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Old 1-Oct-2010, 4:22 PM   #11
mtownsend
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 632
Yes, I would recommend using a mast mounted pre-amp. Your signals *might* be strong enough to work without the amp, but an amp will make sure you have enough signal to overcome the loss of any signal splitters and long cable runs.

A good pre-amp choice for your situation would be the Channel Master 7777.

Note that pre-amps are usually installed on the mast close to the antenna and get their power on the same coax that is used to deliver the signal into your home. The pre-amp kit comes with a "power injector" that is installed inside your home and sends the power up to the amp. This power injector should be installed before the splitter that sends the signal to all the rooms of your house (don't want to send power through the splitter). There should be nothing else between the power injector and the pre-amp.



Hmmm. How was the DirecTV distribution system hooked up? I suspect that they did not use a passive splitter, but used a multiswitch instead. If you no longer have satellite service, you may need to disconnect the multiswitch and put in a passive splitter instead. Some multiswitches have the ability to pass OTA TV signals, but it's probably easier to just have a passive splitter instead.



BTW, if you have any unused ports in your system, it is recommended that you cap them off with a 75-ohm terminator.

This helps protect the connectors, and, most importantly, prevents any errant signals from leaking out or reflecting back into the system and causing interference.
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