Reddit reviews Motorola Signal Booster 2-Port BDA-S2 Cable Modem TV HDTV Amplifier
We found 2 Reddit comments about Motorola Signal Booster 2-Port BDA-S2 Cable Modem TV HDTV Amplifier. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The BDA-S2 is a bi-directional cable TV amplifier designed for use in homes. Boosts signal by 12x.This is the 2-port commercial version of the Motorola Signal Booster 484095-001-00. It includes a power supply - no coaxial cables includedAmplifies your cable TV signal to dramatically reduce snow, graininess, digital pixilation and other picture problems.Meets all applicable IEEE surge standards for all output ports, which enhances system reliability. Weather seal and protective coating allow use of the amplifier for indoor or outdoor applications. Connection cables not included.NOT FOR USE WITH SATELLITE DISH SYSTEMS. It will block the signal between the dish and receiver.
I get excellent reception of all the Detroit and several Windsor stations with a big-ass antenna mounted to my chimney. I checked a while ago and my particular model is no longer sold. The antenna and supplies were about $200 total. I bought everything but the antenna from SolidSignal.com. They have good online tools to tell you what antenna to buy, etc etc. I bought the antenna itself from Amazon, since shipping on the enormous thing was pretty expensive from solid signal.
One tip - think hard about the size of mast you'll need. Remember the mast needs to parallel your chimney for several feet, so a 5-foot section of mast probably isn't enough. Ask how I know.
Otherwise, the installation was easy except driving in the grounding rod. that is a pain in the ass.
If i had that to do again I would start by digging a hole with a post hole digger as deep as i could easily get. That is not that difficult to do - it is much less labor per foot than driving in the ground rod. You can probably rent the post digger or they are like $20 from bigbox home stores. Then use the "wet drop method" described here, but starting at the bottom of the hole you just dug:
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/electrical-ground-rod-installation
Stadium hardware has the grounding rod & clamp & wire. probably the big box places do too.
I've had friends who put antennas in their attics with decent results.
Said friends suggested I buy an amplifier when I bought my antenna. I haven't needed it, i'd sell it for half what I paid. It would probably help if you wanted to try an indoor antenna. this username @ gmail.com if you want it, drop me a line.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017I1PVC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
One other tip. Tivo and channel master make DVR's that work with antenna. Tivo also has a bunch of streaming functionality built in, much like a roku. It's expensive though.
Unlike MiataCory I do miss a few shows that were on cable. I've decided that not watching more TV is a reasonable life choice.
Yes, you're going to get signal degradation whenever you split a signal. However, if you have a good strong signal, it may not have much impact. You want to make sure you get a high bandwidth splitter that supports a return feed. A lot of older, cheaper splitters won't fit the bill. You can also get a splitter/amplifier combo that will both split and amplify the signal. It's best to put that as close to the source as possible, since it will amplify noise and signal alike.