Buy used: $25.00
FREE delivery June 13 - 17. Details
Or fastest delivery June 12 - 13. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by AVAY LLC
Condition: Used: Very Good
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.

PCT 1-PORT BI-DIRECTIONAL CABLE TV HDTV AMPLIFIER SIGNAL BOOSTER WITH PASSIVE RETURN PATH

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 745 ratings

$25.00
Get $10 off instantly: Pay $15.00 $25.00 upon approval for the Amazon Store Card. No annual fee.
Only 4 left in stock - order soon.
Brand PCT
Connector Type USB Type C
Cable Type Lightning
Compatible Devices Television
Special Feature 5 Year manufacturer warranty

About this item

  • Not For Use With Satellite Tv. Product Is Compatible With Antennas And Cable Tv Only
  • Helps reduce snow and pixilation caused by weak TV signals.
  • May improve HDTV reception. Your experience may vary based on the quality cable TV or antenna input signal
  • Provides 15dB (32x) signal boost. The amplifier should be installed BEFORE splitters and long cable runs for best results.
  • Compatible with all cable TV and over-the-air antenna signals.

Additional Details

Small Business
Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon’s store. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazon’s commitment to empowering them.

Small Business
This product is from a small business brand. Support small. Learn more

Looking for specific info?

Product information

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here

Feedback

PCT 1-PORT BI-DIRECTIONAL CABLE TV HDTV AMPLIFIER SIGNAL BOOSTER WITH PASSIVE RETURN PATH

PCT 1-PORT BI-DIRECTIONAL CABLE TV HDTV AMPLIFIER SIGNAL BOOSTER WITH PASSIVE RETURN PATH


Found a lower price? Let us know. Although we can't match every price reported, we'll use your feedback to ensure that our prices remain competitive.

Where did you see a lower price?

/
/
/
/
Please sign in to provide feedback.

Product Description

This amplifier boosts signal strength by more than double (15 dB), Improves Analog, Digital & HDTV Picture Quality, and Improves UHF/VHF/FM Antenna Reception! The PCTMA2M Amplifier provides the latest Drop Amplifier technology in the smallest possible form factor. This amplifier provides the exact same OR BETTER specs as the ones that other sellers are selling for much higher prices. Channel Master/PCT amplifiers are designed to fit into smaller spaces, while providing the FULL performance of larger sized amplifiers. The PCTMA2M Amplifier will: * Eliminate Splitter Connections * Get Rid of 'Snow' In Your Picture * Improve Over All Picture Quality and Get Rid Of That 'Grainy' Look

Brands in this category on Amazon

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
745 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the performance and ease of installation of the electronic cable. For example, they mention it works extremely well and the instructions are easy to understand. That said, opinions are mixed on signal quality, quality, picture quality, and value.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

210 customers mention170 positive40 negative

Customers like the performance of the amp. They say it works extremely well, and produces good results. They also say it performs identically on all stations and that every single channel works perfect. Some customers also mention that there are no problems with the unit.

"...As others have already stated, this little amp works extremely well. I have installed hundreds of these over the years with varying success...." Read more

"...Motorola and PCT amps a few times, I found that they performed identically on all stations, whether strong, extremely weak, or middle of the road...." Read more

"...storm. In short, simple to install, nothing special, does the job. works well, no data on reliability yet. Just what I needed." Read more

"...Works like a charm; the picture is sharper, the ON DEMAND features work, this was the solution for my home." Read more

64 customers mention52 positive12 negative

Customers like the ease of installation with the electronic cable. They say the installation is intuitive, simple, and easy to understand. They also mention that the instructions are easy to follow and the setup is simple. Some customers also say that the drop in amp is a simple installation and works perfectly to solve signal strength problems.

"...risk bad things happening in a lightning storm. In short, simple to install, nothing special, does the job...." Read more

"...This took all but 15 minutes to install." Read more

"...I used it to boost my over-the-air dtv signal. Hookup is easy. You need to get 2 EXTRA coax cables -- 3 are used in all...." Read more

"...It was an easy fix and well worth the money...." Read more

10 customers mention10 positive0 negative

Customers like the compactness of the electronic cable. They say it's not too large, easy to install, and does not get too hot.

