combining SKY with terrestrial

JoeA3

Hi all,
Looking for some expert advice.
my parents got SKY installed yesterday, replacing existing digital MMDS system.
Up to now, the coax cable from the MMDS aerial was passed into the attic, where it was joined with a terrestrial aerial in the attic, and from there, one coax cable down into the living room. Thus, he had the MMDS Digital channels as well as the normal terrestrial RTE, TV3.

The SKY installer basically replaced the cable from the MMDS aerial with the one from the new SKy dish - so now, the terrestrial aerial is combined with Sky in the attic.
But, now his terrestrial channels don't work at all - only the digital works.

I think I remember reading somewhere before that you cannot pass a terrestrial signal and a Sky signal down the one coax cable. Can anyone confirm? It seemed to work pretty ok with the NTL digital box.

Problem is that he has just the one coax point coming into the living room.

TheDriver

i have fta system and one wire coming down with aerial in attic so got thing yesterday from shop that combines both into one down wire and allows power be sent up the satellite only, need splitter wall plate in sitting room though to split frequencys after. Can get this in satellite.ie or maplin. will try mine tonight but no reason why it shouldn't work.
Why do u need to do this as you have rte on sky???

watty

You need better coax too.
NTL is 175Mhz to 500MHz band (MMDS downconvertor or cable) approx, or 50MHz to 800MHz in some cable areas. Satellite is 950MHz to 2100MHz. It also feeds 13V OR 18V back up cable and 22KHz tone on/off. NTL MMDS is a fixed voltage.

You CAN get good adaptors for "stacking" TV and Satellite. But you need new cable anyway. Some work at either end, some work only at Dish end OR digibox end.

watty

YOu are best to get a TV aerials as when or if you cancel Sky you do still have about 45 decent TV and 25 decent Radio, inc all BBC and ITV and Film4, but NO Irish TV.

JoeA3

cheers,
The reason he likes to have the terrestrial along with SKY, is because occasionally he might like to record something on terrestrial whilst watching another program on one of the digital channels - or vice versa. Just for overall convenicence really, and he was used to having it in his old setup.

JoeA3

cheers Watty, just as I thought. Unfortunately new coax/cabling etc would be next to impossible to do without serious drilling and mess! Its a 30 year old house so as you might imagine the existing cabling is probably not great, as well as the fact there are wooden floors everywhere, and the TV is in an awkward location, so hiding new cables would be v tricky!

As an aside, the install quality was pretty poor overall. You'd think the installer might have told him some of this info, and why he connected it up with the attic aerial in the first place, when it doesn't work, I don't know.

watty

Some of the channels won't work on 30 year old TV cable and it will create a lot of interference, possibly at illegal levels as the cable is not properly sheilded. You can run the cable up to 30m, go via outside?

JoeA3

mmm, as I said though, his Sky signal is perfect on all channels, signal strength and quality v. good. Its just the terrestrial we need to figure out how to get into the room... I'm sure I'll find a way!

TheDriver

Put in my splitter tonight and it works great, have my terrestrial and my satellite all coming down perfect in spare room thanks to dual lnb. so Joe, thats your best try for now if your willing to have a shot at it but cost me roughly 24 euro between combiner and splittrer wall plate at bottom. http://www.skymaster.de/products/sat/zub/sab/3731?_ts=20061005123053809&_lw=

brav

yaa they sell those splitters/combiner things in mapplins, probably twice the price though than the german site

givecredit

The Combiner/Splitter solution works perfect for me with Coaxial cable that was installed in House Walls over 35 years ago. All sky Digital channels perfect and excellent RTE/TV3 reception from tv aerial.

watty

You are likely causing a serious amount of interference due to the high level satellite IF at 950MHz to 2100MHz. You could use the exsiting coax to pull in properly braid + foil screened coax.