Customer Reviews

Winegard SS-3000 Amplified Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna

5 star:		(140)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

I'm a EE and know a thing or two about antennas. Never had a need for an indoor antenna until a friend moved to the city and had terrible problems with ghosting in the analog channels and pixelation plus stuttering in the digitals. After testing seven indoor models ranging from simple $10 rabbit ears to fancy $150 models I have to say that this is by far the best. Note that this is a very specialized antenna. It's meant for use in areas of strong signals but without a clear path to the transmission towers. It will not work well if you are far (lets say more than 25 miles) from your source, at which point I would recommend the Winegard HD-1080, which is also sold in Amazon. Not really an indoor antenna but small enough for a balcony or to hide behind plants, etc.

This beauty can also pickup high end VHF (ch 7-13) fairly well in my friend's area. It can get channels 2-6 but not as well as bigger rabbit ears antennas (this is not a flaw, but a physical limitation since the antenna is only 27" wide). This is important b/s after the 2/18/09 digital switch, some stations will switch back from transmitting in UHF to their original VHF channels. Check antennaweb.org to see if that will affect your city. Some stations have not announced that yet so it will not show in their list, but you might be affected in the future if you have a local station which is currently transmitting analog in the VHF and digital in the UHF. It's up to the station to decide if they want to switch back or not. The reason for this switch is that since they have to keep transmitting in analog until 2/17/09, they can't use their VHF channel for digital and are just using a free UHF channel until they stop analog transmissions. In my friend's case one local station which is currently transmitting digital in UHF is going to switch back to channel 7. So keep in mind that unlike what many people think, OTA HDTV is not UHF only.

Bottom line, best indoor antenna with very good UHF and good VHF reception in areas with strong signals but with multipath problems and lack of clear line of sight to the transmitting towers. Not my first choice for medium to distant stations.

I've always had spotty reception (I live in a city in a concrete & brick building), and the move to digital hasn't been kind. After struggling for 4 months trying to get my favorite shows with the digital tuner I thought I'd give one more shot with one more new antenna before giving up and paying for cable (I've already had 3 previous antennas - none with very good results). You've turned a skeptic into a believer. It works brilliantly! All of the channels that didn't show up now show up with perfect reception. I'm a fan.

I've come to realize how much I really value the customer reviews that are posted on Amazon, therefore I am writing this review. When I first bought the Winegard SS-3000 I was a little skeptical as there were only two reviews at the time (both 5-star) and it was a manufacturer I hadn't heard of before. I did some more research on different websites and, at the time, found very few other recommendations...but the ones I did find were always with a very positive rating.

Now, I am no technical expert. I've been using rabbit ears for years and years, but after buying a digital-to-analog converter box I got really terrible reception of the digital signals. I live in a densely populated city with many buildings and lots of interference and one of the things that sold me on this antenna was that it works very well in these types of areas.

And boy does it! This antenna is amazing. I am now getting crystal clear reception on every channel...even channels that I could barely get on my rabbit ears. I can't recommend this product enough. It's like having cable-quality reception for free. And the best thing of all...unlike my old rabbit ears, I never need to get up off the couch to readjust the antenna whenever I change to a different channel. Highly recommended.

I bought this indoor antenna because of all of the great reviews. We hooked it up and were extremely disappointed with it b/c of terrible reception. We do not live near any large cities so we figured we were just out of luck. I was about to return the antenna, when I happened to notice a THIN PLASTIC FILM on the back side of the antenna (the plastic part)!! It was like the plastic film on the screen of a new cell phone, etc. I immediately peeled it off and the antenna worked like a CHARM. We LOVE it and get 10-14 channels even in a smaller city. We have to adjust it now and then to get better signal, but otherwise it works GREAT. Here are a few more tips that we learned the hard way:

**Make sure the antenna is next to or near a window, ESPECIALLY if you live in a stucco house (like we do).

**Make sure that if you have those thin METAL blinds, that they are always pulled up so that the signal can get through! We just put a permanent curtain over the window that the antenna is in front of with the blinds always up.

**The antenna's plug is very heavy and would tilt out slightly from the outlet, which made the prongs slide out slightly. We would suddenly get terrible reception on all channels and were once again, VERY frustrated! We finally figured out that the antenna's plug-in did not stay firmly in the wall (actually, we have it plugged into a power strip). To fix it, we bent the prongs of the plug-in closer together. This caused the plug to stay firmly in the outlet. This has proved to be VERY IMPORTANT, as the prongs recently loosened up again and we had to bend them together even more. But after this is done - we get beautiful reception!

