Use an Antenna Amplifier? This Mistake Causes it to Fail

[@AntennaMan]

📡 Do you have reception problems? Consider an antenna recommendation from me 👉 antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html

[@autojohn-pu1vf]

I got everything wired up perfect a few years ago (Thanks to your great info) and I was loosing signal strength due to the length of all the cables. I tried the Channelmaster power distribution amp you reviewed, it helped but I found one Comcast left behind from when we had cable in every room and tried it and it worked better

[@pxbrixey4319]

Are you base in PA?

[@AntennaMan]

@@pxbrixey4319 Yes

[@pxbrixey4319]

@@AntennaMan If you are in PA and I am in Florida, how can you recommend what I need to get OTA TV? Would you not need to check out the topography, trees, buildings, my house, etc? Thanks.

[@AntennaMan]

@@pxbrixey4319 Yes but I can do all of that remotely from online using various reception analysis websites that do take into account topography

[@christophermorin9036]

We got our 100ft Coax cable from Radio shack shortly before they closed for good. 100ft for 19.99 was pretty good and we know it's solid core because we unfortunately had Tree pruner's that had been hired by our landlord chainsaw through our antenna cable. Thankfully the lost 18 ft didn't matter much, we just recrimped on the connector and screwed it back into the antenna and kept going.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Damn, talk about a CORD CUTTER... EDIT: if you find that tree pruner, then refer him to this channel @ 0:43

[@christophermorin9036]

@@adventureoflinkmk2 wouldn't help, he was a private contractor lol. Just 3 guys, a truck, and a wood chipper. Spoke SOME okay English, and when his workers broke their rake, they stole ours from our front porch! We were lucky and I was able to steal it back because we had had a windstorm that had took down a lot of trees and branches in the area, so business was booming and after a month they were still in our neighborhood. One day on a walk around our block, I saw our rake hidden in a bush beside their truck and I took it back. Mind you, this was all 3 years ago and I don't even remember his name anymore.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

@@christophermorin9036 damn sorry to hear all that dude :(

[@chodkowski01]

Antenna man saved me thousands of dollars on cable bills. I didn’t cheap out because I looked at it as and investment. I have 118 channels to choose from thanks to antenna man.

[@theduckthatquacks6445]

I'm using a winegard booster w/my Winegard ya7000c attic mount..On the 19th, we watched Charlie Brown Christmas OTA on Philly PBS12 .. & my eyes nearly popped out of my head w/ the crisp, clear, intense ,vivid , bursting colors my Samsung gets OTA. Since 1965 & the 56th year I saw it was like I had never seen it b4!! Unreal!! Commercial free & I didn't move an inch struck w/visual awe for 24 minutes straight . Cable never delivered like this.

[@jrs9264]

The quad shielded cable not only makes a difference with the amp, but also cuts nearby interference as well.

[@josephbarreira2551]

Merry Christmas buddy!

[@seanmichael3410]

I use an old radio shack amp I found at Goodwill over 10 years ago, and it still works with an indoor flat antenna 40 miles from the signal.

[@kylemacarthur3177]

I have found the Walmart Onn amplifier to be quite reliable. However, the ac adapter that powers the amplifier is NOT.

[@kevinjones3224]

Right I had one and it broke on me wasn't very happy with it

[@dmo848]

Try ge 4 port powered amp. It was cheap also.

[@Jascat102]

As a Broadband cable technician that has been working for 5 years now, it is false that copper clad steel cabling will burn out an amplifier quicker. The CATV mainline thick cabling is copper clad steel, including the house and drop cabling. Regardless, The Antenna Man does have great reliable content.

[@davidanderson8643]

As an installer, I always use dielectric grease and weatherproof fittings on all outdoor connections. Also, I leave a drip loop where the drop cable connects to the ground block upon entry into the home. Then, I put a small cut in the outer jacket at the bottom of the loop to allow any water that gets in the cable to drain, and keep the connection from corroding. I've replaced water damaged corroded fittings many times over the last 30 years...

[@koolaidman6462]

I use the Channel Master 7777HD on High Boost with the Channel Master Deluxe Outdoor Balun and 100 ft of RG6 Triple Shielded Coaxial on a Medium size Yagi antenna 20 feet in the air. I now have great reception with a drop out or interference once in a while. I do unplug my Amp if I leave home for an extended period of time. Hopefully it will last a while, time will tell....

[@bjs2022]

Solid copper may be better for the DC to preamps but not necessarily for the antenna signal. I suspect more preamp failures are because of quality and not low voltage.

[@kinpatu]

Solid copper would be ideal for the RF signal, as long as it is fixed along the axis of the cable. But I do agree a lot of the amps are low quality. They should have a simple undervoltage detect in the power supply and overtemp shutdown to protect themselves. 50¢ of electronics eliminated to get the price to $19.99.

