PreAmp suggestions

oden08 · 6-Mar-2010, 6:57 PM

Hello,
I have a roof mounted TV antenna which I get good signal out of but would like to clean up a few channels (CBS channel 10 or 11 being one of them). I was looking for a preamp and found that most opinions are that ChannelMaster or Wineguard are the best brands.

My question is what would be the best preamp for me?

My TVFool report is located: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...b7c8dade53b776

I am looking specifically at the ChannelMaster 7777, the Wineguard AP-8700 and the Wineguard AP-8275. Can anyone give me some ideas on their opinions are for my specific situation and location? Thanks for your help.

mtownsend · 7-Mar-2010, 5:34 PM

Hello and welcome!

Before getting into a discussion about pre-amps, what kind of antenna do you have? CBS RF channels 9 and 10 are on VHF and should be easy to pick up with a rooftop VHF-capable antenna. If you're having problems with these channels, it sounds like you may be trying to use a UHF-only antenna to pick up VHF stations.

Since you have some fairly strong channels in your area, I'd opt for one of the lower gain amps like the Winegard AP-8700. This amp will have more headroom to avoid getting overloaded by your stronger channels. However, the best choice for you may depend on whether or not you plan to add a VHF antenna to your setup (or swap current antenna with a combo UHF/VHF antenna) and whether or not you want an amp with separate UHF/VHF input ports.

oden08 · 7-Mar-2010, 6:08 PM

Thanks for the speedy reply. I purchased the antenna from Radio Shack (I know, should have done more research) a couple of years ago but I am almost positive it is a UHF/VHF antenna. Actually I am positive it is a UHF / VHF antenna.

From the TVFOOL report it says that channel's 10 and 11 are about 60 miles away. I get the channels but depending on the time of night / the weather / etc we are able to see a show almost in its entirety then of course at the very end we will miss a super important part

.

It's a good thing I started to research this a little as I would have probably took the strongest gain thinking more power a better thing. Makes sense what your saying though.

mtownsend · 7-Mar-2010, 6:37 PM

Adding the amp will probably improve your net signal margin by about 2-4 dB. Hopefully this will improve your channel reliability enough for regular viewing. If it's not enough, then you may need to consider going with a higher gain antenna.