TV splitter/amplifier question.

I live in a marginal reception area in South Australia. The Aerial was originally professionally installed and positioned to face the strongest signal direction.

I've just bought a Plasma TV with built in HD digital and analog tuners and have an SD Digicrystal PVR. I have a powered amplifier which is connected to the back of the PVR, to the ANT IN socket at the moment. Using a Y splitter to watch HD on the TV is useless, one or the other unit doesn't get a strong enough signal to work, nor does the RF out on the PVR give a useable signal out to the HD TV.

Currently there is an old style plastic cased splitter in the ceiling that has the cables directly wired into it.

I bought an Antsig AP144 F connector 4 way splitter and a crimping tool for the connectors.

The amplifier uses a standard male and a female TV connector.

Is it better to connect the powered amplifier in the roof space BEFORE /TO the IN socket of the splitter or is it OK to leave it down below at the receivers and after the 4 way splitter? (I know that I will need to connect the amplifier to the Power Pass socket in this instance)

And if I keep the amplifier below is it better to connect the Power Pass socket to the HD or the SD receivers?

The new 4 way splitter will be 4 metres away from the receivers. Will it be better to have 2 x 4 metre cables (1 to Plasma and 1 to PVR) or

1 x 4 metre cable to another 2 way splitter closer to the receivers with just a short 1 metre cable to each receiver?

I'm looking for maximum signal strength at the receivers.

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
hutchy
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** The rules for handling TV antenna signals are simple.
  1. Amplify prior to splitting, never the other way around.
  2. Amplify as early in the signal chain as possible - preferably at the masthead itself.
  3. Weak or marginal signals cannot tolerate passive splitting.

  1. Use good quality cable and connectors.

  2. Keep all runs short as possible - especially for UHF signals.

........ Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Phil,

You would gain much in the estimation of others if all your responses were not only of this quality but, like this response, devoid of derision.

Perhaps you care not.

Kind regards,

Polyphonic Orchid

Reply to
polyphonic orchid

Thanks Phil,

Clear enough. The amplifier goes up top then.

I asked about the possible extra splitter because I had previously heard that there was a loss from each break or connection in the cabling. I wondered if the number of connections outweighed short cable length advantage.

I appreciate your help.

Reply to
hutchy

Thanks Phil,

** Be aware that an indoor " booster amp " is not the same thing as a " masthead amp".

All a matter of horses for courses.

A masthead amp will usually have a significantly less noise and be remotely powered via the co-axial cable.

...... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Also search on

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for terms like UHF, aerial, splitter, masthead amplifier etc.

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

What others have said plus...

I'm not familiar with the Australian channel allocation system but... Are the HD channels in the same part of the band as the SD? Perhaps you have a narrow band aerial optimised for the SD part of the band and you need a wide band to pick up the HD multiplex?

Otherwise overall good practice is:

1) Switch to the biggest aerial of the right type before considering amplification. Amplifiers amplify noise as well as the signal.

2) Amplification must be done at the mast head.

3) If the downlead is old consider changing it to a new foam cored cable (In the UK we use FT100 or similar)

4) Use a distribution amplifier (with low gain) rather than a passive splitter.

Reply to
CWatters

"CWatters"

** In the capital cities, DTV is primarily on the VHF band with commercial broadcasters using long vacant adjacent channels for DTV - except for the govt broadcaster (on VHF2) which uses VHF12 for DVT.

In rural areas, UHF is used for all signals.

........ Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Best gaib is a masthead amp , have you considered spending a little more and adding an active switch , also know as a digital switch or distribution switch as the increased performance can mean you don't need an amp

see

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for more information

and

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and

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see multiswitch on the lower right

Reply to
atec 77

Hutchy,

Each output of your 4-way splitter will (ideally) be 1/4 of the level of the input. If you connect the amplifier to the TV side of the splitter, you will be amplifying a signal that may have suffered degradation due to the attenuation of the splitter.

It sounds like you're using one of the small cast splitters with the threaded F-connectors. This will certainly be better than the plastic splitter and will suffer less signal loss if the cable are terminated carefully.

I would place the amplifier between the splitter and the antenna making sure that the power supply is connected to the power pass-through output. This will amplify the signal at its best quality in your system and ensure you make the most of the signal you have.

For the same reason as explained above, it would be technically better (but aesthetically not better) to have 2 x 4m cables instead of one cable and another splitter. In all reality, 4m of good quality, properly terminated coax won't attenuate the signal too much.

The whole point of a power-pass socket is to allow the (usually) AC from the amplifier's power supply to travel through the splitter without being passed back to the other receivers you have plugged into the splitter.

Cheers,

Cam

Reply to
Cam

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions and helpfull references.

I've started by getting some RG6 Quad shield and I'll replace all the old cables and fittings and wire up as per the suggestions so far.

If that still isn't good enough I'll continue on to look at better aerials and distribution systems then. Hopefully I'll get away with the cheaper cable/fittings/configuration option, fingers crossed.

Now all I need to do is to get the f connector crimping technique right! I can't seem to get the central core central enough! I'm not keen on buying any more tools for just 1/2 a dozen connections so practice, practice if my fingers can take many more wire splinters.

If anyone else has been following this thread and will be doing similar, I found the following on fitting the connectors to the coax.

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Thanks again guys, much appreciated.

Reply to
hutchy

About 1/2 way down see the two blade rotary strip tool , worth about $25.00 and does the right cut everytime . most tool supply places will stock it .

Reply to
atec 77

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