It’s possible to compress more signal strength from your Freeview set up utilising a boosting or amplifying kit, supplied you have the right know how for the job
If you don’t have the perfect aerial in the best reception area, attached by flawless cable to a flawless TV set, the chances are that your digital aerial may need a hand with the signal in the style of a ‘booster’ or aerial amplifier.
If you don’t have the perfect aerial in the best reception area, attached by flawless cable to a flawless TV set, the chances are that your digital aerial may need a hand with the signal in the style of a ‘booster’ or aerial amplifier.
Why use an amplifier? You won't be amazed to hear, an aerial amplifier is often mistakenly used when the strength of signal at the TV or receiver is too low. Although, an amplifier will not make a poor antenna better and it’s seldom much use amplifying the signal if the yield from the aerial itself is too low. You can check this by connecting up your TV or receiver as close to the aerial as likely, utilising a very short extent of cable.
If you find that the signal coming from your aerial is still really weak, then the only option is to install a new high gain aerial with quality cabling to draw as much signal as possible.
If you find that the signal coming from your aerial is still really weak, then the only option is to install a new high gain aerial with quality cabling to draw as much signal as possible.
What an amplifier is designed for is to compensate for the drop off of a medium to strong signal coming from your aerial through a length of cable to your digibox or TV. So it helps to keep the signal strength strong all the way to your receiver. However, it doesn't differentiate between what is pure digital signal and noise, so just as the signal is kept strong throughout its journey through the cable, so is the noise.
Where does an Amplifier go?
The actual Amp should go as close to the Aerial as you can get it. You must not put the Amplifier near the receiver or TV, because at that point it will boost the noise level at that point. To illustrate, its like turning up the volume of an analogue radio with bad reception. By turning up the volume, you only get louder crackling and hissing not a clearer sound.
By boosting the signal at the source, then the signal travels the cable at a higher level, and any noise picked up on the journey interferes less with the overall signal at the TV end.
By boosting the signal at the source, then the signal travels the cable at a higher level, and any noise picked up on the journey interferes less with the overall signal at the TV end.
The professionals choice of amplifier usually a masthead amplifier. This is fit either on the Aerial mast or screwed to the chimney or wall close by. If this is not practical, then the best alternative is to fix it into the loft where the aerial comes in. To power the amp, in some models a power that is sent up the cable from the receiver is enough to power it. On the models which need mains power, then a loft installation is the only way and it then needs to plug into the mains.
(a) No amplification is needed with a good signal and short cable (b) A longer cable will require boosting the signal with an amplifier that can be mains-powered (c) An external amplifier needs a remote power supply (d) Feeding two or more TVs needs a distribution amplifier with an attenuator on the shorter cable(s)
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