Channel Master CM-7778 Titan Medium-Gain Mast Mounted Preamplifier Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Initially I bought the db8 antenna which did great on UHF and the upper VHF. I was able to get channel 2 with some drop-outs but once I used an amplifier (7778) and a splitter, I completely lost the channel. That channel had about a <50% signal strength before the amp or the splitter. I decided I wanted to go with a better VHF antenna since the cm-7778 amp will allow me to combine inputs form two antennas. Once I connected it, it worked flawlessly. The strength after the amp and the splitter jumped from 23% to 79%. The only drawback is that channel 7 which used to be 85% with the DB8, dropped to about 75% which is fine with me since with a digital signal you either receive a channel or you don't! I believe that is due to the fact that the 3018 is directional and it wasn't exactly facing the channel 7 towers.

I am assuming a lot of folks are trying to do the same thing that I did which is get a good VHF/UHF reception to 4 different TV outlets so I am going to list what I used.

First problem would be which amp and how would I power the amp. I went with the channel master 7778. The great thing about it is that you can put the power supply inside the house and it will send the power through the cable line to the amp outdoors. The trick is you have to use a "power pass through splitter". The one that I used is sold by amazon. Do a search for "4-Way Digital Cable and Satellite Splitters". If you live very far from the tower, you can try the CM 7777 which has a slightly better gain but could result in an overload if you live close.

For the antenna choices, it depends on your location. In my case I am about 40 miles away from the towers. I went with the DB8 for the UHF channels and the Channel Master 3018 for the VHF. I recommend going with two antennas because the DB8 is not directional and it does not have to face the towers and the 3018 is. The DB8 has about 75 miles range for UHF. The 3018 has 35(as per the box). For VHF, the DB8 is unclear on the range, and the 3018 has about 60miles. If you only care about UHF (channels 14 and up), the DB8 would be just fine. If you live far from the towers, you can go with one of the higher end deep fringe antennas from channel master. It doesn't do any good to spend more money on a bigger bulkier antenna if you really don't need it.

Using the cm7778, i was able to split the signal first using the 4-way splitter above then i split two of the outputs further using 2-way splitters and the signal was still good for all channels! On top of that, I have the dish signalmultiplexed with one of the outputs through the same line and I still get both excellent antenna and dish signals. This amp/antenna combination was definately worth the money!

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Product Description:
The Channel Master 7778 Titan preamplifier is perfect for MATV systems where signal is distributor to a lot of ports.

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Channelmaster CM-3018 UHF/VHF/FM TV Antenna Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After much research and trying the Winguard antenna that DirectTV sells, plus an amplified indoor antenna from Radio Shack, I did my research and came upon this gem.

I live 36.7 miles from the transmiting station and have never been able to receive ABC off the air in HD.My receiver showed about 23% reception with the DirectTV antenna.Upon installing this antenna and pointing on the correct azimuth, my ABC reception went to over 90%.I flawlessly get all the major networks off the air and in HD.

I also found this model about ten bucks cheaper at my local Lowes store.

If you're using the antennaweb.org to determine your antenna needs, this one prints the colored pie chart right on the box, which the outdoor Radio Shack antenna did not do. They also print the db gain on the spec page on channel master's website.BTW, this one covers all the way to the Violent range.

I noticed that Channel Master's web page specs showed a range of 40 miles for this antenna, but when I picked it up at Lowes the box said 30 miles.Being 36.7 miles away I was worried....needlessly.Reception is excellent.

The only draw back is the size.My wife nearly fainted when I put this thing on the roof.She thinks I'm trying to contact an alien mothership or something.Actually, once it was on the roof on my 2 story house it didn't look too bad.If the HOA complains I do have room in the attic to put it.

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Product Description:
(CHNCM-3018) Channelmaster CM-3018 UHF/VHF/FM TV Antenna The Channel Master CM 3018 is an outdoor TV antenna which will allow you to receive UHF, VHF, FM and HD signals. This antenna has a signal range of 60 miles and will pick up available local channels 2 thru 69. With an HD television you will pick up any crystal clear HD signals being broadcasted in your area. MODEL: CHNCM-3018 Reception Range: Channels 2 thru 69 up to 60 miles Picks up UHF, VHF, FM and HD Easy Installation Number of Elements: 30 Optimized for HDTV and Digital FM Signals .This is a large directional outdoor TV antenna and yields a beam width of about 30 degrees High quality construction Includes:Channel Master CM 3018 is an outdoor TV antenna Installation guideDimensions:113-Inch L x 95-Inch W x 22-Inch H Weight:6 lbs

