It’s not that often we see new product from Televes. The company’s antennas and accessories are so well built that they just don’t need updating. In this case, though, Televes sent me two of their new mast amplifiers to look at. These new amps give new capabilities. But do they measure up? Let’s take a look.
The enclosure
Televes makes it easy with a water-resistant enclosure with a zip-tie built right in. This mounts right below the antenna so it’s easy to wire.
It’s easy to slide the cover up to get to the amp if you need to, though.
All the cables feed down through the bottom, minimizing any chances of water coming in.
The 1-input amplifier
The 1-input amplifier is as easy as it comes. It delivers over 20dB of amplification throughout the entire VHF and UHF band. In my testing, it performed very well and I didn’t detect any difference in signal-to-noise ratio with and without the connection.
The 2-input amplifier
The 2-input amplifier accepts two inputs that can be VHF, UHF, or VHF/UHF. It also delivers over 20dB amplification over the entire band. This amplifier allows for manual padding of each signal using the supplied orange screwdriver, which you can see in the pictures above. Or, you can use any small Phillips head screwdriver.
What’s common
Both amps will provide power up the line for amplified antennas if you want to do that. You can also manually turn off this feature.
The switch for turning off the passthrough power is up on the top of the unit, in a hole with a little slot in it. A precision screwdriver or even a small nail will help you get to it. You don’t have to open the chassis.
Both amplifiers use the tried-and-true Televes power supply unit which allows distribution to two TVs without additional splitters. If you’re only going to one TV, choose the far right output.
These amplifiers also use a standard chassis which helps keep costs down. For convenience, the unused ports are blocked with black plastic.
Above you can see the 1-input amplifier with two ports blocked off.
Here’s the bottom of the two input amplfier.
Performance and value
These are not the least expensive amps we sell. But, they rival any other amplifiers in their gain. More importantly, they add very little noise. I wasn’t able to say that there was any increase in signal-to-noise ratio at all, which supports the idea that Televes’ published noise figure of 1dB typical holds up. Unlike most manufacturers, they do all their own testing rather than going to an external lab. This lets them make modifications much more easily.
Video Review
I published a video review which brings up a lot of these same points. Here it is, if you’d like to take a look:
I recommend these amps, because they will last a long time and provide excellent performance over time. Get them now at SolidSignal.com!
