Coax Return Feeds - Problems!

[Netto]

Hello,

We've moved into a new house which is wired for Sky+ (but we dont want it). So, we've had a high gain aerial fitted for standard Digital freeview.

From what I can gather, I have 4 cables terminating in the lounge:

1 from the roof Aerial.
1 Return feed to a 8 way loft amiplifier.
2 Sat cables (remain unconnected).

Currently I'm just running the aerial feed directly into the tv in the lounge, so I'm looking for a wall plate which will allow me to tidy this all up.

I've looked at the Sky+ triplex plates, which seem to have to required outputs (including Phone).

However, my issue is that I can not get a signal around the house to the other outlets unless I connect the aerial feed and return feed directly together. Clearly I still need a feed to plug the TV into!

How do I skin this? Will the Sky+ wall plate combine the aerial feed and return feed so the signal will return to the loft box?

I'm confused!

 

[docbrown]

Hello,

However, my issue is that I can not get a signal around the house to the other outlets unless I connect the aerial feed and return feed directly together. Clearly I still need a feed to plug the TV into!

Hi,

There are two ways to solve this depending on what you want to do.

The easiset way to it connect the ariel input into the splitter in the loft and then take on of the outputs and connect that to the input on the TV. That way the splitter can take the arial signal round the house. This will mean that you only need a single cable coming out of the wall.

The other way is how I did it some years ago with a video player that output it signal via the UHF feed. This will almost certainly not work on any newer equipment that output via SCART, HDMI etc. That is take the arial, connect it to your VHS player, plug the VHS output into a two way splitter, take one output from that to your TV and the other output back up to the loft splitter. That way you can watch your VHS player anywhere there is a TV down line. (not idea whether this would work for sky+ etc. I very much doubt it.

if I haven't been clear, let me know and I'll clarify.

John

 

[ericmark]

TV wall plates come in all different types although they look the same when fitted.
1) The plate with multi connections.
2) The plate with multi connections and de-coupling capacitors.
3) The plate with multi connections and a splitting or combining network.
If you buy a plate with for example two Sky type connectors and a TV connector you will likely find you only have connections for two coax cables as the same cable is used for both Sky and Freeview signals.
As you go for the bigger plates again many include band pass filters so although it may have

five TV connections there may be only three cables plus telephone connected inside.

The combiner/splitter/booster in the loft also come in many flavours some are feed from the TV cable with 12VDC supply others need mains supply, some will allow signals from remote controls to pass through some do not. And some also combine aerials together and can have FM, DAB, UHF and Sky all sent down on same cable. What they can't do is combine two cables working at same frequency so can't combine two sky cables together.

As well as main booster there are also splitters and combiners which just do that job and don't boost the signals in any way.

So step one is get all the details from the existing 8 way loft amplifier. These will do everything but

these don't do as much and half the price so even knowing the make does not help too much.

 

[Netto]

Thanks for your replys.

I can not connect the aerial direct to the amplifier, without running the cable a different route.

Basically, all cabling was installed prior to our move in. The aerial cable comes direct from the aerial, through the wall (chased in), and down to the lounge. the return feed (UHF) then goes from the lounge up to the amplifier, where all the other feeds run from.

I have wired up the return feed and aerial coax together and the signal feeds beautifully around the house, so i know all the cabling to the amplifer is wired up fine.

My problem is getting a feed in the lounge and around the house at the same time. Clear as mud now right!?

This is my amplifier:

http://www.grax.co.uk/P/WOLSEY-8-Way-Bi-Directional-Amplifier(880).aspx

 

[ericmark]

The mud is clearing nicely. Sky boxes have one UHF RF in and 2 x UHF RF out so originally I would expect he used the Sky box as a 2 way booster/splitter. Aldi are at the moment doing a 2 way booster splitter with a 13A through port also have been done by Lidi I would say that is easy way out.

 

[Netto]

The mud is clearing nicely. Sky boxes have one UHF RF in and 2 x UHF RF out so originally I would expect he used the Sky box as a 2 way booster/splitter. Aldi are at the moment doing a 2 way booster splitter with a 13A through port also have been done by Lidi I would say that is easy way out.

I was just having that same eureka moment actually...I guess a sky box does the job of a boosted splitter, so was thinking about getting a 2-way to wire in at the lounge - aerial coax in, return out to loft, 2nd out to tv. And hopefully job done...!