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Using F connectors for terrestrial television

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spacechimp | 15:06 Sun 11th Jul 2010 | Technology
8 Answers
Aerial feed goes into the attic and then into a two-way splitter, which is itself connected to a two-way splitter--meaning that I have 1 input and 3 outputs. Anyway, it's not ideal and I don't think I'm getting the best signal output I can, so I am thinking about replacing the arrangement with <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/way-Cable-split
ter-plugs/dp/B002VPIT0A/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&s
=electronics&qid=1278855165&sr=8-29">this</a>
but I am not sure if it is suitable, specifically the "DC pass" which is obviously necessary for satellite connections, but could it actually be detrimental for a non-satellite connection?

Other thing is, in the sitting room there are two satellite feeds and one aerial feed, and I wanted to combine these into one faceplate. Bought a plate that I thought would be suitable a while back but it was bizarre and only had two inputs on the back, which isn't what I wanted, so I have just had the satellite cables sticking through a naked hole in the wall, which is fine for summer but would like to get it at some point. So what I am wondering is- is there anywhere I can buy one with two or three F inputs (on the back ) and outputs (on the front) and one or nought coax inputs and outputs? <a href="http://www.simplyaerials.co.uk/shop/pro
duct_info.php?products_id=135">This</a>
might do it but I can't tell from the description. The positive thing is that since it's so small I can't really see how they could fit any fancy electronics on the back of it...

Anyway, thanks for your help :)
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and I have misformatted the hyperlinks, it seems.
I'll give you a detailed correct answer later. You will need a 4-way mast amp and power supply. Forget about splitters. They ain't good in any shape or form for DTG. DC Pass amps/splitters are to allow power to balun (masthead) amps, or secondary amplifiers further up the line, etc.
Why two sat feeds? Is one the out from the digibox for distribution elsewhere, or a second dish.
You can get multi sat faceplates, yes. But they are usually 1xRF and 2x F.
Beware of isolated types. They will block power to magic eyes, etc.
This is the sort of mast amp set you want .. Buy wolsey or triax.
http://electronics.sh...ksid=p3286.m270.l1313
If you have two sat cables from loft, you could distribute sat to all other outlets that are cabled from loft.
You would need an additional distribution amp in loft for this. That would need to be signal pass to make any connected magic eyes work on remote TV's.
Have you power in loft? .. even mains lighting power?
Question Author
There are two feeds to the sitting room from the quad-LNB to the PVR, and I can't see myself ever needing more than the 4 I've got.

There is only lighting in the attic and I am pretty sure I don't need an amplifier anyway. The aerial's above the apex of the roof and a good chunk of the relatively short distance to the transmitter (~12 miles) is open water anyway, with the rest of the way being obstructed only by a few trees and about a dozen houses. Only three televisions and none of them will ever need terrestrial HD reception, and analogue still hasn't been turned off, so the digital transmissions are low power. Watching more than one television doesn't have any impact that I've noticed on their signal quality (sitting room television always at 9.x/10 for everything) and it's only the two upstairs televisions which seem to struggle for quality and even then they're usually all right, though worse at night, I think. Normally both of them get the BBC channels at about 9/10, and ITV, Channel 4 etc. at about 6.5 - 7, just that the lower quality channels seem to have some sort of intermittent fault, from some radio interference or other, I'd guess.

Anyway, I figure changing the PAL connectors to F connectors, and swapping the two old cheap plastic splitters for one properly shielded splitter (satellite splitters are all well shielded, right?) at an early point in the wiring should cut out enough interference to make the signal good enough for what I need it for, so all I really want to know is whether the DC pass thing a feature that simply won't get used if the cables aren't connected to a satellite box, or if it will actually get in the way of using it is a simple splitter as I want.
Question Author
(And when I say obstructed by a few trees and about a dozen houses.. I don't think any of the houses or trees is higher than my aerial)
Question Author
The other thing is all this "insertion" "loss" "in-out" business. From your eBay link I'm assuming DVB-T is broadcast from 470 to 862MHz in the UK, so does all the technical info (inc. "Insertion 5-40 MHz: 8.0 dB - Loss 40-450 MHz: 6.0 dB - (IN-OUT) 470-860 MHz: 7.0 dB") underneath mean that the satellite splitter thing is suitable or not?
Well it will never be right unless you properly amplify the split outlets, and the correct way to do that is with a head amp.
Satellite splitter will do it, yes, but shielded or not, I'm confident you will see no improvement.
In your case DC Pass or not will work.
If you looked at a scope with that arrangement, you would agree with me tho.
As for antenna, look at possible ground effect problems.
Question Author
Well, I am seeing an improvement on all televisions.

I had been thinking that perhaps the only improvement would be on the two weaker televisions [i.e. the televisions fed from the second splitter (having previously lost power both in the first and second splitters)], but even the sitting room television signal got better.

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