"...The BDA-S1 certainly has the more impressive enclosure with its large, heavy and black enclosure worthy of "Tim, the tool man Taylor."..." Read more

"...It is not too large (about 2x3"), does not get too hot, and does not have a bunch of unnecessary bells and whistles...." Read more

"...This is a good quality little amplifier. 15dB of boost, small and comes with a power adaptor...." Read more

"Product and packaging seemed fine. Solid and compact. I ended up returning it through no fault of the product." Read more

261 customers mention156 positive105 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the signal quality of the cable. Some say that it provides a significant boost in the signal, while others say that the signal became very weak and unwatchable.

"...Both amps produced identical signal strengths on all channels as measured by the on-screen signal strength meter of my plasma...." Read more

"...Also, this device CANNOT create a signal, just amp up a good signal.Q: You say that your have 7 TVs connected to that old antenna...." Read more

"...My problem was that while the signal is fine at the drop point (and even with an 8 foot cable from the drop point) I now need a 50 foot cable..." Read more

"...This worked fine and TV reception was good for all channels with a mid-grade usable signal from a difficult station...." Read more

100 customers mention66 positive34 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the quality of the electronic cable. Some mention that it's a solid quality unit, built very nice, and reliable, while others say that channels 13.1, 13.2, and 13.3 lose quality and pixelate. Some customers also say that the signal from CBS 2.1 is incredibly weak and the outlet is very flaky.

"...works well, no data on reliability yet. Just what I needed." Read more

"...I would consider this preamp of very high quality and a good value...." Read more

"...directed them to read my message they concluded that the problem was a defective amplifier. They will mail a replacement...." Read more

"...have before, but it made enough difference to give us 9 solid, reliable stations...." Read more

78 customers mention48 positive30 negative

Customers are mixed about the picture quality of the cable. Some mention that their TVs have clear pictures and look great, while others say that they have pixelating problems and dropped a few channels.

"...The BDA-S1 certainly has the more impressive enclosure with its large, heavy and black enclosure worthy of "Tim, the tool man Taylor."..." Read more

"...Works like a charm; the picture is sharper, the ON DEMAND features work, this was the solution for my home." Read more

"...That pixeliated often on some channels. That picked up as much as 20 channels on a given day and as few two channels on another day...." Read more

"...It works fine with Comcast and there are no more pixelation problems or missing channels.TIPS: There are NO CABLES and NO INSTRUCTIONS...." Read more

61 customers mention35 positive26 negative

Customers are mixed about the value of the electronic cable. Some mention it's well worth the modest cost, and is a simple and affordable fix. Others say it'll be a waste of money, and not as much as expected.

"...I would consider this preamp of very high quality and a good value...." Read more

"...neighborhood of 50-60% signal strength which is borderline and mostly unwatchable...." Read more

"...It was an easy fix and well worth the money...." Read more

"...times when the digital channels would pixelate so much that a show was unwatchable. This would happen on the “prime” channels occasionally...." Read more

29 customers mention7 positive22 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the cable. They mention that it does not come with a power cable to connect the amp to the power supply. Some say that the DC power inserter is not included.

"...Neither amp includes a power inserter, so the remote power was provided by using a Pico-Macom HLSJ as a power inserter from inside the basement of..." Read more

"...other coax powered amp / splitter I've purchased, this one didn't have a basic coax cable for the power..." Read more

"...Although it comes with the AC Power Adapter, you'll need one coax cable to connect the AC Adapter to the Amplifier." Read more

"First, please be advised that this amplifier does NOT come with ANY coax cables- I had to make an extra run over to home depot to pick up two...." Read more

