Tv signal

[gaz1234]

Hello
So I’m confused how to get this to work better.
I’ve got two tv ariels in the loft, one in use the other is disconnected.
I’m s shay got an slx 4-6 way booster running 4 TVs in the house. 3 are working fine, the other isn’t, particularly when in HD, constant break up of office.
I’ve also got a slx booster on this tv, clearly making no difference.
I tested the signal using a tester and it’sa but lower than the others. I’m assuming it’s the cable in the wall going to the booster?
Any ideas how to fix?
Cheers

 

[Lucid]

General advice when starting troubleshooting is to check the plug ends and any joints/sockets in the signal path first. Over time, plugs and the screw terminals on wall plates can work loose.

How long have you had a problem with reception on the 4th TV? Has anything changed in the house that made the reception on that TV go worse all of a sudden?



If this or any other reply was helpful to you, then please do the decent thing and click the T-H-A-N-K-S button. It appears when you hover the mouse pointer near the Quote Multi-quote buttons. It costs you nothing. This is the proper way to show your thanks for the time and help someone gave you.

 

[FrodoOne]

Hello
So I’m confused how to get this to work better.
I’ve got two tv ariels in the loft, one in use the other is disconnected.
I’m s shay got an slx 4-6 way booster running 4 TVs in the house. 3 are working fine, the other isn’t, particularly when in HD, constant break up of office.
I’ve also got a slx booster on this tv, clearly making no difference.
I tested the signal using a tester and it’sa but lower than the others. I’m assuming it’s the cable in the wall going to the booster?
Any ideas how to fix?
Cheers

I am a little confused by your nomenclature but
it seems that you may have a TV amplifier/splitter with a number of outputs (which may be a maximum of 6) but you are using only 4 of these.

3 of these outputs are delivering a satisfactory signal to the TVs concerned but one is not.
The first thing to do would be to determine if the fault lies in the output of the amplifier/splitter (unlikely) or the wiring/connections to the TV with the unsatisfactory signal.
So, you should swap the connection from an outlet on the amplifier/splitter giving a good signal with the one which is unsatisfactory and see if the same TV still exhibits the fault (and, whether the other TV still operates satisfactorily.)
If it does, you have proved that it is the wiring/connectors. If not, it is the outlet on the amplifier/splitter which is faulty and that device should be replaced (but this is unlikely!)
(Splitters which have other than 2, 4, 8 etc terminals are likely to have some outlets with a signal 3 dB lower than the others and I would avoid them, if possible.)

If you prove that the wiring and/or connectors are faulty you will then need to determine where the fault is. Connectors may need replacing (they should all be "F" type) and/or the wiring may have become damaged and need replacing.

Finally, if you have any unused outlets on the amplifier/splitter, these unused outlets should be terminated with a 75 ohm terminator ( e. g. https://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-F-ty...009908?hash=item2f2ff469b4:g:FrIAAOSweeJcypsK)

 

[gaz1234]

General advice when starting troubleshooting is to check the plug ends and any joints/sockets in the signal path first. Over time, plugs and the screw terminals on wall plates can work loose.

How long have you had a problem with reception on the 4th TV? Has anything changed in the house that made the reception on that TV go worse all of a sudden?

Had the problem for a long time I recall trying a different tv their briefly. Only noticeable now with new tv with hd.

 

[gaz1234]

I am a little confused by your nomenclature but
it seems that you may have a TV amplifier/splitter with a number of outputs (which may be a maximum of 6) but you are using only 4 of these.

3 of these outputs are delivering a satisfactory signal to the TVs concerned but one is not.
The first thing to do would be to determine if the fault lies in the output of the amplifier/splitter (unlikely) or the wiring/connections to the TV with the unsatisfactory signal.
So, you should swap the connection from an outlet on the amplifier/splitter giving a good signal with the one which is unsatisfactory and see if the same TV still exhibits the fault (and, whether the other TV still operates satisfactorily.)
If it does, you have proved that it is the wiring/connectors. If not, it is the outlet on the amplifier/splitter which is faulty and that device should be replaced (but this is unlikely!)
(Splitters which have other than 2, 4, 8 etc terminals are likely to have some outlets with a signal 3 dB lower than the others and I would avoid them, if possible.)