**REMOVE THE PLASTIC FILM ON ONE SIDE OF THE ANTENNA BEFORE USE!! It does not tell you anywhere in the directions that it exists. But the antenna works terribly with the plastic film on!

Best of luck!! This antenna saved us from having to pay a cable or satellite bill every month! We also bought a TiVo and are able to record t.v. from over the airwaves - - TWO channels at once! :)

I was skeptical after reading the reviews by Gary and William, but decided to try the antenna. I have used 3 other amplified antennas with a converter with disappointing results. I set the SS-3000 up and aimed it in the general direction of the "antenna farm". What a difference. I now have a clear digital signal that rivals my neighbor's cable. I also am getting stations that are 30 miles away with a ridge-line between me and the station that used to come in snowy, at best. I plan to order a second one for the upstairs set.

Buy the Winegard SS-3000 Indoor DTV Antenna! After connecting my new Digital Converter box to my analog TV, I was upset that I could only get 8-DTV Channels. While they were clear, I was missing several of my FREE Over-The-Air channels. I live in an apartment in Phoenix Arizona and had to move the other antennas every time I wanted to get another channel. I read several reviews about the Winegard Sharp-Shooter 3000 Indoor Antenna so I bought one. As soon as I connected it to my DTV Converter box the signal improved. I had to re-scan the channel set-up to find all the new DTV channels but I now have over 30-DTV Channels and no more getting up to turn the antenna! Amazon.com is a great resource of information and a great place to put your mind at ease when making a purchase! If you've been on the fence about finding the right indoor antenna for Digital Television, get off! Buy the Winegard SS-3000 Indoor DTV Antenna now! You'll be glad you did...I am!

I seldom bother to post product opinion reviews, but this antenna really made our new HDTV a pleasure to watch, and more importantly - possible.

Having recently purchased a new HDTV to replace our old 10+ years analog tv, are excitement turned to disappointment when it came to watching over the air tv. As it turns out weak reception signals which cause even slight static, snow, lines, and other such distorttions on analog tv's, make digital tv's completely unwatchable. The digital tv image becomes frozen with pixels, sometimes intermittent but frequent, or totally frozen and at times no reception at all.

We live in an apartment in a three story building in Los Angeles where the transmission towers are about 25 miles away. Needless to say some channels became unwatchable, others only at times. Had to constantly get up to adjust magnified HDTV ready antenna in order to watch anything.

This unacceptable situation led me to do some research on the web, upon which I found this antenna highly rated. It's not inexpensive, but after reading so many mixed reviews about many others I thought I start my search from the top. Hopefully it would save much time and expense trying out multiple antennas.

Wow, Wow.

My true expression upon setting the Winegard ss3000 up. Signal strength instantly jumped to 100% on most channels most of the time. It was easy to find the optimum placement for reception next to the tv. Once in a very rare while, particularly on Friday nights (I have no idea why) some channel signals become weak causing problems, but all it takes is a quick antenna placement readjustment to make tv enjoyable again.

We are very satisfied customers. Works as stated, the way all things should, yet many do not.

Living in hurricane-alley, I was really hoping this antenna would work so I could avoid putting up an outdoor antenna. Unfortunately, this antenna picked up only one station and that was tenuous at best. My old amplified UHF/VHF rabbit ears antenna will actually pick up most of the UHF stations well - with adjustments, but not the sole VHF station (channel 10). All television broadcast stations available to Miami-Dade County, Florida are in the same direction about 15 miles north of my home. This antenna claims to be capable of receiving signals 30 miles away. Well it is evidently a little more complicated than that.

The Winegard SS-3000 is color coded for the CEA "yellow" antenna zone, and I wish Amazon would go the extra step and put that in the description. It can be found on the Winegard manufacturer's web site. Before buying this antenna for your home based on the great reviews, I would advise someone to take the time to look up the color-coded HDTV antenna CEA (Consumer Electronics Association)zone(s) for your specific home. There are a number of online web sites where you can type in your address and get the zones for your home. If I had realized that this antenna's zone was rated "yellow" when my area needs a "red", I would not have bothered trying it out.

Also be aware that some antennas receive UHF broadcasts only. You will need to know if your television stations are broadcasting in UHF or VHF and those same CEA zone look-up web sites will help with that as well. Some stations might even switch from one to the other over time. One last tip, make sure you scan the channels on the antenna input for your television after you have set up the antenna. The first time I hooked up my rabbit ears, I thought they did not work at all, until I re-scanned the channels so it could find the new digital broadcasts.

