USING AN AMPLIFIER WITH AN HD ANTENNA?
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE INSTALLING.
Our goal is to help you get better HD reception. As part of that we need to educate you a bit on
what WILL and WILL NOT work when amplifying an HD signal.
This amplifier is compatible with HD antenna signals, but you need to be careful when amplifying an HD
antenna signal. These amplifier products are designed to boost a signal for distribution purposes, not to
take a weak HD antenna signal and make it perfect. If your HD antenna signal is not strong enough to
support a single HDTV (or converter box) without any splitters in the line, it is unlikely that this amplifier
is going to make the signal better. Why? The amplifier will boost the HD signal, but it will also boost
anything else that hits the antenna.
How do I know if I have a good HD signal?
Think of it this way. Having a good HD signal is like being in a room with a friend talking. You can hear
them clearly. You can also turn up the volume (amplify) if you need to hear them better. Likewise a good
HD signal will support one TV without any splitters, without any picture or audio problems.
Having a weak HD signal is a little different. Take that same room your friend is in and fill it with other
people who are also talking. The room is noisy. You can still hear some of what your friend says, but not
everything. If you turn up the volume (amplify), you end up turning up the volume on EVERYONE in the
room, and you can still not hear. In fact it might hurt your ears because you are boosting all the noise,
and you still can’t hear your friend. A weak HD signal will drop out, checkerboard, lose audio, and
generally be unstable. Amplifying it may only make it worse. Solution? A better antenna – usually.
What happens if I lose ALL my channels (or just see fewer) after installation? Defective?
This is not common, but it does happen. It does not mean the amplifier is defective. More likely you have
another condition in play that causes this to happen. IF YOU HAVE A PREAMP you should NOT use
another amplifier. Most commonly there is an existing amplifier in the line elsewhere. Amplified
antennas have a pre-amp installed, usually in the antenna package or somewhere near the antenna.
Google the specific model number of your antenna and see if it is an AMPLIFIED antenna, or an antenna
which includes an amplifier. It is rare that 2 amplifiers will work on the same line, and in that case you will
not be able to use the amplifier.
Boosting a strong HD signal can have adverse effects as well.
In addition, if you already have good reception with a number of channels, you could actually overdrive
the signal by adding an amplifier. This is the “too much of a good thing” syndrome. When a strong signal
is amplified, it may push the limit of the amplifier chip such that the tops of the signals get “cut off”
because they exceed the amplifier’s maximum signal capability. Since we are dealing with Digital TV, it
means that the entire signal will be knocked out if part of the signal is being “cut off”. This is expected,
and unavoidable. In this case the amplifier is not for your situation.
If your HD signal is not strong enough to support one TV, then the better choice is to install a
bigger/better antenna.
Do not expect that an HD signal which cannot supply signal to a single TV without any splitters will be
better with an amplifier. Do not be surprised if you try to boost a weak HD signal and you do not get the
desired results. This does not mean the amplifier is defective, it simply means that the signal is not strong
enough going into the amplifier. BAD SIGNAL IN = BAD SIGNAL OUT.
Be sure to visit the OTADTV.COM website, as there is a lot of good
information there to help you understand and perfect your HD
reception.
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