Which tv signal amplifier + where to put it?

bwhite

Hi, I'm not that knowledgable in this area so help would be appreciated. I'm recently after moving into a rented house. I have sky digital installed. I'm using a cable going from the RF out on the sky box to the pre installed wall socket and upstairs I got another cable coming from the wall socket into another tv. it works ok but the picture quality is terrible. What I want to know is would an amplifier help me and if so what kind of one do I need and also do I put it on the way out of the sky box or in the bedroom. All I want is sky in the bedroom. I have a remote sender to change the channel so don't need to use the magic eye or anything. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Peter Rhea

You should first trace the path of the cables from one outlet to the other.

If the system is set up for distribution from an aerial, there may be a splitter of some kind (probably in the attic) which could be bypassed if you don't need a terrestrial feed.

Either connect the 2 wallplate feeds one to the other or connect the Skybox output to the splitter (if present) input if you want tv in more than 1 other room. If you there is a terrestrial aerial & you also want its signal too, that can also be arranged . . .

bwhite

Thanks for your reply Peter. As I said I'm that not well up on this stuff so you'll have to excuse any dumb questions I ask.
Tracing the cable would be next to impossible as far as I can see. I'm in a terraced house.
There is no aerial on the roof so I'm not sure the terrestrial channels were ever used. I do have perfect free view Irish digital channels upstairs but the sky coming from the RF out downstairs is terrible quality. Would it be a matter of the line being terrible quality or do you think that I might have a splitter in the attic reducing the quality.
Would you think an amplifier would improve the picture without having to trace lines or go to the attic?

Peter Rhea

bwhite wrote: »

There is no aerial on the roof so I'm not sure the terrestrial channels were ever used. I do have perfect free view Irish digital channels upstairs . . .

'Terrestrial' only implies that the signal is received from an Earth-based transmitter, as opposed to satellite, can be analogue or digital.
What area are you located in, are you close to a Saorview transmitter?

How are you receiving the 'free view' channels; from the wall connection or an indoor aerial? The signal has to come from somewhere, there could be an aerial in the attic, so it's definitely worth having a look up there.

If it is from the wallplate & there's no aerial anywhere on your own house, you should find out if there's some kind of communal system; you don't want your Skybox output interfering with others' reception.

bwhite

The free view channels are coming from the built in tuner on the tv I'd imagine. They work when there's no aerial connected. I have pretty much nothing through the wall plate only my very poor sky picture coming from the RF out downstairs.

Peter Rhea

Can you list these 'free view' channels as you call them?

The signal must be coming from the wallplate, unplug the lead & they should vanish, be they Saorview, analogue terrestrial or cable or whatever.

bwhite

Just the free Irish digitals channels. RTE 1, 2, tv3 3e, Irish digital radio channels. They still work when I unplug the aerial cable. Well only checked it for a few seconds and it stayed on.

Peter Rhea

Is this with the lead unplugged at the wall or tv end?

Unplug at the tv & see what happens.

bwhite

It was unplugged at the wall. Just tried plugging it out at back of the tv and i lost reception. Still works when plug it out from wall. Cable maybe enough to gain reception? These freeview digital channels obviously have nothing to do with picture quality coming through the line from the wall plates. Have you any other suggestions on improving my picture quality on the sky coming from below and through he wall plates. Do you think an amplifier might help? Thanks for bearing with me.

Peter Rhea

Yes, you must have a strong enough signal for the cable alone to act as an aerial.

As for the Skybox RF2, my original suggestion still stands; you need to be sure you have a direct, unimpeded signal path with no dodgy connections or twisted together cables.

bwhite

Do you reckon I'd be wasting my time buying an aerial amplifier. Checking the line is a serious job as they are wired through the walls. The two wall plates we spoke of are the only 2 in the house so I can't imagine there are many splitters. I'd just like to find out if buying an amplifier and putting it on either side would help me any bit or would I be wasting my time. Thanks.

Vince Cable

You don't need to trace every inch of cable through the walls.

Take a look in the loft & see if the cables originate there, it won't be hard to sort out which is which if there are only 2.

bwhite

Vince Cable wrote: »

You don't need to trace every inch of cable through the walls.

Take a look in the loft & see if the cables originate there, it won't be hard to sort out which is which if there are only 2.

Ok I'll give it a try. thanks for your help.

Peter Rhea

Vince Cable wrote: »

You don't need to trace every inch of cable through the walls.

Yes, only the accessible parts where there are likely to be troublesome or poorly made connections.
OP should probably start with the wallplates themselves & if that yields no scope for improvement, check the attic.
It's possible someone has already set up the system for the purpose of Sky RF distribution but didn't do a great job.

The Cush

Could the RF2 output UHF frequency be conflicting with one of the terrestrial UHF channels?

bwhite

Thanks for the help guys. I dont think it's interference from a different UHF channel. Doesn't look like another channel. Its just very poor grainy picture. Sound seems fine.

Vince Cable

No harm to check the Skybox output channel & tell us your location or most likely transmitter.

Randyleprechaun

The Cush wrote: »

Could the RF2 output UHF frequency be conflicting with one of the terrestrial UHF channels?

I'd put my money on that being the problem.

Might not be but it's easy to check a few different frequencies and see if it improves.!!!!!

Mexecutioner

Randyleprechaun wrote: »

I'd put my money on that being the problem.

The OP connected randomly to 2 wallplates that are linked God knows how.

Keep your money in your pocket.

bwhite

Sky box output channel is 68. Location Dungarvan. Can't see it being interference, maybe I've put it across as worse than it is. I have colour picture with no jumping or anything. The quality is just poor. Very grainy. In my last house I had a cable ran to bedroom from skybox and picture was much much better. I'll be honest in saying if there is nothing really obviously wrong with the wall plates then I don't know what to check for. Because I know I'm not well up on such matters and it would be expensive to get someone in to check it should I just put on an amplifier or a booster from eBay and if so would I put it on the bedroom or in the sky box room?

Liameter

A Sky Digibox RF output set on top of a digital terrestrial channel always produces "grainy picture" symptoms.

http://www.satcure.co.uk/digifaq2.htm#grainy

bwhite

As I said the last house I was in I connected it myself by just running a cable around the outside of the house and drilling it in at the bedroom. Quality was considerably better than what I have now so I'm not putting it down to the box.

My original question was about the amplifier. Would it be a waste of time? Or could it be a quick fix?

Vince Cable

Channel 68 is definitely clear of digital broadcasts.

Try an amplifier if you want (so far, no replies to the thread have recommended it; what does that tell you?), though it shouldn't be hard to at least take a look in the loft & see if there's any sign of the relevant cables.
There's nothing you need to be 'well up' on.

Liameter

IF an amplifier has any chance of helping, it would have to be at the Digibox end. If you want a "magic eye" to work, you must use a SkyLink compatible amplified splitter and ignore unused output(s). However, in view of the possibility of cable damage, I wouldn't bet on a "magic eye" working reliably.

BTW if there are wall plates and fly-leads in use, replace them with screened types. The plates must pass DC for a "magic eye" to work.

bwhite

Thanks for your help guys, I'll have a look in the loft. If see nothing I'll try the amplifier. I'm not bothered about the magic eye, I have a transmitter and receiver with years that will do the job. Works fine.