Combine Saorview and cable TV

podge3

Can Saorview and cable TV be combined on 1 cable?

I have an attic antenna for Saorview and I want to distribute it with the cable TV through-out the house.

Would a simple combiner work?

Tony

podge3 wrote: »

Would a simple combiner work?

Yes it will

Sam Russell

You need to be careful if you are using a masthead amp, as the combiner may interfere with the LNB power. Otherwise, you should be OK. Use one with a split at ch 37 or so.

Tony

Good point Sam, had not thought about that

podge3

I don't have a masthead amp, lads, or an LNB.

Basic antenna and standard cable feed.

I tried a combiner just now and it didn't work. The cable channels worked OK but the Saorview didn't.

Could you recommend a specific combiner?

Tony

Saorview is plain old UHF so no special combiner needed

podge3

I think my UPC cable is VHF and UHF - I need to check.

Would this do: http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Satellite_UHF_combiner.html#asatufhcom

Tony

It will work but its overkill for your purpose

podge3 wrote: »

I think my UPC cable is VHF and UHF - I need to check.

Would this do: http://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Satellite_UHF_combiner.html#asatufhcom

podge3

I just checked and it looks like my UPC doesn't go above about 310 megs.

Probably a stupid question but is a splitter and a combiner the same thing? I have several of these around the house: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-WAY-TV-AERIAL-SPLITTER-COMBINER-FREEVIEW-DIGITAL-/250840163143?pt=UK_ConEle_SatCableFreeview_RL&hash=item3a673d2347#ht_500wt_1156

Its a splitter but would it serve my purpose?

podge3

Got it working!!

The first combiner I used must have been faulty. I just tried another now and I have Saorview and UPC on my TVs.

Thanks for all the advice, Tony and Sam.

I must combine my satellite now.....

Sam Russell

@Podge3

What you need is a Triax 3537 F-Type 2 way grouped Combiner.

This filters the UPC to only pass up to channel 37. Enough for all the TV channels.
The Saorview input is filtered to only pass above Channel 37. In Dublin Saorview is on 54 and 58, so that is OK.
Output is the sum of these two.
Insertion loss is 3dB so that should be OK. You can then distribute this around the house using a low gain distribution amplifier. You should only need 3dB per outut gain.

What you are using is a splitter that just adds the two signals. Not the right piece of kit.

podge3

Hi again Sam

Thats interesting. Its did seem a little too easy in using the splitter I had, although it does work and there appears to be no degradation of the UPC analogue signal in the house. The UPC digital also seems fine.

I'm going off topic a bit now but I suppose I really should finish the job and link in my satellite dish also. The setup in my house is as follows:

- I have UPC analogue all over the house with UPC digital to one TV
- I have a single LNB dish feeding one TV
- I now have an antenna in the attic for Saorview
- I'm using a distribution amp in the attic

Could I use the Triax 3537 to combine both UPC and Saorview to the input to my amp? Then using a multiple LNB, feed satellite to any room I need using a pair of these for each connection: http://www.tvtrade.ie/alltrade-tv-aerial-and-satellite-combiner.html. Obviously I would need to connect this combiner on each individual amp output.

Sam Russell

podge3 wrote: »

Hi again Sam

Thats interesting. Its did seem a little too easy in using the splitter I had, although it does work and there appears to be no degradation of the UPC analogue signal in the house. The UPC digital also seems fine.

I'm going off topic a bit now but I suppose I really should finish the job and link in my satellite dish also. The setup in my house is as follows:

- I have UPC analogue all over the house with UPC digital to one TV
- I have a single LNB dish feeding one TV
- I now have an antenna in the attic for Saorview
- I'm using a distribution amp in the attic

Could I use the Triax 3537 to combine both UPC and Saorview to the input to my amp? Then using a multiple LNB, feed satellite to any room I need using a pair of these for each connection: http://www.tvtrade.ie/alltrade-tv-aerial-and-satellite-combiner.html. Obviously I would need to connect this combiner on each individual amp output.

Where the UPC cable comes in before it goes to any TV, use the Triax box to combine the Saorview signal into the one cable. That will then go to the distribution amp anf go around the house, giving every suitable TV analogue UPC and Saorview. So if you do this in the attic, which becomes you distribution hub, you can do the combining there.

To do the same to include satellite, you need a cable going from the LNB to each TV you want to view satellite on. Say you get a quad LNB, you can then take those four outputs to the distribution amp outputs and combine them with the satellite combiner, and at each TV, you use another one to split it out again. The UPC and Saorview signals are not split out again as they go to the same tuner.

There are better ways of doing this.

podge3

Sam Russell wrote: »

Where the UPC cable comes in before it goes to any TV, use the Triax box to combine the Saorview signal into the one cable. That will then go to the distribution amp anf go around the house, giving every suitable TV analogue UPC and Saorview. So if you do this in the attic, which becomes you distribution hub, you can do the combining there.

