Amps/boosters strong enough to damage TV?

[Peter R.]

There is just so much junk on the internet that sometimes it is hard to tell what to believe.


Can a strong amp or booster increase signal strength to a point that it would physically/permanently damage a cheap TV tuner?


If this were the case than wouldn't anyone going for weak, long distance stations damage their TVs when they would access strong local stations?

[ADTech]

Can a strong amp or booster increase signal strength to a point that it would physically/permanently damage a cheap TV tuner?

You'd have to work really, really, really hard to do that.

[GroundUrMast]

You would need to connect a small transmitter power amplifier to have the power needed to damage components in the tuner.

The maximum power output of a preamp or distribution amplifier is going to be in the milli-watt range... (thousands of a watt) not single or double digit watts of a transmitting devise.

If you have a situation that truly calls for pre-amplification of weak signals while strong signals are present, you may need to use a very directional antenna and possibly, a pre-selection filter that passes only the weak signal bandwidth. This could mean that you use one antenna for local strong signals and a dedicated antenna for the weak signal. (The TVFR posted in your first thread does not suggest you need to go to these lengths.)

If the TVFR in your fist thread is representative of this scenario, the recommendation made by teleview, that included a CPA-19 preamp, would do well and your tuner would be at no risk of damage due to preamp power output.

[Peter R.]

That's reassuring.

I had read that to much signal amping/boosting could render a strong signal unusable because it also increased detrimental noise...that made sense. But to go as far as breaking a TV tuner, that seemed a bit far fetched.

Again, this is just for general knowledge, not related to my personal TVFR, but is there a mathematical formula to determine if a filter is required when one combines a high yield antenna, amp/booster, and strong local signal?

How common is the use of a filter?

[GroundUrMast]

I don't have a neat and tidy formula to offer. The factors are going to be unique to each situation.

Some of the key factors to consider would be;

Are you facing co-channel or adjacent channel interference?
How directional is the antenna?
What is the actual overload point of the amplifier?
Will the antenna be aimed at a high power signal when aimed at the lower power signal.

Some of these factors can be quantified easily while a consumer may be left to experiment to find the answer for others.

Filters are common in commercial applications where a hundreds or thousands of dollars can be budgeted. There are no over-the-counter single channel bandpass filters in the consumer market that I'm aware of. The closest thing to that would be products from tinlee.com who builds to order. Your alternative is to invest in your own test gear and try you hand at building your own... you'd truly be bitten by 'the bug' to be willing to drop a few thousand dollars into such a hobby interest.

[GroundUrMast]

Here is a distribution amplifier with automatic gain control... http://www.sonoradesign.com/product_info.php?products_id=454&osCsid=6f1vudokj2r0hrcfnp2lkdpt65&cPath=60&target=homeowners

No first hand knowledge of it's real world performance at this point. Sadly, I see the NF listed as 4 dB nominal (5 dB QC limit).

[Peter R.]

...You alternative is to invest in your own test gear and try you hand at building your own... you'd truly be bitten by 'the bug' to be willing to drop a few thousand dollars into such a hobby interest.

I'm no where near there yet:p




Here is a distribution amplifier with automatic gain control... No first hand knowledge of it's real world performance at this point. Sadly, I see the NF listed as 4 dB nominal (5 dB QC limit).

Hopefully, if someone here has tried this (or tried one from a different manufacturer) they will voice their experience here.

[GroundUrMast]

This is one of the only DAs with AGC that I've come across that's clearly intended for the consumer market.

[teleview]

The Tv transmissions and signal strengths at your location Are Not Even Close To Overloading the recommended amplifiers of , CM3412 distribution amplifier and CPA-19 preamp.