What is a Cable TV Signal Booster?
If you’re using either a new digital antenna or you have cable and you aren’t getting proper signal from your antenna to your television, you may be in the market for a cable TV signal booster. There are two different types of booster systems, each serving a different but similar purpose. One of the reasons a person may be in need of a cable TV signal booster is because of the fact that when any sort of signal, including TV signals, is being transmitted through a series of cables (most commonly referred to as coaxial cables), the signals have a tendency to lose their strength. This translates directly into the loss of clarity when the TV signal is read and transferred to the screen by the television. The use of a cable TV signal booster is usually the best option for rectifying this situation, because the function of a booster is to multiply a weak signal as it passes through the booster, through the use of a step-up transformer.
What is a Cable Television Signal Booster
Inline Boosters are the first type of cable television signal booster. The purpose of an inline booster is similar to its powered counterpart, although its main function is to maintain the integrity of the signal as it passes through a split in coaxial cables. This type of cable TV signal booster typically only has one input and one output, and is not powered by an outside source. These types of boosters are generally used when the signal has a long way to travel through the coaxial cable, or when the coaxial cable has been split or contains a “seam”. The inline booster is used to couple the runs of coaxial cable together rather than a simple cable coupling harness, which serves no signal purpose other than allowing two pieces of cable to be joined. This seam in the cable will cause a significant loss in the strength of the signal.
Powered Boosters are the second type of cable television signal booster. The base usage for a powered booster is very similar to the use of an inline booster, however a powered booster can be used to boost a weak antenna or cable signal because it draws power directly from a source other than the signal itself. Also, a powered booster can be used to boost a signal that needs to be split into multiple outputs from one input. However, if the use of a powered signal booster is needed but is not being used to split the signal, it is very important that any outputs which aren’t being used are covered with a special cap used to stop any interference from an exposed output, as an output that is exposed to one that is being used can cause interference in the signal. These are the most popular choice in boosters when a household is found to be in need of a cable TV signal booster.