You are fine. Your amplifier is a distribution amplifier and can be used with any antenna. I love stories like this. Congratulations on your easy free TV channels.
-
Our native mobile app has a new name: Fora Communities. Learn more.
DC area: antenna and amplifiers
Hi all,
I hope this is the right thread for this. Kind of a newb to over the air stuff.
Anyways - I just moved into a house about a week ago from an apartment. I picked up an RCA indoor antenna/amplifier ( http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1650F-ANT1650R-Digital-Amplified/dp/B0027FGW3K ) so we could pick up local channels and watch the Olympics.
At first, it worked OK. The channel I needed would come in and out, and it was kind of annoying. I'm in the DC suburbs in Maryland and I could pick up about 20 channels. I noticed while out in my yard that there appears to be an old TV antenna on the roof. I'm not sure what type it is. I think it's multidirectional. It's one of those deals that looks like metal pipes with smaller pipes coming off of it (great description, I know). I've seen them on people's roofs since I was a kid. I imagine this one is kind of old.
So, I noticed a coax coming down the side of my house leading up to the roof antenna. I routed that around the side of the house to the room with my TV in it. I hooked a coax from the wall (and therefore from the roof antenna) to the amplifier that came with my indoor RCA antenna and plugged the amplifier up to my TV. I did a scan, and WOW! It found closer to 40 channels, all the HD ones included, and the signal strength is unwavering. Much better!
My question is - is it safe to leave that amplifier plugged up to that roof antenna? Is it simply amplifying the signals coming from the antenna? Is there some weird fire hazard here I should know about? I love the added signal strength, it's amazing. I'd love to keep it hooked up this way, but I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong.
Thanks!
Hi all,
I hope this is the right thread for this. Kind of a newb to over the air stuff.
Anyways - I just moved into a house about a week ago from an apartment. I picked up an RCA indoor antenna/amplifier ( http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1650F-ANT1650R-Digital-Amplified/dp/B0027FGW3K ) so we could pick up local channels and watch the Olympics.
At first, it worked OK. The channel I needed would come in and out, and it was kind of annoying. I'm in the DC suburbs in Maryland and I could pick up about 20 channels. I noticed while out in my yard that there appears to be an old TV antenna on the roof. I'm not sure what type it is. I think it's multidirectional. It's one of those deals that looks like metal pipes with smaller pipes coming off of it (great description, I know). I've seen them on people's roofs since I was a kid. I imagine this one is kind of old.
So, I noticed a coax coming down the side of my house leading up to the roof antenna. I routed that around the side of the house to the room with my TV in it. I hooked a coax from the wall (and therefore from the roof antenna) to the amplifier that came with my indoor RCA antenna and plugged the amplifier up to my TV. I did a scan, and WOW! It found closer to 40 channels, all the HD ones included, and the signal strength is unwavering. Much better!
My question is - is it safe to leave that amplifier plugged up to that roof antenna? Is it simply amplifying the signals coming from the antenna? Is there some weird fire hazard here I should know about? I love the added signal strength, it's amazing. I'd love to keep it hooked up this way, but I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong.
Thanks!
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
That RCA inline amplifier will work fine with any antenna. It is designed with a low noise figure and is sold individually at Walmart for $15. And that outside antenna will give you much stronger reception. You may even get Baltimore as well as DC. So you should be safe and good to go.
Wont hurt anything, but I would put a ground block where the coax inters the house. There may be one from the location you moved it from, or there may be one up at the antenna. check the code for were you live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waldensghost /t/1518154/first-time-trying-to-get-over-the-air-hd-basic-questions#post_24365157
Hi all,
I hope this is the right thread for this. Kind of a newb to over the air stuff.
Anyways - I just moved into a house about a week ago from an apartment. I picked up an RCA indoor antenna/amplifier ( http://www.amazon.com/RCA-ANT1650F-ANT1650R-Digital-Amplified/dp/B0027FGW3K ) so we could pick up local channels and watch the Olympics.
At first, it worked OK. The channel I needed would come in and out, and it was kind of annoying. I'm in the DC suburbs in Maryland and I could pick up about 20 channels. I noticed while out in my yard that there appears to be an old TV antenna on the roof. I'm not sure what type it is. I think it's multidirectional. It's one of those deals that looks like metal pipes with smaller pipes coming off of it (great description, I know). I've seen them on people's roofs since I was a kid. I imagine this one is kind of old.
So, I noticed a coax coming down the side of my house leading up to the roof antenna. I routed that around the side of the house to the room with my TV in it. I hooked a coax from the wall (and therefore from the roof antenna) to the amplifier that came with my indoor RCA antenna and plugged the amplifier up to my TV. I did a scan, and WOW! It found closer to 40 channels, all the HD ones included, and the signal strength is unwavering. Much better!
My question is - is it safe to leave that amplifier plugged up to that roof antenna? Is it simply amplifying the signals coming from the antenna? Is there some weird fire hazard here I should know about? I love the added signal strength, it's amazing. I'd love to keep it hooked up this way, but I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong.
Thanks!
Wont hurt anything, but I would put a ground block where the coax inters the house. There may be one from the location you moved it from, or there may be one up at the antenna. check the code for were you live.
Please put a location in the TITLE of all antenna help threads and a TVFool link in the first post.
See the instructions at the top of the section and my edit. Thanks.
See the instructions at the top of the section and my edit. Thanks.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
AVS Forum
A forum community dedicated to home theater owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about home audio/video, TVs, projectors, screens, receivers, speakers, projects, DIY’s, product reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Top Contributors this Month
View All
WilliamR
952 Replies
BASSAHOLIC
504 Replies
bass addict
397 Replies
Recommended Communities