To do the same to include satellite, you need a cable going from the LNB to each TV you want to view satellite on. Say you get a quad LNB, you can then take those four outputs to the distribution amp outputs and combine them with the satellite combiner, and at each TV, you use another one to split it out again. The UPC and Saorview signals are not split out again as they go to the same tuner.

There are better ways of doing this.

I was looking at a loft amp like this: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MXHDU681.html

I need to check the inputs for cable and antenna as its probably more for the UK.

Sam Russell

podge3 wrote: »

I was looking at a loft amp like this: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MXHDU681.html

I need to check the inputs for cable and antenna as its probably more for the UK.

That is the type of thing, but the money soon starts adding up.

podge3

I've just been checking and I'm receiving Saorview from Cahir on channel 28 so I don't think the Triax 3537 will work with my setup.

My UPC analogue frequencies go from 175 MHz to 311 MHz, with 2 further channels at 735 + 743 MHz. The higher frequencies are Eurosport and Setanta so I'm not worried if I lose those.

I don't know what frequency UPC digital is on.

Anyone got any further ideas?

Sam Russell

It does not matter about UPC Digital because you can split the signal and only play with the split to get the analogue channels. The digital box will use a seperate split from the incoming signal.

Channel 24 is very low down and too close to the signals you want. A VHF/UHF combiner might work, but you would lose the UHF UPC channels.

Is there another Saorview signal you could try, like maybe Mt Leinster?

Peter Rhea

podge3 wrote: »

I've just been checking and I'm receiving Saorview from Cahir on channel 28 so I don't think the Triax 3537 will work with my setup.

I thought you had it working with a non-filtered combiner, why do you need the 35/37 diplexer?

podge3

Sam Russell wrote: »

It does not matter about UPC Digital because you can split the signal and only play with the split to get the analogue channels. The digital box will use a seperate split from the incoming signal.

Channel 24 is very low down and too close to the signals you want. A VHF/UHF combiner might work, but you would lose the UHF UPC channels.

Is there another Saorview signal you could try, like maybe Mt Leinster?

OK, back on track again.

I had thought of Mt Leinster as its on ch 45 but its too far away from me.

However, I was just looking at the various Saorview sites and found that there is a secondary transmitter on ch 50 about 10 miles from me. This site was not listed on the page I was using: http://www.mpeg4ireland.com/dtt-muxes#mapping

I have now re-positioned and re-tuned so I will order the Triax.

Peter Rhea wrote: »

I thought you had it working with a non-filtered combiner, why do you need the 35/37 diplexer?

It is indeed working but it seems that it isn't the correct way of doing things. My combiner is actually a splitter.

maxg

podge3 wrote: »

It is indeed working but it seems that it isn't the correct way of doing things. My combiner is actually a splitter.

A splitter is also working as a combiner the other way round.
A triax combiner is needed if cable analog/digital/broadband is using the same frequencies than terrestrial at the other side.
As long as all wanted channels are working with a splitter there is no need to change anything.

Peter Rhea

podge3 wrote: »

It is indeed working but it seems that it isn't the correct way of doing things. My combiner is actually a splitter.

As pointed out above, most splitter/combiners will do either job, though some lose more signal than others. You only need the diplexer if you have unwanted interaction between the 2 sets of signals.

Sam Russell

If it working, leave it alone.

If you are using a passive splitter, you are losing loads of signal but then UPC have loads of signal so that cause no problem. However, if the Saorview signal is small, the loss would be too much. The diplexer approach has a lot lower loss, as it is basically a filter stopping out of band signals with little or no loss in band.

podge3

OK - got the TV system in the house sorted now.

I ended up getting the combiner as I found the analog signal was suffering slightly i.e. some channels had lines when the saorview antenna was connected. I also thought that the UPC digital box was dropping the signal sometimes with the antenna connected. This may have been nothing to do with using the splitter but I was changing the whole setup in my house anyway so got the Triax combiner also.

I now have UPC analog, Saorview and satellite on all the TVs in my house. Additionally, I have UPC digital on one TV. The attic in my house is like a nest of snakes but it all works and I'm delighted with the results .

Thing is, I'm still paying UPC and all I'm really getting from them is Sky One, and the 2 basic Discovery channels plus other channels on the digital box that I never watch.

Sam Russell

podge3 wrote: »

Thing is, I'm still paying UPC and all I'm really getting from them is Sky One, and the 2 basic Discovery channels plus other channels on the digital box that I never watch.

Then cancel UPC.

podge3

Sam Russell wrote: »

Then cancel UPC.

Yeah, thats what I'm thinking.