[@bjs2022]

@@kinpatu In electricity the chain of electrons are on the surface of the cable. I don’t know about electromagnetic radiation.

[@kinpatu]

@@bjs2022 Yes in RF the movement of charge carriers is confined to the skin of the conductor. This makes the resistance of the conductor even more important. Solid copper is the best practical conductor you’re going to find. DC moves mostly uniformly about the cross section of the conductor.

[@EJP286CRSKW]

In fact the preamp failure is myth. Low voltage cannot cause it to burn out as claimed here. But it may cease to do anything.

[@kb1kos]

I'm so happy that I live in CT, where a good antenna is all I need, and no preamp.

[@thefirstmissinglink]

Am using the cable that was installed with a dish. Presumably good stuff as they would not want to suffer callbacks.

[@BigjohnZ06]

Yes, the RG-6 copper looking coaxial cable is what DirecTV used for their installation.

[@Shootingstarcomics]

Thanks man! I’ll have too check my cables, I’ve had to replace my pre-amp twice in the last decade. It’ll be a pain to replace them but if it ever goes out again I’ll replace the cables.

[@themoviemaniac8416]

Very good advice about the copper cable! Alternately to a pre-amp antenna, one can buy a very good quality antenna without some sort of built in amp, and then add a separate amp in the cable run elsewhere. That's what we do. Running 3 TVs off one excellent antenna with a high quality amp/splitter.

[@lornawilliams8761]

Thanks. I just ordered a new R6 cable on Amazon. I had to read very carefully because several descriptions mention copper but where not solid copper centre conducter. Your Amazon links are ok. But shopping on Amazon in Canada we don't have the same products. Or we have to order from the U.S and pay the exchange rate and extra shipping costs.

[@MrMikey1273]

I used the solid copper RG6 quad shield you recommended from Amazon. Works well for me but took a little practice to put my own F connectors on it. Ideal linearX tool kit from Lowes got the job done.

[@dmo848]

Lol same here. I used the Walmart 1. Saved so much money this way.

[@joey8567]

Screw Amazon.

[@andyvillarreal4789]

Can't thank you enough for helping me cut the cord! I'm saving $140.00 a month. Your tip's are absolutely essential for cord cutting.

[@GilDavis]

Just an FYI. Signals through a cable aren't carried primarily through the entire wire, but on the surface. It's called the skin effect. It's not so much the composition of the coating. In the case of copper over steel, the problem actually comes when the copper coating is damaged, something quite easy to do. It degrades quickly after that leading to the problems described. I would only use solid copper just for that reason. It's a little more expensive but WILL help protect your equipment. The DC voltage does use the entire conductor, but again does degrade with any damage to the surface.

[@loginregional]

Thinner center conductor means higher resistance, which of course affects current. Overdriving causes the power supply to fail at the regulator for these, like a 7805. BUY ON QUALITY, NOT ON PRICE! I'm repeating that mantra just for my own OCD.

[@KalboII]

Thanks for the advice on using solid copper core coax... Unrelated question, have you done a antenna review on the set of Rabbit Ears in the background of all your videos?🤔

[@AntennaMan]

I did review them but the video performed poorly so I deleted it.

[@ClassicGuy57]

Tyler has been removing videos that either do poorly or are not antenna related. I remember that video. Tyler said that it doubled as a cool hat. Loved that joke.

[@NyneIX9]

@@AntennaMan Why do you delete videos that perform poorly? Is it a storage issue or you just like to de-clutter your channel?

[@stuszith]

Your Comment on Solid -core Coax with Cu -COPPER makes sense - alot of CATV companies have used Steel Wire with Copper Cladding for years!!! I heard it does degrade-- but how much?? I was told always use the GE silicone paste Lube for Coax Connections!!!??

[@billman6364]

Thats all catv uses copper coated steel or aluminum it carries current just fine.

[@ohger1]

The quality of coax will effect signal loss, but won't damage a preamp. The amount of current the preamp uses is insignificant.

[@pmscalisi]

If the cheap cable causes a large voltage drop between the power supply and amp it will affect the preamp.

[@ohger1]

@@pmscalisi Preamps use about 200 ma. If the cable has 10 ohms of resistance along its length, it can handle 3X the current the preamp needs. I doubt the cable will be as high as 10 ohms unless it's really garbage or 1000' long. In any case, even if the resistance of the cable is really high, lower voltage still will not damage the preamp.

[@pmscalisi]

@@ohger1 thanks for the input! I’m used to power system level stuff and it’s a big deal at that level.

[@wesmckean1443]

I have to agree with some of the other commentary. Not sure how the quality of the central core can kill an amplifier if the voltage is steady. My Simple CEO cables are high quality copper clad steel. No problems with them so far.

[@wesmckean1443]

@@garys.7846 right. But that shouldn't kill the amp, should it?