HOPE THIS HELPS BUYERS
5 Stars
HOPE THIS HELPS BUYERS
My review will not praise this units ability to improve your signal. As others have already stated, this little amp works extremely well. I have installed hundreds of these over the years with varying success. I do not work for this company and have not purchased from them before. I have a degree in electronics and have worked in the industry on and off for years. Here are some items that may help you decide if you even need this or a similar item. I just installed this on my personal system with great success.My system consists of the following:1- 20 plus year old roof top UHF/VHF antenna that was on the home when purchased2- 8 way splitter used to send to 6 different areas3- 7 TV's attached and operational WITHOUT amplifying4- 2 TVs are SD with a converter box attachedI have uploaded photos of the system in customers images area I hope they are there!Questions I always seem to get ask about these items and antenna systems for HDTV in general......Q: I called a local antenna installer and he told me I need a new and very expensive antenna to receive HD broadcast TV. He stated that the old one on my roof cannot possibly work.A: That may not necessarily be true. In some cases old antennas (20 years old & older) may work very well depending on their design. My personal situation consists of a 20 year old antenna that is working extremely well.Q: You are saying that my old antenna may work, but how do I tell if it will work.A: Simple answer is, try it and see. But make sure that your current antenna has RG6 running from the antenna to your test TV. If it has 300 OHM twin lead (flat lead/black or brown) it must be replaced with a tiny transformer at the antennas connections that will permit RG6 to be connected from that point to the TV. The 300 OHM twin lead, if used, would act like a magnet to stray noise. For example, you may be able to tell when your neighbor starts that old truck he owns. (electrical noise)Q: OK, I have all that and it connected to my TV, now what?A: Turn on your TV and enter the Setup area. Locate the setting that indicates the type of signal you are connecting to your TV. Make sure that it is set to Air or Antenna before you do a scan. If it is set to another type of input, your scan will fail. Now locate "scan" or "scan for channels" to begin your scan. Allow it to complete then it will generally go to the first channel in your area. (lowest channel number like 2-1 ect.)Q: OK, I have 19 channels, but how do I know how many I should have?A: Use a service such as TitanTV where you can enter an area code. This well display all the HDTV and SDTV channels in your area. If you live in a country that is not covered, Google (do a search) for a service that will display the channels in your area.Q: There are 24 channels where I live, how do I get the remaining channels.A: Here is where it gets tricky. Most TV's have a signal strength indicator. Some are in the Setup area while others are visible for each channel. I have one that shows in the EPG (electronic program guide) and indicates as a percent of the signal. My best signal for my best channel was around 83%. It varied from there to less than 30% on really weak channels. Look carefully at the picture and find a dark area near black. If that area appears to be made of squares with lots of changing little patterns, the signal is noisy. All though the picture appeared to be fairly good on my 83% channels, the black areas were a checker board. My poor signals 30%, were really full of artifacts and noise. I decided that I had a signal that could be successfully amplified. Had I found that my highest signal was around 30% then I would have called around and found a new antenna. IMPORTANT remember, this device amplifies your signal and can make the situation worse by amplifying the bad parts as well as the clean signals. It cannot create a good signal, only make better a fairly good signal.Q: I noticed that these devices have a dB rating. It states 15dB (32x) signal boost. There are other available that have a much higher dB rating. So if I purchase a 32dB device and use it, that will make up for my crappy old TV antenna, right?A: Remember what I said, amplifying a poor signal can make it worse because it also amps up the noise and clutter in the picture. Something else to consider is feeding too great a signal to your tuner can cause even more problems with lockout and other malfunctions. Also, this device CANNOT create a signal, just amp up a good signal.Q: You say that your have 7 TVs connected to that old antenna. How long are the RG6 runs to the TV's?A: The shortest run is to my shop on the lower floor. Its around 40 ft to the TV which uses a converter box. The longest run is about 120 ft to the TV in the living room which is a 42 in HDTV. All TV have 100% signal after installing this device.Q: How far is it to the Transmitting tower/s that broadcast the signal?A: I live North of the major city where the towers are. Line of site to the towers where all signals come from is around 30 miles or more.Q: I want to use this on a converter box that I have attached to my older SD TV, will that work?A: Simple answer is YES....... simply consider the TV with the converter box attached as a HDTV with the tuner on the outside....You are not using the internal tuner when using a Down Converter unless it is attached as channel 3-4 which uses the RF signal from the converter box. Always use the red/white/yellow cables if possible as RF can be noisy. (sparkles and blotches in picture)Q: So after the Signal Booster was attached, what improvements did you see?A: All signals were dramatically improved. Those that were around 80% are now 100% and black areas were clean. The lowest channel at 30% now is around 74% and I have 3 new channels with lousy pictures that are low power Local Spanish channelsQ: If I purchase one of these can I be guaranteed the same success?A: I would never make a statement that all purchases of this or similar items would produce the exact results. There are simply too many things that can alter the results. Country that you are in, or terrain or how your antenna is oriented can make a huge different. As an example, 4 years ago I purchased an antenna that rotated and had a range of over 100 miles. It was from a very big internet site and I thought I would take the antenna down from the roof and install this wonderful device in my attic on the third floor. After several months of rotating and tuning the antenna it stopped turning. My signal at best was around 60% and full of artifacts. This was a $60.00 lesson well learned. I had wired the home when installing this antenna so I simply attached the old rooftop antenna to the wiring. You know the rest of the story.Thanks for taking your time to read this. I hope it helps someone with their HDTV problemsNote: I had Comcast, DirectTV, Dish Network and now have HS internet and over the air TVIf you have splitters that remained on your home after they took down their equipment, use the splitters. They are excellent splitters for HDTV from your antennas. See my photos of the system.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2013
My review will not praise this units ability to improve your signal. As others have already stated, this little amp works extremely well. I have installed hundreds of these over the years with varying success. I do not work for this company and have not purchased from them before. I have a degree in electronics and have worked in the industry on and off for years. Here are some items that may help you decide if you even need this or a similar item. I just installed this on my personal system with great success.
My system consists of the following:
1- 20 plus year old roof top UHF/VHF antenna that was on the home when purchased
2- 8 way splitter used to send to 6 different areas
3- 7 TV's attached and operational WITHOUT amplifying
4- 2 TVs are SD with a converter box attached
I have uploaded photos of the system in customers images area I hope they are there!