If you prove that the wiring and/or connectors are faulty you will then need to determine where the fault is. Connectors may need replacing (they should all be "F" type) and/or the wiring may have become damaged and need replacing.

Finally, if you have any unused outlets on the amplifier/splitter, these unused outlets should be terminated with a 75 ohm terminator ( e. g. https://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-F-ty...009908?hash=item2f2ff469b4:g:FrIAAOSweeJcypsK)

Forgot to say I moved the tv to the other room briefly and it works fine.

 

[Lucid]

If you've had the problem from day 1 of when the amplified splitter was installed, then it could be the cable in-wall, or the way the plug ends are made-up, or the wrong connection at the amp end, or the SLX amp not being properly terminated, though I'd expect problems on at least one other output if that latter was the case.

Most amplified splitters carry enough gain to compensate for the number of ways the signal has been split, plus a little extra to offset the losses down the cable from the amp to the TVs. In that respect then, there isn't a huge amount of boost.

It's worth knowing that the catch with amplified splitters is noise. They add noise to the system. Where the aerial is either not that well suited to the signal being received, or somewhere that the signal level is already lower (such as a loft), then adding an amplified splitter could make the signal a bit more marginal. Noise is something that affects signal quality. Quality is the measure of signal versus background noise (Signal to Noise Ratio - SNR). Adding amplification makes that worse.

Boosting a signal again at the back of the TV rarely helps when it comes to digital. It makes the signal "louder", but adds noise again to make the SNR even worse. That's actually going backwards, not helping. The average TV is much happier with less power and a better SNR.


If your SLX amp is like others I've seen, then there may be a Full Output socket as well as the ordinary level splitter outputs. Check the wiring to see if that Full socket was used by mistake, or try it if it hasn't been. Also, remove the amp from the back of the telly. It's probably not helping (see above). Let us know how you get on.


If this or any other reply was helpful to you, then please do the decent thing and click the T-H-A-N-K-S button. It appears when you hover the mouse pointer near the Quote Multi-quote buttons. It costs you nothing. This is the proper way to show your thanks for the time and help someone gave you.

 

[gaz1234]

If you've had the problem from day 1 of when the amplified splitter was installed, then it could be the cable in-wall, or the way the plug ends are made-up, or the wrong connection at the amp end, or the SLX amp not being properly terminated, though I'd expect problems on at least one other output if that latter was the case.

Most amplified splitters carry enough gain to compensate for the number of ways the signal has been split, plus a little extra to offset the losses down the cable from the amp to the TVs. In that respect then, there isn't a huge amount of boost.

It's worth knowing that the catch with amplified splitters is noise. They add noise to the system. Where the aerial is either not that well suited to the signal being received, or somewhere that the signal level is already lower (such as a loft), then adding an amplified splitter could make the signal a bit more marginal. Noise is something that affects signal quality. Quality is the measure of signal versus background noise (Signal to Noise Ratio - SNR). Adding amplification makes that worse.

Boosting a signal again at the back of the TV rarely helps when it comes to digital. It makes the signal "louder", but adds noise again to make the SNR even worse. That's actually going backwards, not helping. The average TV is much happier with less power and a better SNR.


If your SLX amp is like others I've seen, then there may be a Full Output socket as well as the ordinary level splitter outputs. Check the wiring to see if that Full socket was used by mistake, or try it if it hasn't been. Also, remove the amp from the back of the telly. It's probably not helping (see above). Let us know how you get on.


If this or any other reply was helpful to you, then please do the decent thing and click the T-H-A-N-K-S button. It appears when you hover the mouse pointer near the Quote Multi-quote buttons. It costs you nothing. This is the proper way to show your thanks for the time and help someone gave you.

Thanks.
Will remove the smaller slx. I recall it’s not done much tbh.
Could the disconnected Ariel in the loft interfere with the other one?
Would a new slx or equiv booster in loft worth replacing?

 

[Lucid]

Before I reply, I am going to ask you to click on the THANKS button for any and all post's in your thread that you have found helpful. This goes for any writer, not just me.IIf you don't know where to find the THANKS button, read the text in blue at the bottom of my two previous posts.

