Winegard LNA-200 Boost XT HDTV Preamplifier, TV Antenna Amplifier Signal Booster, HD Digital VHF UHF Amplifier,Black

I wanted to "cut the cord". I live between Baltimore and DC. I purchased an indoor antenna that let me watch Baltimore VHF stations and a few Baltimore UHF stations. After adding the amp, I can watch all Baltimore stations and all but one DC UHF station. I did an evaluation which I hope you will find helpful. First, a little background. There are two kinds of TV amplifiers. The cheaper is called a "distribution amp". Use this amplifier if you have strong signal at the antenna, but want to use that signal for many TVs. When doing this, you will need one or more splitters, which divide the signal between the TVs. For example, a 5 to 1 splitter will give each TV about 1/6 of the signal. (Some of the signal is lost because the splitter is not perfect.) By the time the signal gets to the TV, the signal strength is reduced. A distribution amp overcomes this signal loss, but it adds noise. Adding noise is not a major problem because the signal was strong to begin with. You can save a few bucks. If the antenna signal is weak, you need to amplify the signal while adding as little noise as possible. You need a "pre-amp", which costs more. In most cases, the pre-amp will also overcome the splitter losses. You get both functions in one device, but pay a few bucks more. Just a little more background. TV broadcast signals are divided into VHF and UHF bands. VHF is channels 2 - 13 and uses 55 to 220 MHz. UHF is channels 14 - 69 and uses 450 - 800 MHz. No matter which type of amp you use, you want both bands amplified. This is difficult to do with one amp. The better approach is to separate the two bands and use two amps -- one for VHF and one for UHF. This amplifier is two pre-amps in one package. It covers both VHF and UHF bands. It adds about 1 dB of noise, which is very good for an inexpensive device. If you are solidly grounded in TV technology, you will know there are other factors that are very important in making a good amp. I won't go into them here, other than to say my observations are that this amp performs amazingly well. When evaluating how well an amp works at your house, channel scan is not a very good indicator. For example, my TV's scan picks up channel 5, a DC VHF station. But the signal is so poor that the picture only shows up for a few seconds now and then. The better way to evaluate is to do the channel scan without the amp. Then measure the signal strength for several stations with and without the amp. TVs have a signal strength meter in the menu, but you have to do a little digging to find it. For my TV, it's in setup -- channel setup -- Digital TV. My scan without the amp picks up channels 5, 11, 66, and 67 (among others). The signal strength without the amp is 0, 83, 42, 63. I picked these channels because 5 is useless (seldom shows a picture), 11 is excellent, 66 usually shows a picture put pixelates a lot, 67 is pretty good but pixelates occasionally. I can watch 11 and 67, but not 5 and 66. Now I know that I want the signal strength to be at least 65. These numbers are for my TV. Other TVs may display different signal strength numbers. What's important is how Your TV's numbers relate to the quality of your picture. Also, for this test, it's best to do it with one TV and no splitters. If you do this and get good signal for all stations, you can stop reading right now. A pre-amp won't improve anything. After I inserted the amp, the signal strength was 60, 83, 56, 87. Channel 5 went from useless to pretty good, which is amazing. Channel 11 didn't increase, but 83 indicates a strong signal with a perfect picture. Channel 66 went from unwatchable to good. Channel 67 went from good to excellent. What more can one ask of an antenna amplifier? Where should you place the amp? I did these tests without any splitters -- all of the signal was going to one TV. You want the amplifier to be before any splitters, but it doesn't have to be physically close to the antenna. My antenna is on the 2nd floor. It has a 6 foot cable, which plugs into a socket in my wall. On the other side of the wall is a 60 foot cable to a low voltage box in my basement. The box has splitters and other cables that go to other sockets in other rooms. I can't place the amp right at the antenna. But I can place it either on the 2nd floor or at the low voltage box. I tried both. There was no difference in performance. Not even one digit changed on the signal strength for any station. The point is, there is no measurable loss in signal between the antenna and the other end of the coax cable, even if the cable is 65 feet long and includes two connections (one on either side of the wall.) (Assuming you use good coax cable with screw connectors.) You don't need an outdoor amp, even if you have an outdoor antenna. After I purchased this amp, I found another from the same manufacturer that was exactly the same electronics but packaged for indoor use. I could have saved a few bucks by buying the indoor amp. If you have an outdoor antenna, you will benefit by not having your amp out in the weather, and lose almost nothing. Just make sure the amp is before any splitters.

