Estimate TV Signal Strength

The signal strength at the television depends on the broadcast signal power at the home antenna, antenna gain, and home cabling loss. The antenna signal strength has some uncertainty because clutter and terrain losses are difficult to estimate.

Signal Power at the TV can be Estimated from;
Antenna Signal	-	Strength
Antenna Signal	-	Frequency Band

Antenna	-	Gain
	-	Height above ground
	-	Area (City, Residential, Rural)

Cabling	-	Coax Cable Type and Length
	-	Signal Splitters
	-	Connectors, Ground Block

The broadcast signal, antenna gain, and cabling losses can be combined to estimate television signal.
-- Signal loss measured in decibels (dB).
-- Antenna gain in dBi, dB, or dBD.
-- Signal to the antenna and TV is in dBm.

Televisions typically require a signal level of -65 dBm or greater.

Estimate Signal to Television

Concentrate on the weakest signal of interest and the cable run with the most loss.

TELEVISION SIGNAL
	Signal at Antenna	dBm
+	Antenna Gain	dBi
-	Antenna Height Loss	dB
-	Clutter Losses	dB
-	Cabling Loss	dB

=	Signal to TV	dBm

Estimate Television Signal
Signal at Antenna:	dBm
Frequency Band:
Antenna Gain:
Antenna Height:
Antenna Area:
Clutter Loss:	dB
Cable Type:
Cable Length:
Signal Splitters:	2 Ports , 3 Ports 4 Ports , 8 Ports
Connectors:	Ground Block, Barrels, Wall...
Adapters:	Twin-lead to Coax
Band / RF Channels Signal at Antenna dBm + Antenna Gain dBi - Antenna Height Loss dB - Clutter Loss (dB) - Cable Loss (dB) - Splitters Loss (dB) - Connectors loss (dB) = TV SIGNAL (dBm) Strength Strength Percent

Most television receivers require a minimum signal level greater than -65 dBm, but it can be as low as -75 dBm to as high as -55 dBm. Also, signal strength calculation is an estimate and can vary widely with situation.

If necessary use a
Preamp	-- weak antenna signals.
Distribution Amp	-- multiple televisions.
Booster Amp	-- long cable runs.

Also see	-- Hardware / Amplifiers.
	-- Reception / TV Minimum Signal.