Quote:
Originally Posted by ADTech
Zero. A higher gain preamp will net you nothing except a stronger signal of still poor quality.
The comparative noise figures for the two amps at channel 22 is nearly identical, within a tenth of a dB (2.9 to 3.0 dB), based on samples I've tested. There is no "extra noise" in one or the other.
KQFX is licensed as a low power station and is limited to 15 kW of transmit power giving it an estimated range of 40-45 miles, depending on the signal path. Expecting to receive it reliably (24/7/365) at 55+ miles in the absence of an ideal signal path is not realistic. It's on the same tower as KMIZ whose antenna is a bit higher on the tower and transmits at 120 kW as compared to 15 kW).
You could slightly improve the system noise margin by several dB by upgrading to a DB8e over the DB8 and switching to an ultra-low noise pre-amp like a Kitztech or Research Communications for UHF-only. You're near the point of diminishing returns and throwing such measures at the issue will likely yield very marginal improvement. The station might come in a bit sooner and stay a bit longer as the atmospheric conditions ebb and flow.
You could so get the antenna clear of any limbs as the mere near proximity tree's elements will tend to distort the antenna's reception pattern and performance.
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Hey AdTech !!! Thanks for your input. I kind of knew the answer before asking but thought an expert opinion was in order. The first time I scanned and got 22 I was surprised, and it worked well that weekend and when I went back down this past weekend I couldn't hardly get it at all. There are a few limbs close, but not directly in the path that I may try to get rid of. I'll need to wait for my son to come down, @ 64 my climbing days are done !! I'm getting a new hdtv with it's own tuner so we'll see if there is a change there also. Are there any tv brands better as far as tuners are concerned?