yeah its the reverse of the most often asked question about the difference between HDTVa and HDTVi.
What I am trying to find out is if the amp in the HDTVa can be bypassed without any signal degradation.
Is it possible to just switch off the amp, and make the antenna work just like an HDTVi (the no amp version) ? Or will the signal stop altogether ?

I don't neccessarily need an amplified antenna but sometimes one or two channels become choppy depending on environmental conditions.

Yes, you can turn off the amplifier.

and then what happens to the signal ? will it pass through ? or stop ?
that is really my main question.

You need to take the inline amplifier off of the coax cable.

As long as the wall wart is still plugged in, it will pass the unamplified signal.