After deciding to cut the cord from satellite TV, I researched until I found this antenna which I bought through Amazon, which arrived ahead of schedule. The box is HUGE so make sure you have somewhere to put this until you're ready to install it though. I had to wait to find someone to install the antenna for me, since I'm partially sighted and am not able to climb the roof to do this type of project. Once we found someone a few days ago, he got the antenna put together and up to replace the beat-up old antenna that was on the house since the stone-age, and in short order it was all connected and is now working very well. Keep in mind I have a single story house and am hampered by several trees in the way between me and the direction of all the Los Angeles TV stations I want to receive, so the installer pointed the antenna slightly upwards to aim it at the clearest spot in the cluster of trees. We are about 9 miles from Mt. Wilson so we get most of the channels even with rabbit ears, but there are too many problems with pixelation in bad weather or when someone is walking in the room, problems we now don't have. here's what's interesting about setting up this antenna. The guy knew how to install the antenna but for whatever reason he read map instructions wrong and thought the signals were to our south, not north. The peak signals are at 348 degrees (11 to 12 degrees to the left of due north). he was sure the map was correct and when I looked at the map I saw what he was talking about and have no idea why they pointed him the wrong way. Just for grins and giggles we fired up the TV with the antenna pointed wrong and it still picked up most all the channels, but a few major ones were missing. That's amazing for a highly directional antenna pointed exactly opposite where it should be. Once redirected, i was able to pick up all channels, and the ONLY channel that simply won't come in well is a very low-power ch. 10, which only has 3,000 watts ERP, so that signal comes in very pixelated no matter what we do. No major loss there. Everything else comes in fine with plenty of signal to spare, so the installer was able to split the signal three ways to run in my office, my wife's office and the living room, without using a signal amplifier. Then even in the living room, I use a small signal amp because I'm feeding the TV and a DVD recorder with built-in tuner, and still get plenty of signal. Now I'm a happy camper because I have very good TV reception throughout the house and I'm sure that antenna should last for many years to come, probably till long after I'm dirt-napping.

I've been told this antenna is overkill for this metro area, and maybe it is, but I wanted a dynamite antenna that would be up to the task of giving us studio-grade video throughout the house, and considering I have no more monthly TV bills, I'm happy with my decision about this antenna.

Just as a test we did rotate it around, wondering if we would get San Diego stations from here, but they are 110 miles from here and are not going to come in unless we increase height and amplify the signal more. But for our reception area, this works extremely well. I trust a name like Winegard and can recommend this model.

After connecting, my "smart" tv took over and added all the wi-fi from my computer. With local stations now have over 500 channels. Local channels alone amount to around 50 channels. I am 65 miles from St. Louis in thee Ozark Mtn.'s. Picture quality is as good if not better than cable. Can't really believe it, but I got to, I'm lookin' right at it.

Love love love it.
It is HUGE. Know that before you decide. But "that" is why I chose this one.
I live waaaay down (3 city blocks) 'straight down' a long extremely steep hill, and the tv stations towers are 15 miles away.
I have crap cell phone signal strength because all the 'waves' go 100's of feet above and over me.
I was using an RCA compact digital tv antenna, and could not receive 1/2 the channels.
To put this together, you will need an open area in a yard of 20 feet by 20 feet.
Very few tools.
Mine is up perfectly with a pair of pliers, a flat blade screwdriver, and a long extension ladder.
I laid it all out in the grass, unfolded the metal rods (called elements), put it together following the 2 page instructions, and this is important...
I 'LEANED' it upright against my house (yep, all 12 feet of it, "almost" straight up in the air), to add the final 3 or 4 largest sections.
I then climbed onto my roof, and pulled it up over the edge of my house, from its upright leaning position, where I had finished constructing it.
I then tired a rope to it (just in case it decided it wanted to slide down my roof), and I tied the other end of the rope to the tv stand (the tripod I used to mount the antenna to when it was finished). I didn't want a smashed antenna if it started sliding back down the roof.
Once it was mounted in its tripod stand, I Googled "television station towers (they'll ask for your address), and they then give you the locations, miles away, and ""degrees"" from your location.
This is so you can "point" your antenna towards the tv towers.
But hers what you want to know.
Did it work when I was done?
It took me 'exactly' 3 hours (not including the tripod stand. I had installed that a couple weeks ago).
It.. works.. unbelievable!
I receive ALL the stations far away; way, way, way down the bottom of my hill.
Crystal clear.
Oh, one lady thing.
My neighbor has a shorter antenna than mine (this one), with less elements.
He had to use a super long pole (his antenna is 15 feet high off the top of his house) to get stations. And he says his come and go from time to time. He also days because his pole is so long (tall), that it moves in the wind and they get a bad signal if it's windy.
But, because this one is so hugh, it picks up just a tiny sniff of any tv signal wafting by it... Mine is on a short 4 foot pole.
Much, much MUCH easier to install. No wind movement. And a perfect signal all the time.
I took pictures of me with my new antenna behind me and Facebooked them.
I was so proud of me.
I did add a tiny 3 inch, 12 volt, signal amplifier to mine (only because I already had it), but it didn't need it.
So... if what you are looking for is a "monster," wave sniffing antenna, to cure a spotty reception area, this is the best on the planet.
Lots and lots of elements (tv wave grabbing rods).
I don't see how to include any pictures, but it looks awesome on my roof.
Don't get in a hurry putting it together.
Don't be intimidated.
Follow the instructions.
They are really short anyway.
PS, one last thing. I actually secured my ladder to my house 1st! Much easier since I didn't have anybody to hold the ladder for me.
Make sure your ladder is fastened to your house, or someone is holding it.