[@GilDavis]

@Larry Westfall any cable has voltage resistance and it's not that under low amperage that problems start. It's when the copper cladding is damaged that the properties on the cable change significantly. As an amateur radio operator I will only use copper canter conductor cabling.

[@tonyv8925]

@@GilDavis Agreed...also, any moisture gets into the coax, the dissimilar metals will create a basic noise creating diode effect. Line loss, ergo power/voltage will also be a problem over distance. Velocity factors, conductivity, etc...you know what I mean. Copper all the way for my HF antennas too...General ticket for over 20 years here....73 OM

[@GilDavis]

And you're correct about the copper cladding. Keep it pristine. A simple nick from installing a connector will take it out eventually. Also, weatherproofing is extremely important for that kind of cabling since the point where it's cut will also cause issues if it's contestantly exposed to moisture. As mentioned in another comment, problems like this aren't as serious with copper cabling. BUT it's still important to weatherproof your outdoor connections when you're running coax. Here's something else you might find interesting and it all seems to have been forgotten. If you're in a Fringe signal area, you may find that a good quality 300 ohm twin lead actually has a great deal less line loss over a long run. As a ham, I've built antennas from 300 ohm twin lead with 450 ohm ladder line (basically twin lead) to connect to a device that converts it to the 50 ohm connector (a balun). It doesn't have the same Weatherization problem as coax since the connectors are so much different. With that lies other issues that can be dealt with. Coax is just so much easier though and works quite well in a station's primary coverage area.

[@oldmansadventures4627]

Tyler, I installed a Televes Dat Boss mix LR on a 20ft mast at my home and was impressed with it's reception. I used solid copper RG6, It's been up about 3 months and the other day we had a thunderstorm and the electricity flickered. I immediately lost signal on my OTA channels, the antenna mast is grounded and the coax is run through a ground block as well. When the weather cleared, I bypassed the ground block with a RG6 extension adapter, and my signal returned on the stronger channels, but weak channels were pixilated. I replaced the ground block the next day and to my surprise lost all signal. I then went to the Televes power supply (still showing a green light) and bypassed it as i had the ground block, I got my strong channels back. Puzzled I tested the power supply and found it producing 14.4 volts DC on the antenna connector. I reconnected it and again lost all signal. I then unplugged it from the AC power and my strong channels returned. I'm guessing the amplifier is shot. Given what I've done would you agree or suggest another test to run? and if the amplifier is dead is this type of failure covered by Televes warranty or am I on the hook?

[@edjy71]

I can confirm that this is true. A few years ago to catch long-range signals I set up two separate long range antennas one for UHF and one for VHF. The key decision I made was investing in a solid copper wire along with two long-range antennas. At the time, I was worried about two issues. One, the run of the wire was going to be quite long and two, how I was going to mix the two antennas into one line. So I decided to go with a pre-amplifier that had an option to input both a VHF and VHF signal into one line. So after I set it up, it worked fine for a while but after a year or so, the signal started to weaken. I would have dropouts of signals that didn't make sense. Sew-in watching this channel, I wondered if maybe I was over amplifying the signal which was causing issues. So as an experiment, I removed the preamplifier and attached each antenna to their own line and basically just connected them with a basic splitter at the end of each run to see what kind of signal I would get. I was amazed to see that even with the long distance of the stations and long-run of the cables, I actually got better signals without the preamplifier. I think the key ingredient is putting your money into good antennas and good cable just like the video points out. So count me as a testimonial that what he is saying in this video is true. Make sure you buy the solid copper wire and not the copper clad wire.

[@countryhamop4580]

And here I was thinking you'd say it was something like forgetting to properly weather seal the connectors.

[@jamespiercehd720p8]

My cabin in Harrison Michigan needs a very large directional antenna by Channel Master cm3220 that keeps ABC 12 WJRT not from pixelation because there is a ONN motorized outdoor antenna

[@andrewalexander9492]

So, how much current does a signal amplifier draw? I'm having a hard time imagining that it draws enough that the difference between steel and copper on an 18 gauge conductor is critical.

[@pmscalisi]

If there is a significant voltage drop the amp will fail due to low voltage operation which causes higher current flow and overheat either the power supply or preamp. I would suspect this low signal high frequency stuff doesn’t tolerate out of spec operating quantities very well.

[@EJP286CRSKW]

Fail how? The video states it will burn out. Why? Low voltage will only stop it operating, not fail completely.

[@pmscalisi]

@@EJP286CRSKW run your computer on a 15% low voltage condition and see how long it lasts

[@tonyv8925]

Thanks for the video. In my family situation, the local OTA's do not provide the programming we enjoy, and, there is no channel guide to let us know what is coming on next. We do have an outside antenna set up (over 10 years installed) as a backup in case cable service is interrupted for a long time (we have bad weather around here).

