Satellite/Terrestrial RF set up query...

Widescreen

Hi folks,

Firstly,I'll give you my set up.

Main Location. -Main TV,Sky HD Box,Sky Digibox,DVD Recorder,Terrestrial Aerial. Terrestrial Aerial goes from wall into Sky HD Box.

Viewable Channels on my TV-- 1.RTE 1 , 2. RTE 2, 3. TV3, 4 TG4, 5. Sky Digibox, 6. Sky HD Box. 7. DVD Recorder

A distribution amplifier distributes to the main TV , Kitchen TV, Bedroom TV. Magic eyes also connected through the distribution amp enables control of the Sky Digibox(channel no. 5) in kitchen and bedroom.

The problem relates to terrestrial reception mainly on TV3. When viewing,the picture has waves on this channel on all three tv's. RTE 1 and 2 are fine. I have tried changing the RF Channel numbers on sky digibox(no. 5) without improvement. Can anyone help me with this? Can anyone advise a RF channel line up which may help. ie. for my two digiboxes and my dvd recorder. I am taking my signal off Woodcock hill and if I plug my aerial lead direct to tv its perfect..


Any advice appreciated.thanks

Tony

Could be the terrestrial signal is overloading the amp, try taking one device at a time out of the chain and note any changes. What Rf channel is the Sky HD box?

Widescreen

Tony wrote: »

Could be the terrestrial signal is overloading the amp, try taking one device at a time out of the chain and note any changes. What Rf channel is the Sky HD box?

thanks Tony, I'll check the SKY HD rf no. tonite. Off hand I think it is 60.

FYI The way the amplifier is set up is so you have to use a splitter to put the rf2 cable(for magic eyes) and the other cable coming from RF1 on Sky digibox into it. Sometimes after the amp has been switched off I have to reboot the digibox to get the magic eyes working. Before doing that the reception on TV3 and TG4 was better.Its as if using the magic eyes is effecting the reception.TG4 is very bad(not bothered about that though) and Tv3 is wavy as originally stated when the eyes are working.

Tony

I'm wondering why you are using RF1 and 2 out, why does RF2 not work on its own?

Widescreen wrote: »

thanks Tony, I'll check the SKY HD rf no. tonite. Off hand I think it is 60.

FYI The way the amplifier is set up is so you have to use a splitter to put the rf2 cable(for magic eyes) and the other cable coming from RF1 on Sky digibox into it. Sometimes after the amp has been switched off I have to reboot the digibox to get the magic eyes working. Before doing that the reception on TV3 and TG4 was better.Its as if using the magic eyes is effecting the reception.TG4 is very bad(not bothered about that though) and Tv3 is wavy as originally stated when the eyes are working.

Widescreen

Tony wrote: »

I'm wondering why you are using RF1 and 2 out, why does RF2 not work on its own?[/QUOTE

Appreciate you taking a look at this Tony-thanks.

I think the RF2 power supply in this digibox is broken. I think it happened when I was originally installing this amplifier some months ago.The rf2 setting has been set to off since then but the eyes are working. If this is the case , do you think the eyes should work just using the cable from rf1 and get their power from the amplifier? And cable from rf2 is defunct?

Alternately, I have a spare pace box. if I used that instead and rf2 power supply was working ok, should just a cable from the rf2 do?

Are you saying that the Rf2 and rf1 do exactly the same thing and only one or the other is needed? And this won't effect dvd recording?

Did you have any thoughts on whether the channel number I am using for HD box might be causing the waves?

Tony

Widescreen wrote: »

Appreciate you taking a look at this Tony-thanks.

Are you saying that the Rf2 and rf1 do exactly the same thing and only one or the other is needed? And this won't effect dvd recording?

Did you have any thoughts on whether the channel number I am using for HD box might be causing the waves?

Not a problem.

RF1 and 2 carry the same RF (IE Tv)signal the only difference is RF2 has voltage out and remote commands in so only one rf should be connected to any one source except in non typical set ups but thats another story.

Easy way to see whether the HD box is causing a problem is to disconnect the tv coax going to aerial in and rf out and join them , that way that cable is now only carrying the RTE aerial signal, if problem disappears then you know the hd box is the cause.

Hope this helps

Widescreen

Tony wrote: »

Not a problem.

RF1 and 2 carry the same RF (IE Tv)signal the only difference is RF2 has voltage out and remote commands in so only one rf should be connected to any one source except in non typical set ups but thats another story.

Easy way to see whether the HD box is causing a problem is to disconnect the tv coax going to aerial in and rf out and join them , that way that cable is now only carrying the RTE aerial signal, if problem disappears then you know the hd box is the cause.

Hope this helps

many thanks Tony

Just to clarify- So do you mean that just having a cable from Rf1(nothing from rf2) through the amplifier will mean the eyes should work?

