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[QUOTE=&quot;Rickideemus, post: 122404, member: 12677&quot;]It's not that antenna gain is better than amplification gain, it's that amplification gain literally doesn't count when you do a signal to noise calculation -- and that's the only calculation that normally affects reception, since the first thing the signal hits in your TV is an amplifier/attenuator. All signals are at the same level by the time they reach the demodulator. Noise is the only thing that matters at that juncture.So you can add antenna gain to noise margin, but you should not add amplifier gain to noise margin. Of course, every antenna manufacturer, without exception, adds antenna gain and amplifier gain to get completely meaningless &quot;total gain&quot; figures on their indoor antennas. Only thing an amplifier can do is amplify the signal when it is the cleanest -- just as it comes out of the antenna -- so the noise from a long cable run or any splitting LOOKS smaller to the TV amp. But an amplifier also adds its own noise, so very often an amplifier does more harm than good.Our top expert here on antennas has a policy of never recommending amps for indoor antennas, and I agree with him.Makes sense.Unless you have a small forest, it'll probably be fine.My concern is the Yagis (triple booms included) are very directional. The C4 has three nice lobes off the back, and my impression (please correct me if I'm wrong) is you're getting almost everything from the north-east, even though it's pointed south-west. Those stations might :bolt: with a YagiI wouldn't even think about adding a pre-amp unless you have more than 75 feet of coax or you're splitting to three or more receivers. Even then, I'd try to go amp-less.Well, YOU are the ultimate expert on your channels of interest, so I support whatever decision you make. I'd like you to try the tri-boom, just because I'm curious about that antenna, so I'd hit you up for all kinds of data and review. But I have to admit, if you hadn't brought it up I'd be thinking along the lines of adding a VHF dipole to your C4 (somebody said the one you can get for the C2 also works for the C4). That would be the cheaper way to go, and I like those odds better.Rick[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE="Rickideemus, post: 122404, member: 12677"]It's not that antenna gain is better than amplification gain, it's that amplification gain literally [B]doesn't count[/B] when you do a signal to noise calculation -- and that's the only calculation that normally affects reception, since the first thing the signal hits in your TV is an amplifier/attenuator. All signals are at the same level by the time they reach the demodulator. Noise is the only thing that matters at that juncture. So you can add antenna gain to noise margin, but you should not add amplifier gain to noise margin. Of course, every antenna manufacturer, without exception, adds antenna gain and amplifier gain to get completely meaningless "total gain" figures on their indoor antennas. Only thing an amplifier can do is amplify the signal when it is the cleanest -- just as it comes out of the antenna -- so the noise from a long cable run or any splitting LOOKS smaller to the TV amp. But an amplifier also adds its own noise, so very often an amplifier does more harm than good. Our top expert here on antennas has a policy of never recommending amps for indoor antennas, and I agree with him. Makes sense. Unless you have a small forest, it'll probably be fine. My concern is the Yagis (triple booms included) are very directional. The C4 has three nice lobes off the back, and my impression ([B]please correct me if I'm wrong[/B]) is you're getting almost everything from the north-east, even though it's pointed south-west. Those stations might :bolt: with a Yagi I wouldn't even think about adding a pre-amp unless you have more than 75 feet of coax or you're splitting to three or more receivers. Even then, I'd try to go amp-less. Well, YOU are the ultimate expert on your channels of interest, so I support whatever decision you make. I'd [U]like[/U] you to try the tri-boom, just because I'm curious about that antenna, so I'd hit you up for all kinds of data and review. But I have to admit, if you hadn't brought it up I'd be thinking along the lines of adding a VHF dipole to your C4 (somebody said the one you can get for the C2 also works for the C4). That would be the cheaper way to go, and I like those odds better. Rick[/QUOTE]

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