[@AntennaMan]

There's actually a way to get channel guide info on OTA channels. See video below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/raOkh4WBnbeEbqM

[@sirmoony5633]

If I get the RCA Indoor Antenna with the super long dipole rods for lo-VHF reception, I have thought about getting a Cable Matters RG6 Quadshield Coax Cable and a gold-plated F-type coupler from the same brand. On top of this, I would turn the amplifier on that antenna off since I only live 9 to 10 miles away from the broadcast towers in my area. I'm aware that cable also has copper clad steel, but it's still thick and it's around 18 AWG. There, I think I would be fine as long as I have the amplifier turned off.

[@stevespirakes]

Tyler you are so right purchased a channel master indoor amplified antenna and had to take off amplifier what a difference. Wish I bought the one not amplified. Thank you for your videos 😊

[@scottthecamper2110]

Cool, thanks for the info. I pick up 32 channels now with an indoor antenna and never need to move it or the directional metal rabbit ears either. Merry Christmas to you all

[@mikekrymner3529]

Thanks for the tip, Tyler! I just bought a Channelmaster amplifier last week for my grandmother and was going to install it very soon, so I'll be sure to do it right! Merry Christmas to you and everyone!

[@joey8567]

I installed the monster inside by desk and surprisingly it worked like a champ.

[@typ8723]

Would a 50-foot RG11 cable provide sufficient signal quality without the need for an amplifier?

[@batsonelectronics]

the real copper core wire also lasts longer. I have customers who use the cladded crap for internet connections and they fail after 2 or 3 years. Signal runs on top of the cable, not thru it, so when the cladding comes off it hugely affects performance for cable lines or Ethernet. It costs a lot more but the solid copper wires are just so much better. You can get 30 years from solid copper core vs

[@michaelwyckoff7593]

I use a amplifier with my antennas and I don't have any problems. All my TV's are hooked up to indoor antennas and I get lots of good channels and not drop outs of a channel. I live in New York City and I am surprised I get so many channels (80) on my TV's. I also stream as well. I cut my cable channels off because they kept raising the price and a lot of the channels are garbage.

[@williamdew9576]

Are there indoor boosters? Mine is good but sometimes pixels.

[@Texas1FlyBoy]

The booster (signal amplifier) should go as close to the antenna feed point as possible, i.e. at the antenna, and in between where the antenna connects to the cable that runs into the house. Sure. You can use a booster indoors, but your boosting noise received by the cable as well as the TV signal. Does it matter that you're boosting noise? Not as much with digital TV as it did with analog TV, but it *does* interfere with the received TV signal.

[@CoelhoSports]

When i set up my aerial outside, i just unscrewed the cable from the cable company going into my house and screwed that into the aerial. It goes through the attic to the wall jacks in three rooms in my house. Are you saying in order to use a signal booster with my aerial i have to rip out all that coax and replace it with new cable? Is there a preamp that won't get "fried" with regular existing cable company coax?

[@AB1Vampire]

I installed a Winegard mast-mounted preamp several years ago (6-7) and it still works good. I'm inner city near to Broadcast Stations but have a 90' cable run and inner city noise. I only get a few stations (3-4) without preamp but all of them (50+) with it.

[@williamtustin4490]

Merry Christmas! , thanks for all the videos

[@andywhiteman7886]

Tyler, I agree with you about buying quality antennas and coax! I don't believe in cutting corners.

[@alanrutlidge4767]

Hi Tyler. Just wondering how a copper cladded centre conductor on a coaxial cable can cause a masthead amplifier to "burn out" as you state at the 1:38 mark in your video? "Burn out" in electronics implies the components are going to overheat and and thus literally burn up. Now any tech worth his / her salt will know that steel is less conductive than copper (resistivity being the factor here), but RF engineers working with receiving transmission lines (in this case a RG6 or RG11 coaxial cable) will be aware of the "skin effect" hereby the HF FR signal current actually travels on the surface of the conductor rather than in the centre. Of course this doesn't apply to d.c. and low frequency a.c. like 50/60Hz. In a typical masthead amplifier the current used to supply power to the amplifier is in the order of tens of milliamperes and as such the voltage drop from the power injector to the amplifier mounted on the antenna is insignificant in a typical installation under 100 metres in length. If anything I'd be more worried about the quality of the fit off of the connectors and ensuring the weather proof rubber boots over the connectors installed outside is sound and of good quality.

[@countryhamop4580]

I had those exact same thoughts.

[@samsomers2716]

And, Tyler, what's wrong with silver? Silver (Ag) is the best conductor of electricity. Not that you're going to find solid Ag conductors in coaxial cables but in my experience, Ag plated copper (Cu) conductor cable with the same shielding is superior to otherwise equivalent Cu cable, though the difference in the typical TV antenna installation probably doesn't merit the cost of Ag plated cable - but it shouldn't hurt or lead to amplifier burn-out.

[@dansmock656]

I have a question- I’m in the process of buying CDA4Antennas Direct 4-Port TV Distribution Amplifier, from Amazon- but they is a red highlighted note that the item cannot be shipped into northern Michigan ? When I checked to have a shipped to our home in Maryland, the message is gone and I can ship it there? Why is that?