Finally,if the HD box is the problem is it a case of finding an rf channel that doesn't cause interference?

cheers

Tony

Normally RF2 connected but you say theres a problem with that?

Yes on the HD box just change the RF channel

Widescreen wrote: »

many thanks Tony

Just to clarify- So do you mean that just having a cable from Rf1(nothing from rf2) through the amplifier will mean the eyes should work?

Finally,if the HD box is the problem is it a case of finding an rf channel that doesn't cause interference?

cheers

Widescreen

Tony wrote: »

Normally RF2 connected but you say theres a problem with that?

Sorry Tony,what I mean is I currently have cables going from both the Rf1 and rf2 to the amplifier both via the same splitter.However, I think the rf2 power supply is defunct on the digibox and I have it set to Rf2 power "off". but the magic eye still works, so do you think that means I can dispense with the rf2 cable and that just using the rf1 cable into the amplifier on its own should mean the magic eyes will still work?

Tony

I really dont know if this will work to be honest, i've never tried it that way. Did you check if the HD box was causing the main problem?

Edit; Try Rf2 on its own

Widescreen wrote: »

Tony wrote: »

Normally RF2 connected but you say theres a problem with that?

Sorry Tony,what I mean is I currently have cables going from both the Rf1 and rf2 to the amplifier both via the same splitter.However, I think the rf2 power supply is defunct on the digibox and I have it set to Rf2 power "off". but the magic eye still works, so do you think that means I can dispense with the rf2 cable and that just using the rf1 cable into the amplifier on its own should mean the magic eyes will still work?

Widescreen

Tony wrote: »

I really dont know if this will work to be honest, i've never tried it that way. Did you check if the HD box was causing the main problem?

Edit; Try Rf2 on its own

Widescreen wrote: »

I sat down late last night and went through every setting possible on the hd box,some were better than others but all had interference on tv3.RTe 1 and 2 are always spot on. Tg4 always unwatchable.
fyi the rf no's i am using are
Rte 1-39, rte 2- 42 tv3 - 45, tg4-49(all fixed as per woodcock hill) fta sky digibox 28 sky main box 56 dvd 60

The reception will improve to acceptable level when magic eyes not working which may indicate that plugging in both rf1 and 2 into a splitter then into the amp causes the weak signal on 3 and 4. BTW the amp is one that you plug in.

The magic eyes work even with Rf2 power supply off.(as said earlier I think that supply may be broken). In your experience do you think one cable (i.e. rf1 or rf2 plugged into the amp)should mean the eyes will work.If that was the case it may sort the reception issue to reasonable level.

thanks and apologies again for all the queries.

Tony

Did you remove the HD box from the chain as I suggested earlier? As for RF2 isuue, try RF 2 on its own without any combiner straight into the amp, you should be experimenting at this point to identify the problem.

Widescreen

Tony wrote: »

Did you remove the HD box from the chain as I suggested earlier? As for RF2 isuue, try RF 2 on its own without any combiner straight into the amp, you should be experimenting at this point to identify the problem.

Many thanks Tony. Will do all you suggest. Maybe the weekend before I can do it to avoid interrupting everyone,but will get round to it and advise how I got on. cheers

Tony

Good luck, hope you get it fixed

Widescreen

I have done as was suggested. I think the problem may come down to the splitter I am using for the RF1 AND RF2 cables. If I only use the RF2 cable the magic eyes will work and the reception improves on TV3/tg4 but then the reception through the dvd recorder suffers on all channels although you can play pre recorded dvds perfectly through all tv's. Once I plug the RF1 back in the dvd prob is resolved but the reception suffers on the 2 channels again.Its like an overload situation I think.

Just wondering is there a splitter that will take the RF1/RF2 cables ,then plug in to the amp without affecting the quality of any functions.

thanks

Widescreen

Widescreen wrote: »

Many thanks Tony. Will do all you suggest. Maybe the weekend before I can do it to avoid interrupting everyone,but will get round to it and advise how I got on. cheers

Tony,I'd just like to confirm that removing the HD box from the chain here as you had kindly suggested resolved the problem.Thanks!

I have since got an almost new Pace Sky plus box off a friend,connected it up and have no reception issues on any channel. both sky boxes are perfect as well as all terrestrial channels. Apparently I need to get the PSU,I think it is fixed in the HD box.

As I now have perfect reception on all channels I am sceptical about even getting the HD box fixed as between the crappy new EPG and the times it needed rebooting it was just a load of hassle.

Can someone who had similar problem with a Thomson hd box like mine ,7e3004 i think,give me any good news story about having a problem and getting it fixed and their problem then being totally resolved?

Tony

My pleasure

Widescreen wrote: »

Tony,I'd just like to confirm that removing the HD box from the chain here as you had kindly suggested resolved the problem.Thanks!