Question 1

Anyone have experience using this after known splitter or the possibility of splitters (unknown)?  In a living space where splitters are inaccessible.

Accepted Answer

Here's how I'm using my device, and it works great.  
My cable signal comes into the house and goes to a 3-way splitter.  One of those three splits is connected to this amplifier's input.  The amp's output goes to an 8-way splitter that currently feeds six TV-only outlets in my house.  Before installing this amp the signal at those outlets was terrible.  After installing the amp the signal and pictures are great.  It's bi-directional.  I have "smart TVs" with WebOS connected and it works fine for watching YouTube, Netflix, etc.  It IS described as a signal BOOSTER and it does that well.  This is the same brand as the cable modem my ISP provides.

Question 2

can this be used with cable that has phone line ?

Accepted Answer

If you have a broadband cable modem that has a voip phone line - Yes. If you have a DSL modem where phone line pair is the data connection - No.

Question 3

How many feet of coaxial cable will this amp keep the signal strong? 500 foot? 1,000 foot?

Accepted Answer

The answer depends upon whether you are using this for TV only or if you are using it for Internet. It also depends upon the type of coax cable you are using and whether there are any signal splitters in the cable run. The amp provides a forward gain of 15dB and a reverse gain of 10dB. The reverse gain primarily comes into play if you are using this for cable Internet.

Inexpensive RG59 coax has a signal loss of around 7 dB per 100 ft of cable run. If there are no splitters in the run, then the 15dB forward gain would compensate for about 200 ft of cable. If you are using the better quality RG6 cable commonly recommended for cable TV, the loss is about 5-6 dB per 100 ft (depending on TV channel). Thus, the amp would compensate for around 250 ft of coax. If you use the more expensive RG11 coax, the loss is less than 4dB per 100 ft, so the amp would compensate for about 350 ft of coax.

If you add splitters in the line to feed multiple devices, those splitters will reduce the signal significantly. A two way splitter has a loss of about 3.5 dB on each output port. A four-way splitter will have a loss of 7dB on each output port. Thus, any splitter would significantly reduce the length of coax that can be used. Depending upon the application, for very long runs, it might be possible to use multiple drop amplifiers. However, using a higher grade of cable should like LMR-400=75 ohm should be considered first.

If you are using this for Internet, you need to be concerned about the reverse gain as well as the forward gain. Since the reverse gain is only 10dB, you can use about 200 ft of standard RG6 coax.

Question 4

does this item comes with a power plug adapter?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It’s a bit unusual though in that the transformer that plugs into the wall connects with the amplifier box using a supplied length of TV cable wire as shown in the picture. I had never seen this done before. It’s not a problem at all, but you have to be careful to connect the power cable to the correct screw connector on the main unit and not to the input/output sites for the main TV cable line. It’s all well marked, but folks in a hurry and never having seen this before could mess up. My unit works great and I'm a satisfied buyer/user.

Package Dimensions	13.41 x 12.19 x 9.3 cm; 458.13 Grams
Item model number	BDA-42-1-AR-R
Color	White
Whats in the box	Instruction manual
Item Weight	458 g

Reliable Cable Products Arris 1-Port , Modem, TV, OTA, HDTV Amplifier Signal Booster with Active Return And Coax Kit

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