UHF (TV) Amplifier Advice

[Andy Champ]

Paging Bill Wright... or anyone else.

I want to get a UHF amp for domestic TV. It's fed by a yagi, which is currently in the loft and I hope I can keep it there for aesthetic reasons and that a decent amp. might help.

But I don't have a decent amp... Can anyone point me at good brands/suppliers.

The system feeds down to an analogue satellite box (which adds an extra channel) then a VCR (which adds another) then is passed about the house so anyone can watch Eurosport, and we can tape it if we want. So not really a distribution amp.

Thx

Andy

[Alan]

In message , Andy Champ wrote

Bill writes in the uk.tech.digital-tv newsgroup.

You probably want something usually called 'loft box' rather than distribution amplifier.

[Paul Matthews]

That sounds like a description of a loft box.

P.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Andy Champ explained on 07/06/2008 :

It is much better to start with the best and strongest signal possible, than to try to boost a poor or weak signal. Amplify a poor noisy signal and you just get a stronger noisy signal.

I heard the larger Tesco stores are selling an amplifier which has a variable gain setting for around £6. I'm told by someone who has tested one that they are quite good.

[CJF]

You could look at Proception's range, which you can get from

(no connection - but very helpful to me) - look at amplifiers on their site.

We are very much in a fringe reception area, and are currently using a Proception varigain head amp outside, and a low gain four out dist amp in the loft which also powers the head amp. I also have an FM aerial plugged direct into the DA via a filtered FM input, which is a useful feature . The system works well on DTV, given that we are 35 miles from Crystal Palace, with a ridge of high ground in the way, and has been up for a year now with no problems. The combination of head amp and low gain DA was suggested by Bill Wright - for which thanks.

It may well be that the DA (or something similar) on its own would do what you want, if your signal is better than ours.

Proception are not much more expensive than Tesco etc products, but do appear to have been designed with some thought and research, and have a website with proper specs etc (no connection again).

Charles F

[tony sayer]

In article , Harry Bloomfield scribeth thus

Quite good for 6 quid eh?...

And you'd be the first to complain if someone suffered a bit of QRM with one and complain about its shortcomings!....

Proception are very good units. Highly recommended:))

[dennis]

Amplifiers are no substitute for a better aerial. Look at better aerials first. Aerials don't need power either.

You may find the receiver is better in the VCR so swapping the VCR and Sat can make things better. You will lose the sat signal on the aerial feed to the vcr but a scart between the two should get you a better signal back.

[The Natural Philosopher]

You recommended me labgear I think. Anyway THAT works well.

[Andy Champ]

He's been seen here before - I though it must have been uk.tech.broadcast where I saw him, and it was there I asked this first.

Thanks

Andy

[Andy Champ]

OK, that's 2 votes for Proception... And their website has interesting things like noise margin on it. I'll have a good read. Thanks!

Andy

[meow2222]

what matters most: gain snr

there are various makes all fine, and some not.

NT

[Andy Champ]

I'm also looking for noise floor. Then there's out of band filtering... and half the mfgrs don't put the specs on the web sites, and can I trust them anyway?

Just rotated the aerial 20 degrees left and 20 up, so all is fine ATM. Until a plane goes past, which I'm pretty sure an amp won't help with. SWMBO's going to have to have a fish skeleton on the roof...

Andy