Walmart Phillips Distribution Amplifiers defective

I bought two 1 input 4 output Phillips brand distribution amplifiers
at Walmart. Had a weak signal and needed a slight boost to add one
more bar to the 4 bar signal strength display.

These cost about $45 each.

Both units gave me zero bars. In other words 2 out of 2 were
defective so I returned them.

The Radio Shack distribution amp gave me the added bars and I no
longer trust Phillips products.

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:48:45 -0500 jiml wrote:

| I bought two 1 input 4 output Phillips brand distribution amplifiers
| at Walmart. Had a weak signal and needed a slight boost to add one
| more bar to the 4 bar signal strength display.
|
| These cost about $45 each.
|
| Both units gave me zero bars. In other words 2 out of 2 were
| defective so I returned them.
|
| The Radio Shack distribution amp gave me the added bars and I no
| longer trust Phillips products.

Nor the unnamed Chinese sweathouse where they are slapped toegther.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

jiml wrote:

I bought two 1 input 4 output Phillips brand distribution amplifiers
at Walmart. Had a weak signal and needed a slight boost to add one
more bar to the 4 bar signal strength display.

These cost about $45 each.

Both units gave me zero bars. In other words 2 out of 2 were
defective so I returned them.

The Radio Shack distribution amp gave me the added bars and I no
longer trust Phillips products.


It is very likely that the amps you bought had too much gain and on a
fairly good digital signal (and four bars is good) that can result in
overload and you will see zero signal on your signal strength indicator.

By the way, the name of the company is Philips, NOT Phillips.
--
Bill R.

Remove nospam_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:48:45 -0500, jiml wrote:

I bought two 1 input 4 output Phillips brand distribution amplifiers
at Walmart. Had a weak signal and needed a slight boost to add one
more bar to the 4 bar signal strength display.

These cost about $45 each.

Both units gave me zero bars. In other words 2 out of 2 were
defective so I returned them.

The Radio Shack distribution amp gave me the added bars and I no
longer trust Phillips products.

Was just looking at these in Radio Shack. The four-output model only
boosts the signal 8db, but I guess that's net of the 4-way
distribution.


The biggest one-output model was up to 30db, it had a 10db cut switch,
and feeding it into a 4-way distribution would cost about 6db, I
guess.


Also at Radio Shack, good news and bad news:

* Little splitters and transformers and stuff cost about 4x more than
the same stuff with a GE logo at the local drug store.

* AKAI 32" and 37" LCDs were cheaper than anything I've seen ANYWHERE
else, $550 for the 32" (and sign up for a credit card and save another
10%!), and the guy says they are made by Samsung. But they were just
showing NTSC signal on them, so who can say what the quality is?

J.

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 15:28:06 GMT, JXStern
wrote:

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:48:45 -0500, jiml wrote:

I bought two 1 input 4 output Phillips brand distribution amplifiers
at Walmart. Had a weak signal and needed a slight boost to add one
more bar to the 4 bar signal strength display.

These cost about $45 each.

Both units gave me zero bars. In other words 2 out of 2 were
defective so I returned them.

The Radio Shack distribution amp gave me the added bars and I no
longer trust Phillips products.

Was just looking at these in Radio Shack. The four-output model only
boosts the signal 8db, but I guess that's net of the 4-way
distribution.


The biggest one-output model was up to 30db, it had a 10db cut switch,
and feeding it into a 4-way distribution would cost about 6db, I
guess.


Also at Radio Shack, good news and bad news:

* Little splitters and transformers and stuff cost about 4x more than
the same stuff with a GE logo at the local drug store.

* AKAI 32" and 37" LCDs were cheaper than anything I've seen ANYWHERE
else, $550 for the 32" (and sign up for a credit card and save another
10%!), and the guy says they are made by Samsung. But they were just
showing NTSC signal on them, so who can say what the quality is?

J.
What drug store? walgreen or cvs?

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:00:55 -0500, jiml wrote:

Also at Radio Shack, good news and bad news:

* Little splitters and transformers and stuff cost about 4x more than
the same stuff with a GE logo at the local drug store.

What drug store? walgreen or cvs?

This happened to be Longs.

J.

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:25:04 -0400 Bill R wrote:
| jiml wrote:
|
| I bought two 1 input 4 output Phillips brand distribution amplifiers
| at Walmart. Had a weak signal and needed a slight boost to add one
| more bar to the 4 bar signal strength display.
|
| These cost about $45 each.
|
| Both units gave me zero bars. In other words 2 out of 2 were
| defective so I returned them.
|
| The Radio Shack distribution amp gave me the added bars and I no
| longer trust Phillips products.
|
|
| It is very likely that the amps you bought had too much gain and on a
| fairly good digital signal (and four bars is good) that can result in
| overload and you will see zero signal on your signal strength indicator.

He apparently didn't have a "fairly good" signal. Amps should not overload
on a multitude of "very good" signals ... unless they are junk designs.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|