Hey guys, I recently found the need to get a signal booster for my tv cables and internet but im stuck between two different models. I need all of your opinions so I know which one.

Here is the first one:

motorola (http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/signal_booster/)

The second: ( i would be looking at the 4 port version)

PCT (http://www.pctintl.com/_products/northamer/amplifiers/minidropamps.html)


now my dilemma, see the motorola is a 15db gain for 1 port
the pct is a 8db gain for each 4 ports.


I need 4 ports so if I went with the motorola i would add a 4 way splitter after it.
with the pct i dont need a splitter, but its a lower db boost. So which do i pick? if i use the motorola with another splitter will it perform better than the pct with the integrated splitter? from what i know i think both products are well respected.
cant wait for the thoughts, thanks for your time.

I assume this is cable TV? Give a bit more detail on your setup. How long is the coax run? What do you have now? If this is a new setup, the cable company should have set it up for you.

im sorry, i should have given more info, well its an old setup not new and after getting hdtv my others tvs that dont have hdtv seem crappy haha. so i figured to help a bit i'll add a booster. There are 4 tvs and the distance to each varies, some on the second floor , main, and basement.

A 4 port splitter is going to lose around 7-8dB, so they are actually both the same gain after the splitter. I would probably go with the PCT since I could use one device instead of 2 (and the extra cabling between).

thanks so just to make sure i got it, if i use the pct as is or the motorola with a splitter after in the end they will output the same gain?

I have found the best cable bi-directional amplifiers (with or without built-in splitters) are the ElectroLine models. Very good prices from sellers on EBAY too. I got one a couple years ago and its worked great! You can get a fixed +15dB gain model and use passive splitter(s) after it or one with 2, 4, or 8 built-in splitter outputs.

thanks i looked into electroline, still unsure what im gonna get. seems pct has the highest db gain but are there other factors that may be more important?

... and after getting hdtv my others tvs that dont have hdtv seem crappy Sounds like it's not a signal level problem, but the "aagh!! effect :eek:" when someone sees HD for the first time! If it's signal level, then you should be seeing a lot of snow and ghosting on the picture. A booster can fix that. You can test if you need a booster by connecting one TV (basement) as close as possible directly to the cable entrance (no splits, short cable). If the problem goes away, then a booster will help.

If it just seems soft compared to the HD picture, well that's what you've been watching for a long time. Welcome to the digital world of high-definition.

If you are uncertain with that second thoughts feeling, I would purchase an amp locally in the gain range you are after and check for overload (on analog). If the amp overloads you can at least return it without hassle.

For example, if a 15 db amp overloads then less gain is better. I prefer not to use attenuation after the fact to make the situation better. Attenuation hurts the good signal. I prefer the amp with appropriate gain for the situation. sometimes no amp is the best compromise.

I recently purchased online a channel plus DA -506 BID distribution amp. The specs looked decent for my needs. I split at least a dozen times around the home long short runs.

1 dB nominal gain on "short" TV outputs
4 dB nominal gain on "long" TV outputs
±1.5 dB gain flatness

1 db, 4 db...you would think...

The amp overloaded terribly, the picture was a mess, a huge disapointment, and just as bad as a DA500A 18db gain amp (and a half dozen others) with splitters. Spent the entire winter screwing around. Had to return it and others for a 20% restocking fees and that entire process was a royal pain in the ass. sometimes you just can not depend on published specs alone.

I ended up going back to a winegard hdp269 preamp I started with , compromised, amplified uhf only and passed vhf, added a filter for an fm station close by, installed the amp at the grounding block instead of at the antenna and basically used it as a distribution amp (12 db gain, 3 db noise, high overload tolerance). Compromised and just had to deal with non perfection!

Ask your cable company for the right amp. they have instrumention which will assist in selecting the best option.

thanks i looked into electroline, still unsure what im gonna get. seems pct has the highest db gain but are there other factors that may be more important?

Yes, one of the most imporant specs is the noise figure. Electroline has an excellent noise figure.

Another perspective. It sounds like you already have a 4-way splitter in the line. Before you buy, connect one TV directly to the cable entrance with a short cable (as mentioned before) and see what it looks like. Think of it as getting a "free" 6 dB boost in signal plus any signal gained by removing losses due to long cable runs. See if it makes a difference. If it does, you definitely need an amp. If it doesn't, maybe you should start comparing high-def displays...

If your signal level appears "good to go" with a direct connection. Then all you need is enough gain to overcome the splitter + cable losses. That points to the pct amp. If you need more signal, then go with the Motorola (or something else with higher gain).

Another important spec is the amount of input signal power that it can handle, sometimes shown as the "3rd Order Intercept". For cable TV, I would think that this is more important than noise figure, as the RF spectrum is packed with hundreds of signals. Noise figure is more important for OTA preamps.

However, don't get bogged down in the specs. A lot of manufacturers don't give the full details anyway (targeted for consumers, not engineers). Pick one of the recommendations in this thread and go with it.