The Jolt Digital TV Antenna Amplifier

Customer Reviews

From 0 to 65 - Review by M. Gerrish on 4/15/13

We bought a new television for a bedroom to replace an early model LCD that heated up the whole room and buzzed, although the picture was excellent. That TV was hooked up to a Roku HD and a flat antenna propped in a window to receive over-the-air broadcasts from our local stations. It worked well except for the heat and buzzing issues. New, low-priced TV arrived and I was distressed to discover that for whatever reason, the new TV wouldn't pick up the broadcast stations. None. Not even pixelated. Nothing.

I don't know the mechanics of it, but I was almost resigned to the bedroom set being a Roku-only set (not the worst thing), when I remembered that this product had arrived and this was the occasion to try it.

Ran set-up again and immediately picked up 65 stations, including all the major networks in our area. Crystal clear. Works for us!

It works - Review by Scott on 4/15/13

We live outside Denver's "official" broadcast area. When we decided to ditch satellite and go with broadcast TV, we had a hard time getting good reception on most of the channels (and couldn't get some of them at all). When we got a Mohu antenna, it was a total game changer. But we still have a couple of major channels that pixelate under some circumstances, so I was eager to try this Mohu amplifier.

So that we could judge if the amplifier helped or not, we did a channel scan without it and got 27 channels. We also took note that a couple of those pixelated very badly (low-powered stations; the major stations that sometimes pixelate were coming in okay today). Then we installed the Mohu Jolt and ran the channel scan again. This time we got 33 channels. This is clearly an improvement. And the channels that were pixelating now came in clear. Based on just these two points, I can say quite definitively that the Mohu Jolt works.

The Mohu antenna works so extremely well by itself, I don't think there was much room for improvement. So, for us, the Jolt wasn't terribly helpful (the extra stations it pulled in are stations we don't want, anyway). But someone who doesn't have a leaf antenna would probably see a much greater improvement.

I notice that Mohu now also sells a leaf antenna with a built-in amplifier. Since that doesn't cost much more than just this amplifier, if you don't already have a Mohu antenna, that would probably be the way to go.

Mohu has best technical customer support ever! - Review by A Dixon on 4/15/13

Antennas are such a complex thing to shop because the exact same antenna will get different results in different places and on different days even sometimes! But what I have found consistently true is what great technical customer support you get from the Mohu CSRs! They really know their stuff! This Amplifier is to boost the original Leaf to the power of the Leaf Plus. If you already have the Leaf Plus, this amplifier is already built in and while in America we think more is always better, when it comes to sound waves, it is not. Too much sound waves creates interference and you will get poorer results. Who doesn't want the best audio and video quality possible? I suggest a call to the Mohu technical support to find out if this Mohu Jolt HDTV Antenna Amplifier is the right fit for you; if it is, I can not say strongly enough how well-made and high quality it is but what is most impressive is that you can get sophisticated technical support from English-speaking CSRs on the telephone that really know their stuff! Impressive! I recommend Mohu products including this one if it is the right fit for you.

Mohu Jolt HDTV Antenna Amplifier - Review by Ama on 4/15/13

I have tried this on two TVs, each hooked up to a different type antenna. While it didn't help lock in any channels that were unavailable without it, it did clean up the signal on a few problematic channels on each set (different channels on each set due to antenna type and location). I left it installed on the TV we use the most, which is hooked up to a directional roof-top antenna. All the channels that I get come in clean now. The other TV I tested it on was connected to a leaf style antenna and a digital to analog signal converter. When connected between the antenna and converter, it also improved the reception of a couple problematic channels that were pixelated or only came in about half the time.

Added it to my Mohu Leaf and got a few more stations - Review by Rox on 4/15/13

I like Mohu's product and like the Leaf, the jolt is a straight forward product that is easy to install. I love that you have the USB connector option (what I'm using) so I'm not using one of the few plugs in the TV room. The Jolt installs in minutes and only requires a re-programming of the digital channels.

I got about 10 more digital channels added to the lineup including ABC and (sometimes) NBC, but because of the area I live in, we don't have more options. I was hoping to get a few more local news channels since we don't have cable, and we did. However, the signal still comes and goes and some new channels aren't "sticking."

I like the product, and I think it would be a better fit for someone in an Urban area with lots of digital channel choices.

I can't believe it but it works - Review by Kha on 4/15/13

We currently have 3 TV's in our house. All of them hook up to a small over the air antenna. We sometimes watch our local over the channels like KQED. But after trying three different antennas, none of them work as advertised. We would be able to get some channels sometimes but always seem to have problems. My mom watches our local ethnic channels but out of the 7 available we can only get 1 reliably with the antenna that we have. Anyway when hook the Mohu Jolt in I was very skeptical since my antenna already have a built-in amp. But after playing with it for a while I notice I'm getting most if not all of the local ethnic channels. WOW, it works ! If this keep up I have to two order two more for our other TV's. So far I'm very happy with it.

