There are differences with aerials. It generally boils down to whether they are Contractor type or not. Contractor aerials are the lowest cost products, so you get cheaper light weight construction, a little inconsistent in performance, not such a high signal level. After that then it's a case of design, position and setup.
Design is whether the aerial is the correct type for the job: i.e. wideband or group. How rugged is it; will it cope with wind and weathering OK
Position is probably the most important factor; clear line of sight to the transmitter wins every time over the highest gain fanciest design. Knowing if your house is on the fringe of a transmitter area is also valuable info.
Setup: from basics like having the aerial pointing in the right direction, to more complex issues such as head amps / distribution / cable quality etc. A good aerial can be crippled by cheap or poorly specified ancillaries.
I supply a lot of aerials to caravaners and boat owners. They have the hardest time getting decent signals because of the locations of camp sites and rivers/canals.
I sell something decent but basic for a tenner. My step-up model is a good log period for £16, and my top of the range is £25, which is worth every penny when you look at the build quality and see the signals that it can pull in where others fail. Most of the rest of the stuff including those ridiculous giant "sail" aerials with the massive reflectors or overly complex boom designs are really just willy waving exercises. I'll sell them if someone insists, but I won't recommend them.
A good Log Periodic works in most locations.
