenna. Unfortunately for those living in an area with DTV broadcasts in the Upper VHF band (what used to be analog channels 7-13), this antenna really isn't going to cut it, unless you have a clear line of sight to the broadcast towers and they're not too far away.
We tested the Micron against an inexpensive set of rabbit ears plus UHF loop from Radio Shack ($12). While the Micron did outperform the rabbit ears by about 5% in signal strength, compared to the rabbit ears, on UHF based stations, it fared no better on three of the Upper VHF stations in the New York City area: channels 7.1 (ABC) and 11.1 (CW). While we were able to move the antenna around in order to get a decent signal on these channels as well as getting a lock on PBS (13.1) - which the rabbit ears could not manage to do, we were expecting better performance from a $49 antenna. Unfair, perhaps, knowing the limitations of the laws of physics, but most consumers are not going to know the difference between UHF and Upper VHF and may buy this purely based on its gain specs and distance rating.
To find out which type of antenna you need (what gain and what frequencies) go to tvfool.com, type in your address and you'll see a list of the DTV broadcasters in your area. If you see that you have only UHF broadcasts in your area, and you're not too far from the tower (with an exterior wall or windows facing the broadcast towers), then this pretty little antenna may be all you need. But if you do need something for the Upper VHF band, or you're out in the fringe areas, then it's unlikely this little guy will do the job, and you'll most likely have to resort to using an outdoor antenna instead.
My recommendation for those who need a longer range solution or who need reception of Upper VHF bands would be to take it outside, combining the ClearStream2 or ClearStream4 UHF antennas with the excellent CLEARSTREAM5 Upper VHF antenna. The CS5 even comes with the combiner you'll need so you can string a single coax cable from your roof or your attic to your TVs with a feed coming from both antennas.
All in all, the Micron gets an A for style but only a C+ for overall performance and value. Within its recommended use, it's a decent choice, but it's not the be-all end-all of HDTV antennas. A more complete review of the Clearstream Micron is available on our web site at Big Picture Big Sound dot com.
The Clearstream Micron is the latest evolution of their passive indoor antenna line, and its slim profile and sleek rounded edges make it a nice visual fit for even the cleanest, simplest decor. And the performance is actually pretty decent, at least in the UHF band where most DTV signal are broadcast. The true gain is 4.5 dBi (the optional "reflector" still seems to be unavailable), and the front/back ratio is about 15 dB, which means it's fairly directional and would classify as a medium gain/medium range antenna. It can pull in stations from a wider area (thought not as distant) when compared to a highly directional but unsightly yagi style antenna. Unfortunately for those living in an area with DTV broadcasts in the Upper VHF band (what used to be analog channels 7-13), this antenna really isn't going to cut it, unless you have a clear line of sight to the broadcast towers and they're not too far away.
We tested the Micron against an inexpensive set of rabbit ears plus UHF loop from Radio Shack ($12). While the Micron did outperform the rabbit ears by about 5% in signal strength, compared to the rabbit ears, on UHF based stations, it fared no better on three of the Upper VHF stations in the New York City area: channels 7.1 (ABC) and 11.1 (CW). While we were able to move the antenna around in order to get a decent signal on these channels as well as getting a lock on PBS (13.1) - which the rabbit ears could not manage to do, we were expecting better performance from a $49 antenna. Unfair, perhaps, knowing the limitations of the laws of physics, but most consumers are not going to know the difference between UHF and Upper VHF and may buy this purely based on its gain specs and distance rating.
To find out which type of antenna you need (what gain and what frequencies) go to tvfool.com, type in your address and you'll see a list of the DTV broadcasters in your area. If you see that you have only UHF broadcasts in your area, and you're not too far from the tower (with an exterior wall or windows facing the broadcast towers), then this pretty little antenna may be all you need. But if you do need something for the Upper VHF band, or you're out in the fringe areas, then it's unlikely this little guy will do the job, and you'll most likely have to resort to using an outdoor antenna instead.
My recommendation for those who need a longer range solution or who need reception of Upper VHF bands would be to take it outside, combining the ClearStream2 or ClearStream4 UHF antennas with the excellent CLEARSTREAM5 Upper VHF antenna. The CS5 even comes with the combiner you'll need so you can string a single coax cable from your roof or your attic to your TVs with a feed coming from both antennas.
All in all, the Micron gets an A for style but only a C+ for overall performance and value. Within its recommended use, it's a decent choice, but it's not the be-all end-all of HDTV antennas. A more complete review of the Clearstream Micron is available on our web site at Big Picture Big Sound dot com.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
The specification of this antenna on its box is 25 Mile Range, Peak Gain of 4.5 dBi as against the 8.3/8.25 dBi mentioned in the specifications not just on amazon but everywhere, even in Antenna Direct's website. This means just around half the gain of what is claimed. The antenna did no better than an RCA ANT200B of just 15-20$.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
good
it is good though not perfect.
i am able to receive tbn though not very clear.But it is the best i have had so far.
i am able to receive tbn though not very clear.But it is the best i have had so far.
Published 2 months ago by gideon
does its job
moved to colorado springs last year and decided to do without cable for the first time to see how we could manage. Read more
Published 2 months ago by poovs
its okay
this antenna is okay not great don't waste your money. my old antenna bought from radioshack is better :/ very disappointing
Published 3 months ago by Vrobson8
Far stronger signals with this particular antenna!
This is a much better antenna for obtaining certain channels over the air for metropolitan areas. Until I received this antenna, I was not able to get several channels. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Gehret
Great product
We have better reception with just this than we did with our new roof top antenna. Great on line support also if you should have any questions.
Published 4 months ago by I am a
excellent antenna
I put this antenna in our living room and it works great, better than our outdoor antenna. My friend that knows more about this stuff said it is because of it's broad pattern and... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Dennis Puetz
Huge improvement over previous antenna
For the last year, I've been using an indoor "rabbit ears" amplified antenna that worked fairly well, but I was frequently making adjustments and repositioning it to pick up... Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Stringer
First antenna that met my needs
I have used a Terk antenna with my Sony Bravia HDTV for a couple of years now with no major problems. Read more
Published 7 months ago by J. Melville
Worst Antenna Ever
This is quite possibly the worst antenna ever made. While aesthetically pleasing, it it cheaply and poorly built. Read more
Published 13 months ago by T. Chang
antenna works well for me
I like to do my research on products before purchasing. I found some positive and negative reviews on this product so I too gave the company a call and they were very helpful and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Spinner
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