Amp or pre-amp or both

[sincitymedic]

So I recently picked up a CM4228HD & have it mounted & pointed. This is my first endeavor with OTA stuff & am pleasantly surprised at what is out there, considering I am in a "deep fringe" area.

With no pre-amp or amp, I am receiving most channels that I would want. I receive a signal strength in the 62-72% range for the stronger channels & somewhere in the 58-64% range for the weaker ones. Occasionally, on the weaker ones I notice some drop outs.

I have my system hooked up as follows:
CM4228HD --> 50' RG6 --> 3-way splitter --> 30' RG6 --> TV's

Would a pre-amp or a distribution amp help to stabilize the signal I am receiving? After reading advice on here & other boards, I get the feeling that a pre-amp would be beneficial, but I unsure the difference in application of the two, particularly in a deep fringe area where, at best, I am receiving signals in the 70% range).

Thanks for any help.....

[ProjectSHO89]

When dealing with weak signals, it is best to amplify the signal at the antenna before any of it is lost in the downlead or the rest of the distribution system.

Therefore, the preamplifier is usually the proper choice.

[sincitymedic]

Not sure if this will make a difference, but I can connect a pre-amp on a 4' RG6 to the antenna.

Conversely, I could connect a 12' section of RG6 to a distribution amp. Either way, I still need to split the signal downstream 1-to-3.

Thanks.....

[ProjectSHO89]

We would need an exact address TVFool plot to see if there are variables that might tend to favor one approach or the other.

[sincitymedic]

Here is the TVFool plot in .jpg format.

screen-capture.jpg (238.52 KB) Viewed 3862 times

[ProjectSHO89]

The antenna-mounted preamplifier is recommended.