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Uhf / Vhf Antenna Pre Amp Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I think many people purchasing this amp may not understand how it works, and may not be very patient with trying out a few setup options. I own a small computer and electronics shop, and have just recently started installing products from antennas direct. In the installation instructions it says to point your antenna first for an ideal signal BEFORE installing the amplifier. This is very important to getting satisfactory results. Also, if you understand what factors reduce signal strength (cable quality and length, connectors, splitters, etc), you can better diagnose what may be going wrong. I brought this amp to a customer's home, along with several different models of antennas to test out and swap parts to see what results I got. [...] gave them no results for stations servicing their area, and they lived in a hole in the middle of the woods. They had a very large, old broken aerial antenna sitting on a wood pile that they had been using, which got in most VHF antennas, and some UHF. For this antenna, the amplifier did absolutely nothing, and actually cut reception in half on the signal meters on 3 different TVs. For a roof mounted DB4, it improved all the UHF stations, but reduced the signal on all VHF stations to the point where none of them came in. With the ClearStream C5 roof mounted, all VHF stations came in above 80% with no amp, and when the amp was added, it brought them up to nearly 95%. The UHF stations were diminished. With the DB4 and C5 both connected using the diplexer included with the C5 and NO AMPLIFIER, all available stations came in clearly and with no pixelization. However, this setup needed to service 3 televisions with a splitter. Once the third run of cable was added to the splitter and total cable length of the entire system exceeded 120 ft., the signal cut enough to cause some stations to break up. Adding the amplifier back in solved this problem, and gave them all available stations at above 80% signal strength. I could not ask for much more at a house out in the sticks in deep woods 30-60 miles from any towers, Another benefit to adding the amp is that the signal is not only higher, but it also stabilized it. Before the amp, the numbers and meters were jumping all over the place, with blowing trees, etc. After the amp, the meters didn't vary more than 3% up or down.

Overall I'm impressed, but it did take some work to get the right combination. I wish there were more noticeable gain. An 18dB gain should be enough to take a 75% signal and turn it into 100% as seen by the TV or tuner, but it didn't. It seems that reception was as good without the amp until the third split was added, and that's the step that made it obvious it was needed. Until then, it was looking as if we could do without the amp. So sure, it does the job and stabilizes reception, but it looks like if you're using no splitters and within 30 miles of all your local stations, you can get the best reception with the right combination of antennas and no amp. 5 stars for the C5. It brought the whole package together, a great antenna with an effective bonus diplexer.

Build quality is average. I'd like to have the ability to remove the AC adapter from the power injecter (to run power through small drilled holes, etc.). Although I'd say it's pretty cheap feeling and looking, it's not overpriced in my opinion. A lot of other more expensive products are less effective.

to sumarize:
Get a more powerful antenna than you think you should, and only plan on using an amp to overcome splits and long runs. Getting a smaller antenna and beefing it up with an amp isn't likely to have the same effect as a larger antenna by itself.

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UHF / VHF Antenna PRE AMP KIT

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Terk HDTVO Amplified HDTV Antenna Review

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(More customer reviews)I wasn't sure if I need a big antenna or not...the most distant station is 35 miles away...but one of the stations I wanted to receive shows in the Blue (on the antenna wheel) on [...].The Terk HDTVo shows it can handle signals out to the Blue area...so I bought it.Took me all of 30 minutes to attach it to my Dish Satellite mast (mounted it just a bit lower than the actual dish on my roof) and run the RG6 to my old Cable TV hook up outside the house.I let my Dish 811 receiver do a channel scan and every local station that is available in my area was captured.I clicked to each station and all but one of them comes in at 89-92 on the scale of 100.I have one weak channel which hovers between 69 and 72...but the picture is perfect.I can now watch HD channels for free with this great little antenna.I had considered the Wingard Square shooter and the Sensor 2200...but neither of those claimed to get a signal from the mid/far range (blue on the little antenna wheel on the box).The Terk delivered on it's range..in fact..the station that is the weakest is actually closer than the channel that I was worried about (I think the issue may be one channel is using less broadcasting wattage and it may be a bit off axis from the dead-center of the antenna).The only caution I can give with this antenna is, it is very directional.That means...all your TV station transmitters have to be in a very narrow corridor for this antenna to grab them all.I'd guess if they were spread more than 20 degrees you may have trouble getting a strong signal on all the stations.I'm not done tinkering with the antenna yet.I may try and put a short extension on my dish mast and boost this antenna above the actual Dish to see if I can't increase the signal strength on the weakest channel.
Terk claims..the higher you go with this antenna..the better the signal.

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Product Description:
Amplified high-definition tv reception for free local HDTV broadcasts.Most HDTV local broadcasts can't be received by either satellite or cable alone:You need an HDTV antenna.You get the most from your HDTV entertainment system with this off-air antenna.The high-performance Amplified HDTV Outdoor Antenna is a powerful yet compact antenna for both UHF and VHF local reception of channedl 2 through 69, so you'll be able to enjoy free local HDTV broadcasts.The Amplified HDTV Outdoor Antenna connects to your television via coaxial cable (not included).The HDTV Amplified Outdoor Antenna is engineered to receive 1080i HDTV broadcasts not always available on satelitte or cable.This compact, amplified, highly directional VHF/UHF anteena utilizes a log periodic UHF element with VHF rear reflector element.It's not always convenient to mount an outdoor antenna on your roof.Luckily, the Amplified HDTV Outdoor Antenna can be mounted anywhere, thanks to the included mini-mast bracket that will mount to a wall, the roof or even in your attic.The Ampified HDTV Outdoor Antenna will also mount on standard DBS or DirecTV dish masts.

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