It's simple to do, takes seconds, costs you nothing, but means a lot to those who give you the benefit of their time and their knowledge for nothing in return except a bit of courtesy on your part. So, do the decent thing and take a second to be decent.

I'll pop back to this thread a bit later tonsee how we're doing when I have more time.

 

[Lucid]

It's only likely that the other aerial would interference if it's placed very close such as on the same mast on houses where there are two, three or four aerials all crowded together.

More likely is some radio waves bouncing around inside the loft causing odd interference issues. Lofts can be tricky places to install an aerial. It's not always obvious where the best place is for reception.

Before going to the expense of trying new gear, do a couple more tests.

You know the TV works okay in another room, so the TV is fine. Try swapping the feed from the SLX amp going to the problem room. This will show you if the cable/plugs are an issue or not. If you feed the problem room from a different output on the amp and reception is still an issue then the cable is the problem. Get a new cable run done. It might be that it has to run on the outside of the building.

Whoever you use for the job, make sure they use decent cable: Webro WF100 or another equivalent all-copper cable such as PF100 or TX100. Don't accept basic RG6 with the silver-looking braid and copper-looking core. The braid and foil are aluminium, and the core is steel with an anodised copper flash.

I'll be straight with you, on day 1 the RG6 and WF100 will give the same results as far as your TV is concerned. What's more important though is what happens to the cable after 6 months or more exposure to the elements. You see, even if your installer botches up and somehow the sheath get cut or abraded so it let's in water, an all-copper cable will still work, and it will keep on working. I've been to homes where the old copper coax from 20 years ago has been dripping water from the end, and yet it still works. At the same time, I've been to troubleshoot much newer installs where the cheap RG6 has corroded because a little cracking let in some atmospheric moisture.

The difference in cost between cheap cable and the good stuff isn't much; maybe 50p per metre. If you're using 10 Mrs, the cost difference is a fiver. That's hardly breaking the bank, and if it saves you having to call out an installer to replace the cable sometime in tIt's not worth worrying about to pree next 20 years, then isn't that worth it?

 

[FrodoOne]

Thanks.
Will remove the smaller slx. I recall it’s not done much tbh.
Could the disconnected Ariel in the loft interfere with the other one?
Would a new slx or equiv booster in loft worth replacing?

The existing splitter/amplifier can be proved to be OK (or not) in the manner that I suggested in Post#3

Any antenna in use should be at least two "elements" width away (in any direction) from any other metal object - including unused antennae, pipes and wiring.

 

[Lucid]

The existing splitter/amplifier can be proved to be OK (or not) in the manner that I suggested in Post#3

The ariel in use should be at least two "elements" width away (in any direction) from any other metal object - including unused ariels, pipes and wiring.

BIB: Yup. But we both know that people don't read, or they're selective in what they read and stop paying attention when they think they have the answer that they want to hear. It's a problem then of comprehension and attention span; just as is the difference between like and thanks

 

[winston1]

Not Ariel, that

The existing splitter/amplifier can be proved to be OK (or not) in the manner that I suggested in Post#3

The ariel in use should be at least two "elements" width away (in any direction) from any other metal object - including unused ariels, pipes and wiring.

Not ariel, that is washing powder. Aerial is the correct term.

 

[winston1]

The existing splitter/amplifier can be proved to be OK (or not) in the manner that I suggested in Post#3

The ariel in use should be at least two "elements" width away (in any direction) from any other metal object - including unused ariels, pipes and wiring.

Not ariel, that is washing powder. Aerial is the correct term.

 

[ericmark]

I had a load of aerial boosters found in my dad's house, when I came to use them most were useless, all it needs is an electrical storm and good by aerial booster. Pick a TV set it to show signal strength and try the boosters and ensure they are still working OK.

 

[FrodoOne]

Not ariel, that is washing powder. Aerial is the correct term.

Mea culpa.
S/printer's (spell checker's) error!

Of course, Ariel is a spirit who appears in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.
Perhaps the "washing powder" concerned was named after him (it).

Corrections using the word "antenna" (and the plural thereof) have been made.