Channel Master CM-4228HD versus the Kosmic SuperQuad
A sample of the SuperQuad was sent to me for characterization
by "EV" of the http://www.dtvusaforum.com
thread "Kosmic Antennas: SuperQuad 4 Bay Bowtie".
On one hand it might not seem fair to be comparing a 4-Bay design to an 8-Bay
design. On another hand, assertions on the SuperQuad's thread that the its
performance rivals that of "... commercially available 8 bays" invites
the comparison.
So here are the results.
Channels 15 & 20:
Channels 17 thru 26:
Channels 30 and 33:
Channels 44 and 47:
Channels 47 thru 55:
And What About VHF? Does the SuperQuad provide the same Hi-VHF benefits as the
CM4228HD?
Channels 7 thru 13:
Conclusion The SuperQuad's 4-Bay performace seems pretty close to what one would expect
relative to an 8-Bay design. E.g., about 2-3 dB less sensitivity than an
8-bay. The only place where anything better was observed was for the "44
and 47" capture where maybe 1 dB of better sensitivity was observed. On the
other hand the "47 thru 55" capture hints the SuperQuad high end sensitivity
might roll off a little prematurely, compared to the CM4228, as indicated by the
differences for channel 51 and 55.
Although at Hi-VHF the low end response is within about 1 dB
of the CM4228's, there is a suggestion of a declining trend in senistivity here.
Mainly, the observations that the SuperQuad is about 1 dB higher at Ch 7, but 1
dB lower at Ch 8, then 6 to 8 dB down at Ch 13, might indicate that the gap
generally widens across band. Its not conclusive though with intermediate
data points. One can only say its pretty close to the 4228's sensitivity
at the low end, and 6 to 8 dB lower at the high end.
Nevertheless, depending on the exact channels of interest, the SuperQuad can
indeed provide a single antenna solution for Hi-VHF and UHF.