Results 1 to 10 of 14
-
LinkBack
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks- Bookmark & Share
- Digg this Thread!
- Tweet this thread
- 09-19-2004 10:27 AM #1
- Join Date
- Oct 11th, 2003
- Posts
- 2,284
Is Boosting Signal Creating 811 Problems?
ADVERTS 1
I just recently added another 10 feet to my OTA antenna elevation. While I was resizing my RG6 cables I noticed a very interesting event. When I did not have my signal booster (Centronics 1426UL model) on I noticed the the 811 showed a signal approximately 12% less but STABLE! That's right, once the 811 locked on the signal did not change more than 1%.
Now with the booster on I can receive more digital stations, but the signal will vacillate between 5 and 15% for all OTA digital stations sometimes causing a lost of signal lock in the 811. Has anyone else noticed this?
- 09-19-2004 10:27 AM # ADS
Register Today & This Ad Goes Away! Circuit advertisement- Join Date
- Always
- Posts
- Many
- 09-19-2004 10:33 AM #2
Pub Member / Staff Member / UConnaholic
- Join Date
- Nov 23rd, 2003
- Location
- Monroe, CT
- Posts
- 3,205
Proud Staff MemberThis isn't unheard of. MANY people have suggested getting a $10 attenuator to LOWER OTA signals
- 09-19-2004 11:29 PM #3
SatelliteGuys Junkie
- Join Date
- Nov 28th, 2003
- Posts
- 1,000
What others have posted on other threads is that the on-screen signal strength meter is actually a measure of signal to noise. Your signal booster (amplifier) may be causing more noise or creating some multipath issues.
- 09-20-2004 03:37 AM #4
- Join Date
- Oct 11th, 2003
- Posts
- 2,284 Thread Starter
Does anyone have a suggestion of a better booster? I have tried Radio Shack and they are worse.
- 09-20-2004 12:22 PM #5
SatelliteGuys Senior
- Join Date
- Sep 25th, 2003
- Location
- SoCal
- Posts
- 766
How do you know that Radio Shack is worse? I got my my preamp from Channel master. I got one that was recommended for my antenna. My attenuator I got from Radio Shack. My personaly opinion is whenever you get a preamp, You should also get an attenuator.
My understanding is that the signal bar on the 811 is a ratio of signal to error ratio. That is why in a lot of cased when you add a preamp you do not see the strength increase. It is not a pure signal strength indicator.
- 09-20-2004 05:15 PM #6
SatelliteGuys Freshman
- Join Date
- Dec 5th, 2003
- Posts
- 14
I have a TERK inline amplifier BIA-20 installed with my OTA antenna. I am using diplexers with DC pass so that the 811 receiver powers my inline amplifier also. It has boosted my OTA digital signals by around 10 points. The picture quality is now excellent. The signal fluctuates around 3% points. I live in Denver.
- 09-20-2004 08:49 PM #7
- Join Date
- Aug 5th, 2004
- Location
- Chicagoland Area
- Posts
- 12,644
Originally Posted by ashoo
hey i want to see how its done... im trying to boost my cbs signal.. here in chicago... i get it between 60 @ 64... its choppy at times... (wachable some times others not) I would like to boost it up to 70 so it doesnt fade... all other channels are in 80's and 90's witch isnt too bad for being 40 miles out from the towers... also my cbs braudcasts in the vhf range on channel 3 where everything else is in the uhf range... so that could be another reason for such low signal..
- 09-20-2004 10:40 PM #8
- Join Date
- Dec 13th, 2003
- Location
- Arvada, CO
- Posts
- 921
Channel Master makes a good VHF pre-amp, give it a try!
- 09-21-2004 08:59 AM #9
SatelliteGuys Regular
- Join Date
- Aug 8th, 2004
- Location
- Port Neches, Tx. (S.E. Texas)
- Posts
- 53
Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but I must ask it. Would the amplifier you mention here (or any other for that matter) only be used to improve signal strength? Example, my signal strength on SAT 110 & 119 is usually around 90 & 101 respectively, which is good, but I still get a lousy PQ on most all SD channels. (BTW, I have an 811 receiver as well). Since it's obvious to me that signal strength doesn't necessarily affect PQ in all cases, I'm looking for a way(s) to improve that PQ on the SAT SD channels. FYI: I've done all the obvious things and I also use DVI, have good quality cabling & have self-calibrated my HDTV. Originally Posted by ashoo
Ken
- 09-21-2004 11:40 AM #10
- Join Date
- Mar 2nd, 2004
- Location
- I LIVE in California. I'm FROM New York.
- Posts
- 12,024
It sounds like you've done all that you can. As you have surmised, satellite signal strength has no bearing on PQ. When you say you have self-calibrated your TV, was it using an aid such as the Avia or Digital Video Essentials DVD's? It helps to have the color bars, greyscale, and other patterns, along with step by step insructions of how to properly use them.
The problem is that Dish over-compresses their SD channels, especially the Locals. You'll probably find that premiums such as HBO do not look as bad. However, they do not look nearly as good as they did a few years ago, before they started adding locals for every podunk little hamlet in the country.FYI:
-It's "couldn't care less", not "could care less".
-It's "would've", "should've", and "could've", not "would of", "should of", and "could of".
-It's "voila!", not "walla!" (That's right. You've been speaking French all this time.)
-The first word in each sentence should be capitalized.
-A period goes at the end of each sentence.
-Commas are also a good idea, on occasion.
Reply With QuoteTags for this Thread
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
Bookmarks