Questions I always seem to get ask about these items and antenna systems for HDTV in general......

Q: I called a local antenna installer and he told me I need a new and very expensive antenna to receive HD broadcast TV. He stated that the old one on my roof cannot possibly work.

A: That may not necessarily be true. In some cases old antennas (20 years old & older) may work very well depending on their design. My personal situation consists of a 20 year old antenna that is working extremely well.

Q: You are saying that my old antenna may work, but how do I tell if it will work.

A: Simple answer is, try it and see. But make sure that your current antenna has RG6 running from the antenna to your test TV. If it has 300 OHM twin lead (flat lead/black or brown) it must be replaced with a tiny transformer at the antennas connections that will permit RG6 to be connected from that point to the TV. The 300 OHM twin lead, if used, would act like a magnet to stray noise. For example, you may be able to tell when your neighbor starts that old truck he owns. (electrical noise)

Q: OK, I have all that and it connected to my TV, now what?

A: Turn on your TV and enter the Setup area. Locate the setting that indicates the type of signal you are connecting to your TV. Make sure that it is set to Air or Antenna before you do a scan. If it is set to another type of input, your scan will fail. Now locate "scan" or "scan for channels" to begin your scan. Allow it to complete then it will generally go to the first channel in your area. (lowest channel number like 2-1 ect.)

Q: OK, I have 19 channels, but how do I know how many I should have?

A: Use a service such as TitanTV where you can enter an area code. This well display all the HDTV and SDTV channels in your area. If you live in a country that is not covered, Google (do a search) for a service that will display the channels in your area.

Q: There are 24 channels where I live, how do I get the remaining channels.

A: Here is where it gets tricky. Most TV's have a signal strength indicator. Some are in the Setup area while others are visible for each channel. I have one that shows in the EPG (electronic program guide) and indicates as a percent of the signal. My best signal for my best channel was around 83%. It varied from there to less than 30% on really weak channels. Look carefully at the picture and find a dark area near black. If that area appears to be made of squares with lots of changing little patterns, the signal is noisy. All though the picture appeared to be fairly good on my 83% channels, the black areas were a checker board. My poor signals 30%, were really full of artifacts and noise. I decided that I had a signal that could be successfully amplified. Had I found that my highest signal was around 30% then I would have called around and found a new antenna. IMPORTANT remember, this device amplifies your signal and can make the situation worse by amplifying the bad parts as well as the clean signals. It cannot create a good signal, only make better a fairly good signal.

