Amplifiers for caravan TV reception

Many caravan antennas have an amplifier. The purpose of the amplifier (sometimes called a booster) is to make the signal stronger. Some antennas have an amplifier built in while other antennas can add an amplifier just before the TV. Which is the best?

To help you understand how an amplifier works, imagine the 'amplifier' as a microphone. If you hold the microphone up close to your mouth when you speak, it amplifies the sound that others hear. Now, imagine the microphone being held at arms-length from your mouth. Which will give the best result? The microphone held close to the mouth 'boosts' the sound more effectively than the microphone held away from the mouth. With the microphone held away, the sound has been allowed to disperse before it is amplified and the result is not as good.

And so it is with an amplifier for TV reception. The best place for an amplifier for a caravan antenna is either inside the antenna or as close as possible to the aerial on the outside of the antenna.

Do you need an amplifier for a caravan antenna? Let me put it this way. Think back to the last caravan park you visited. Was it in a beautiful position - beside a creek? Dam? The beach? Beautiful scenery, yes? Now consider what the challenges are for TV reception - hills, buildings, trees. Were any of these present in this magical setting? In the majority of cases, you will say yes to "trees", right? And therein lies the answer to 'Do you need an amplifier for a caravan antenna?' Of course, the easiest antenna to set up is the antenna that has the amplifier built in.

Next question is 'What size amplifier do you need?' I will leave that for the next blog, stay tuned.