Has me taking a second look at the "Leaf", - Review by Lex on 4/15/13

Ever since our household found Netflix, Hulu, etc. and "cut the cord", shopping antennas has been a minor obsession. We've found some doozies, including this beauty: Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception. (Seriously, you have to look. It's a huge 1930s Sci Fi movie death ray, on top of our kitchen TV/computer setup!)

What we had not given so much thought, was amplification. And I guess we should have, in retrospect - the Mohu Jolt has opened my eyes, in that regard. I'm not going to say that it has magically delivered a bunch of new channels to our home, although obviously it has, for some. For us, what it HAS done is strengthened the signal appreciably for many stations (no more signal cutting out when someone shuts the door to the next room!), and made it possible for us to watch our (3) local PBS stations without anyone needing to stand on one foot like a flamingo while touching the left rabbit ear.

So yes, now I'm wondering what that ridiculous looking Mohu Leaf Paper-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna - Made in USA might further do for our off-the-air reception. You know, if we can bring ourselves to relocate the death ray device.

Footnote for the technically disinclined: I tend to delegate hardware tasks of all sorts to my spousal unit, but set up the Jolt myself and it was easy peasy: unplug the antenna from the back of the monitor/TV, plug in the identical connection on the Jolt there, then plug the power supply into the TV's USB port (or the wall, via the included AC adaptor, if you don't have an available USB port on your set. Seriously, it took twice as long to write this paragraph as it did to set up the amplifier.

Weird and wonderful, to not be constantly, incrementally adjusting the antenna anymore.

More than tripled our channels in a rural area. - Review by btn on 4/15/13

We live a rural area outside of Albuquerque. With a pair of seven dollar rabbit ears we were able to pick up 7 channels, but two consistently pixilated and cut out. With the same rabbit ears and the Jolt we are able to receive 22 channels. Granted, some of these are channels that I can certainly do without (preachers with big hair and clown makeup, shrill people selling junk...) but the Jolt does pick them up. The two that pixilated prior to adding the Jolt are much improved, one channel is now perfectly fine, and the other has only occasional jitters.

Keep in mind you A) do not use this with an already amplified antenna and B) it does require power. It comes with a usb wall charger and the usb cord. However the cord is pretty short (about a meter or 3 ft). Newer TVs may have a usb port in them, my older one does not.

For us, this is a significant improvement, but it seems that your mileage may vary, in an area with already strong signals perhaps the difference is not as great.

Great antenna preamp - Review by Azen on 4/15/13

I have been a fan of Mohu for almost two years now as I have not had cable in my apartment and was just streaming until I got a Leaf. I am not home much and most of what is on cable I can get with my Smart TV apps. I now have two Leaf antennas in my apartment, one in the living room and one in my bedroom. I live in Manhattan and get 78 channels on one and 71 on the other. I probably would get more with this amp but I don't really need anything more than I already receive. However, I did get two Leafs for my parents in Garden City so they could return two of their cable boxes in the basement and the guest bedroom. Garden City is about 20 miles outside of the city and they get about 25 channels with their two antennas. However, according to my mom, if it snows or is super windy the signals pixelate and even cut out for a second or two. I was going to get them two Ultimate but then saw this thing. So, the point of the review is that I got them two Jolts, shipped from J&R and got to their house in two days. I set them up last weekend and they are now getting 45 channels on each of the two televisions. Pretty sweet. The Jolt's actually look like the images and have some sort of soft touch finish on them. They look expensive and it a shame they sit behind a television. I am not sure if the "Cleanpeak" filtering is applicable because they are not too close to any towers (if anyone is, I am on 63rd Street) but the 15dB of gain has given them more channels. I have to wait and see if the reception is going to be more consistent but I imagine it will be. Definitely recommend this product if you need to amplify your leaf or any other antenna you have although from Mohu's web site this is not meant for a Leaf Plus as its already amped. Five stars as they now have two tv's powered with 45 channels for about 200 bucks. Next stop is my grandma's Christmas gift. Mohu seem to have their act together.

The antenna worked as advertised and I did receive 10 or more additional channels - Review by Ronald Ransom on 3/8/13

I received the Mohu antenna amplifier and was advised by the customer service department that it would work on any unamplified antenna. I have an Antennacraft 1850HD antenna on a roof mount, and I knew that there were more channels that I could get with an amplifier. I did re-scan my television and pulled in additional channels that were broadcast from Raleigh Durham, Greensboro and Lexington N.C, and I am approximately 60 to 70 miles from these broadcast stations. Overall, the Mohu antenna amplifier worked as advertised and it is an excellent addition to a DTV installation at the price it is advertised.

The Best Digital TV Antenna Amplifier on the market - Review by Terrell Jones on 1/10/13

The Jolt Digital TV Antenna Amplifier is the best Digital TV Antenna Amplifier on the market. Combined with the Leaf Antenna, it really pulls in the strongest possible signals. I bought it for my Grandmother who currently owns a leaf plus. Even with the leaf plus, her kitchen TV could not pull in a strong signal. It all changed with the Jolt. The Jolt pulled in all of the stations that the leaf Plus could not. We both are very happy and will recommend this product for people who want to are thinking about cutting the chord.