This LNA 200 Preamplifier has proprietary designed "TwinAmp" Technology that separately amplifies VHF and UHF signals for maximum performance. The Boost XT preamplifier works with any passive outdoor TV antenna. It can improve the strength of signal detected and in some cases it is possible to boost "fringe" signals enough to be visible. Some call it enhancing signals, but with every decibel of amplification the amplifier also adds a little "noise" or detracting interference. Inserted interference is every very foot of cable, connector or splitter which by nature degrades the signal information. Eliminating the loss by Inserted interference is perhaps the greatest goal of the Low Noise Amplifier. The concept is to find the lowest ratio of Noise to Amplification (or Gain) possible. Although amplifiers can improve a weak reception signal to some degree, they are more capable and beneficial by maintaining the strength of signals as they leave your antenna and travel to your HDTV. I would say the diminish signal strength (Roof and Trees) are offset by the strengths of elevation and proximity. I imagined I only had the "inserted" noise to deal with. I hooked up a TV without the amplifier and no splitter, with a twenty foot run of new coaxial cable. The Phillips HDTV scanned the signal and searched for channels. The Signal Strength came up at a 97 on it's built in signal strength meter and 72 Channels found, which impressed me. I started installing four line splitter, and hooked the other three TV's to the antenna feed. Checking the same set, with a four splitter installed, came up now at 90 in strength and a 70 channel scan of available channels . (Those two channels lost both were UHF in the 60's range seem to be a continuous screen message "This channel available for Lease" so I didn't worry too much, but it seemed odd anyway). The longest run, at about 50 feet, was found to have a strength of 87 and 70 channels. The remaining runs came in at 89. (all these measurements were "pre" amplifier only. We had positioned, aimed, and physically secured the antenna in the best reception position we could determine). I then installed the amp and found we boosted reception signal by either 5 or 6, we did rescan, and the two channels were now available on each set, and they were still available for lease (head scratcher). So we went from 97 to 96 with our first set which we were happy with. You are simply trying to maintain and improve the signal's loss of strength after it leaves the antenna and starts going through all the components and eventually to your TV. This does a great job of keeping the lowest ratio noise to gain and keeping performance in line with all the parameters of the install. That said, if you only read this little bit of advice it will all be worth it. There are two critical and distinct points I found out about over the air antennas, first it's a confusing process and and second, usually the fault of signal anomalies lies with the antenna selection. The biggest mistake people make is purchasing the wrong size and type antenna initially. Such as too small, performance suffers. Too large, wallet suffers. Omni or directional? narrow band, built in amplifier or passive, rotational, or fixed etc.) Then, having started with a slight handicap, you start fiddling and buying components. Trying to compensate for faults with peripheral equipment can be expensive. HDTV over the air is quite fickle. It is not like the analog days where built in rabbit ears and tinfoil could give you a decent black and white picture. When my father purchased our first Color TV,(a first in our neighborhood, we should of charged people a quarter admission fee) he declined, over the objections of the Salesman, to have a new antenna installed when the set was delivered. Instead, he hooked up his faithful Rabbit Ears, turned it on, and found the picture so lacking he actually believed there was something wrong with the set. He diagnosed the problem, and told the small group assembled that the antenna was inadequate. He drove to the dealer, and somehow he got a really good deal on the "Diamond Class" antenna, and a custom pole that would allow him to view same picture that he viewed on showroom display. They even had it installed with the an hour. They knew if one person bought a Color TV set, there is a huge volume of potential customers who would look at Dad's set, but not come to their show room just to satisfy their curiosity. Any good publicity, and Dad even did a great pitch on the whole deal. It was only second to a car purchase in it strategic importance. He even managed to get the antenna installed the same very same day, with along with a deck of the Store Salesman's business cards and a handful of brochures. He was clearly second showroom, one more casual. No pressure,no commitment to close a deal right then. Dad was quite the pitchman. There were a lot of sets and antenna's popping up all around the neighborhood within a week. I won't go into the holdout over the need of a separate UHF (Until Hell Freezes) antenna that came up a few years later. I only give this to prevent you from thinking this amp will cure all ills and be as disappointed as my Father was when he shelled out only a belated 39.99 (and tax to) in order watch his new color TV. Most people aren't aware that antennas are constructed for different signal frequency situations. If the broadcast tower is 100 miles away, an antenna constructed for a signal of distance of 50 miles won't deliver the same reception signal as one designed for 100 miles. Being in the valley is never as good as being located on a hill. The first thing to help you determine any prospective attempts to correct a signal would be to check your antenna. Go to http://www.fcc.gov/guides/antennas-and-digital-television and enter your physical location, then make sure you are grabbing as good a signal as you can. Make sure your antenna is sized and orientated (aimed) properly for your location. Make sure all your components are function properly, coaxial fittings, splitters matched for outputs desired, be methodical, test and check each change or adjustment to ensure maximum performance. Don't get caught up in the biggest or most expensive will guarantee the best results. If it were true, it would be easier. Oh, I would encourage the use new material and parts whenever possible. Good luck and may all your stations be clear ones.