I got this Antenna shortly after I got my house! So it's been just over 2 years now!!! Sept 5th 2012. I had enough of a $170 a month Comcast bill. At the time it was just Me. When I got my house, I wasn't going to pay for TV ever again. Right now I pay AT&T U-Verse $30 a month for Internet only. It's not as fast as Comcast by far, but it's more then fast enough to stream some HD content.

I rewired my House with all new cable for the Antenna. It's also grounded both he Antenna and the COAX cable. Both connected to a very long Copper Rod I installed into the ground!!! I also have it wired in such a way to go out directly to each of my 3 HDTV's for a direct connection as backup. But it also goes to my 2 Duel HD tuners in my small closet. This allows my Windows 7 PC and Media Center to record up to 4 HD programs at once while watching other already recorded content. Yep, when I was running all the COAX under my house, I ran a bunch of Cat6 Ethernet cable all over also!!! So my house is wired all up. Took a few days crawling around under my house!!! I have Xbox 360's connected to each HDTV. They boot right up into Media Center extender mode and all are controlled by harmony 900 remotes!!! Works fantastic and I have full DVR controls. It's better then TIVO! No monthly charges, and I can watch in the Family room, quit and finish watching the rest of the program in the bedroom.

I pick up my signals around 50 miles away I guess. I needed no Booster, though I did wire up for one if I needed to add one. I get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, PBS and others all in HD and 5.1 surround sound!!! It doesn't cost me anything per month for it all, other then the power to run my PC of course. Now there's a few other Boxes out for Cable cutters that look pretty cool to use. I'm already setup, so I don't need to go that way for now. I got a 10 foot mast from Radio shack to mount the Antenna to and some brackets to mount it to the side of my house. Because of the overhang of the roof over the side, I made a hole which it goes right though. It actually adds some extra support to the side house mounts. Once I adjusted for the BEST signal and locked the antenna in place, I put sealer around the pole on the top and bottom where the pole goes though.

If you didn't know, this is a Directional type of antenna. You point it to get the strongest signal. Like I said I'm around 50 miles away. If your a whole lot closer, this isn't the type of antenna to get. You wouldn't want a directional antenna. You'd want a antenna to pick up signals around you!!!

Growing up as a Kid we didn't have cable. We had a Antenna. One that was attached to a Box so we could remote turn it!!! It was Analog, lots of static at times. Not many channels. While it seemed everyone else I knew had cable. back then it was basic type cable and HBO. That was it. I'd go next door once in a while to watch MTV, back when they actually played Music Video TV!!! Now it's Digital, the picture is BETTER then on Comcast and much better then Satellite. Plus you get 5.1 Surround sound. All for FREE. 100% Legally FREE!!! I'm now saving $135 a month. Think about how much money you're spending on cable. Basic math if your rates didn't change at all which they seem to a couple times a year!!! For example ME, Cable TV service and a Duel tuner DVR box and Mid speed Internet service with my own modem!!! $170 a month. That's with no premium channels. That's $2040 a year. In just 10 years, that's $20,400 If prices didn't go up in those 10 years!!! I'm paying $30 now for Internet only. That's $360 Per year, and in 10 years that would be $3,600. I'm saving $1680 a year right now!!! That's money staying in my pocket and not going to Comcast!!! That's $16,800 in 10 years time not going to Comcast!!! Think about what you pay for PAY TV and how much YOU would save without it. I see no antenna's around me anywhere and I laugh at all the suckers.

If you're a Huge sports person and ESPN and Fox Sports and the others you just can't live without, OK. The few cable channel shows you will no longer get, you can generally buy a season pass to watch. Like for my I love "The Walking Dead" on AMC. Well I can get a season pass right here from Amazon. I just get the SD version which looks just fine, The new show airs Sunday night and I get to watch it on Monday Night and Commercial free!!! With all the money I save, buying a few season passes is a drop in the bucket!!! With the Internet these days, a Antenna and Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others you'll have more content to watch then you could possibly see!!!

Stop paying for 100 channels and nothing to watch!!!

