New USB or Battery-Powered Portable DTV Antenna Available From Powerq

By Doug Lung
published

Regular readers of my RF Technology column in TV Technology know that I travel with an assortment of USB ATSC tuners to check out DTV reception in different cities.

I've found an amplified antenna is often needed in weak signal areas, whether due to concrete or distance, and for VHF DTV reception due to lower antenna gain.

PowerQ is now offering the PowerHD 100 amplified antenna. The complete package measures 6.6x2.2x1.5 inches. The user guide says it works on Channels 2 through 69. Amplifier gain is specified as 15 dB. The PowerHD 100 runs on power from a USB port or two AA batteries.

I originally used an Archer telescoping dipole antenna with built-in preamplifier that was about the size of a transistor radio, but RadioShack discontinued it several years ago. My current favorite is the Artec AN-2A USB-powered amplified flat-panel antenna. It does an excellent job on UHF ands works much better than the whip antennas supplied with many USB ATSC tuners at VHF. I'm tempted to order a PowerHD 100 and give it a try, If any readers have a chance to test it, I'd be interested in hearing how it performs on UHF and VHF.

Read all of RF Reporthere.

Your comments and story leads are always appreciated! Drop me a note at dlung@transmitter.com.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.