[@diycarhome9151]

I install up here in Canada. I have used RG6 and RG11 Coaxial Cable as a main feed line. The inside of the coaxial cable is copper clad steel. Yes you can buy copper. But the larger RG11 only comes copper clad. To this day have not had one burnt preamp. The reason I can tell, once the preamp goes bad the customer would not get TV Stations outside the 30 mile area. No one has phoned me, except one customer which his got hit by lighting. Steel can conduct electricity too. You would not measure not much loss. I will conduct an experiment and measure voltage on a 100 foot coaxial cable in copper clad steel the center conductor. Don’t expect to see a drop in voltage. Most preamps put out 18VDC. But getting back to preamp burnout using Copper clad steel. Not one to this day I installed for, has contacted me. My main selling preamp was the grey CM7777 with the 30 dB gain. Before CM changed the style and lowered gain to 26 dB.

[@druliefw]

For what it's worth, before the 1960's, Bell still used open wire in some rural areas. That was made out of copper clad steel wire. When they cut it down and replaced it with telephone cable I used some for dipole antennas for my ham station. They just left it lie in the weeds along the right of way. Worked great but required a lot of muscle to cut and bend it around the insulator and required a small torch to solder.

[@Texas1FlyBoy]

Agreed. I also use copper clad steel (for 40+ years) and have *never* had any issues. For burned out preamps, it's usually "you get what you pay for". Most are junk these days. I have one from around the late 70s or early 80s that still works fine. Not junk! For failed units, it's more likely that the wall wart power supply went bad and sent a spike up to the preamp that killed it - not from under-voltage due to a copper clad steel cable.

[@diycarhome9151]

@@Texas1FlyBoy I have no idea what gave Antenna Man, copper clad steel Coaxial Cable would burn out a Preamp? This is the first news I ever heard about this!

[@trainluvr]

After thinking for years that $10 antenna amplifiers were a scam, I bought one and it brought in local stations that were too weak for my TV. I understand basic electrical and broadcasting concepts, but I can't wrap my mind around how multiple frequencies can be simultaneously boosted. I thought the process was like a signal repeater and could not possibly be done by a tiny cheap amplifier. The one I got is powered by USB. Can you explain briefly how the hell this miracle of technology works?

[@tonyv8925]

Being a HAM radio operator, it is really quite simple. The amplifier uses what is called a band pass filter...it allows a pre-determined range of frequencies to pass and blocks everything else that comes in. Then with some additional filtering the remaining frequencies are then amplified and sent down the coax.

[@lindanordlund6753]

We are seniors with a rooftop antenna that is not all that great. Can we get Ultra Mini 1 amplifiers and just attach to the tv?

[@LifeSavingDefense]

Question: How far left and right does an antenna receive signals? All my current towers are 11.5-12 miles away grouped with farthest 2 being 3.5 miles from each other. @ 22 degrees difference on a compass. I’ve had the same 2 med -large? antennas on the same @ 25 foot mast since I bought the house in 1996 with the same RCA MODEL VH121 amp @ 15 feet from the antennas inside the house. The main changes I’m thinking about are deleting an antenna and/or upgrade the fittings. The antennas are connected by @ 3 foot two wire jumper and then one simple coax adapter and a splitter in the attic after the amp. Yearly when it gets cold especially at night I have one major local channel which goes from Great to none intermittently and that tower is in the middle of the others which have good signal… good for where I live. I can turn the lower antenna slightly and the signal comes back or just unplug and replug the amp in and it comes back strong but after a while it goes out again. No rhyme or reason except worse at night when the cold air is denser. Normally I only have to move it once but this year it just won’t stay set. Summer time is rarely a problem in Florida but when it gets hot again i have to move the lower antenna slightly again back to where it was. @ 2-4 inches till it settles on a stable signal. The smart tv shows the best signal for that one channel at 34% and quality at 100 but then will drop to nothing. Everything else stays @ 60-75 % I get 51 channels but only watch 28 but the 13-4 has star trek so it HAS to work….. BTW The only internet I have is on my phone using a cell booster and another antenna @ 35 feet from the tv antennas facing away from them. I also have no hardline phone. My house is OFF the grid.

[@AntennaMan]

It depends on the gain pattern of the antenna.

[@PC4USE1]

I also watch Michael Saves-a good adjunct channel to yours,Tyler. From your videos,I have learned that my rabbit ears in the window has MORE distortion with an amp than not-I use a distribution amp to feed my HDHomerun and Tivo box. That does not produce the distortion that a direct amp does. Old Cable distribution amp but works fine on ATSC. When you cut the cord,cable company does not account for those,just the boxes .

[@brockreynolds870]

I went with the rolls royce of cables 15 years ago, and got RG-11 with solid copper conductor.

