Quote:
Originally Posted by jlatenight
Is there an inherant difference between a "preamp" which as I understand it is mounted outside on the pole with the antenna, and a regular indoor "amp" like the Drop Amp EDA 2100 I have?
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Pre amp amplifies the signal closest to the antenna.
Amplifier amplifies the signal that is delivered by wire from your antenna to your amplifier.
Between the antenna and the amplifier you will have a high amount of loss. All the amplifier does is amplifies the signal that you have - along with all the noise and all the noise that the amplifier makes itself.
Basically the Pre Amplifier generates enough signal to overcome the loss of signal in the wire and the connectors and splitters and that is about it.
A amplifier cannot amplify a signal that is not there.
With digital UHF - either you have a signal or you don't.
The loss of signal between the antenna and the television is helped with a pre amplifier. A amplifier only generates enough gain to compensate for the loss of signal that the other connections on that line - such as a couple of televisions or a radio being connected on the same line as the main television.
A amplifier cannot make a poor signal better.
A pre amplifier can improve a poor signal.