I was unable to evaluate the performance of this preamplifier because it was serving only one tv so the preamp had too much power for my application. It did not have a way to reduce the strength. It did appear to be well made and had good installation instructions. I purchased this in order to increase the signal on two local stations that were not stable caused by the townhouse behind me obstructing the signal. I managed to solve the problem by raising the height of the mast on which the antenna was installed and eliminated the preamp. I spoke to Winegard tech department and they were very helpful but suggested that I return it as it was producing too strong a signal for my setup. Returning it to Amazon was very easy. They even covered the return postage. I got such good service I would not hesitate to purchase from Winegard or Amazon in the future.

I live in a concrete building facing the opposite side of all TV transmission antennas. I am positioned in the opposite way of all TV signals and about 30 miles from the main TV antennas. Before, I was getting barely 8 unstable channels. I was not expecting much from this amplifier, since my geographic position is very unstable and deficient. I read many of the negative comments about Winegard LNA-200 Booster. I was not convinced that I should spend that money for a product that could perhaps lead to deception. I took a chance and ordered it anyway, since I had not much to loose on this issue. I have a good antenna and ordered a good quality 30 feet coax cable and hooked the amplifier as shown on the instruction paper. WOW !!! It went from 8 unstable channels to 18 very stable channels, even though my location is very poor !!! What a difference, and since I don't watch TV that much, I get the best of all as HDTV and the signal is 100 % + the quality of the image has improved quite a lot. I also don't get any over amplified signals! I can tell you, if you have a good antenna, non defective cables and you connect the whole thing together the right way, the Winegard will certainly do the job. I can say that I am more than satisfied with the result. Therefore, if you do not get the same good result, it cannot be the fault of Winegard LNA-200. That's why I give a 5 stars rating!

First let me say that I was very happy with the delivery and return process (in my case I needed to request a refund and it was granted immediately and the return process was hassle free). In terms of the product, in my situation I have an exterior grade, multi-directional antenna installed in the attic with a long run of coax cable from the antenna into the basement of a two storey home. The cable is then connected to another coax cable that runs up to the 2nd storey media room where I split the signal to a flat screen in that media room and to a coax cable that runs back to the basement and there it connects to the coax cable that runs to the first floor den flat screen. I'm using that configuration simply because the home is pre-wired that way by the local cable company with coax running to several rooms in the home from a central junction point in the basement where cable tv would normally be installed. That's the set up, now for the review of the Wineguard 200. Prior to installing it I received 25 channels with the antenna alone, but with a signal strength indicator tool I could see that there were about another 15 channels I could potentially receive but the signal strength at the set showed as too weak to provide a picture and a few of the stronger ones sometimes appeared briefly or in pixelated fashion. After installing the Winegaurd (following instructions to the T, and double checking with their web site and googling other user forums on the subject to verify there was nothing else I could do to improve my installation, I received only 2 stations with the Winegaurd versus 25 without it. From all my research I understand others have had great success and it is one of the best such devices on the market. However, in my specific environment it made performance much worse than without it. Hence my low rating, but I wouldn't let that deter you from the product as it may perform well in your environment. It could have just been my type of antenna (even though on paper it met the antenna type criteria Wineguard recommends this booster for).

Nicely designed, excellent manufacturing quality, easy to install and works very well. I have an antenna in the attic with a 4 way splitter in the basement and cable runs from there up to each TV - about 60 ft of cable in total. This adds up to a fair bit of line loss apparently, even with RG6 cable and splitter. Our big 42 inch LG generally had pretty good reception, but the small 18" TV's in the kitchen (Samsung) and work room (Toshiba) had problems pulling in some channels and drop-off was bad when the winter weather got a little blustery. I installed the black box at the antenna and the "power inserter" at the input to the splitter. This little preamp has improved the reception quite nicely. All channels are now available on all TV's and drop-off in bad weather is significantly reduced.

Very happy with the small, light unit itself. Very simple setup and improved reception on all my local channels by at least approx 25-30% - taking them from "ALMOST there, but on the signal strength cusp" to "robust and oblivious to the whims of weather and time of day". Compared against a ChannelMaster 7778, and this works as well for my setup. Granted, a ChannelMaster is definitely more rugged for outdoor roof / mast, but in the attic this is just the ticket. Very happy with the results - and my crystal clear HD reception!