Re: Amplifying TV antenna signal

18 Nov 2003 08:36:45 -0800, (just j) wrote:

> Avoid in-line amp if at all possible.  Pre-amps mounted at the antenna
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> is a better soultion.  

hmmm.  do you really mean that "in-line" word?

would you kindly be more specific, and also
give a min/max range of what it's likely to cost

would an outfit like Radio Shack have a pre-amp 
type of antenna amplifier?


> Inline amps have no capacity to distinguish noise from signal, 

that sounds like my cheap amp


> hence any interferance or loss of SN ratio is all
> equally amplified.

ok

> 
> Think of an amplifiers job as "pushing" the signal down the cable,
> verus "pulling" the signal from the cable.

fwiw, i'm presently using an inexpensive Radio Shack amp
that cost $30 and is id'd as an "In-Line Signal Amplifier"
(Cat. No. 15-1170)

it has both an antenna part and another two parts next
to the TV.   the small amp part attaches at the antenna, 
amplifies the signal, and pushes the signal down the cable.   
the TV "part" is a combo of 115AC volt to DC transformer 
and the piece that attaches both parts (near the TV), 
which sends the DC ouput into the cable (providing DC 
power to the remote amp, at the antenna) and completing 
the connection of the cable to the TV

i can easily believe that this cheap amp amplifies the noise too
(the manual makes no mention of it being a "pre-amp"
 as you suggest getting (at the start of your comments))

thanks for any info to my questions at the top, bill


> (Steve Thomas) wrote 

> > I just put up a new super-duper TV antenna this weekend.  It's a
> > Channel Master Ultra-Hi Crossfire 3671, which theoretically has a
> > Reception Range of 100+ miles for VHF/FM and 60+ for UHF.
<snip>
> > Question is:  what can I do, if anything to pull these in?  I've seen
> > pre-amps on the web.  I don't want to bring this tower back down, so
> > I'd like to amplify it inline if possible.