SCVJeff
Santa Clarita, CA.
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MNtundraRet wrote:I used the RS Amplifier this weekend at Lake City, MN. Had 21 usable channels versus the ussual 2 to 5 channels. This is good for a town located down on the river. If the television's signal strength meter is turned on, the RS amplifier can be backed down from 10 decibels to 2. While set on one of the closest stations, I was able to back down to 4 decibels without loosing signal strength. I left it at maximum for the farthest away stations. The in-line amplifier plays well with the Winegard amplifier turned on also. What will get you is a local station overloading the amp and killing the other channels. Is this directly in-line with the batwing, or the output of the switchbox
Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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"What will get you is a local station overloading the amp and killing the other channels. Is this directly in-line with the batwing, or the output of the switchbox"
Jeff:
While this situation may be a possiblity most places don't leave you with that situation. Most of the stations I was trying to receive had their transmitters in the same location. There was one major station in the city I did not receive (channel 11.1,11.2). Since I never could get it, at this location, with Winegard system without the additional amplifier I should be happy with getting all but one. Reason for missing the one may be the case you described.
My old Hammerlund HQ-180 shortwave receiver could handle these cases for transmitted radio signals.
* This post was
edited 08/02/10 11:19am by MNtundraRet *
Mark & Jan "Old age & treachery win over youth & enthusiasm"
2003 Fleetwood Jamboree 29
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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I checked the radio shack web site and Invisible Hand extension for FireFox promptly found a lower price.
Looking around though.. I was surprised.. Radio Shack used to carry a good selection of amplifiers.. Now it's not so good.. (But then Radio Shack is no more "Radio" Just "Shack" mostly cell pones these days)
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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Bill Carry
Sylvan Lake MI USA
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I have an ARTEK digital converter. It is the only 12 volt converter I could find and I wanted the flexibility of watching TV without any 120v ac power available. Don't have an inverter.
The perormance is poor. I cannpt bring in channels that I used to be able to get before the changeover.
The idea of an signal amplifier is very appealing. If I buy the Radio Shack unit I assume I should install it on the input side of the converter.
I'm a total dunce on things electronic. Am I missing something??
Bill Carry
1994 Georgie Boy Swinger
6.5 TD Chevy P-30
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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The Radio Shack amplifier uses an adapter plugged into 120V AC. You will need an inverter to power it if not on shore-power. It goes on the cable before your digital converter.
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Bill Carry
Sylvan Lake MI USA
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Hi Mark,
I just purchased the Radio Shack amp. The power supply provided is labled as having a 12v output. Checking the no load output with a DVM it indicates 16v.
Do you think I can wire the amplfier input directly to my motor home 12 v DC system (I can then watch TV when not hooked to a 120 ac source or running the generator)? As I mentioned in an earlier reply, I have a 12v dc digital converter for that reason. Even with the upgraded Wingman antenna head, the reception is much more distance limited than the old analog set up.
Bill Carry
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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I would not change it myself. My small 400 watt inverter has two 120v outlets so I just plug TV and R.S. amplifier into it and use the separate battery dedicated for the television. Have you tested it yet, while on shore-power, to see if helps where you are located?
We will be camping in an area close to the transmitters (< 20 miles) so I will see if I cane leave both amplifiers on (R.S. at minumum setting: +2 decibals). If there is too much amplification I will just remove the R.S. unit. Normally no problem at all for Winegard system. I will give results when I get home Monday.
Mark
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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SCVJeff wrote:
- Adding yet another amplifier directly behind the batwing is a problem looking for an excuse to start.
With basically one exception (A diplexer with the power pass through port connected to the switch box) adding ANYTHING between the switch box and the Batwing is a bad idea.. Power from the switch box powers the pre-amp that is built into the antenna.. Any device inserted between them save the diplexer, will block that power.
Oh, there are other exceptions, but they are variations on the theme of the switchbox.. Winegard makes at least 4 ways to get power to the antenna. 2 of them insert between the switch and the antenna.
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SCVJeff
Santa Clarita, CA.
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MNtundraRet wrote:"What will get you is a local station overloading the amp and killing the other channels. Is this directly in-line with the batwing, or the output of the switchbox"
Jeff:
While this situation may be a possiblity most places don't leave you with that situation. Most of the stations I was trying to receive had their transmitters in the same location. There was one major station in the city I did not receive (channel 11.1,11.2). Since I never could get it, at this location, with Winegard system without the additional amplifier I should be happy with getting all but one. Reason for missing the one may be the case you described.
My old Hammerlund HQ-180 shortwave receiver could handle these cases for transmitted radio signals. Yeah, but your old Hammerland has a Thermeonic Valve front end. I don't think swamping was in the electronic dictionary back then.
The reason I mention it is because it caught me by surprise once while camping on the beach and watching the Los Angeles stations at least 60 miles away. OK, but not great... THEN I turned off the amp and everything improved, even at that distance.
Come to find out that right over the hill and out of view was a TV, at least one FM, and a TON of paging transmitters killing the line amp, not the pre-amp (go figure).
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MNtundraRet
Bloomington, MN
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Jeff:
One thing to remember now is that all the old high-powered analog stations are gone. Each channel bandwith was around a thousand times larger than required for a digital television signal. Thus the reason for their demise. Of course for the government that reason was #2, making money off sale of frequecies was #1. The wide signal is like the old grampa hippo swiming in front of the babies. No chance to get the picture of babies in the rear. All left-over analog stations are very low powered and unlikely to be picked unless they are within a 15 mile circle.
Mark
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