Questions and Answers for WINEGARD Boost XT Digital HDTV Preamplifier

A:  I bought and installed it and have no overload problems whatsoever. Great preamplifier.

A:  No it work great

A:  No

A:  We are not aware of anyone having an overload issue with this pre-amplifier. It is made to boost whatever signal your antenna picks up. Any electrical overload would be due to something happening with the antenna, not this product.

A:  No I experience loss of signal and missing channels. Remove device, the certain weak channels would return. Was trying to overcome signal loss due to splitting.

A:  Hello! This preamplifier works with any nonamplified or passive TV antennas. The TwinAmp Technology™ separately amplifies VHF and UHF signals for 10x more power handling.

A:  No preamp can stop rf propagation due to atmosphereic conditions but the Winegard gives you 2Db lower noise figure than your current amp and less noise means better signal.

A:  The only way to find out is go on line and find the nearest HD near your zip code. Then when on line, see if its there at that store, if not they will order it for you and you can have it delivered for a shipping cost or pick it up at that store. Simple as that.

A:  NO

A:  Yes it will work on an indoor antenna. Just make sure that you install it correctly.

A:  Yes helped with my attic antenna.

A:  No, Its a pre amp made for an external antenna.

A:  Probably didn't do anything wrong. They are only for keeping signal strong to compensate for long coax runs. It will not increase a weak channel.

A:  Absolutely. However the LNA-100 is the same amplifier for a lower price and is designed for indoor use only

A:  lb, as far as I know, the Orca is already amplified. You shouldn't need an additional amplifier with it. If it's not working as good as you hoped it would, I would return it and purchase the RCA attic/outdoor compact design HDTV antenna instead, then add the Winegard Boost XT for weaker signals. The RCA unit is top rated and is sold by Home Depot.

A:  The ORCA antenna is an amplified antenna to begin with. I'm not sure that you would want the preamplifier on this as well. It depends on how long your cable run is from the antenna to the TV. If it's longer than 80 feet, then you might benefit from the additional boost this provides, to compensate for the long cable run. But if you're closer than that, it wont help you pull in signals that you aren't currently receiving. Only more height will accomplish that. The performance of the ORCA is sketchy, from what I've read. I'm using a standard YAGI type that was designed for the old VHF/UHF analog TV transmission, and my cable run is over 150 feet. The preamp allowed me to pull in 30 more stations with a solid signal; but they were marginal to begin with. In other words, if you're not pulling in a station at all, the preamplifier won't make the channels suddenly appear. You're fighting physics.

A:  Don't know what an Orca antenna is, if its an outdoor TV antenna it should work. Its purpose is to increase the signal strength of the outdoor antenna. Works especially well for fringe, and near fringe reception say 50 to 75 air miles away from the TV transmitter.

A:  No. It's not meant for Cable TV signals at all.

A:  Scott, the signal coming from Comcast should be strong enough. I would contact them if it's not. If the problem is that you're having issues trying to get the signal to multiple tv's in the house, I would recommend the Channel Master 4 port distribution amplifier (sold by Home Depot) rather than the Winegard Boost XT. Replace the multiple passive splitter that's probably in your attic with the Channel Master unit, plug it in to the nearest outlet and you'll be good to go.

A:  No

A:  No, its not made for that purpose. Its a pre amp made for an outdoor antenna.

A:  No need to purchase any pre-amp if your Comcast signal is weak. Just call Comcast and a technician will come out and measure your signal at the TV end of your cable. If the signal is weak and if you are using a coax cable that you purchased from a retail store that has pre-terminated ends they could be the problem (or a splitter if used). The technician will cut off the ends and replace them at little or no cost to you, If he determines that the weak signal is NOT due to your in house installed cables then he can go out to the Comcast main distribution box and boost the signal from their end.

A:  I believe it will boost the signal by at least 20 dB.

A:  20Db typical gain Remember, more gain does not equal better signal. In fact, anything larger than 20Db should be avoided unless you have a extremely long coax run or live in an extremely remote area far from the nearest transmitters.

A:  18db on the box

A:  The data on Winegard.com say 18-20dB.

A:  Remember, this amp only works between the antenna and your TV or OTA device (TV, TiVo, etc.), Its purpose is to compensate for the signal loss in the cable and connections, not to raise the power of the received signal. It can't create more signal than was received at the antenna, only compensate for the reduced signal strength as it travels through the cable. This is a common misconception of how antenna preamps work.

A:  It depends on your installation and why you need it. On an outdoor installation (for which it was intended) it will perform best. I'm receiving stations as far away as fifty miles. But, my antenna is on the roof and my cable run is almost a hundred feet. This device is only meant to overcome the long cable run loss. It will actually increase the signal to noise ratio, as opposed to an amplifier, which increases the entire received signal but maintains the same signal to noise ratio.

A:  Outdoor mast mounted pre amplifiers do NOT "pull in signals". Your antenna is what does the signal reception. You need more signal you need a larger outdoor antenna mounted higher above ground level. What a MAST AMP like this does is increase the strength (not the quality) to account for losses in long coaxial cable runs and connector losses. This allows a weak but acceptable signal to maintain an acceptable level to reach your TV, even with distribution losses. An outdoor Amp like this can only amplify a signal you are getting. If the signal is so weak and noisy for TV to decode, no amplifier can help. If you have a STRONG signal area and have a short coaxial run (less than 50' (use only very high quality RG-6 coaxial cable), then you most likely will not benefit from this product. You need to start with the correct kind of antenna mounted properly (indoor, attic, outdoor). Use high quality RG-6 coaxial (about $0.20 a foot min). Also ground your antenna system as all antenna installation manuals show. Other things to consider is splitting your signal. Each passive splitter cuts signal in half. A three way splitter will cut signal to 25-50%, 4-way signal will be 25% of original strength. This is where an Amp like this can help overcome these losses. There is another kind of Amp, called a distribution amplifier. It has less gain but divides the signal up to many TV's while maintain the same signal level. Go to TVFOOL.com and look at what stations you have in your area and their direction and signal strength at your location. You may be OK with an un-amplified indoor antenna. If you have weaker stations, an outdoor antenna mounted high, with or without a mast mounted amplifier (depending on signal strength and cable run length). I do own this Winegard Boost XT LNA-200 amplifier. They are good amplifiers, but again it can't make a signal you are not receiving.

A:  The signal i wanted to pull in is 28 miles away on flat terrain, and i live in a dense metro area. The preamp worked for me.

A:  To answer your question literally.....Antenna amplifiers do not reach out and pull in a radio signal. Some signal must be present in order to amplify. If you have zero signal..... 0x0=0.

A:  I'm sure that some of the answer depends on your antenna and the quality of signal you're receiving from a transmitter. I have an outdoor, rooftop antenna. With the Boost XT, I'm getting good signal from transmitters up to 26 miles away in the direction I have the antenna pointed. It's probably capable of greater distance. I also pull in stations from other directions, but they need to be closer-- within 10 - 15 miles, depending on the transmitter's signal strength.