[@davidklein1545]

We live in the country. We have an antenna to get regular TV locally. And working good , now picture disfigures inadvertently.?

[@airmojo]

Does the amplifier have to be mounted outside close to the antenna ? I have a nice outdoor antenna with a rotor that I had professionally installed in 2007 (still analog signals then), and it has worked great. Not sure the exact make of the antenna, but the rotor is a Channel Master, so the antenna might be as well... I think my installer (who is now deceased) purchased them from our local Radio Shack that is no longer in business. But the amplifier went bad several years ago, and I had to replace it... it was a Windgard LNA-200 Boost XT. The major issue I have is that I now have new metal roof, so it can be slippery to get up on, and kind of steep near the chimney were the antenna is mounted, and my ladder isn't tall enough to get to the antenna from the side of the house where the chimney is located. It would be so much easier to have the amplifier in my basement where the coax cables run. I purchased an extra one to have on hand in case the amplifier goes bad again. Or maybe there is a better amplifier that can be mounted inside like I would like ?

[@thusharajlk654]

I got weak signals due to cheap coaxial wire as you mentioned in the video.butbthe problem is I cannot replace the wire because it goes through the wall.and it stuck.(cannot pull).when I measure the voltage it drops about 5v .is there any way to in crease the voltage.?

[@WesShowalter-zd6bl]

Hi Tyler, I set up new Clearstream 4K, pointed it toward signal sources. Brand new LG did auto tuning for an antenna setup. Picked up all my local channels. ABC clear as can be. But NBC and CBS no signal. Re-ram the auto-tune. Then I received great signals from NBC, CBS but not ABC. Re-ran auto-tune again, back to solid ABC but no NBC or CBS. So weird! Help! Thx!

[@robintaylor2527]

good info i never knew that about cheap cable wires

[@kwacz]

my house is wired with rg59 cable. to replace it would involve removing drywall to replace the cable. removing lots of drywall. What is so bad about using the existing rg59 cable i already have?

[@kwacz]

nothing if you figure out about how many feet you have, then calculate your signal loss and get an inline amplifier placed as close to the antenna as possible that is equal to or greater than your loss. example if you are losing 19db in your cable get a 20db amplifier but if you are losing 21db or 22 db that same 20db amplifier is going to be fine also. If the amplifier is indoors and plugs into the wall your fine. if it uses coax to supply power to the antenna, that coax should be a good quality as this guy explained. else you should be fine.

[@swmovan]

I use a 100ft cable that came with a satellite dish I bought years ago. I usually can get pretty good reception, but recently my Channel Master amp quit working. I was losing signals I didn't think I should be losing. (I figured they were changing something on their tower) I couldn't find the same one to replace it, so I bought one on ebay, that had the Channel Master model number. Reception isn't as good as it once was, so maybe I will change the cable and see if it helps. I haven't had cable or satellite for several years.

[@AntennaMan]

Which one did you buy on eBay? Send me a link and I'll tell you if it's a decent amplifier or not.

[@swmovan]

@@AntennaMan Should I post the link it here, or send it some other way? The title in the listing is "High Gain 32 dB PRE-AMPLIFIER HD TV ANTENNA SIGNAL CM CX-7778". I paid a little over $40 for it. Also, are the amps that sell for $150+ worth the price? If they work, that's great. But I don't want to pay that price and it not help the reception.

[@FelixLantiguaCamacho]

Great video. Do you know a reliable website to download or generate a XmlTV?. I have a HD homerum duo with EMBY premier, but the only Guide Data Sources is made by EMBY but not accurate, some channels are not what is on list. Can you please help me?

[@james10739]

I think quad shield is overrated they are so hard to get connectors on even ones made for it but copper it good

[@jamesm568]

I personally don't use amplifiers because it adds problems and additional connections that causes more resistance. The more connections you have the more signal loss you have.

[@KILLKING110]

Now I know what happened to the indoor antenna had to change the booster out was wondering why we kept losing reception

[@neilurwin9670]

All The Best For Your KZbin Channel.

[@KA4UPW]

Most amps are crappy. Look for one with a noise figure of less than 1db, mast mount it as close to the antenna feed point as close as possible. Use RG11 from the amp to the splitter. Its not that much more than RG6 but so much better..

[@evilkidd174]

The truth has been spoken. Subscribing time now.

[@josephthibeault4843]

Dc does not care, and a lower voltage will not burn out an amp,it may reduce the gain a little.any RG 6 shielding is more important then the center copper capper clad works because of skin effect with any RF frequency.

[@franklinwerren7684]

I agree with you 1000 percent!!! A good antenna or group of antennas in my case!!! PS: remember the good ground. Here is a question, what are the skip issues with ATSC ver 3 signal ??? And when will a good basic converter box with HDMI outlet for ver 3 will show up???