Obviously some are very happy with this purchase, but I suspect it is because their area is within the antenna's capabilities. Distance from the broadcast stations is not the only criteria for categorizing an antenna's reception ability. I looked up antenna installers in our area and found a company to install an outdoor antenna which will work in our area. I am considering a telescoping antenna mast, so I can at least lower it closer to the roof line during high winds. Even with installation costs, I am looking forward to dumping the monthly cable bill.

First some background--I have had access to satellite HD and OTA HD from the second generation of sets. I watch both Direct TV and OTA broadcasts. I have lived close and far away from broadcasting towers (including Denver, Missoula, and Grand Junction). I have talked with local station network engineers about how they broadcast, the direction and spread of their signals, etc--to improve my own reception. I have observed how OTA digital has developed and improved over time. I know the difference between UHF and VHF signals and antennas.

I have had a LOT of antennas. For instance, in Missoula (MT), I initially had the old RS double bow tie antenna (UHF) tied to a non-amp'd rabbit ears antenna (VHF) to collect all the signals from the locals. Then the broadcasters moved their towers to a higher position, and I was left in a valley with spotty reception. I had to put up an outside antenna.

I recently moved to Grand Junction, CO. After trying my first solution, a combo RS amplified antenna, I realized that I was not going to get the local CBS or NBC signals without some more research. Antennaweb provides a nice resource for positioning antennas, along with distances from your house. KREX (local CBS) at 253 degrees and just over 20 miles away? NO signal. Not even a hint of a signal. KKCO (local NBC), in the same exact position.... with the RS rabbit ears.... 35-40% signal strength and spotty during watching. All other stations, at 110 degrees and less than 10 miles away... over 75% signal strength. I wanted KREX and CBS for football.

I contacted the local engineer armed with my information from Antennaweb and my signal strengths. Not much forthcoming help from KREX--so I decided to spend a bit more money and try the highly regarded Winegard SS-3000.

It is a winged antenna with a plastic deflector mounted on the front. It is also amplified, for which I have found works when it works, but sometimes makes things worse. Both UHF/VHF capable. Putting it together did require me to look at the directions, but it was simple. Hooking it up was just as easy. So how did it work for me?

All of the signals I could pick up before with my RS rabbit ears came in slightly better with 5-10% signal strength improvement (75-95% overall). For KKCO, the marginal NBC station 20 miles away at 253 degrees, the improvement was significant from 35-40% up to 60-65%... making the signal watchable with no breakups. For KREX, where I had no signal? Still no signal.

Me thinks that KREX is not broadcasting at full power, and there is plenty of local web based evidence to support that contention. With full digital moving forward in 2009, maybe things will improve. I really just wanted to know if I needed an outside antenna--and so far I do not have enough information to support that decision. Why put up an outside antenna when you have a great signal on 90% of the OTA stations, and you do not fully understand why you have absolutely no signal on one station?

So I am receiving one more station consistently better than before for my purchase of the SS-3000. Is it worth the money? I suppose that some might say that reception of one more station might be worth it... I am not sure. But I am keeping the SS-3000 and will continue to use it. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I think that for those that have not purchased a variety of antennas, or are considering buying their first antenna for reception of digital signals.... this is a great choice.

It is important to understand what types of signals you have in your local area (UHF, VHF), where the local signals are coming from, and what interferences you may have in your area. I think it is also important to try your cheapest antenna first... that $12 RS UHF ring/VHF rabbit ears set up. You may be very surprised. If that does not work, you should try the Winegard SS-3000. If that does not work, you may need an antenna on your roof, patio, or outside.

I ordered this based on customer reviews that indicated it worked very well and that customer support was excellent. Unfortunately, my experiences have been different.

The antenna arrived missing the part that clamps the antenna to its base. This part is not visible in the manual that accompanies it. When I called customer support, they referred me to tech support. The tech support person got out the same manual that I had been sent and read it to me. I pointed out that I also had the manual and that I needed to know if there might be a part missing that clamps the antenna on to the base. He re-read the manual. I asked him if he had an antenna handy to look at. He said he did not and that he had never actually held one. His solution was that I should ship the antenna back to them at my expense and they would look at it and fix it. When I asked if I could talk to a supervisor, he hung up on me. In a later call to customer support I explained that I needed to talk to someone who actually knew about the antenna. It took a while, but I was finally given someone's number. I called it and had to leave a message. About half a day later, I got a call back from an individual who knew what he was talking about. He said that the clamp was missing and that he would ship me one immediately. It arrived about a week and a half later. I put it together, pointed it at five stations that are less than 10 miles away (the antenna is supposed to be good for stations up to 30 miles away) and was able to pull in exactly zero stations. <sigh>