boosting HD signal

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I recently got a Dish 811 receiver and I have an outside antenna. I can get the local CBS digital signal fine. It has a 70% signal. Two other local stations only come up to 49% and don't come in. Would buying an indoor amplifer help?? Do stations have to be at a certain signal % to come in? I live about 40 miles from the stations.

[bavaria72]

Please define "Mid-West". The HD signals are very geographically sensitive. It is one tricky thing to pull in.

[boylehome]

I recently got a Dish 811 receiver and I have an outside antenna. I can get the local CBS digital signal fine. It has a 70% signal. Two other local stations only come up to 49% and don't come in. Would buying an indoor amplifier help?? Do stations have to be at a certain signal % to come in? I live about 40 miles from the stations.
If your outdoor antenna is omni-directional, chances are that amplification will not improve multi-path signal problems. If your antenna is directional, is the antenna aiming toward the 49% signals? Slight aiming adjustment with adding a good indoor amplifier my solve your problem, but it just depends on several factors. If you are using a splitter(s) for other TV's, that will cause signal loss. Try removing any splitters between the antenna and the 811. I'm pretty sure you will see a signal improvement from 10 to 20 points. My 811 will work with signal strengths slightly above 60 with a directional antenna without error. Anything less than 60, there is temporary signal loss and pixelation of the video.

The only real way to answer your question with the information that you have supplied is just to try an indoor amplifier. It will work or it wont work. The greater the db produced by the amplifier the better. Some people prefer pre-amplificaiton as it builds the signal at the antenna end which is better for analog but not as good for digital.

[pinkertonfloyd]

I recently got a Dish 811 receiver and I have an outside antenna. I can get the local CBS digital signal fine. It has a 70% signal. Two other local stations only come up to 49% and don't come in. Would buying an indoor amplifer help?? Do stations have to be at a certain signal % to come in? I live about 40 miles from the stations.


40 Mi Out... you'll need a very good outdoor for that. What are you using? I recommend at 40 mi the DB-8 (Antennasdirect.com)... considered to be the best HDTV antenna out there. (8 way bowtie). I use one myself, I'm about 40 mi for my transmitters too, and get 100%... no amps... I rarely see amps make a HD signal better.

[Larry Kenney]

The Channel Master 4228 has also proven to work very well for picking up stations that are some miles away. It has good gain, and should probably work well for 40 miles. It's also good for multipath problems.

Larry
SF

[Digital Madman]

I added a pre-amp to my antenna recently, and like was noted above, it helped analog, but didn't do anything for digital. Actually it made it worse with one channel dropping out at times. But the FOX is only analog, and previously it was awful, but adding the pre-amp cleared it right up. So it's give and take I guess......

[Jeff McClellan]

What preamp did you add. Also a great antenna for 45 miles plus is the Channel Master 3023. Higher gain than the 4248 and I think better than the 4228. They say it is the same as the 4248, but it isnt. The 4248 has the Quantum diamond shaped elements, the 3023, straight ones. I installed one Friday and am blown away by it. But you better have a rotor because stations more than 40 miles are like threading a needle.

[boylehome]

I added a pre-amp to my antenna recently, and like was noted above, it helped analog, but didn't do anything for digital. Actually it made it worse with one channel dropping out at times. But the FOX is only analog, and previously it was awful, but adding the pre-amp cleared it right up. So it's give and take I guess......
Pre-Amp are good at adding unwanted RF and increasing the strength of the multi-path. I've had better luck with the indoor amp as it only increased the true signal.

[Tower Guy]

I recently got a Dish 811 receiver and I have an outside antenna. I can get the local CBS digital signal fine. It has a 70% signal. Two other local stations only come up to 49% and don't come in. Would buying an indoor amplifer help?? Do stations have to be at a certain signal % to come in? I live about 40 miles from the stations.

Indoor amplifiers do almost nothing to improve over the air reception.

I's suggest that you type your address into www.antennaweb.org If it shows your location at street level, you should plan to install the antenna type it suggests. If it shows at zip code level, click on "view street level map" and move the location until the map matches your house. Then go buy the antenna with the performance that they suggest.

The proper thinking for TV antennas is to get the strongest signal that you can, not the cheapest or easiest. Channel Master, Winegard, and Antennacraft make inexpensive quality antennas that won't loose elements in the wind. Radio Shack UHF only antennas survive well, but not their VHF models.

If you need a preamp, install it at the antenna. Radio Shack outdoor amplifiers tend to oscillate, especially on channel 6. The oscillation even causes problems for neighbors.

[Digital Madman]

I am using the Radio Shack UHF only and it picks up both analog channels and digital channels that are 61 miles away with no dropouts. The FOX 26 analog in Wilmington is the lowest antenna on the community tower and the weakest, so it was snowy. Once I added the CM 7777 it cleared up. But the Pre-amp caused problems for NBC 32 dt Greenville, which is 41 miles away.