Q: I noticed that these devices have a dB rating. It states 15dB (32x) signal boost. There are other available that have a much higher dB rating. So if I purchase a 32dB device and use it, that will make up for my crappy old TV antenna, right?

A: Remember what I said, amplifying a poor signal can make it worse because it also amps up the noise and clutter in the picture. Something else to consider is feeding too great a signal to your tuner can cause even more problems with lockout and other malfunctions. Also, this device CANNOT create a signal, just amp up a good signal.

Q: You say that your have 7 TVs connected to that old antenna. How long are the RG6 runs to the TV's?

A: The shortest run is to my shop on the lower floor. Its around 40 ft to the TV which uses a converter box. The longest run is about 120 ft to the TV in the living room which is a 42 in HDTV. All TV have 100% signal after installing this device.

Q: How far is it to the Transmitting tower/s that broadcast the signal?

A: I live North of the major city where the towers are. Line of site to the towers where all signals come from is around 30 miles or more.

Q: I want to use this on a converter box that I have attached to my older SD TV, will that work?

A: Simple answer is YES....... simply consider the TV with the converter box attached as a HDTV with the tuner on the outside....You are not using the internal tuner when using a Down Converter unless it is attached as channel 3-4 which uses the RF signal from the converter box. Always use the red/white/yellow cables if possible as RF can be noisy. (sparkles and blotches in picture)

Q: So after the Signal Booster was attached, what improvements did you see?

A: All signals were dramatically improved. Those that were around 80% are now 100% and black areas were clean. The lowest channel at 30% now is around 74% and I have 3 new channels with lousy pictures that are low power Local Spanish channels

Q: If I purchase one of these can I be guaranteed the same success?

A: I would never make a statement that all purchases of this or similar items would produce the exact results. There are simply too many things that can alter the results. Country that you are in, or terrain or how your antenna is oriented can make a huge different. As an example, 4 years ago I purchased an antenna that rotated and had a range of over 100 miles. It was from a very big internet site and I thought I would take the antenna down from the roof and install this wonderful device in my attic on the third floor. After several months of rotating and tuning the antenna it stopped turning. My signal at best was around 60% and full of artifacts. This was a $60.00 lesson well learned. I had wired the home when installing this antenna so I simply attached the old rooftop antenna to the wiring. You know the rest of the story.

Thanks for taking your time to read this. I hope it helps someone with their HDTV problems

Note: I had Comcast, DirectTV, Dish Network and now have HS internet and over the air TV
If you have splitters that remained on your home after they took down their equipment, use the splitters. They are excellent splitters for HDTV from your antennas. See my photos of the system.
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars HOPE THIS HELPS BUYERS
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2013
My review will not praise this units ability to improve your signal. As others have already stated, this little amp works extremely well. I have installed hundreds of these over the years with varying success. I do not work for this company and have not purchased from them before. I have a degree in electronics and have worked in the industry on and off for years. Here are some items that may help you decide if you even need this or a similar item. I just installed this on my personal system with great success.
My system consists of the following:
1- 20 plus year old roof top UHF/VHF antenna that was on the home when purchased
2- 8 way splitter used to send to 6 different areas
3- 7 TV's attached and operational WITHOUT amplifying
4- 2 TVs are SD with a converter box attached
I have uploaded photos of the system in customers images area I hope they are there!

Questions I always seem to get ask about these items and antenna systems for HDTV in general......

Q: I called a local antenna installer and he told me I need a new and very expensive antenna to receive HD broadcast TV. He stated that the old one on my roof cannot possibly work.

A: That may not necessarily be true. In some cases old antennas (20 years old & older) may work very well depending on their design. My personal situation consists of a 20 year old antenna that is working extremely well.

Q: You are saying that my old antenna may work, but how do I tell if it will work.

A: Simple answer is, try it and see. But make sure that your current antenna has RG6 running from the antenna to your test TV. If it has 300 OHM twin lead (flat lead/black or brown) it must be replaced with a tiny transformer at the antennas connections that will permit RG6 to be connected from that point to the TV. The 300 OHM twin lead, if used, would act like a magnet to stray noise. For example, you may be able to tell when your neighbor starts that old truck he owns. (electrical noise)

Q: OK, I have all that and it connected to my TV, now what?

