Television Antenna Frequently Asked Questions: "Q:What kind of preamp should I get?

A:You should get the type of preamp that comes in two pieces. One is the actual preamp and mounts up on the pole with the antenna. The other is the power supply and mounts inside out of the weather. The idea here is to amplify the signal as close to the antenna as possible so that you are not amplifying noise picked up by the downlead. There are many different types of preamp available. Some are for VHF only, some UHF only, some VHF and UHF, and in differing amounts of gain from 6 or 7 db to 30 db. Some have FM traps built in to prevent interference from strong local FM stations. There are even single channel preamps designed to be used with channel cut antennas. Those are usually for cable TV headends.

In multiple antenna situations you should use only one preamp. Combine the antenna leads before the preamp. There are techniques for combining signals from multiple preamps but that is well beyond the scope of an FAQ list. Also, keep in mind that UHF frequencies are attenuated much more quickly than VHF."