Cabling for Satellite & Terrestrial

Dr.Mark

I am looking for advice on how I use the same cable to carry both my satellite and digital terrestrial channels.

My satellite system installed by Tony has three feeds: 1 hotbird and 2 Astra. See here for a picture. 1 Astra feed goes to my SKY box and the other pair run to my FTA receiver.
I have just brought the Technomate 6900 and am picking up Hotbird and Astra without any problems. (Using the Hard disk is temperamental but thats for another day).

I bought an 18-element aerial and as my satellite dish points to the Three Rock, I can place the aerial beside it (lucky )

I would like to join the cable from the aerial to the Astra cable running to my FTA box. Then inside the house, split the cable again with one feed running to the LNB-in and the other to the aerial-in on my Technomate.

Can someone tell me if I will have any problems doing this?
If not, what connectors, plugs etc. will I need?


thanks in advance!

Onikage

Sounds like you need a pair of diplexers/combiners and a few f-plugs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplex

I believe Tony sells these too.

cormacl

Two of these perhaps..
http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Satellite_UHF_VHF_Cable_Combiner.html

one to run the sat and uhf feed into one cable and the other at the other end to split it again.

I would assume you would need a housing for rain protection like those used with a diseqc switch.

Dr.Mark

OK, I need two of these:
http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Satellite_UHF_VHF_Cable_Combiner.html#asatufhcom
One will be outdoors (close to the dish+aerial) and the other indoors (at the receiver).

I need 6 F connectors and some cable (or is it 4 and 2 UHF connectors?)

Will I have a problem with the outdoor cable combiner?


thanks again!

Onikage

Hmmm... wouldn't think it has any protection against corrosion. If both wires are going inside anyway, I would install it inside.

6 F connectors sounds right.

cormacl

Dr.Mark wrote: »

I need 6 F connectors and some cable (or is it 4 and 2 UHF connectors?)

Will I have a problem with the outdoor cable combiner?
thanks again!

4F + 2 UHF is fine.. but I generally go for all F-connectors and use the screw-on male/female UHF Belling-Lee adaptors.. traditional UHF connectors need to be soldered to get decent connection quality. I'm just too lazy to do that!

To deploy the combiner as-is is asking for trouble I think. You may already have a diseqc switch on the dish pole and its likely to be using nothing more than an upturned cover over the diseqc.. so some imagination may be required to find a suitable plastic container that could do the same for the combiner... as long as the cables feed up into the device it should be OK in terms of fending off rain water etc.

Even though direct rain can be avoided, I'd also either use amalgamating tape or rubber caps over the connectors for the seal.

Dr.Mark

cormacl wrote: »

but I generally go for all F-connectors and use the screw-on male/female UHF Belling-Lee adaptors..

OK. I get the picture

cormacl wrote: »

.. so some imagination may be required to find a suitable plastic container that could do the same for the combiner... as long as the cables feed up into the device it should be OK in terms of fending off rain water etc.

Even though direct rain can be avoided, I'd also either use amalgamating tape or rubber caps over the connectors for the seal.

Tony mentioned in an email that the combiner should not be exposed to the elements so I have considered something along the lines of a plastic lunch box with a couple of holes drilled. I'll also follow your advice with the tape.

Hopefully, I'll get it done by next weekend as I'm really keen to see how the Technomate handles the Irish channels.

maxg

Maybe a diplexer with housing for outdoor usage is the better option.
For instance Vision V24-211 or Antiference UDF200DC.

Dr.Mark

maxg wrote: »

Maybe a diplexer with housing for outdoor usage is the better option.
For instance Vision V24-211 or Antiference UDF200DC.

I've made up some "housing" for the outdoor switch and will store it in a reasonable sheltered spot. I have finished the indoor switch and cabling and am just waiting for a break in the weather to break and refix the outdoor cable :cool:

Dr.Mark

..... simply by placing the aerial on the kitchen roof (I hope it doesn't blow away ), and running the cable into the diplexer, the Technomate tuned in 4 channels and all the radio stations at great pace :):):):)

Can someone answer this question: am I definitely watching digital RTE and not analog? The frequency is 738 as I read elsewhere, but there is no "TTV" log that I noticed on my dad's installation.

Anyway I can use to verify? For sanity sake?

Onikage

I don't think that model has an analogue tuner. Not much call for HD on analogue terrestrial for some reason

Dr.Mark

Onikage wrote: »

Not much call for HD on analogue terrestrial for some reason

.... and that answers my question. The 5th channel is HD Ireland. I must be watching the DTT channels.

The T6900 stumbles for a couple of seconds before it finally tunes to the HD channel but it likes it
Maybe a terrestrial HD issue?