Indoor antenna---pre amp or distribution amp?

[tomin]

I'm cheap and have never had cable. At my previous house I used a Winegard SS3000 amplified indoor antenna.

About a year ago I moved to a four year old house that was wired for cable. It has outlets in 7 rooms. Since I was only using TV at the time I used the SS3000 connected directly to the TV and it worked fine.

About a month ago I added a second TV and decided to move the SS3000 into the closet where the "cable panel" is located. I removed a hodge podge of splitters (the previous owner also had cable internet, so had a strange array of splitters) and hooked the antenna to a two way splitter that feeds the cables to the two rooms where the TV's are located. It works fine.

My wife now wants a third TV hooked up in another room. I tried using a four way splitter and there was not adequate signal strength. I'm assuming that I need a distribution amplifier (amplified four way splitter?). If I go this way can I (or should I) disconnect the amplifier that came with the SS3000?

Also, is there a good alternative to the SS3000 antenna for my application? It works fine, but is so long that I can't shut the closet door when it is positioned for best reception.

Any help or suggestions on brands to use would be greatly appreciated. I am rather ignorant when it comes to electronics.

Please make and post a tvfool radar plot report.

Use the Exact address to make the tvfool radar plot report.

Make the antenna height 25 feet.

[tomin]

teleview,

the report is:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda77081d0fdc

When you said "Make the antenna height 25 feet", I assume that is what you wanted for report purposes---so that is what I used in creating the report. The actual antenna is about 6 feet off the floor. This is as high as I can place the SS3000 antenna in its current closet location. (The closet is only about 22" deep and the antenna needs to stick out the open door.) Moving an antenna to my attic is not a do-it-yourself option because I'm not in the physical condition to walk/crawl around the unfloored ceiling joists in the attic.

[GroundUrMast]

If you have been satisfied with the performance and reliability of the reception provided to one and two sets, keep the existing antenna as is and add a Channel Master CM-3410 distribution amplifier between the antenna and splitter. Or, use either the CM-3414 or CM-3418. These have built in splitters. All are based on the same 15 dB amplifier.

[tomin]

I replaced the amplifier that came with my SS 3000 antenna with a Channel Master CM-3410. From what literature I could find, the amplifier that came with the antenna had a 7 to 10 dB gain. The CM-3410 is advertised at a 15dB gain.

With the stronger amplifier I wasn't able to get virtual channel 8 (broadcast on both real channel 9 and real channel 17) or virtual channel 20 (broadcast on virtual channel 21).

I switched back to the amplifier that came with the antenna and started getting both channels again. I guess that I will leave things as they are, but am puzzled why the stronger amplifier gave me worse results with these two "problem" channels.

From what I can determine, most of the broadcast towers for Indianapolis are clumped together in the NW side of town. I am located on the SE side of town--about 17 miles away. I am told that virtual channel 8 is a problem in my area because it is broadcast at relatively low power. Virtural channel 8 is a problem because their broadcast tower is only about half the height that the other channels are using.

Above the Peak of the roof install a Winegard HD7694P antenna aimed at about 0 degree magnetic compass direction.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

Here are some above the roof antenna mounts.

http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , if installing the tripod antenna mount install the 5 foot antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , if installing the eave antenna mount install the #4560.

http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html.

http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsigmal search box or buy from ronard.

Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.winrgarddirect.com , http://www.channelmasterstore.com.

Install a Channel Master CM3414 distribution amplifier in the wiring panel.

Put a 75 ohm terminator cap on the unused output of the 4 way CM3414 distribution amplifier.

________________________________

As always , trees and tree leaves do a good job of , reflecting , reducing , blocking , Digital Broadcast Tv reception and so do buildings and other obstructions including your own roof and house.

It is best to install the HD7694P antenna at a location that has the least amount to no amount of obstructions of any type or kind in the directions including your own roof and house.

At your location the Digital Broadcast Tv transmitters are , north/north east , north west , south west.

The Tv's Must Channel Scan for the OTA=Over The Air , Digital Broadcast Tv stations/channels , often named the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv Setup Menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the Air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

Some Digital Tv's will automatic channel scan for cable tv channels.

DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels.

Go into the Tv setup menu and select , 'Air Channels' / 'Antenna Channels'.

[tomin]

A feeble senior citizen who gets good reception with an indoor antenna located in a closet should be climbing on the roof and installing an outdoor antenna??????

Install an other SS3000 , at the third Tv.

Or install a Terk HDTVa at the third Tv.

Put the SS3000 or HDTVa in a window that faces north , and run a loooong coax to the Tv or Tv's.

Or run the loooong coax the closet to supply signal to the Tv's.

[Stereocraig]

Originally Posted by tomin

A feeble senior citizen who gets good reception with an indoor antenna located in a closet should be climbing on the roof and installing an outdoor antenna??????

Anytime I don't feel like climbing, I pay my tree guy to do it.

[elmo]

Pure speculation here. Maybe when you have a "specialized" antenna, is it possible that the amp that goes along with it was considered as part of it's design? Or what if the new amp doesn't reject FM and the old one did? (and I'm not even sure that FM is an issue here or not)

What I'd suggest, for troubleshooting, just connect to one TV. That way, you can rule out any other factors having an impact. So I'd test w/the old amp, collect some sample signal strengths, then do the same w/the new amp. Comparison of signal numbers will give you an idea of how the two perform.

Did I see something about a 4-way splitter for 3 TV's? If so, be sure and cap the open connection or get a 3-way instead. That will help you, regardless of the amp used.

[Stereocraig]

He says his reception is good, now, so maybe you're right.