[phone man]

I installed the Antennas Direct CPA 19 preamplifier today. I chose this model after collecting all the info I could here and elsewhere online about various preamps and how they would apply to my installation. I was leery of the 29 dB Channelmaster but wanted more than the 12 dB Winegard. The CPA 19 rated at 17 dB seemed to be about right for the approximately 100 ft total cable run plus one 2 way splitter.
After installing the CPA 19 preamp, signal strength and SNR dB figures are slightly improved for the strongest channels. The three channels that would rarely come in for a few hours in the evening are now working in the afternoon, something they would never do before. Signal strength for the worst of these (W23BZ ch23.1) at what was the worst time of day is now showing 55 signal strength with a SNR of 18 dB. It appears to be much more steady without the big swings in signal strength it had before. I'm actually shocked this channel comes in at all considering the -12.7 NM (dB) number from the TV fool report. It's a GTN affiliate and I'm very glad it's working reliably now.
WWHO, the furthest away at 65.5 miles, now shows the same 82 strength and 23 SNR dB readings as the best channels. Excellent!
The HD channels look exactly as they did before but I swear the secondary sub channels look better now. Does that make sense? Somehow they just have more clarity than before.
I think I made a good choice and am very happy with the results. Thanks John Candle and GUM for all your helpful information. I learned a lot and have a new hobby! After seeing me on the roof a couple times, my neighbor is interested in how I now get 18 channels compared to his 8.