[@AntennaMan]

I'm not sure what you mean by skip issues. If you mean tropo related it will be similar to what we have now. If you mean signal breakup it should be much better. It will be several years until we see basic ATSC 3.0 converter boxes with HDMI out as we are still in the very early stages of this thing.

[@vaxick]

I'm trying to find a pair of rabbit ears I can plug a coax cable into. I have tons of it leftover from Comcast, and I'd love to keep using the cables.

[@randallfraley2810]

I have a question some days I can pull in 150-200 channels easily then other days I’m lucky if I can get 30-35. I’m using a Winegard FL-55YR FlatWave Amplified Razor Thin HDTV Indoor Antenna . I’m not moving the antenna it’s taped to a window not doing a new rescan just turning on the tv some days 100-150 channels other days only 30-35 all on sunny clear days. What could cause this?

[@barneymm2204]

My guess, weather. Start tracking how many channels you get based on weather. There are even days when you can get stations really far away. Look up Tropospheric ducting.

[@ottoolsen9676]

How to improve the DAB signal, do you have a good setup for this. My car has a stock setup with DAB radio, adding an amplifier does not work at all, my guess is that the roof mounted antenna has amplifier and now there is 2. FM seems to work but not dab, and i dont know how good the FM signal is, but it does not matter, as FM is not longer used in Norway, funny how DAB is always a problem while driving, the newer systen has more stuff, but lack in the important thing, a working radio. so even the best setup will possible not be inough but better. i know a bigger antenna is possible the way to go, but i think there is only 3 made, because i cant find moore then that,a glass antenna + a couple of roof antennas thats it.

[@janbill79]

I'm trying to understand why I unhook the cable antenna in from outside that already gets 10 tv channel hook up my antenna amplifier from radio shack its an archer cat. # 15-24 I hook it up I get "0" channels . Possible someone else used it as I got it off ebay and ruined it an put it back in the box and sold it. I re checked the connections . the outside mask mount is in on one end out on other end . the other end in the house is pretty straight forward and marked to tv leaves the other one for in from amplifier/ antenna . So my question is can you do a show/video on using a digital volt meter to show how to check each component. and show what to replace in side the mask amp when biggest cause is thunder/lighting storms. NO any one that can get the schematic on that biggest seller radio shack they sold for at least 4 decades

[@floridaredneck]

I'm confused about amplifiers and powered splitters. I have an outside roof antenna (ClearStream 2V by this channel's advice) and it is directly connected to my TV with about 30' of cable - nothing in between; one solid piece of cable (I drilled a hole in the side of my house for it). Anyone know of a reason I need any type of power? If I'm not getting channels, I don't know about it. I get the ones on the channel line up (provided by WiFi modem) and I don't have cable, so I'm just assuming I'm good to go. I don't mind investing in something if I need to. The towers can't be further than 60 miles because that's where the Gulf of Mexico is, so they have to be closer than that.

[@00000714ful]

how does the power go to the amplifier do you need to plug it into a wall socket .

[@koolaidman6462]

Yes, it plugs into a Power outlet.

[@mikemiller9119]

Do you know of an antenna that will have the ability to turn to get the best signal?

[@reddworf2460]

Would really like to see FM antenna recommendations…

[@AntennaMan]

I have a video on the topic below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqnFe4ufi8Srhbs

[@reddworf2460]

@@AntennaMan thank you

[@JaegerDives]

Hmm. I think we need some solid electrical analysis to back up what you are saying. Like, can you measure a voltage drop at the amplifier that would actually damage it due to under-voltage? BUT, I agree with the general statement "use a quality solid-copper cable". Also, cheap RG connectors and poorly crimped connectors are major failure points as well. DON'T CHEAP OUT on your antenna, amplifier, cable and connectors. Make a solid investment (NPI).

[@LDuncanKelly]

Cheap chinesium amp with a capacitive dropper wall wart failing because an intermittent open in chinesium cable allows the supply voltage to spike due to loss of the amp load on the krappy supply? (See Big Clive's " of death" videos...) - I suspect the "cheap china dung" antennas blow the internal amps so quickly because the cheap power supplies go over-voltage too often as they use either a capacitive dropper or a low-grade magnetic transformer with a no-load voltage much higher than the rated (under normal load) voltage...

[@kensmith5694]

@@LDuncanKelly Another thing may be the cable not having a 75 Ohm characteristic impedance. A Chinesium amplifier may not take the reflected power. A nearby lightning strike makes a big RF bang.

[@Voyager23B]

Where can I buy the best RG-11 cable?

[@mitzibud6908]

Another awesome video!! Thank you!!

[@telecomgear]

Awesome advice.

[@RobShutt357]

Tyler, I purchased the Channel Master amplifier you recommended and was surprised the the coax between the power supply and TV is TIIIIIINY!! Doesn’t that affect the reception? Thanks again.

[@gregjohnson2073]

How do you stream OTA stations? I hear sling does that.