I've done quite a number of commercial and residential antenna installations over the years. These have ranged from indoor amplified antennas to 12' C-Band satellite dishes. Among the over-the-air (free TV) antennas available in the United States, the Winegard HD8200U stands out as one of the best in the industry. Here is a short rundown of pros and cons you will want to take into consideration prior to purchase:

THE GOOD:
- Excellent design provides high-gain coverage of all possible frequencies that both digital VHF/UHF TV stations may be on as well as the FM Radio band and the few analog translators and LPTV transmitters still being used by TV broadcasters.
- Construction is simple and straight forward. Very little documentation is included, but not much is needed to get this system up-and-running.
- Uses standard RG-6 cable, masts and other hardware that can be easily found at any local hardware store.
- The gain characteristics of this antenna are impressive. I was able to finally view HD signals in broadcast quality that I only had marginal reception with using a different high-gain outdoor antenna.

THE BAD:
- Documentation is minimal. There are no part numbers included, so reporting missing parts isn't as straightforward as it could be.

THE UGLY:
- Winegard's quality control and customer support leaves a lot to be desired. As with many others who have ordered Winegard products, my antenna arrived with parts missing. After waiting more than a week for them to answer my trouble ticket regarding the issue, I finally ended-up calling them, describing the part that was missing and had them send me a free replacement. It took about 3 days for the replacement to arrive, but that was after I had already waited a week when first submitting my trouble ticket (they never did respond to that one). Just do a search for Winegard using any search engine. You'll quickly find that my customer experience is not an unusual one. I did get the part, but it was a lot of trouble to go through and shouldn't have been necessary.

What I like most about this antenna is the massive amount of gain you will achieve on not only the UHF band, but on the VHF-HI and VHF-LO bands as well. Even after the mandatory switch to HDTV for all U.S. broadcasters, many stations retained their frequency assignments below the UHF band. If you live in an area served by one of these broadcasters, you will get NO signal using a UHF-only antenna. Some analog translators also utilize the VHF band as well, so this antenna covers all the bases, regardless of what type of TV signal you are trying to pull in.

The particular location I installed this antenna is less than 20 miles from the majority of broadcast stations in my area. However, the location also happens to be BELOW sea level, surrounded by trees and has NO direct line-of-sight reception at all. This makes for a tricky situation that most antennas simply aren't able to compensate for. I spent about $200 on a different brand antenna that was nearly the size of the Winegard, but with a pre-amp and antenna rotor for better accuracy in aiming the antenna. The results were disappointing, and I never received a reliable signal on any channel.

Installing the Winegard HD8200U only about 15' away from the other antenna produced results that were like the difference between night and day. Although I did utilize a mast mounted pre-amp with the Winegard as well, I did not install an antenna rotor. In fact, I really didn't put any effort into aiming the antenna at all, other than choosing a general direction. Without any type of tweaking, ALL channels in the area now arrive in broadcast quality, without the need for fine tuning antenna direction with a rotor or making adjustments of any kind. This is despite the fact that some of the transmitter towers of local TV stations are located miles away from each other. The antenna's reception pattern seems to offer just the perfect balance of high-gain with just a wide enough antenna pattern to make adjustments for individual TV stations unnecessary. Obviously, your situation may be different, especially if you are trying to receive signals in opposite directions. If that's the case, opt for an antenna rotor or install a second, fixed antenna.

As long as the antenna is installed properly and with high quality coaxial cable (RG-6), F-connectors, sealant for the antenna cartridge housing and connectors, this antenna should provide you with years of reliable service. If you are unsure about any part of your installation (i.e. where/how to mount, wind loading, whether a certain mast will support the antenna's large frame, where local transmitters are located, etc.) you should consult an experienced, local antenna installer. They can often give you information off the top of their heads that can save you hours of needless experimentation. If you don't know what you are doing, even the best antenna in the world is not going to help. After doing your homework though, I'm sure you'll find that the Winegard HD8200U is a great antenna that will serve you well under some of the most difficult conditions. If you can already get a decent signal with rabbit ears, this antenna is definitely overkill though, and you should look into a smaller outdoor antenna with less gain.

As a side-note, the quality of picture I receive is definitely superior to HD signals on either the local cable system or even from DirecTV. I happen to live in one of the smallest TV markets in the entire United States, but I am still able to receive an absolutely perfect picture on nearly 20 different local TV channels. I am able to receive ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS (3 channels), FOX, ThisTV, Univision, The CW and a number of independent channels for absolutely free. There are two low-power analog stations in the area that provide a steady, if not broadcast quality signal, but this is likely due to failing to tweak the antenna for best direction and the extremely low-power these broadcasters are using. With a minimal amount of effort, those signal would likely be equal to cable or satellite quality for standard definition signals as well. Also, during a recent storm with hail and 50mph gusts of wind, reception was completely unaffected. Having a good mast and mounting system in place is absolutely essential for this type of reliability, but is not at all difficult to achieve with a little pre-planning and quality hardware.