How to Make My Rabbit Ears Stronger

Amplifying TV signals after reception from a set of rabbit ears requires a coax amplifier.

Antennas receive incoming signals, but distance and lack of cable integrity can negatively affect those signals. However, amplifying the signal post-reception can dramatically improve the capabilities of attached rabbit ear antennas.

Things You'll Need

• Cable amplifier
• Rabbit ear antenna
• Terminated coaxial cable

Instructions

The Hookup

1. Disconnect the antenna's coax wire from the rear of the TV or decoder after turning off the TV.

2. Screw on the disconnected coax wire to the cable amplifier. Plug the amplifier into a nearby AC outlet. Connect an additional piece of short coaxial cable from the amplifier to the television or decoder's RF (cable) input.

3. Turn on the television. Adjust the amplifier's gain knob until a picture is seen. (Too much signal can overload a tuner and block the signal.) Continue until the picture is refined as much as possible.

4. Enter the television/decoder's menu and run a channel scan. After observing the results of the scan, adjust the rabbit ears accordingly, in no more than five-degree increments.

Tips & Warnings

• Always plug in the coax connections to the amplifier prior to applying AC power to avoid possible damage to the amplifier or television.

References

• DSLReports.com: What to Look For in a Cable Amplifier
• RD.com: Amplify your TV Signal

Resources

• Stallions Satellite and Antenna: TV Antenna Amplifiers