[@AntennaMan]

See my playlist on OTA DVRs that allow you to stream over the air channels through the internet. kzbin.info/aero/PLa4W1QMIBkFH9R53GQXnCACgtH9WLOCm5

[@MrBOB39]

I have seen Countless times.. Using Amps in the Wrong way Most Don't know or Don't care to know Difference from an antenna Pre-Amp Or an amped splinter brick Or how and why at times you can destroy a Signal Using or using improperly amps/pre-amps and multi-spliter- amps You should do a vid about that Pros and cons etc

[@frequencywatchers]

Copper Is My Favorite Metal With Silver, Copper Is Important, The Other Metals That They Use, The Cheaper Ones Just Work Like A Resistor For Your Amplifier And Thats Why They Don`t Carry The Signal And They Make Burn Up, How Many Times I Have Found Coaxial Cables With Burned Central Wire, Ohh, MANY! Even The Big Coaxial Cabled With 3 Sheets Of Shielding ! SUBSCRIBED, Very Good Video, Learned A New Things :L)

[@Duggie_dug]

How can I prevent rfi from fluorescent and or led lighting?

[@AntennaMan]

Replace the lights with LED bulbs that have the FCC logo on them.

[@Duggie_dug]

@@AntennaMan will do cheers 😃👍

[@milesprower6641]

I doubt underpowering an amplifier could cause it to fail; over powering it with a higher then reccomend voltage on the power inverter however, will.

[@kensmith5694]

It may be that some poor designs mess up at a low voltage. There is no good reason for that. I think it is more likely that the cheap cable is not really 75 Ohms impedance.

[@garethsmith7628]

It is without doubt a good cable will make a difference, but a substandard centre core causing a mast head amplifier to "burn out", as an electrical engineer with years of hobby RF experience, this smells like BS. I would need to have more information as the mode of failure and actual cause to be even begin to believe this.

[@kapllanvlora6123]

Amplifiers usually are used on buidings that can't do either but using long coaxial cables to distrubuite singal. On 7-10 meters distance from antenna - tv, you simply buy a good antenna, a good RG6 or good quality RG59 cable, and you'll be able to peak all stations, without any problem. With good antenna, i mean decent quality aluminium antenna, not cheap crap.

[@darktoadone5068]

I'm getting rid of Dish after 25 years and going back to antenna but I have had some trouble finding the right one for me. I'd like one with a rotator on it if possible so I can turn it different directions when needed. Also I have towers 60 miles east of me and 80 miles west so I would need something with long range. Can anyone recommend one for me?

[@AntennaMan]

Consider an antenna recommendation from me at the link below. This can prevent you from spending hundreds of dollars and time wasted on setting up the wrong antenna for your area. antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html

[@darktoadone5068]

@@AntennaMan I live in South Carolina, where are you located?

[@megacap55]

i have already know that , using an amplifier in a good signal what causes it's a phenomenon like weak or no signal at all by overloading the tuner in most cases or adding noise to the signal in many cases the noise ground is higher than the usable signal or pilot signal and doesn't matter the type of signal modulation 8VSB/COFDM etc in all signals occurs the same

[@jeffkardosjr.3825]

Cable TV/antenna amplifiers can have other uses. I use them with a radio scanner.

[@marioescobedo1137]

I use a amplifier. When I do I get 63 channels with no amp I only get 34.

[@kensmith5694]

My experience is not quite that dramatic but still good with adding a good quality amplifier

[@k4sbb829]

I use lrm400 coax its large and has low loss at vhf/uhf/hf frequencies and is expensive I’m a amateur radio operator

[@GINGER_KING_]

Or if you have old cable ran already like for cable tv just splinter in and have it in every room

[@marshallguerra1353]

Great advice

[@scottmerrow1488]

Skip to 1:00

[@user-dj8yo6nj1n]

Why doesn't someone make an outdoor pre-amp that goes up on the pole next to the antenna but has a remote on/off-bypass switch so from inside the house you can turn it on for distant channels and turn it off for stronger channels. That way you can use it for both weak and strong. Some company should make one like that.

[@Atis602]

Televes antennas can do this.

[@D_Gottlieb_12]

Antenna amplifiers don't work all the time.I tried it and sometimes it doesn't work.So,I would just recommend a flat panel antenna

[@raymondjones7489]

Thank you for the information Antenna Man!!👍👍😎

[@Robert-sl7jo]

That happened to me, I was using Channel Master Quad Shield CCS RG6 coax and my CM-7778 preamp burnt out along with the power inserter in 6 Months. Solid copper coax never occurred to me until later. CCS coax is fine with an indoor amplifier as the TV signals travel on the outer edge of the center conductor. But electricity travels through the core of the wire being lower in frequency and copper is better than steel conducting electricity. Some people swear by copper only coax and it that situation it’s fine but CCS coax is fine with indoor amplifiers as only TV signals are being boosted with no electricity being transferred in it.