Indoor Amplifier no longer working

I have a Vision V52-100 amplifier (14db - 26db UHF, 0db - 16db VHF + FM) in my loft and over the past few weeks I have had issues with my TV signal for certain channels. After further investigation I have taken the top off the internal amplifier and noticed some blackened areas around some components. When I connect the aerial cable direct to the TV I am still not getting a good signal, so I am assuming that I need some sort of amplifier. I have checked the Vision website and they no longer list it. Can anyone help with what would be a suitable replacement for this amp?

Reply to
Ashley
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Labgear do great boosters

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will take inputs from TV and VHF, boost them ten dB and drive four outputs all for £20. Not worth repairing old kit.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Cross posted to a useful forum.

Reply to
David

Look at

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(who are in Sheffield) or
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who are at Clipstone near Mansfield. They both make good and reliable products, the former under the ProCeption brand which you can also buy from Toolstation.

The fact that you say you are not getting a good signal without the amp suggests some other fault which may or may not be signal level related. It would be useful to know roughly where you are located, the type of aerial in use, the location of your current amp (is it masthead/in the loft/setback?), how long the cable run is to the amp and from the amp to TV, and finally which transmitter(s) you are using.

Two useful sites you can look at:-

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will, from your postcode or map ref, tell you which transmitters are available at your location and the approx signal strength. The last column about aerial type can be ignored - it is notoriously pessimistic.
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click on index, and then select the line about terrestrial TV aerial alignment in section 2. It is straightforward to use but it has the advantage over any other site of this type that it shows you the signal path on Google Maps, on an OS map, and it shows the signal path profile. You can enlarge the Google map, then go to satellite view and move the lollipop to the exact position of your aerial.

Reply to
Woody

Of course a bit of discolouration does not mean its not working. Your aerial down lead could have water in it, especially with recent weather.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff (Sofa)

probably water in the downlead to the loft. I remember having a labgear distribution amp and it looked a bit discoloured on the pcb near the diodes and transformer, but it was a really good unit. It only needed a capacitor to make it work correctly. Trouble is the modern stuff uses el cheapo bits. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff (Sofa)

On the other hand, it depends on whether the discolouration is also capable of changing resistance or capacitance, and if so, whether it affects the functioning of the unit.

I have an old PVR which I don't currently use apart from playing back old recordings. There is a PCB inside (unfortunately buried under the disc drive and another PCB so it is not an easy dismantle) which collects discolouration, and when it gets fairly dark the clock no longer functions when the machine is in standby, so I can't use it for timed recordings any more until I take it apart (again!) and clean off the discolouration with isopropyl alcohol. Once cleaned and dried and reassembled it will work properly again for some time. Then the clock function becomes erratic before stopping completely in standby and I have to repeat the cleaning process once more.

In David's position, I would be be inclined to thoroughly clean off the blackened areas in the amplifier and see if that restores proper functionality.

Jim

Reply to
Indy Jess John

More likely the problem with your machine Jim given its age and where the board is located is that the larger electrolytic capacitors on the board (and possibly on the PSU board) are drying out. Removing the board and cleaning it gives the caps a while to slightly regenerate so it will work for a while when you put it back.

Akai FM tuners were notorious for the same sort of problem - actually the display going dimmer and dimmer until it blacked out - such that the manufacturer actually offered a repair kit of a small bag of the necessary capacitors (5 from memory) for the PSU card that needed to be changed. Chances are all of the caps needed changing but the only ones that affected operation (and were 'visible' to the user) were those affecting the front panel display.

Reply to
Woody

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