A: Turn on your TV and enter the Setup area. Locate the setting that indicates the type of signal you are connecting to your TV. Make sure that it is set to Air or Antenna before you do a scan. If it is set to another type of input, your scan will fail. Now locate "scan" or "scan for channels" to begin your scan. Allow it to complete then it will generally go to the first channel in your area. (lowest channel number like 2-1 ect.)

Q: OK, I have 19 channels, but how do I know how many I should have?

A: Use a service such as TitanTV where you can enter an area code. This well display all the HDTV and SDTV channels in your area. If you live in a country that is not covered, Google (do a search) for a service that will display the channels in your area.

Q: There are 24 channels where I live, how do I get the remaining channels.

A: Here is where it gets tricky. Most TV's have a signal strength indicator. Some are in the Setup area while others are visible for each channel. I have one that shows in the EPG (electronic program guide) and indicates as a percent of the signal. My best signal for my best channel was around 83%. It varied from there to less than 30% on really weak channels. Look carefully at the picture and find a dark area near black. If that area appears to be made of squares with lots of changing little patterns, the signal is noisy. All though the picture appeared to be fairly good on my 83% channels, the black areas were a checker board. My poor signals 30%, were really full of artifacts and noise. I decided that I had a signal that could be successfully amplified. Had I found that my highest signal was around 30% then I would have called around and found a new antenna. IMPORTANT remember, this device amplifies your signal and can make the situation worse by amplifying the bad parts as well as the clean signals. It cannot create a good signal, only make better a fairly good signal.

Q: I noticed that these devices have a dB rating. It states 15dB (32x) signal boost. There are other available that have a much higher dB rating. So if I purchase a 32dB device and use it, that will make up for my crappy old TV antenna, right?

A: Remember what I said, amplifying a poor signal can make it worse because it also amps up the noise and clutter in the picture. Something else to consider is feeding too great a signal to your tuner can cause even more problems with lockout and other malfunctions. Also, this device CANNOT create a signal, just amp up a good signal.

Q: You say that your have 7 TVs connected to that old antenna. How long are the RG6 runs to the TV's?

A: The shortest run is to my shop on the lower floor. Its around 40 ft to the TV which uses a converter box. The longest run is about 120 ft to the TV in the living room which is a 42 in HDTV. All TV have 100% signal after installing this device.

Q: How far is it to the Transmitting tower/s that broadcast the signal?

A: I live North of the major city where the towers are. Line of site to the towers where all signals come from is around 30 miles or more.

Q: I want to use this on a converter box that I have attached to my older SD TV, will that work?

A: Simple answer is YES....... simply consider the TV with the converter box attached as a HDTV with the tuner on the outside....You are not using the internal tuner when using a Down Converter unless it is attached as channel 3-4 which uses the RF signal from the converter box. Always use the red/white/yellow cables if possible as RF can be noisy. (sparkles and blotches in picture)

Q: So after the Signal Booster was attached, what improvements did you see?

A: All signals were dramatically improved. Those that were around 80% are now 100% and black areas were clean. The lowest channel at 30% now is around 74% and I have 3 new channels with lousy pictures that are low power Local Spanish channels

Q: If I purchase one of these can I be guaranteed the same success?

A: I would never make a statement that all purchases of this or similar items would produce the exact results. There are simply too many things that can alter the results. Country that you are in, or terrain or how your antenna is oriented can make a huge different. As an example, 4 years ago I purchased an antenna that rotated and had a range of over 100 miles. It was from a very big internet site and I thought I would take the antenna down from the roof and install this wonderful device in my attic on the third floor. After several months of rotating and tuning the antenna it stopped turning. My signal at best was around 60% and full of artifacts. This was a $60.00 lesson well learned. I had wired the home when installing this antenna so I simply attached the old rooftop antenna to the wiring. You know the rest of the story.

