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Some things to note:
1) THs are made at consumer grade, I believe they use whatever are the cheapest components available for a given run … means they may substitute values that are considered not important in this grade of equipment, or variables in component tolerances, etc. This means performance can vary at least somewhat.
2) The TH holds a valid FCC Certification for the unit itself, but it’s unsure that the accessory ATU system is certified for use with it.
3) The TH wire antenna is a spec length and the unit is trimmed inside at the factory, and dependent on the TH’s automatic internal tuning system. The 75ohm F connector and external cable to the ATU bypasses the trimmed wire internal system, the ATU system takes over trimming, but it’s easy to do, has a little meter.
NOTE: Just plugging in an untuned whip will fail to gain anything, probably won’t work at all beyond a few dozen feet.
I set up another TH 5, which doesn’t reproduce audio as well as my daily-use one, but is otherwise very similar, with the wire antenna in an upstairs window of a house that is elevated couple hundred feet above sea level. Now, to be specific, that window is wood and plastic, no metal, and is an arch, so the wire curves over the top. No ground wire other than the PS and audio which came from a netbook computer with its charger att’d.
That got out about 200-400 ft in several directions, even behind the house and around other houses, and also could be heard, albeit a little noisy, down on Spring St. (our main street) about 900 ft away … and that after dusk last year in early December.
Once again, the receiver is very important. Auto receivers are generally very good, high quality all-band receivers can also be very good, but you must remember it’s not the telescoping antenna, it’s the ferrite loop usually inside the back of the cabinet, so it has to be oriented for maximum reception, and kept away from noise generators, i.e., anything with motors, florescent lights, computers and wireless devices, chargers, building wiring, etc.