Thanks for taking your time to read this. I hope it helps someone with their HDTV problems

Note: I had Comcast, DirectTV, Dish Network and now have HS internet and over the air TV
If you have splitters that remained on your home after they took down their equipment, use the splitters. They are excellent splitters for HDTV from your antennas. See my photos of the system.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
96 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2011
I bought the Motorola BDA-S1 and this PCT amp to try head to head. BTW, this PCT amp is also sold as a Channel Master product. The specifications of the PCT and Motorola amps are so similar that it seemed likely that they both contain the same integrated circuit.

Motorola Signal Booster BDA-S1 1-Port Cable Modem TV HDTV Amplifier

The BDA-S1 certainly has the more impressive enclosure with its large, heavy and black enclosure worthy of "Tim, the tool man Taylor." However, nothing is inside of either product except one integrated circuit chip, so neither product is really superior to the other in that regard. The enclosure on the PCT is perfectly adequate.

Swapping out the Motorola and PCT amps a few times, I found that they performed identically on all stations, whether strong, extremely weak, or middle of the road. Both amps cleaned up the glitches on all of the stations that I expected to receive in pristine condition. Both amps allowed me to add one low power analog station that I couldn't receive without an amp. Neither amp caused any degradation to the quality of any station. Both amps produced identical signal strengths on all channels as measured by the on-screen signal strength meter of my plasma.

The short story is that I've given this PCT amp five stars. The Motorola BDA-S1 gets four stars for delivering the same excellent performance but at a higher price.

[Update 10/10/2012: Be advised that this PCT amp was selling for 25 dollars when I wrote this five star review last year. Today, I see that amazon is charging 40 dollars, which is the price point that the Motorola amp used to sell for. If I was buying today, I'd be inclined to take a chance on the 
1-Port Bi-Directional Cable TV HDTV Amplifier Splitter Signal Booster with Passive Return , which is selling today for 25 dollars including Prime shipping. It appears to be yet another variation on the same amp, but judge for yourself.]

Read on if you're interested in the conditions of the comparison. If not, you're done.

I dropped Comcast as of June 1 in favor of broadcast HDTV and Netflix streaming. My antenna farm is located in the loft of a detached garage. Currently, my UHF antenna is the primary antenna, augmented by two VHF antennas that only receive one channel each.

WINEGARD HD9095P UHF High-Gain 39-Element HDTV Antenna

Antennacraft Y5-7-13

Winegard YA-1713 High Band VHF HDTV Antenna

There's a lot of wiring loss before the signal gets to the TV. The two VHF antennas are joined in a 
Monster Standard RF Splitters For CATV Signals MKII - 2 Way RF Splitter , the output of that is joined with the UHF in a Blonder-Tongue ZUVSJ, followed by 125 feet of RG6 quad shield through the detached garage, then underground to the basement of my house, and then on to the plasma. As the system has grown, I found that I needed to add an antenna amp.

Each amp was used in remotely powered mode. The amp being tested was placed just after the ZUVSJ in the garage using a one foot jumper. Neither amp includes a power inserter, so the remote power was provided by using a Pico-Macom HLSJ as a power inserter from inside the basement of the house. There is about 100 feet of quad shield between the power inserter and the amp.

Finally, pay no attention to the geniuses who insist that products like the PCT and BDA-S1 signal amplifiers cannot be used with broadcast HDTV signals. A good RF amp is a good RF amp. Both products cover the entire broadcast TV spectrum and then some, and both have an input noise figure of about 2.5 db. Both products deliver exceptional performance as antenna amps, exactly as their specifications would suggest. True, neither product is packaged for direct exposure to precipitation, but that's an entirely different matter from saying that they only work on cable TV systems.

Above all, dump your cable company! I am now (10/10/2012) six months past break-even for my extensive antenna/amp system, and saving every month.
37 people found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Martin Nowakowski
1.0 out of 5 stars No good
Reviewed in Mexico on April 27, 2019
Did not work for me
STEFLABTECH
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2017
thank and really good
Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on March 31, 2018
works great
magikpan
4.0 out of 5 stars ok
Reviewed in Canada on September 15, 2018
did not get any more channels but the ones i have are more stable..
frank no
4.0 out of 5 stars run of coax needed help and this worked perfect. good signal now
Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2018
have 500 ft. run of coax needed help and this worked perfect. good signal now.